Growing Up

My little girl is not a baby any more. How darling is this picture that my friend Sharon took. M.E. is trying to tell us things in full sentences, especially when she's upset about something, she is runny and climbing like a little monkey, and she just spent her first few nights on a big girl bed.

She has also fallen off her bed in the middle of the night a few times. I'm not surprised, being the daytime mover and shaker that she is. You can't keep a wild thing still, even when it's sleeping.

My New Mini-Hobby

 

One night a week Matt goes to youth night and enjoys his new assignment as deacon's quorum adviser. After the girls go to bed and before Matt comes home sometimes I have a little time on my hands. So I do a little indexing.

If you've never heard of indexing, that's a name for taking information off public records, like marriage certificates and census records, and record it in a computer program so that the information can be more easily read and researched. This makes family history research much easier. And indexing itself isn't that difficult either. I can index a record with 40 names on it in about 30 minutes.

Indexing has been around for more than a decade, but what got me started was the release of the 1940 US Census and the incredible interest in family history work around my new neighborhood. My neighbors all told me how easy it is. They also told me a few other things:

The US government has an agreement with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to index the whole 1940 census in less than a year. What a challenge considering all indexers for the Mormon Church are volunteers.

If the deadline isn't met, the indexing work will be sent to private companies to do. This will not only cost the government (I mean the tax payers) extra money, but it may also mean that the records will not be free to be public when the work is done. Now, isn't family history so much more fun when you can find what you're searching for for free.

And the last thing. You don't have to be part of the Mormon Church to index records. You just have to go to this link and sign up. And like I said, even an hour a week can make such a difference.

Winning The Race

MaryEllen runs everywhere she goes.

We never know what she's running for until she passes us and giggles like she's just won the prize.

Speaking of Mothers

Ah-hemm . . . Jill and MaryEllen would like to announce the not too distant arrival of their new baby sister. For those of you who like to count, I'm 20 weeks along this week. Baby Girl #3 is due September 28th.

Lobsters In A Bucket

Although, I don't think the lobsters have quite this much fun.

Finally!!!

Thanks Sharon, for the cute family pictures. We needed a new one. And thanks to all my friends who encourage me to finish what I started even though it's taking FOR-EV-ER!!!!

Look what I finally finished! One down, 5 (or so) more to go. I'm so excited that this is in the mail. I'm so sad that the newborn baby it was meant for is probably crawling by now.

Well. Surprise! If you have been expecting something belated for your baby or One-year-old, watch out. You may be next.

Aah Spring

Happy Easter everyone! And happy birthday MaryEllen!!! April always makes me think of this . . .

Compliments of my sis: a shining example of the most beautiful season in my home town.

And then we have this:

 

The joke that April brings every year to our northern home.

Regardless of April's cruel jokes, we do our best to fill our Springs with sunshine.

A big, toothy smile from today's #1 gal . . .

The girls laughing as we bike home from the very cold community Easter Egg Hunt . . .

And the sweet truth that Jesus died so that we could overcome sin and death, and that He lives. That because He lives, we can live again. There is life after death, and we get to spend eternity with our wonderful families.

That is the brightest ray of sunshine of all. We hope the truth of Christ's life lights your Spring too, wherever you live.

Happy Easter!