Are you bored and looking for ways to search for your ancestors? Tired of watch reruns on your favorite streaming service? Then I've got great news!

Today Vivid-Pix announced a new education series called the "Round To It" Series. As in, now is the time to get "round to" everything you've been putting off with your family history.

The series will feature genealogy experts in a way you've never seen before. Each episode in the series will be hosted by Daniel Earl and feature an interview with the speaker before they teach you. You'll get to learn how they got started, what motivates them to keep going, and more! Then after they teach you, you'll get to interact with them through live Q&A, rapid fire questions, and audience polls.

So come and learn and laugh and finally get "Round To It" with your genealogy each Friday and Tuesday at 8pm Eastern.

Click HERE to find out more, register to attend live, watch episodes later, and see the exciting line-up of speakers. 

Your DNA Guide: The Book by Diahan Southard - This isn't just another book about DNA testing. This is a step-by-step problem solving guide that will help you not only understand how DNA works, but also how to solve DNA brickwalls. This is a must-add for your collection. You can purchase it through Diahan's website here: ​https://www.yourdnaguide.com/yourdnaguidethebook/book

The Magic of German Church Records: Finding the Key to Your Ancestor's Past by Katherine Schober - I spent the majority of my research time at RootsTech searching through kirchenbuchs on B1 at the Family History Library. Katherine knows German records inside and out and this guide should be on the wishlist of anyone with German ancestors. You can purchase it through Katherine's website here: https://sktranslations.com/product/the-magic-of-german-church-records-finding-the-key-to-your-ancestors-past

Turning Little Hearts: Over 90 Activities to Connect Children with Their Ancestors by Jonah and Charlotte Barnes - I met the authors on the first day of RootsTech and was thoroughly impressed with the content of their book, which would work for children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren, or even in the classroom. If you're interested in getting some young people who are special to you connected with their ancestors, this book is your handbook. You can purchase it through the publisher here: https://www.cedarfort.com/products/turning-little-hearts and visit the authors webpage here: ​https://turninglittlehearts.com/

Treasured.ca - This new site really impressed me. It allows you to create a 3D virtual museum of your family history and lets you curate your collection, collaborate with family members, all with 24/7 customer support. If you're not convinced, then watch the promo trailer on their homepage and you'll be just as enthusiastic as I am! You can check out their website here: https://treasured.ca/index.html

Audiobiography.com - Audiobiography allows you to record memories by recording their voice. They have an interactive prompt book, and each page has a QR code (those weird squiggly boxes) and using their app, you scan the code and the story plays back. They also have QR stickers you can place on archival photo sleeves that will record the story of your photo! So cool! You can check them out here: https://audiobiography.com/home

Permanent.org - Permanent is the first (to my knowledge) non-profit cloud storage site. That's right. Non-profit. They are a 501 (c) (3) charity and will never mine your data, invade the privacy of your files, or claim copyright over your files (seriously though, read the fine print on your cloud server) And they're even willing to give you a free gigabyte of storage! This is an organization to watch. Visit their website here: https://www.permanent.org/

Vivid-Pix - The Vivid-Pix Restore software is something all genealogists should have. Period. It walks you, step-by-step, through restoring old photos and making the colors, well, vivid! I've loved this software since I got it last year and it has become indispensable. And they've rolled out expert help through Maureen Taylor, Life-Bio, and the Genealogy Guys. You can head to their website here: https://vivid-pix.com/

CelebrateDNA - Want to show the world what you're made of? CelebrateDNA can help you do just that with customized shirts, totes, mugs, hats, posters, etc. In world where people are growing increasing distant, what a great way to bring people closer together! They have dozens of designs and a portion of each purchase goes to help Youth Celebrate Diversity! You can immerse yourself in there catalog here: https://celebratedna.com/

Traditions of the Ancients (TOTA) - TOTA is a unique offering in the genealogical community. They allow us to connect to the culture of our ancestors in a way no other site does. As an anthropology major in college, I love their collection of cultural artifacts, articles, and more and you will too. You can even upload traditional recipes or write articles on your culture! Check them out at: https://www.tota.world/

Archival Methods - As genealogists we all are archivists and if we're just throwing our precious photos and heirlooms into an Amazon box, we're not being very good family archivists. Archival Methods provides you with the resources you need to properly preserve your family materials for generations. I was impressed with their digital storage (to archive your flash drives, CDs, etc.) and their customizable kits. You can peruse their products here: https://www.archivalmethods.com/

FamilyScrybe - FamilyScrybe is a multi faceted website with inspirational blog posts for recording your family story, links to professional genealogists, coaches, educators, and genetic genealogists, and a vendor marketplace that allows you to browse through dozens of other services. They will be launching web-hosting for family sites later this year, and it looks awesome. Check out their demo site here: https://familyscrybe.com/free-family-websites/

Vintage Aerial - Most of us an farming ancestors. This site allows you to search through aerial photographs taken from the 1960s to the early 2000s and look for ancestral farms and homesteads. If you know where your ancestors lived, just drill down on the map and search for nearby images. So much fun. You can search for images by going to: ​https://vintageaerial.com/

As a RootsTech 2018 Ambassador, I was able to give away a free four day pass to RootsTech. This year Beth Dibble was selected.

Beth has attended two years of RootsTech already and is looking forward to her third year. When asked what she is most excited about she said, "RootsTech combines the love I have of family history and my passion for technology. For RootsTech 2018, I am looking forward to learning more about the theme of Connect. Belong. and learning more about how I can pass my passion onto others within my circle of influence.  I have been two different times and each year gets better!  Looking forward to attending again!  #rootstech2018 #iamsoexcited"

​
I look forward to seeing Beth, and hopefully all of you, at RootsTech 2018!

Joe Louis Arena is no more. Bereft of life. It’s off the twig. Pining for the fjords. Joined the choir invisible. It is an ex-sports arena.[1] After 37 years playing in the same arena. The Detroit Red Wings are moving to a new home. The last time they played somewhere else Jimmy Carter was President. 

What does this have to do with genealogy you ask? Well, for me, quite a bit. Hockey has always been a big deal for us Michiganders, and for my family, we've been fans of team since the beginning.

NHL hockey got started in Detroit in 1926 with the Detroit Cougars. They actually played their first season in what Steve Perry, of the ‘rock’ band Journey, would call ‘South Detroit’, what the rest of the world calls Windsor, Ontario.[2] They moved into their new home the Detroit Olympia (lovingly called the Old Red Barn) in 1927. In 1930 they changed their name to the Detroit Falcons and in 1932 officially became the Detroit Red Wings. They won seven Stanley Cups in the Old Red Barn.

My dad remembers walking there as a kid to watch Gordie Howe and his ‘Production Line’ teammates fly up and down the ice with no helmets and padding that would make today’s team doctors cringe. It was where Gordie Howe invented the ‘Gordie Howe Hat Trick’ (a goal, an assist, and a fight). It was the golden age of hockey.

When my Great-Grandmother came to this country in 1922[3] after watching her native country, Austria-Hungary, lose the Great War and be divided piecemeal, she instantly fell in love with the Detroit Cougars and cheered them on her whole life. My mother recalls seeing her small-in-stature grandmother screaming at the television in German if her beloved Red Wings were behind. A trait she passed down to me apparently (I may have gotten a noise complaint or two in college from yelling at the television during a Red Wings game).

The area around Olympia became increasing rough and in 1978, and after two nearby murders the Red Wings were looking for a new home. To prevent a move to the suburbs like the Lions and the Pistons, the City of Detroit offered very favorable terms at a new arena, to be named after a boxing champion born in Detroit, Joe Louis.[4] On December 12, 1979, 62 days after I was born, the Red Wings took to the ice for the first time in their new home. So for me, Joe Louis Arena and Red Wings hockey are synonymous.

I grew up in a Red Wings home. When my dad was working late at the funeral home, I was in charge of recording the game for him on our Betamax and gave him an up-to-the-minute breakdowns of what happened since the last time he had checked in. The first, last, and only time I ever cussed out loud in front of my dad was while watching a Wings game. I remember hugging my dad when the Wings won the Cup for the first time in 42 years in 1997. My dad was only 13 the last time they won it, and there was enough terrible seasons since then that I am sure he questioned if they would ever win one again.

When my wife and I got married in 2002, the Red Wings were one win away from winning the Cup for the third time since 1997. Not knowing if his new daughter-in-law would be keen on letting me watch the last game of the Cup Finals during our honeymoon, he taped the game for me. For the record, my wife did let me watch the game without me even asking, and that’s when I knew ours was going to be a marriage for the ages.

Sports teams, though seemingly trivial, are a part of our lives, and were an important part of our ancestors lives too. When we learn about our ancestors, it may be worth the time to check out the history of local and regional sports teams. Did great-grandpa play on the local baseball team? Maybe he was a fan of the closest Major League team as well. Information on major professional teams is pretty easy to come by.

Here are a four potential sources to find information on local small town teams our ancestors may have played on:

1. Archive.org

You can search for local and community histories. Look for a section on recreation and it will often have         information on local sports teams. They sometimes have team pictures that may have ancestors in them.

 2.  Newspapers.com and Genealogybank.com Newspapers are such a rich source of information on our ancestors. You can check sports scores from a variety of teams, including local high school sports as well as professional teams of local interest.

 3.    Local Historical Societies and Libraries 
I have found loads of information on my ancestors by searching in local (to them) libraries, historical societies, and history museums. To find them, a Google search is typically sufficient.
 
 4.    Facebook 
I am convinced there is a page for everything on Facebook, so check not only for local historical pages but also team pages as well for historic photos. Head to Katherine Willson’s Genealogy on Facebook list at: https://socialmediagenealogy.com/genealogy-on-facebook-list/
Did your ancestors play sports for any local high school, semi-pro or professional teams? Comment below.

Sources:
[1] This is a parody of the famous Monty Python ‘Parrot Sketch’ which can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npjOSLCR2hE

[2] In the song, the story mentions a young man ‘born and raised in South Detroit’, which geographically is Windsor, Ontario, since it is directly south of Detroit along the Detroit River. Mr. Perry admits that he didn’t look on a map prior to penning the lyric, but just liked the sound of it. Full article here: http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/detroit/index.ssf/2012/01/steve_perry_finally_answers_th.html 

[3] Ancestry.com. Michigan, Federal Naturalization Records, 1887-1931. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 2016. Image #373. Accessed on 4/11/2017.

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Louis_Arena

My oldest son, 12, plays the trombone. He started last year. For those who have never heard an eleven-year-old practice the trombone, count yourselves lucky. Imagine a cat that is in heat playing the bagpipes attempting ‘Hot Cross Buns’ but without the ability to control the volume and you’ll be standing on the threshold of the sounds produced by a seemingly harmless brass instrument in the hands of a pre-teen. Before everyone starts sharpening their pitch forks and grabbing the torches and demanding I return the “World’s Greatest Dad” t-shirt my kids got me, let me just say that he has improved remarkably over the last 18 months. Enough so that I was genuinely excited to go to his first Junior High School Jazz Band concert, in which he had two solos; both of which were extraordinarily good for being completely improvised and in front of people (which most adults would be terrified to do).

Before the performance began I texted a photo of the program to my father. The first tune they were playing was “C-Jam Blues” written by Duke Ellington. My dad, with glee replied back that he got to meet Duke Ellington when he was younger. My paternal grandfather was a professional jazz drummer in the Detroit area starting in the late 1930s, and avoided seeing combat during the Second World War because his skills with the drum kit were more essential to the war effort than his skills with a rifle. After the concert was over, and we had loaded everyone up in the van, I relayed this information to my son, who replied back:

“Wow, that’s cool. No wonder I like jazz music, it’s in my genes.”

That may not seem like much, but that is a genealogical win right there. That boy went to bed thinking about one of his ancestors. When he woke me up to let me know he was leaving for school (curse you Netflix for having all three Jurassic Park movies to binge watch!) we had a few minutes before the bus came and he asked more questions about his great-grandfather, just so he could make sure that he got the details right when he told his band mates and teacher the next day.

I never met either of my grandfathers, my Grandpa Earl died a few years before I was born. But for a few glorious minutes, as we discussed him and his life, I’d like to think he was there, listening to his youngest grandson and his great-grandson (who is partially named after him) talk about jazz. The music that defined his generation.

As genealogists these are the moments we hope for with our children and grandchildren. To paraphrase PT Barnum, “All of the kids aren’t interested all of the time, but some of the kids are interested some of the time.” So when those moments come, we need to be there to nurture that spark of interest. How can we do that as genealogists? Here are four steps:

1. Take an active interest in what your kids/grandkids are interested in.

I know, I know. Video games are boring. (I don’t like them either.) But if it’s what your grandkids are into, you be into it too, even if just for a few minutes. You’ll get a lot more mileage being ‘the cool’ grandparent who played Mario Kart for 30 minutes than being the stick in the mud saying ‘when I was your age we didn’t have video games, we ate gruel and we liked it.’ If you show them you’re interested in them, who knows, maybe they might return the favor.

    2.     Be present at activities when you can.
When you can’t call or text afterwards.I know, I know. The kids never call. Well, guess what, the phone works both ways! I love it when my parents call just to say hello, even if we’re in the middle of a crying, bleeding, dirty diaper good-ole-fashioned six-kid meltdown. What’s more is the kids love it. They love to share what they are doing and they like to hear what you are doing. No seriously, stop laughing. Just try it.
 
   3. Keep the stories brief and relevant.
I know, I know. But the story just gets better after the 10-minute mark. The text from my dad that sparked the above incident was a glorious eight words long. EIGHT. This sentence has eight words in it too. (I know you just went back and counted.) Challenge yourself. Think of a family story that you’d like to share, then reduce it to 15 words or less. Try it. If it sparks interest you can always fill in more details later.

   4. Use pictures when you can.
My kids love pictures. If they suspect that I have gotten a snap through SnapChat from one of their aunts, uncles, or cousins they go absolutely berserk. (Think Marlon Brando’s death scene in ‘Isle of Doctor Moreau’.) So if you have a picture of the person you are talking about, all the better. 

​Well there you have it, four steps toward success in sharing your interest in family history with your descendants. How do you share your family history with your kids and grandkids? Comment below!