#7 Home on the Range

One of my hopes, albeit kind of silly, has always been to experience working on a farm.  Growing up I always heard people say that working on a farm all day is one of the most laborious jobs you could encounter.  

When presented with the opportunity to visit a farm with our friends the Joyce family, I was internally SUPER excited :)  I was finally going to get to see what it was all about. (At least an hours worth of work).  We had arrived just in time to help feed the cows.

Luke and Chris jumped on the back of a truck with bags and bags of cow feed.  Jess and I jumped into the front and off we went into the pasture.  We drove right through the cows who proceeded to follow the truck.  Some of them walked, other literally RAN after us in order to be the first at the food.  It took minutes to feed all the cows.  They ate so quickly.   I'm also thankful the boys were doing it because I'm not sure we could have lifted the bags of food.

We pulled off into another pasture to stir up the automatic feeders that were jammed up with food.  The boys found big sticks and stirred the food around until it flowed normally.  

While the boys were working hard, Jess and I were admiring the cows in the field.  They walked closer and closer to the feeders, but were so afraid of us that when Jess tried to go say hello, they ran away.  Obviously they didn't know they were 10x our size.

All in all.. a great first experience, but I don't think I actually participated in any work.  Maybe I'll offer to help next time :/

#6 The First Ballot

Dear Friends,

If you didn't know, I am a Canadian.  I was born and raised north of the border in a wonderful country that I miss very much.   When I married an American, I accepted the fact that The United States of America would probably be my home for a long time.

I have grown to love what this country is about and all of the beliefs its was founded on.   For that reason in the spring of 2011 I became a U.S citizen.   It was an unbelievable month in which I learned a lot of American history and filed a lot of paperwork.   (if you want to read a funny story about it, check out my blog entry: Citizenship Part 1)

On November 8th, I got to vote in my FIRST ELECTION!!  I was very excited and nervous. Who knew the language of ballots could be so... well.... academic.   It was only a local elections, but I felt as though my duty as a U.S citizen was finally beginning.   I hope that each of you will take time out to vote in your next election whether local, state or federal.  Here is a photo of my excitement. Note by VOTED sticker on my shirt... i wore it all day out of pride :)

#5 Family Tree

As I wrote last week, my current adventure involves discovering my family tree.   As a gift for my birthday, Luke bought me a 6 month subscription to ancestry.com which has proven to be quite a useful tool.

If you've never used the program before, it can be described in 3 words: "Genealogy for Dummies"  You input the information you already know about family members and occasionally a little green leaf will appear in the top corner of a person's profile.  THESE ARE THE MOST EXCITING MOMENTS!!!   (I know i'm a nerd.. thank you)    This simply means that ancestry.com thinks it found a public document or someone else's tree on ancestry.com that is related to your ancestor based on the information you provided.   i.e They know something you don't know.

My current progress - note the little green leaf :)

In one hour, only knowing Luke's immediate family, I traced his lineage back 5 generations.  I have birth certificates, death certificates, other family trees, housing documents all ready to give me more information. 

Maybe you are shocked to know this is not a promotional ad for Ancestry.com.  (you should visit their website) No, they did not pay me to write this blog.  I am simply writing from the magic that comes from learning about those who came before you.  The ones who shaped the lives of your grandparents and even great grandparents.  I am eager to learn more about my family and the people who shaped my history.  I'll keep you informed if I make any great discovery.

#4 Tin Memories

One of my favorite things about marriage is that you gain a whole new set of family members; a group of people who love you simply because you are "family."   For us women, we adopt new last names and in essence new identities; new histories of people who came before us.  New ancestors who attempted to leave a mark on this world, in hopes that one day we would remember them for the things they achieved in their lifetime.

To me, photographs are the physical representation of this sentiment.  A moment, captured in time as proof of something memorable to an individual.  A goofy face or one that's been dolled up, every one of these pictures leaves a stamp of the past in the palm of your hand.

When my husband's grandmother past away last Monday, family from all over the country gathered to honor her.  It was amazing to be in a room full of people I had never met before, mourning the loss of our grandmother, sister, mother, cousin... together.  As we went home, we opened the boxes and boxes of pictures where I was introduced, in print, to the very faces that wept with me that morning.  I learned about poverty of great grandparents and office christmas party's long gone.  Wedding pictures of lovers finally together and smiling babies all wrapped in fancy blankets.

But in this heap of memories, I found something I had never seen before. (My NEW for blog #4) Two tin photos from the mid 1800s emerged with members of a family I was now a part of.  Two women who wanted to leave a photographic memory of themselves for the future generations to remember.... that future generation, I realized, was me.

My.. as I like to call them... tin-great grandmothers

So, to you two wonderful women who were pioneers of your time, even if I don't know your name, thank you for providing me with a forever curiosity of who you tin-great-grandmothers were.  I am excited to research you and what great things you intended to pass down.

Look for the continuation of this adventure next week when I tell you where my passions led me.