Search Results for: blog family traditions

Does A Career Path Run In Your Family?

Sometimes, families have traditions that involve career paths. Whether it is a family business or children following in their mother’s or father’s career footsteps, careers that have a family connection can bring together people from different generations in the workplace. While I have no experience with family – related career traditions, I can only imagine that it makes for a very interesting experience, for better or for worse. Today, I saw a very interesting program on PBS about Mohawk ironworkers. Since the Mohawk are a First Nations people, they have tribal as well as nuclear family connections. One group of … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Is For Family Fun

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and that means family time. For the genealogist in the family, it is a great time to hear family stories, both new and old, get the group together for some family photographs, and as always, listen for new family history facts that you can include in your research. You are probably even going to enjoy some of your family’s favorite recipes. This Thanksgiving, our Thanksgiving table will have something on it that is not usually a part of our menu. Because of where Thanksgiving ended up on the calendar this year, my son’s birthday cake will be … Continue reading →

A Growing Family

My daughter recently got married, I think I’ve touched on it before. It’s a new world for me, this empty nest thing. Hailey and I have been alone for such a long time, a little family island unto ourselves. Now, I have a son in law and she has a husband. Our family is pretty spread out, we are in Utah and most of our relatives are on the east coast. Holidays are usually spent with friends. Now Hailey’s family has expanded in ways I never even thought about. Today we went to a baby shower for Hailey’s sister in … Continue reading →

Documenting Commencement Traditions

You know the time-honored tradition of tossing your graduation cap in the air at the end of a commencement ceremony? Yeah… never did it. When I graduated from high school, I was too afraid of not being able to find my cap in the ensuing post-ceremony chaos that I simply kept my mortarboard bobby pinned to my head. When I graduated from college, I didn’t dare toss my black cap into the air because I was having a horrendous hair day. There was no way I was going to be photographed without something masking my messed up mane. Also, I … Continue reading →

Developing Easter Traditions With a Toddler Part I

I never gave Easter Traditions much thought until I had my own children. My husband and I come from families with very different Easter traditions so when it came to developing our own traditions we had a bit of a disagreement. My family did an Easter egg hunt along with searching for our hidden Easter baskets. This took place after dinner and we (the children) had to take a nap in order for the Easter Bunny to hide our treats. My husband’s family just had the egg hunt with a free for all Easter basket of sorts full of candy … Continue reading →

Sports And Family Bonds

With the Super Bowl just a couple of weeks away, now is a good time to think about sports and how they relate to family history. Whether you have athletes in the family, sports fans, or both, it is very likely that at least some family members have an interest in sports. If you think about your relatives and what sports they like to play or watch, you may see some similarities between family members. You might also see some major differences of opinion, which can make for memorable family events if there is a game on television featuring the … Continue reading →

Caring for Family Heirlooms

Some family heirlooms that are passed down through the generations are meant to be put on a shelf and looked at. Others are pieces that get used only on special occasions, like fine china or silverware. There are other heirlooms, though, that see more frequent use. Things like tables, chairs, cupboards, and cradles are meant to be used and, if cared for properly, can last for many more years. In order to keep these prized family possessions in good condition, it is important that you regularly inspect them for signs of wear and tear. Things like loose rungs on a … Continue reading →

More Thankful Traditions

Gratitude is one of the attributes of happy people, and I try to cultivate it in myself and in my family. I don’t cultivate it because I want to be better than others. I just cultivate it because it makes me feel good to note all of the things that I can be thankful for. Even when the day is hard, it is easy to be thankful. I am thankful for my health. Yesterday I had severe back pain that was so bad that I couldn’t sit down. I was very grouchy. Yet at the end of the day when … Continue reading →

Creating Thankful Traditions All Year Round

We often think of the Christmas season as a time to celebrate family. Thanksgiving is our time to be thankful. Valentine’s Day is a day to show love. Of course, while it’s good to have particular seasons and special days to celebrate these things, you can feel and show all of these emotions all year round! Whether you follow a particular religion or not, creating traditions of thankfulness is important. As many of us head off to sales, it’s a good time to stop and remember all that we have. The economy can be tight, and finding a job can … Continue reading →

A Tip for More Peaceable Family Gatherings

This holiday season, I realized that one important communication skill is essential to surviving many a holiday gathering. Those of you that read this blog regularly know that I love words, so I am excited to inform you that this magical skill has a name – tact. Tact is a word that refers both skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations or a knack for knowing what to say or do in order to avoid offending others. In a time where people often pride themselves on being “uncensored”, letting their opinions be known, or saying what is on their … Continue reading →