Wedding Wednesday - A Week of Thankful

Today's Thankful is about weddings.  More specifically about marriages.  I'm thankful for the couples who married...  and had marriages that set the example for me.  My grandparents on my dad's side married 65 years, my mom's parents, married 51 years!  With generations of marriages in a family tree there are many, and mine is no exception.  But these two, perhaps because of my relationships as a child with these two couples, make them special to me.  What an example they set! 

Top photo - Annie Elizabeth Nix & husband, David Ansley with son Clarence Ansley (my dad!).  David & Annie were married 21 APR 1933 in Grady County, Georgia.

 Lower image, Raymond Phillips and wife, Pauline Kreitzer Phillips with me.  Ray & Pauline were married 11 NOV 1933 in Union County, Indiana. 

Travel Tuesday - A Week of Thankful

Travel Tuesday?  Yep, for this week at least.  The second day in my week of Thankful.  I say Travel Tuesday becuase I am so thankful that my ancestors were brave enough (or wanted out bad enough) to take the chance, get on a boat and endure all sorts of hardships in order to start a new life here in the United States.

Lets face it, we all have our comfort zones - our warm comfy home, food on the table, our computers, smart phones, cars etc.  We have our routines.  But to put all that aside, leave behind family, routines - all things familiar and comfortable to climb on a ship for weeks at sea, months of unknown ---  that just wouldn't work for me. 

Hate to say it but I seriously wonder if I had to make the sacrifices that my ancestors made to get to this country,  I really doubt my descendants would be in this country.  I just don't know that I could do it.  So to me, having these men & women, who gave up the comfort of their homes, their families, their known to totally give it all up, walk away to come here and start over, they are my hero's.  I'm so thankful for them and the things they sacrificed to make it possible for me & my descendants to be here in the USA. 

Military Monday - A Week of Thankful

I decided for this week to do my regular daily posts but due to the fact that this week is Thanksgiving I thought I'd add a twist.  A week of thankful.  We have so much to be thankful for, so I thought I'd put a genealogical spin on my week of thankful. 

With today being Military Monday, I am thankful that I had ancestors who fought.  Luckily most of them did return home after they fought, for that I am very thankful.  I appreciate all of our country's Veterans, but most specially for the ones in my family tree that fought.  Thankful that they had what it took to stand up for what they thought was right - from Jacob Kesler & Dennis Grady in the Revolutionary War, right down to our present day military fighting men - cousins Andrew Layton, Chris Radley & Jason Radley, and the many men in between - father, uncles, grandfather's and right on back. 

Regardless of the rank or the battle they are all apart of my history and for that I am very thankful.