Master Garrett

In case you didn't know...Daniel passed his Thesis Defense! After a 40 minute presentation and gruling questions from his professors, it was decided that he has earned his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Thermal Fluids.

Daniel and I will Graduate the first weekend in May.

I will graduate with my B.S. in Elementary Education with an Emphasis in Language Arts.

Daniel will graduate with his B.S. & M.S. in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Thermal Fluids and two minors: Math and German

Almost! and then...

To celebrate finishing student teaching and to relax, I did some Family History this evening. I had two close encounters with linking Daniel's maternal family to my maternal family and his paternal family.
First, Daniel has a 4th Great Grandmother named Elizabeth Jackson Hyde. Elizabeth Jackson was born in Union, South Carolina! A lot of my maternal line comes from that area of South Carolina. I didn't look into it too deeply, mostly because she was born in the 1780s before any census that is online was taken. I'm hoping by writing this down here I will remember and look into it more one day. This lady and her husband's posterity continued onto Tennesee and then to Tooele, Utah. This line goes from Hyde to Ayers to Green to Daniel's Grandmother Gerrie Green.
Second, I found some married in Jensen's from Preston, Idaho on Daniel's Grandpa Gingell's line. Daniel's paternal line is full of Jensen's and they also lived in Preston, Idaho. I was so excited to find a connection between the two families!...But alas, as it goes with family history, the Jensen line quickly disappeared into Christiansen back to Jensen back to... because that is what Scandanavian names do. No link was found.
If you found this post boring or confusing I hope one day it won't :D. Even though no connections were made, I still love family history!

Ink

Currently I am student teaching in a 6th grade Language Arts class. I love it! Today while I was reading aloud to the students a serious novel, The Devil's Arithmetic, a student came up to me. He had blue ink all over his hands and asked if he could go to the bathroom to wash it off. He said that his pen had exploded. I couldn't help but laugh! Since the serious tone was ruined...I shared with the class a story from when I was in 6th grade. I told them how I had gel pens and would suck the ink up to make them look more full. One time I accidently sucked ink into my mouth and had to ask the teacher if I could go to the bathroom to get the ink out of my mouth. I don't think the students took the rest of the chapter in the book seriously, but we had a good laugh!

Maybe I'm Not a Blogger

A few hours ago I sat down to do some blogging...nothing came. I read through a couple of people's blogs and decided that I don't have the same things to talk about as other people do. I don't have kids, I don't do crafts, I don't spend long periods of time pondering life...

Well, after spending half the day doing family history and taking a shower (I think the best in the shower) it came to me...I can blog about family history! Don't worry I'll still include major events and trips in our lives.

It has been about 3 years since my Grandma Juanita Worthy Peeler died. I didn't know my grandmother very well because she lived in South Carolina. I have felt closer to her than I ever have before since she has died.

I have had the privelage of obtaining her geneological records and notes that she made over the years.

Currently I am looking up names that she wrote down in a notebook as she visited cemeteries in South Carolina. As I read the names I picture her patiently walking trough cemeteries looking for surnames along her family lines.

Today I came across two major frustrations mixed with joy while working on family history (that's why some people hate doing family history...that's why I enjoy family history)

1. Simpson 'Sip' Millwood b. 1818 wife is either Sarah Sprouse or Millie Fowler, or both. I really wanted to be able to find his parents or a hint of where the Millwoods came from. I had a glimpse of hope when I typed his name into Google and found that someone had written about his grave site on Find a Grave. There was a little bio about him and his family! I also able to find out more information about his children that I previously did not have. I would have thought that he died in Union, South Carolina...I was wrong, he died in Rutherford, North Carolina. That changes things.

2. I really wish that this unkown Mr. Haney who had some form of relationship with my 3rd great grandmother would come to life...also her father, I don't know who either of the men are.

I really enjoy family history and I have to give myself time limits or I find myself neglecting Daniel and living my life. I just find inner peace and energy while working on it.

Thank you to my Wiese grandparents for their example of working on family history and a special thank you to Grandma Peeler for leaving this legacy for me and guiding me through.