We finally made it to England! Our flights and train rides were long and uncomfortable, but so worth it. We arrived last night at about 5:30pm England time (so about 9:30am California time). Tiana and Eric were waiting for us and we were so ready to be there. After arriving, we got a second wind and ended up staying awake until about 11:30pm.

Today, Tiana made us a traditional English breakfast: egg on toast, sausage, bacon, and baked beans and tea. Then we walked into Beeston and visited all the charity shops. We ended up having a burger and pint for dinner at The Last Post. We swung by the local grocery store and bought what we needed to make Zuppa Toscanna soup for dinner tomorrow night before walking home. We are having a great time and cant wait to see more. I’ll be posting again soon. Cheers.

Eric and Tiana in front of their house. I love their blue front door.

This is Andy, their cat.

Living room

Kitchen

Backyard. It just snowed recently, so everything’s still wet.

This is the street that Tiana and Eric live on.

Beeston

Big things have been happening in my family of late. We welcomed a new addition… Olivia Leigh Bos on December 12, 2008. My sister’s first, and first grandchild on my side. She’s amazing and beautiful and has a sense of humor already. As my mom says, this isn’t surprising considering we’re all a bunch of clowns. I have to agree. I can’t wait to grow up with her.

This Christmas has been the best one yet. It’s interesting to see how one’s priorities change when there’s a new life around. Gifts no longer matter. God already gave us the best gift anyone of us could have hoped for. What more is there?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved stuff that has been handcrafted, made from things of the past. Growing up, I would raid my Grandpa’s junk yard for materials that I could fix up or include in some latest art venture. Ok, I admit, I still do this. Last weekend, I took home an old wooden frame that I found on his back porch. This look has become crazy popular lately. Everything is made to look old-fashioned, worn, antique… the older the better it seems.

Since starting this blog, I’ve been doing a bit more web surfing that normal and have discovered that this handcrafted, independent type of art, whether visual, music, fashion or film carries the label “indie” as of late. I think it’s somewhat ironic that this has become the staple look, sound and feel of everything commercial when in it’s very nature “indie” means to be independent, made by hand and self-sufficient. That’s America for you.

Anyway, back to my Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I mentioned that I visited last weekend. I always knew they had collected old stuff throughout the years, but never fully realized how incredibly sweet it all is. I took some pictures to share. I love that years before “indie” anything became popular, my grandparents were just being completely authentic with what they liked.

On Saturday, my husband, Steve and my sister-in-law, Shalina spent the morning in Martinez, California. Shalina takes awesome photos, so we went out there for a photo shoot. Our little Rosa dog came too. The pictures turned out amazing. Check out www.shalinalives.com to see more of Shalina’s work.

Three days ago we brought home our new addition to the family. Rosa Lee Reinhardt. She’s an 8-week old Chihuahua but I’m going to consider her a newborn baby. She comes with all the attachments; feeding, crying all night, teething and potty training. I guess this is great preparation considering we are planning to have kids in the next couple of years. About a year after we were married, we got our Siamese, Fanny Mae. She came with some responsibility, but for the most part, she’s very independent. So, this is a big jump for us. But a good one.

Steve’s step mom, Denise, was given Rosa as a gift from her neighbor. They already have three dogs, so she offered her to us. She has been so much fun. What a little personality. Fanny is slowly adjusting to the idea. I found them curled up together on the couch today. So cute!

When you begin to explore how your own life story fits into a larger whole, you embark on an adventure. The following tips will help you begin your own genealogical search:

1. Begin with Your Immediate Family
List the names, birth dates, places, and marriage dates of your immediate family and grandparents. Also ask members of your family if there is an existing family tree.

2. Conduct Interviews with Older Relatives
Find out the names and marriage dates of your ancestors, and ask about interesting family stories. Take careful notes, or use a tape recorder or video camera.

3. Find Documentation
Accurate genealogy relies on documentation, so try to obtain copies of records to confirm each link. These include census records; marriage and death certificates; wills and property records; religious papers; school and medical records; ship passenger records; and naturalization papers. You must know exactly where in the United States your ancestors lived, as many records are filed by location. Good sources for many of these documents are the National Archives and Records Administration, libraries, historical societies, and religious institutions, as well as a number of websites.

4. Chart Your Family History in Its Country of Origin
If you’re lucky, U.S. records will contain the county or province where your family came from. As with American documents, applicable foreign records are usually filed with local institutions. Once you’ve pinpointed the area, you might choose to travel there, hire someone who lives in the area to do research, or take advantage of a surprising option — the Mormon Church. Because genealogy is part of its mission, it has the world’s most extensive collection of genealogical records. You can visit the church’s library or use their website.

5. Confirm Each Link
Be sure to verify each link in the family chain before moving on to the next, and never skip a generation.

These websites can point you in the right direction and put you in touch with others who share your interest or family name:

National Archives and Records Administration
An independent federal agency that oversees the management of all federal records

Federation of Genealogical Societies
An organizing body that oversees genealogical services; founded in 1976

Ancestry.com
More than eight hundred searchable databases on more than 200 million individuals

National Genealogical Society
Founded in 1903; offers comprehensive information about genealogical data

Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation
Information about the seventeen million people who entered the United States through Ellis Island from the 1890s through the 1920s

(Information provided by www.marthastewart.com)