February has always been about women for me—but not in a grand, sweeping way. In a quieter, more personal way. When I think about why Her Story matters so much, I think about my great-great-grandmother, Amelia VonPhul Bird. She’s my favorite. If I could sit down with any ancestor for a conversation, it would be her. I don’t need dramatic stories or perfect timelines—I just want to know what her days felt like. What she carried. What made her her….
January always feels like a quiet reset for me. Not a dramatic overhaul—just a chance to take stock, clear a little space, and set myself up for the year ahead. Why January Starts with a Spreadsheet For my family history work, that reset almost always starts with a spreadsheet. I genuinely love spreadsheets. I love the order they bring to my research, the way they let me see everything at once, and the calm that comes from knowing I can…
My 2026 Monthly Family History Challenges One of the questions I hear most often is, “Where do I even start?” And honestly? I’ve asked myself that same question more times than I can count. Family history often feels bigger than we expect—full of unfinished threads and quiet pressure to do more. I created these monthly challenges to slow that feeling down. They’re not a checklist, but a rhythm: one small focus each month, taken at an unhurried pace. I built…