Family Reunion Relationship Chart

We have been printing lots of charts for family reunions this summer.  It is always fun helping people celebrate their family history with both working charts that family members can edit and add information to, along with decorative charts which are a beautiful way to show off your family members' information along with photos.

We recently published a new e-book to assist in your family reunion planning: "My Ancestor: Family Reunion".  This e-book, available for instant download, will keep your family members of all ages busy as they get to know each other and their heritage together. In purchasing the My Ancestor: Family Reunion e-book, you get to choose one of the My Ancestor Activity Workbooks (Pioneer, British, German, Danish, Jewish, Civil War, Swedish, or Mormon) with the rights to copy the pages for your family reunion activities. The workbook section of over 70 pages includes not only the heritage activity pages, but also general pages to get children and others interacting with their family history. Add to that the many ideas for meaningful games, contests, and projects and you have a recipe for a successful family reunion!

This Family Reunion Relationship Chart, included in "My Ancestor: Family Reunion" e-book, is a fun visual tool to help teach the relationships within families.  Use this at family reunions to help explain how family members are related as they get to know each other better.

MyHeritage Announces New Translation Technology

MyHeritage has just announced a ground breaking technology to assist in foreign language translation when doing genealogy research. This exciting new advancement automatically and accurately translates names across records in 17 different languages with more languages to come.  MyHeritage has played to their strengths in this beneficial innovation and is using their global reach in advancing the language capabilities available for family history research world wide. 

We are happy to see the successful growth of MyHeritage.  They have partnered with us as their exclusive chart printer and this summer we have especially experienced exponential growth as they continue to expand world wide.  We have printed their charts in many languages including Russian, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Czech and Spanish and have shipped all over the world for MyHeritage including such exotic locales as Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Turkey, New Caledonia, and Ghana.  We are grateful for their partnership and look forward to their continued success. 

How much can you fit in a month?

I was gone 22 out of 33 days recently, and my oldest son graduated from High School in the 10 days I was home. (You can see why I haven't gotten much blogging done.)  Too much fun.  Here's the update:

First I got to go to the National Genealogical Association Conference in St. Charles Missouri.  It was a great venue and of course lots of good people to talk to.  We did our Outside the Box sessions in the vendors hall and I got to talk to lots of people about charts they wanted to create for their family reunions this summer.  It was a quick trip but very productive.

 Then I was home to mark some major passages in our current family.  My oldest graduating from High School and my youngest graduation from Jr. High.  I can't believe how fast a family grows up.  Time marches on.  Even though I'm a genealogist, I try not to think about that too much.  :)

And then we took off on an actual family vacation of our own.  Thanks to these wonderful ladies we were actually able to really get away.  Erin, Christine and Wendy took wonderful care of our clients while we were gone.  That takes alot of trust.  I'm so thankful for these ladies.  We are so blessed to have them. 

And where did we go?  Family History sites of course.  We started at Niagara Falls and worked our way around the great lakes region, down into Illinois and up to Wisconsin where Kim grew up. 

We got to see several sites where my ancestors lived and worked in New York and Ohio. 

This is me in front of a house one of my ancestors built in 1843.  There was actually a store in the part of the home on the left side of the picture.  My mother's ancestor who built the home was in business with one of my father's ancestors here.  How cool is that?

I actually caught a good smile in a selfie with another ancestor's home. The teenagers had fun, but they did there best to make sure I didn't capture any proof of it.  Here I outwitted him :)

And then we took the kids to see where my husband Kim grew up in Wisconsin.  None of them had been there since they were babies, so they had no memories of it.  It was so, so cool to teach my kids (and remind myself) about where my husband came from and the forces that formed his early life.  I gained a much greater appreciation of who he is, and how far he has come and I think the kids did too. 

We taught the kids about their grandmother who died shortly before my daughter was born.  We are so grateful now that we took the time to record her 40 page oral history shortly before her death.  While we were reading that history on the trip, my kids were excited to find out that she ate chocolate and coke for breakfast while she was in High School.  They learned alot of other things too of course, like her love for antiques.  We took the kids to a store where she had sold antiques and immediately they became antique hounds too.  It is funny how apples fall so close to the tree, even when they hadn't been exposed to that much before. 

A really special time on the trip was when we got to go visit Kim's mother's grave.  My kids had never been to their grandmother's gravesite.  Kim got to clean the gravestone and we talked and had some moments of reflection there.  It was really sweet to say a prayer at that site sacred to our family.  Such a family bonding moment for all of us. 

The property that Kim's grandparents owned and where he lived for a time is now a motel and RV park so we actually stayed on the same property while we were there.  So cool!  It is a beautiful area and I can see why Kim misses the beautiful lake he grew up on. I think Kim enjoyed showing us around and I don't think it will be so long before we go back again next time. 

Then, 24 hours after we got home, my son Matthew and I took off for the Southern California Genealogical Society conference in Burbank, CA.  One of my favorite conferences (more on that in the next post) I have taken one child with me every year for the past several years.  This year was Matthew's turn and it was even better since they had asked him to speak.  We had a good time, just the two of us.  We checked out the Aquarium in Long Beach before the conference, were able to hit a few DNA sessions and then set up for the conference. 

Matthew was a great help at the booth.  It was nice to know things were taken care of while I gave my lectures and talked to some of our partners.  I really appreciate how everyone is so welcoming to him when he helps us out at conferences. 

And of course he nailed his "Get to Know Your Geezers" lecture.  It was livestreamed and in it he mentioned that you could use Elizabeth Shown Mills' book Evidence Explained to cite numerous sources--even a can of soda or the Declaration of Independence--and it has a "great plot".  Someone told her about that on facebook and she got a good laugh from that.  I'm just stinking proud of him no matter what sources he's citing.

It was a whirlwind but oh so fun.  I came back home to family reunion season in full swing so it has been busy busy busy.  But I love it.  This is what I've chosen and my life is awesomely full.  I am so blessed to get to work with and work for genealogists.  We've been creating some amazing charts for people already this summer.  Let me know when we can create one for your family. 

5 More New Ways to Use Technology at Family Reunion Activities

This weekend my son Matthew and I are speaking at the SCGS Jamboree. One of our sessions includes sharing lots of great ideas about incorporating technology into your family reunions this summer.  When your family spends time learning about their family history together, it creates strong bonds in a way no other activity can. And guess what? Genealogy can be entertaining and interesting, especially when you get technology involved.

I'll be speaking on "Family History Adhesive: Science and Simple Tech for Binding Families" and "Family Links:Easy Interactive Online Activities to Share Your Family History".  And Matthew will be giving his "Get to Know Your Geezers" lecture.   If you are at Jamboree, we'd love to see you there.  If you're not, two of our lectures are being streamed live.  You can catch them on Sunday morning and Sunday afternoon at http://genealogyjamboree.com/2015/schedule-streaming.html 

I'll be talking about some of the new ideas we've put in our Family Reunion E-books.  Here is a sampling of a few of the new ways to use technology at your family reunion from the books:

1.  Family YouTube Channel. Be sure you are creating new family history for the next generation to enjoy by preserving the audio and video of these family history presentations. Record the talent show, the family lip sync and the family history skits and share them with family members or upload them to your family YouTube channel. 
2. Interview a Generation. Set up a couple of comfortable chairs in a location with good lighting
   and a video camera on a tripod. Let family members interview each other and tell stories and
   sing songs together. You could provide sample question prompts or a specific topic to talk
   about or just let family members come up with their own. Post the videos on the family website
   or your family YouTube channel. These videos are great to share online after the reunion or watch together at the next reunion.
3.  Health Survey. Create a family health survey to find out more about health trends in your
   family. Family members could answer the survey on paper, or electronically through
   SurveyMonkey.com or a Google Doc survey. If you have a health worker in the family they
   may be able to collect the surveys before the reunion and prepare a presentation about the findings or you might hire a professional outside the family to analyze the information. Discuss
   what the family can do to be healthier.
4.  Family History Prezi Presentation. Collect family photos, videos and stories into a Prezi.com
   presentation. (Ask a younger family member to help assemble the presentation if necessary.)
   Tell about the immigration of an ancestor, or a particularly hard challenge that a family member overcame. Or focus on the timeline of one ancestor and experiences they had in their lifetime. Deliver the presentation to your family with an LCD projector and make the presentation public and share it over your family’s social media so they can view it again later.
5.  Google Earth Presentation. Place your family history into a geographical context with a tour
   of where your family came from. Include photos, videos and map overlays to describe what
   your family’s past was like. Present your production to the family in a special show with an
   LCD projector.

If you are unfamiliar with some of these online resources, choose your favorites and delegate them to those who welcome technology.  It's a great way to get the techies in your life involved with other family members and showing off their skills.

These ideas along with many others are included in my newest book, "My Ancestor Family Reunion Version".  Over 100 pages of meaningful family reunion ideas and activities will involve all ages both in the family reunion planning and at the event itself.  Choose from 8 versions of "My Ancestor Family Reunion" that teach more about British, German, Jewish, Swedish, Mormon, Danish, Civil War, and Pioneer heritage.  Click here to purchase this e-book now for immediate download.  You will instantly have ideas to implement at your upcoming family reunion.  Happy planning!

Family Reunion E-book Versions of our "My Ancestor" books

As summer approaches, family reunions abound! Make your upcoming family reunion a huge success with unique and intentional activities to bring the generations, families, and individuals together with our newly released "My Ancestor: Family Reunion" e-book version. This multi-page resource includes 3 sections:

• 50 pages of culturally specific activities from one Children's Activity Workbook with rights to copy and use for the duration of the family reunion (choose Pioneer, British, German, Danish, Jewish, Civil War, Swedish, or Mormon)
• 20 pages of FUN family heritage family reunion ideas
• 35 page children's workbook with interactive pages that are perfect for completing at the family reunion

Compile any genealogy information you have into a working chart printed by Family ChartMasters and let attendees grab a pencil to update the chart directly with family updates of new births, marriages, and deaths.  This is a great ice breaker or time filler before the real festivities begin!

Our new "My Ancestor: Family Reunion" e-book includes carefully selected activities to bridge the gaps between generations, families, and individuals.  These are not generic group activities, but rather purposeful games and experiences which teach and educate family members about their present and past roots.  With over nearly 70 suggestions to choose from, your attendees will have fun, enjoy a little competition, and even put their technology skills to good use with social media, blogs, and other online resources. 

Print the activity workbook pages and distribute as desired during your family reunion to explore your family history with fun and games!  This e-book, available as an immediate download, has over 80 activity pages specifically written to engage children with their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings at the family reunion.  As they strengthen modern family bonds, they will strengthening their link to the past.

Click here to order now to use at your upcoming family reunion and we'll get it send right out to you.  This an e-book and will be sent electronically as a PDF, so it's perfect for last minute planning! 

Outside the Box Sessions for NGS 2015

The National Genealogical Society 2015 Family History Conference is just a week away in St. Charles, Missouri. I'm excited to be presenting these four sessions as part of our Outside the Box lecture series:

• Wednesday 10:00-10:30 Family Reunion Ideas: If you have a reunion coming up, this is the class for you.  Come gather many fun ideas to encourage multi-generational conversations and interactions including storytelling, games, crafts, and contests that all incorporate your family's history. You'll also get a sneak peek at our new family reunion activity e-book available this summer!
• Wednesday 1:30-2:00 Pedigree Challenge: Come take a break and have some fun as we play Family History Jeopardy, enjoy a storytelling contest, and challenge your pedigree chart skills.  Prizes for the winners!
• Wednesday 3:30-4:00 10 Ideas to Zap the Grandma Gap: Family history doesn't have to be boring for your children and grandchildren--make it fun! I'll be sharing my top ideas to help bring generations closer together through activities that engage children in learning about their past.
• Thursday 10:30-11:00 Beautiful Family History Charts: Now that you have the information, show it off with a custom family history chart.  This visual display not only shows off your research, but is also a great conversation starter for family and friends alike.  Get the details on how to submit your information, multiple design ideas, and printing options.  

I'd love to chat and visit with you all so hurry on over to the booth on Wed and Thursday.  I'll be taking off Thursday afternoon to return home for my oldest son's high school graduation. I wouldn't want to miss this important milestone in our family's history.  I'll be sure to have my camera ready to document this special occasion for future generations. Can't wait to show my grandchildren how handsome their dad was on his graduation day!

Fan Chart for Star Wars Fans

We did the most awesome chart recently for Virginia Kysh.  Her grown kids suggested the design and she said we could share it with you. Our in-house artist created a background sketch of the Death Star, the space station from "Star Wars", that is capable of complete destruction of an entire planet with a single shot of its superlaser. Though the space station is still a work-in-progress, what a great way to catch the eye of the younger generation.  My boys think this is the coolest chart ever.

As the chart experts, Family ChartMasters can make any chart to fit your needs and this is a perfect example. This Death Star chart was a special request and we were happy to accommodate Virginia's need.  The key to getting others, especially the younger ones, involved in family history is to bring it to them on their level, instead of trying to fit them into the traditional family history mold. I love that the background sketch is the unfinished Death Star because the circle chart is unfinished and needs more research too.  Isn't that great?  Though Family ChartMasters has many existing designs for your chart, we are always open to new ideas.  

So in honor of this new chart design (which we could do for you of course too) I'm going to post one of my son's favorite Studio C videos. Studio C is a family friendly comedy sketch television show whose members have headlined the closing events at RootsTech for the past two years.  They are popular in this area and because of their fun entertainment value at RootsTech, many of my genealogy friends enjoy them now too.  Enjoy this Studio C video parody on a acquiring a new Death Star!

If you are interested in the Death Star fan chart, go ahead and send your info to us via our free consultation.  Be sure to mention "Death Star" in the box for details and we will get happily get back with you on pricing and shipping.

We are happy to develop custom artwork specific to your needs.  Give us a call! 

Changes and Additions to the Family ChartMasters Team

Janet and Michelle at RootsTech (Courtesy Randy Seaver)

You've probably noticed I've been a bit quieter online lately.  We recently had to say goodbye to Michelle, our wonderful social networking specialist.  She brought such enthusiasm to her position and was very vested in connecting FamilyChartMasters among our online followers.  She kicked off a bright spot in our company of adding new team members who have brought an infusion of new excitement and fresh ideas.  She was a great help in finishing up the most recent Zap the Grandma Gap Activity Workbooks and also with working our booths at RootsTech.


I'm missing her help so much that I can't go forward without someone else to step right into her spot.  Christine, a current special projects assistant, is going to be jumping in to assist with social networking and also as a contributing editor to the blog.

Wendy Johnson

And then, we'd like to welcome our most recent addition to the Family ChartMasters team, Wendy Johnson.
She is taking on multiple roles as chart designer, printer, and special projects assistant.  Wendy was born and raised in Oregon and has a great love of the outdoors. She is the mother of 8 and enjoys getting together with family. Her love of family history began with her grandma, who was an amazing storyteller and sparked her interest in the past. Wendy adores a good book, a fun adventure or a vigorous bike ride. She delights in all things healthy, especially developing yummy eats.  Her favorite spots are the Oregon coast, Zions National Park and the Louvre. She is very energetic and loves a challenge.

We're so happy that Christine will be helping more and that Wendy has joined us.  These ladies are delightful to work with and we know you will love them too.  With all of us, they are ready and willing to help you create the perfect representation of your family tree.  Let us know what we can do to help you at http://www.familychartmasters.com/uploads or info@familychartmasters.com.

NERGC and Maureen Taylor--the most gracious hostess.

So I won the lottery at the recent New England Regional Genealogy Conference in Providence Rhode Island.  Not only was Providence a beautiful site for the conference, not only was the conference great with lots of people excited about what I had to say, but I got to stay with my dear friend Maureen Taylor who lives there.

Maureen was a most gracious hostess and took such wonderful care of me.  She lives in a beautiful turn of the century home which was built with servants quarters in the attic and two sets of stairs, one for the family and one for the servants.  So fun.  We built our home, and most of my local family members and neighbors have built their homes, so it was really awesome to stay in a historical home like that.  And it was in such a beautiful neighborhood too.  Maureen and I stopped at the local private library- the Providence Athenaeum where she has is a member.  A librarian's dream. I wish this library was closer to me--I could spend days and days there very happily.

The best part was getting to know Maureen better and learning more about her life.  I understand now how she keeps so young and healthy and how historically minded she is and so smart.  She lives close to the University and walks everywhere.  I wish my life had more walking in it.  And best of all I got to meet her wonderful husband Dexter and her two adorable Maltese dogs Tucker and Bella. I don't know if Dexter was up for the whole social networking thing but he let me snap this picture of them with his beeeeaaaaautiful antique Ford Mustang. 

Maureen let me do a little studying on her side desk in her office.  It was nice to have this gorgeous painting of her Great Grandfather watching over me.  I didn't get a picture of her beautiful desk and the fireplace and bay window.   She has an amazing personal library about the history of  hair and costume and all things genealogy.  I could have stayed here and read and read too. It isn't hard to see how much Maureen has studied to gain all her expertise.  She really is marvelous when it comes to photo identification.  And now I could see why.  She is called the Photo Detective, but I call her the Photo Whisperer.  If you need a photo identified she does brilliant consultations and she can tell you all sorts of things about your photo to help you identify who and what and where and when.

As always, it was fun to hang out with all our genealogy friends at this conference. It was so nice to see social networking friends that we don't often see out west like Marian Pierre Louis and Midge Frazel.  The Outside the Box sessions were really well attended as usual and we had some great discussions over dinner with Dexter, Lisa Louise Cooke and her husband Bill and with Biff Barnes.  I think we almost have the whole genealogy world figured out. And good food too.  Who knew all the good food was in Rhode Island?

Before I left, Maureen even took me out to the coast and we got to spend the day in Newport.  What a fun place with the Ten Mile Drive, Tennis Hall of Fame, and the best clam chowder ever, ever, ever--and great company of course.  The summer mansions along Ten Mile Drive were gorgeous--so fun for a historian. 

It was great to get to know Maureen better and see more of what her life was like.  Her nice husband, her home, the historical neighborhood she lives in, her offices and her dogs all suit her perfectly.  I was really spoiled to get to spend some time with such a great lady. 

New England Regional Genealogical Conference Fun

Lisa Louise Cooke, Maureen Taylor and I are up for more fun this weekend at the New England Regional Genealogical Conference in Providence, Rhode Island.  I can't wait to get started.

Rhode Island is a new location for me.  How beautiful it is!  I'm already impressed with the historic buildings and all the people with such a historical background.  It has already been really instructive of how disconnected we can be in the west.  When you live so close to where your family has been for generations, and just down the street from the archive, genealogy is so different.  How exciting to get to meet New England genealogists who know so much about their history.  I can't imagine how anyone could live here and not become a genealogist. 

We're starting out tonight with our Game Show and Pedigree Challenge.  Come win prizes and have some fun.  Besides the other demos listed above I'll be teaching:

• Friday at 8:30 Beyond Scotch Tape: Charts to Fascinate Your Family in room 206.
• Saturday at 8:30 Trip the Tree Fantastic: Intriguing Family History Trips for the Whole Family in room S-308.
• and Saturday 10am Zap The Grandma Gap: Leave a Heritage Workshop in room S-316.

Come see us.  Win some prizes.  Eat some candy.  Have some fun.  It is always a party with these lovely ladies.

Join us at the South Davis Fair, April 11

For our friends who are in Utah, don't miss the 18th annual UGA South Davis Family History Fair Saturday, April 11, 2015. The fair will be held at Woods Cross High School beginning at 8am with the keynote speaker Dr. Paul McCarty: "Family History: Turning Hearts and Healing Ourselves". I can’t wait to hear his lecture. The healing that family history creates is something I’m really interested in as you know.

The fair features expert teachers, the most up-to-date genealogical research, technological classes, and vendors for attendees to enjoy.  Registration details, location, and more can be found online at www.ugagenealogy.org.  Family ChartMasters and Zap the Grandma Gap will have a booth with games and prizes. 

I will be presenting three classes: 

• Family History Adhesive: The Science of Why History Binds Families
• Simple Tech of How To Do It, 6 Steps to Choreograph Your Research Across the Internet
• Panning for Gold: Online Genealogy

Consider joining UGA and receiving the benefits of membership, including discounted conference registration, webinars, publications, research helps and more. There are also many volunteer opportunities where you get to know lots of other genealogists and how to be a better researcher. I really enjoyed my time there as president and I made lifelong friends. Information for those of you wanting to join is available online at www.ugagenealogy.org. Please stop by the booth to say hi--We look forward to seeing you at the fair!

An Open Letter to the Genealogy Community--Part Deux

What a great chat!  I love this community so much.  It is so great to be able to discuss things over social media and have input from so many directions.  Thank you so much for all the input I've received on my Open Letter to the Genealogy Community post over the weekend.  I think this has been a good discussion to have.  I'm so thrilled to have so many friends who are as eager as I am to advance the world of genealogy.

I'd like now to take it to another step.  I eagerly read the comments everyone had (and thank you for those of you who shared it further) and I was happy to see Jane Schwendinger and Thomas MacEntee encourage the conversation in a positive direction.  But I still saw alot of "they" this and "they" that and "they" should.  I would like to see some more "I will".   It is amusing to me that we all think of life that way--me included--but it is time to look inward.  So I'd like to challenge you all to help me make a list of what we are going to do to embrace the new influx of family historians.

I'll start:

1) I'm going to take some kind of interactive game or activity to every future conference booth that we do.  (If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.)  I think we can shake up the conference scene and make it more accessible.  And I think that will make it more fun for all of us who are regulars there too.

2) I'm going to try to make my presentations more interactive and engaging.  I'm going to start by looking at where I can insert more discussions with and within the audience.  And then I'm going to see what I can do about more multi-media (that is going to be tough but I'm going to stretch).

and 
3) I'm going to keep a positive attitude.  I'm going to focus on how awesome it is that newcomers are interested, and try to brush off the quirky, strange, copyright naive, thoughtless, and sometimes even ignorant and rude things they do.  I'm going to try to stay away from my occasional "holier than thou" impulses and try not to talk down to anyone.  I'm going to be respectful and try to always be helpful and patient, no matter what.  Just because they don't know the nuances of family history doesn't mean that they aren't a brain surgeon in some other area of life.  

I have faith.  When I went to the Who Do You Think You Are conference in London, I had a chance to talk to several of the vendors there.  They had crowds of 22,000 that had recently dwindled some to 20,000 and then to about 17,000.  But the vendors there said that every year the audience came back as much better genealogists and more knowledgeable than before.  Just think if we could turn all 22,000 people at this recent RootsTech conference into full-fledged NGSQ-worthy genealogists.  But even if some of them don't come along as fast or in the way we want them to, we can embrace them.  As Valerie Elkins recently said, "The genealogy tent is big enough to accommodate and welcome all, no matter what drew you inside, or when." (Facebook post 2/23/2015: 10:38 am https://www.facebook.com/valerie.brown.elkins)

That's what I'm shooting for.  What are you going to do?

An Open Letter To The Genealogy Community

It is time for a chat.  I heard some disturbing comments from my genealogy community at RootsTech and FGS.  At first I tried to ignore it.  After stewing a bit, I’ve decided I can’t.  Most of them went something like this:

• “ I don’t usually go to RootsTech.  The classes are too simplistic.”
• “I hate explaining what we do over and over again to new people.  I prefer the conferences where everyone already knows what we do.”
• “ Saturday at RootsTech is annoying.  All those kids don’t care about what we do.  They just want to gather the swag.”
• “I can’t stand the crowds.  Too much chaos.” 
• “This isn’t our clientele.  Our [society/organization/company] isn’t for beginners.” 

Over the last 11 years, I’ve watched so many in the genealogy world wring their hands that conference attendance is dwindling, that societies are shrinking, and that small companies with innovative ideas can’t make it in this market.  “Why doesn’t the rest of the world understand how wonderful genealogy is?”  they say.

Well, over the last couple of years, RootsTech has delivered the genealogy community an amazing gift—BEGINNERS WHO ARE CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE DO.  FamilySearch has done what it came here to do, which is to unlock the Mormon market, a market that is innately vested in family history but doesn’t quite know what to do about it.  They’ve also unlocked a huge amount of the general market.  There was an incredible range of people at RootsTech again this year.  Young, old, experienced, novice, and those who *think* they know how to do genealogy.  Some of them might have been a little quirky.  Some of them might not have been your ideal client.  But ALL of them were interested enough to show up.

The genealogy community now has a choice.  I submit to you that if we reject these newcomers to our community, we do so at our own peril.  To discard them will cause your [society/organization/company] to wither up and die.  Like quilters’ conventions (which draw huge crowds to a very complicated craft) we need to embrace all levels and all kinds of people at our events.  Consumers, societies, companies, vendors, and attendees all need to REALLY embrace them.

What can you do to make them feel welcome?  Quilters’ conventions are a great example I’ve talked about in the past.  At quilters’ conventions, professionals love to share their ideas with newcomers.  If we want to survive, I think we need to make this work. It may take a new focus or some updates to our business models, but how else will we bring in new business?

So, did I hear these comments right?  Were these people actually rejecting a crowd of 22,000 people who showed up to find out about what we do?  I’m hoping I misunderstood.  I hope I just wasn’t tuned in to the overwhelming joy that surely must have been humming around that hall.  Personally, I’m in—I’m all in.  I am happy to reinvent, make accessible and do whatever I can to make every one of those 22,000 learn about how exciting family history is.  Like I said in my earlier post, if I can offer swag, load up on bags of candy, invent games, and make this experience inviting so that the beginners and youth come back next year with a little more knowledge and some excitement to come to the conference again, I’m all in.  I’ll say it again: If, as a genealogy vendor you felt like this wasn't your market, you need to make it your market.  New market is good.  Let's grow!

I must have had a busy exhaustion fog blocking my hearing.  Let’s hope so. 

My RootsTech Highlights

I don't know where to start!  What a fabulous conference we just had.  I'm so full of gratitude, to our clients, our friends, to this wonderful community that I get to work with and to the organizers at FamilySearch and FGS.  I just said to myself over and over "This is what a genealogy conference should be like."  Yea!  Finally!  Here are my favorite parts in no particular order:

 
My Family Was There.  Both my aunt and uncle on my Dad's side came to the conference with their spouses, as well as my parents, my children and of course Kim.  That is what it is all about isn't it?  It was so fantastic to have my family there with me at a family history conference.  One of the major highlights for me was all of the DNA kits we purchased.  Between all of us, let's just say we took home a good portion of the 15,000 kits Ancestry sold.  Yes, I'm on the cusp of a DNA overdose.  I can't wait.  Likewise, so many other genealogists were able to bring their family too.  It was fun to meet Mothers and Fathers and kids of other genealogists.  That's what it should be like.

Endorsements.  The very first day, we had a very popular genealogy figure come tell us she was ready to endorse us.  She has been careful to be fair and slow to endorse particular companies so that made my day.  I respect her opinion and we are pleased to have gained her trust.  We also had several other well-respected and well established organizations come to us about partnerships and help with printing and design.  We take the trust we have with genealogy companies and other genealogy entities very seriously so we were thrilled with all of the new endorsements we gained last week.  We can't wait to solidify them and tell you about them soon.

Our FANTASTIC Family ChartMasters Team.  We thought we were incredibly overstaffed but we were entirely understaffed.  Our new employees, Christine Fazulyanov, and Michelle Phillips were incredible troopers and worked so hard.  Erin Roudabush and Lara Orchard who have been with us for years were amazing as always.  And Susan McGhie, our new sales help was great--she knew all about our processes because we recently did a fantastic chart for her--she even found some new cousins by showing it off.  We even pressed Mom and Dad into service and they were a great support again.  Everyone worked non-stop and we were able to help lots of people with charts and with Zap ideas for their youth.  Just what we came to do.  We haven't seen anything but growth over the last several years so we are confident we are delivering a good product.  We always want to hear what you think about how we can do better.  Let us know.  We really want to help you create amazing charts.

Busy, Busy Busy!  From what I heard, the numbers were at 22,000.  Finally, the rest of the world is
catching on to how wonderful family history is.  A hearty thank you to FamilySearch for being able to spend the money to be able to grow this audience.  We are so pleased to have a conference that is starting to look like Comic Con.  Family History is that cool.  I'm so thrilled that the rest of the world is finally figuring that out.  The constant crowds of people were awesome. 

Friends In Real Life.  So this part was great and also not so great.  We honestly have a family in the genealogy world.  I really care about these friends I see at conferences and online.  We've become close.  So I love to see them in real life and catch up with what is going on in their lives.  So many hugs.  This time, several of my friends had been through huge challenges that you wouldn't share in social networking.  It was heartbreaking to hear about these challenges, but I'm so glad to know the whole truth.  I'm hoping I can find some small ways to help.  I really appreciate that they felt they could be honest with me and hope the hugs helped a little.

My Neighbors Were There.  One of my great joys was having many of my neighbors, and other friends who live in Salt Lake City show up.  It was so wonderful to see people that I don't usually see at a genealogy conference being curious.  I'm so excited that RootsTech has been able to reach that far.  I hope the next step is to take it on the road to other parts of the country. 

The RootsTech Program.  I didn't catch much of it but the parts I caught were phenomenal.  If the rest of the conference was as wonderful as the sessions I was in the whole thing was amazing.  Great content.  My favorite part was the new song and video from David Archuleta for FamilySearch and Ancestry's big move into Mexico.  The video still hasn't been released here but one of the attendees posted David's second performance of the song on YouTube.  Love It!

Can't wait until Studio C releases the video they played Friday night too.  Great stuff.  Fun to introduce my Genealogy friends to Studio C too.  As if the 17,000 excited people in the room weren't enough to be happy about. 
 
The Kids.  There has been a little bit of online banter about whether or not all the kids who descended on RootsTech Saturday were actually all that interested.  They may not be interested yet, but if we can make RootsTech fun, offer swag and some bags of candy, a little Studio C, hopefully they'll come along.  Count me in to do everything I can to help make this their first step.  Hopefully they'll progress towards the strong identities, resilience and self esteem they'll find as they learn more about family history. Again, this is absolutely what a family history conference should be like.  We need this next generation desperately.  It should be a family endeavor.  If, as a genealogy vendor you felt like this wasn't your market, you need to make it your market.  New market is good.  Let's grow!  RootsTech has delivered this next generation to us and we all need to do everything we can to make sure they love family history.  I'm all in.

The one thing I wasn't thrilled about was my lectures.  Even though I was really well prepared, after days of go go go, I don't think I was at the top of my game.  I really appreciate the people who came up afterward and said they liked what I had to say.  They taped the "6 Steps to Choreograph Your Research Across The Internet" but I'm not sure when it will be available.  If you want to see the lecture, a better option would probably be to sign up for the SCGS webinar on this coming Wednesday where I am giving it again.  I will have had more sleep so I think there won't be as many "ums"  Either way though, I hope the lectures helped some people organize their research more.


Another drawback was that there just wasn't enough time to really talk to our friends and partners enough.  We did more of our great Outside the Box sessions with Lisa Louise Cooke, Maureen Taylor, and Family Tree Magazine.  (Another Highlight)
But I hardly got to see them--we were all going 10 different directions.  Thanks to Family Tree Magazine for the great dinner we had, and for everyone who we got to eat with at other times during the conference.  It was so good to have time to chat.  That is always a favorite part of any genealogy conference. 

All in all, I think our Ancestors are pleased.  The genealogy community is stronger and our family relationships are tighter.  All is good in the world.

Things to Do in SLC -- City Creek Center

With Rootstech hot on our heels, I hope you will look over my Pocket Guide to Salt Lake City for great tips on where to stay, where to eat, and where to play. An absolute fun place to eat and play in downtown Salt Lake, and just a stone's throw from Rootstech, is City Creek Center. It really is the new shining gem in the downtown landscape and it has some great features you should be aware of before coming into town. You'll definitely want to put it on your "To-Do" list, even if you are only into window shopping or grabbing a quick bite at the food court.

Here is the new section of the Guide about the City Creek Center. 

City Creek Center is the newest addition to downtown’s wonderful shopping options.  Located at 50 South Main Street, it is the closest/best food and relaxation break from the library.  In the winter months the mall is all indoors, but when the warmer months arrive, the mall’s retractable roof creates an open air shopping experience.  It is the first mall in the United States to have a retractable roof in place, which is not only unique but beautiful.  The roof allows for open air flow, increased light, and reduced need for air conditioning in warmer months but also protection from inclement weather conditions in the harsher winter months.  Either way, roof open or closed, the natural light and natural stone walkways with recreated historic City Creek (which originally was a main source of water for original settlers and farmers new in the Salt Lake Valley) create a lovely shopping environment, unlike most big city malls.  And an excellent Winter season perk is that the exterior walkways of the Center have a heated snow-melt system within them.  This allows shoppers to enter and exit City Creek, as well as navigate it's exterior courtyards, without slipping on ice or walking over salt and ice-melt.  Every thought was taken to make visiting City Creek a pleasure, year round and in every kind of weather.

City Creek Center is a genuinely beautiful place to experience, shop, and dine.  The recreation of the original City Creek runs straight through the middle of the entire shopping center.  And it has live fish, swimming right through it.  In addition to this namesake water feature, the shopping center also plays stage to several water fountains, including three by WET Design, makers of the famous Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas.  Two water features include a fire-and-water shows, one choreographed to music.  The shows are fun and the pyrotechnics are a boon of warmth in the Winter months.  A definite must see if you have a free evening.  Speaking of warmth, the shopping center boasts a large, four-sided fireplace in an outdoor courtyard area that makes for a cozy place to sit and sip a warm drink and visit with friends and family.  If you get lucky enough to be by the fireplace when a light sprinkling of snow comes along, it's really almost magical to experience.  Among the various water features, be sure to look for the art and sculptures spread throughout and see if you can identify the animal tracks located here and there in the walkways.  All in all, City Creek is just a beautiful place.

The mall itself is in two sections, divided by Main Street, which can be easily crossed by an indoor pedestrian sky bridge.  The sky bridge spans 140 feet with no columns or supports.  The glass of the skybridge is etched with 3-D leaf patterns and creates an interesting dappled shadow below when the sunlight shines through the bridge.  It's a scenic and seamless way to get from one side of the shopping center to the other, so much so that it's easy to forget your crossing over a major thoroughfare as you walk over the skybridge.  And from the center of the bridge, you can get a very nice view of not only Main Street, but also nearby Ensign Peak.  And for those who enjoy history, be sure to take a look at the bronze floor plaque, depicting the original Salt Lake City map plat.

City Creek Center also has a top-notch concierge service desk.  If you live more than 50 miles away from City Creek Center, just stop by the Visitors Center to receive your free "Passport to Shopping," a coupon book offering discounts and special offers at over 60 retail shops within City Creek Center.  If you opt to do some shopping with your discount book, be sure to take your same day receipts of $150 or more back to the Visitors Center to receive your complimentary City Creek Signature bag.  Your driver's license or passport is required for both of these visitor perks.  In addition to this, the Visitors Center offers several other amenities.  Stop by to inquire about free wheelchair rentals, valet parking, Trax and bus routes, local attractions and events, and more.  There is also a real time travel board with constantly updated flight information for Salt Lake International Airport.  This is particularly helpful if you are doing a bit of shopping or dining the day you leave town and want to keep track of your flight status.  The visitors Center is located on level 1, just outside of Macy's.

Some of Salt Lake’s best top end shops and dining can be found here.  Everything from Tiffany & Co., Anthropologie, Michael Kors, Coach, Lush, Rolex, and many more high end retailers are nestled in this beautiful mall.  It also contains some great options if you need a technology fix, with The Apple Store, Microsoft, AT&T, Sprint and Bose, to name just a few.  There is an ample food court with everything from Chic-Fil-A to McDonald’s, your standard pizza and hibachi, but also you can’t miss the Red Iguana’s counter service location and some treasures like the Cuban pork sandwich at Bocata and the Utah Sushi at Mr. Sushi.  If you would like a nicer sit-down dining option, I already mentioned the genealogist’s favorite, Blue Lemon.  I’ve also had some brilliant genealogy discussions with friends at BRIO, and at Texas de Brazil Churrascaria, as well as some of the other sit down options.  Kneaders is another excellent local favorite that I frequent at their location near my home.  I love the Mushroom Brie Soup and my kids love the all you can eat breakfast of pancakes and French toast with truly magical buttermilk syrup. Kneaders is the best place to pick up a big gift basket to take home to your family so that they forgive you for abandoning them in your family history pursuits.  And, away from the food court, but just outside of Macy's, is Farr's Ice Cream, which offers self-served ice cream, yogurt, and frozen custard, in addition to hand scooped ice cream.  You can sit inside Farr's or in the writer's cafe attached to it, in front of Macy's.  It's a nice quiet area, with big open windows facing Temple Square, to let you people watch or work with a tasty treat in hand. Be sure to take a stroll through City Creek, if you get a moment.  With its indoor creek and relaxed pace, it’s a nice break from research when you need one.  Being only a quick walking distance from the Family History Library, the Salt Palace, and several hotels, it's definitely the closest place to find what you need during your time in the city.