Giving Thanks 2014

Today, and every day, I am thankful for family, friends and good health. For those I have lost, I am thankful of the time I spent with them and the memories I can look back on with a smile. I am thankful for a home to live in and food to eat. I am thankful I have the ability help others in various ways throughout the year.

I am thankful my country gives me the right to say what I want through the medium of my choice. Through this blog I am able to document and share stories and photos of my ancestors. Through social media I am able to share those stories far and wide and reach cousins I never knew I had.

I am thankful that Google Analytics tells me people are visiting this blog and sharing my content. Thank you to those who subscribe to my blog or follow in a reader. Thank you to those that comment, share, +1 or RT a post and help me share my stories.

For all of these little things and all of the big things the man upstairs allows to happen, I am thankful.

Wordless Wednesday Sally At MU

This is my Mother-In-Law her Freshman Year at The University of Missouri. MIZ!

Is that dress not to die for? Love it!

The DNA Puzzle - Excitement Followed By Confusion

My updated AncestryDNA Ethnicity Estimate lists Ireland - 18%. What?

I uploaded my raw AncestryDNA data to FTDNA. Those results state 39% British Isles - this cluster is typical of the British Isles especially Ireland. What?

I ran all the combinations of Ad Mixtures on GedMatch which resulted in an average of 15% Irish in those results. What??

Am I doing this wrong?

I've been actively researching my family history for 13 years. I have not found even the tiniest hint of Irish ancestry. What am I missing? Have I been chasing the wrong families? Is my Irish ancestry way, way, wayyyyy back there and I'm probably not going to find the connection?

Don't get me wrong, it would tickle me pink (or green) if I found my Irish ancestors, but so far it's just not happening.