Hello, it's me...

Hello Everyone,

It's been five months since I have posted here at Dawning Genealogy but it has been a busy five months filled with family, learning, researching, and a few other things.

To start with I spent the month of April preparing for the National Genealogical Society's (NGS) 2017 Conference that was held in May in my home state of North Carolina. This was my first national genealogy conference and I loved it! I learned so much from this experience and came home with my head spinning from information overload! I enjoyed meeting my fellow genealogist/bloggers, Annette Burke Lyttle, Cheri Hudson Passey, J. Paul Hawthorne, Tierra Cotton-Kellow and Lisa Talbott Lisson. I was thrilled to hear lectures by Elizabeth Shown Mills, Judy G. Russell, Blaine T. Bettinger, Thomas W. Jones, Craig R. Scott, John P. Coletta, Angela Parker McGhie, and Gail Jackson Miller.

I opted to stay with David, Cassie and my Doodlebug in Burlington rather than a hotel.This was the best option for me! When I got home every evening Doodlebug would ask me, "Dede, how was your conference?, Did you meet new friends?, What did you learn, Dede?". I would answer his questions and then it would be time for him to get ready for bed. How do you explain to a three year old that this experience was like being given the keys to Disney World? After Saturday's classes I headed to Greensboro to spend Mother's Day with my Mom and spend a couple days visiting and getting DNA samples!

I spent most of May organizing all of the material (handouts and notes) I collected from the NGS conference. Before I knew it, it was June then July and now August is half over. I was in Greensboro nearly every weekend in June and July. I came home from NGS with lots of books, surprise, surprise! During the week I was reading books by Thomas W. Jones and Blaine T. Bettinger. I was also anxiously awaiting for DNA results for my Dad, my hubby, Tommy and my nephew too. Once their results came in I started looking over their results for any close matches especially because there were not many. I still have lots to do and learn about DNA but I am slowly getting there. I am wondering if I will ever get the hang of those nifty tools at Gedmatch! Oh and I am on the waiting list for the Gen Proof Study Group which discusses Thomas W. Jones, first book, Mastering Genealogical Proof.

We went with David, Cassie and Doodlebug to Jurassic Quest XL at the Greensboro Coliseum. Doodlebug is into dinosaurs in a big way and he had a ball at this event. He has already asked if we can go again next year!  I spent a girls weekend with my best friend Banna, then spent time with my Uncle Kenny and Aunt Barbara who came to visit from Kentucky. I also got to spend time with my niece Grace (who wants to learn about genealogy, yay!) and my nephews Bryan, TJ, Jebb, Walker and JJ. Grace, JJ, Walker! At the end of July we celebrated my Mom's 80th birthday with family and friends and a very special group of kids who are near and dear to Mom's heart, her after school kids.

Tommy, David and Doodlebug at Jurassic Quest XL with the Spinosaurus in the background.

At the movies with Walker, JJ and Jebb seeing the latest Transformer movie. Doodlebug was jealous when he saw the picture. He told me I could only go to the movies with him! 

 More movie fun with Grace, Walker and JJ. We went to see Wonder Woman. We really like the new improvements to the Regal Palladium in High Point!

My Mom and JJ share a birthday. JJ and I share a special bond, I was my Mom's birthday present when she turned 25 and JJ was her birthday present when she turned 68.

Mom with a few of her after school kids. Mom kept after school kids from the mid-1970's to the late 1990's. Her first after school kid, Jenny is now a doctor practicing family medicine and her last after school kid, Mary is heading to medical school.

We have one more trip planned with my family to Myrtle Beach where my parents will be staying for about two weeks. As many of us kids who can will be arriving with our families the weekend after Labor Day. Then on September 18th I will be having foot surgery, again! I have many topics for blog posts running through my mind and I am hoping to get them down on paper (so to speak) before my surgery.


I hope all of you have had a great summer so far! 

Take care,

Dawn