Ancestor Approved Award

 Many thanks to Evelyn Yvonne Theriault for the Ancestor Approved award!  It really made my day, Evelyn!

It's my job, now, to "list ten things I've learned about any of my ancestors that has surprised, humbled, or enlightened me, and to pass the award along to ten other bloggers whom I feel are doing their ancestors proud."

1.  I was definitely humbled at the story of Rebecca Lair, my ancestral grandmother.  That lady is an inspiration on how to survive bad circumstances.

2.  I was surprised to learn of my grandmother's experiences in Norway during World War II.  And very humbled.  Would I have the guts to have lived her life as well as she did??

3.  I was surprised to discover my grandfather's long lost brother, in Iceland, and a whole new group of wonderful cousins.  It truly is a small world, and it gave me hope of breaking down some other brick walls.

4. I was surprised to learn how many of my husband's ancestors were early pioneers in various areas, founding towns and living in some very primitive conditions.

5. I was enlightened to learn how difficult life could be for a new Irish immigrant in this country in the 1850s, and the ethnic prejudice that they had to endure.

6. I was delighted to learn more of my great-grandfather, Justin Meyer Jørgensen; not only facts about him, but stories and bits of information about him personally, and his part in family dynamics.  I thought this information was unattainable, until I met my cousin, Tove, from Norway.  Never stop hoping for the details you want so desperately.

7. Learning that my husband's grandparents stowed away on a train, to get where they needed to go, was a startling discovery!

8. Researching my husband's line, which includes numerous physicians, was definitely an education in early medical practices.  Yikes!  But also reading in old newspapers about how many times Dr. Seeman of Rockham, South Dakota, was summoned for various emergencies, makes me so proud of him.  He was a dedicated country doctor.

9.  I was surprised to learn that my husband's great-grandmother, Frances Stemper Joyce, delivered so many babies and tended to her sick neighbors, with her own large family to take care of.

10.  I was delighted to learn my earliest ancestor "on this side of the pond" was here in 1623.  It's staggering to comprehend that much elapsed time.

Now - for the blogs I would like to pass the award to.  It was really tough to make a decision, as I love to read so many blogs, but here they are, in no particular order:

1. Branching Out Through the Years
2. Reflections From the Fence
3. What's Past is Prologue
4. Those Old Memories
5. Bits and Pieces
6. Lessons From My Ancestors
7. Desperately Seeking Surnames
8. The Ties That Bind
9. I Will Remember
10. Stardust 'n' Roots

Thanks again to Evelyn for the award, and thanks to all the bloggers who produce such interesting reading on our favorite topic.

Thank you, Thank you

I'd like to thank Yaya, of Yaya's Changing World for the lovely Happy 101 Award.  I like it very much, but it's making me hungry.  :)

With this award goes the responsibility of naming 10 things that make me happy.  Shouldn't be too hard - the hard part will be stopping at 10!  Here we go, not in any particular order:

1) Getting a few minutes' peace and quiet to post to my blogs.

2) Watching my energetic little Tori so happy she breaks out in dance while she sings "Oh yeah!!"

3) Getting a genealogy goodie in the mail.

4) Working on my websites and getting HappyGrams from people who have found useful stuff.

5) Seeing my little Alyssa's face light up with a big fat smile when she sees her Grammy.

6) Getting a few minutes' peace and quiet to huddle up with my Bible and ponder what it has to offer.

7) Hitting the snooze alarm as many times as I want.

8) Watching my sweet Sierra with tears in her eyes at her gr-gr-gr-grandparents' graves, and seeing the love she has for people she never knew, but feels so much a part of.

9) Reading fun, insightful, newsy and touching blog posts, and getting to know new friends.

10) Seeing my husband's eyes sparkle when he laughs.

There you go. Now, I'm going to pass it on to 10 (again, hard to stop at just 10!) of my favorite bloggers, who haven't already received it:

Lessons from My Ancestors
Genealogy and Me
Reflections From the Fence
Writings by Abby
Greta's Genealogy Blog
Mom's Country Cookin'
Word Designer
Grace and Glory
Those Old Memories
The Ties That Bind

Kreativ Blogger Award

I'd really like to thank Carol, from Reflections From the Fence for this nomination, and for her encouragement with this blogging stuff.  If you're interested in RVs, family history, or just like a Good Read, check it out.

The winner of the award has to list seven things about themselves and then pass the award along to seven other bloggers.  So here we go:

1) I've got an incredible God who sustains me minute by minute, and crams each day full of blessings I don't deserve.  It's been a Wild Ride, and I can't wait to see what's next!

2) I've got the most wonderfullest husband in the world.  Oh heck, just throw in the whole family - they are the best.  Add the dogs in there too.  Never a dull moment!

3) I love doing family history - mine, or anyone else's, for that matter.  I enjoy doing lookups and research for people, each time remembering how great it felt when I was first starting out and some very kind and generous people helped me get going, and still how good it feels to discover something new or meet a new cousin.

4) I'm addicted to making websites, of course, pertaining primarily to genealogy and history.   I am a volunteer for GenealogyTrails, and host the state site for South Dakota, as well as Beadle and Hand Counties, and Olmsted county, Minnesota.  And I'm the webmaster for the Peoria County (Illinois) Genealogical Society.  Can't get enough.

5) I really need to get off this computer and do something active more often.

6) I love cheesecake, which necessitates that I get off this computer and do something active more often.

7) I love to quilt, crochet, and bake good things!

It's hard to nominate only 7 of the blogs I read... there are some really, really good blogs out there... but here goes, in no particular order:

1) Kathy's Kampground Kapers

2) Those Old Memories

3) Random Relatives

4) Lessons from my Ancestors

5) We Tree

6) Desperately Seeking Surnames

7) Mom's Country Cookin

I hope you check out some of these blogs, if you haven't already.