September 2025

 Do You Remember September? 

Labor Day, Patriot Day, the Autumnal Equinox, Johny Appleseed Day—this month is plumb full of fun opportunities with family history connections. These celebrations and remembrances allow us to turn back the pages of a few decades and reinvent new things with families and friends.

Labor Day

This holiday commemorates workers, or blue-collar laborers, who work tirelessly to make everything work out. It takes everyone to make things the way they are. Many families celebrate with a final camping trip while it’s still warm, and some time for some final summer swimming.

Ideas

-Celebrate this nationally recognized holiday how you normally do, but find an opportunity to discuss the jobs of ancestral family members. Were they a blacksmith, a carpenter, a furniture maker? Everyone’s history has them. A simple conversation is all it takes, but overachievers can look up pictures, journals, and do some research.

-Practice the skills of blue-collar jobs, especially ones that no longer exist. What was it like transferring phone calls by hand? What was it like typewriting speech to text? What was it like milking cows by hand? There’s a million opportunities and options to explore.

Patriot Day

This holiday obviously honors those involved with 9-11, the terrorist attacks heard around the world. This especially honors emergency responders. Many celebrate by talking about what they remember on that day. Write it down if you haven’t already.

Ideas

-Watch a documentary, read an article, or research this historical event.

-Compile family members and their memories of the event for future generations (so many weren’t alive 24 years ago). Share so that they know.

Autumnal Equinox

This is a time of equal day and night, considered sacred by many ancient cultures. Research it for more specific information.

Ideas

-Plan a harvest-themed event, dinner, or family gathering. Usually, harvest is just getting into full swing, so it could be the last one for a little while.

-This is an opportunity to get some fall cleaning before harvest and winter comes in. Gutters, fridges, you name it, could probably use some tough love.

Johny Appleseed Day

The original Johny Appleseed or eccentric John Chapman was a gardener known for spreading his love of apple trees. Many celebrate with an apple-themed day.

Ideas

-Bake an apple pie, the fresher the better.

-Make homemade applesauce with friends. Have them each contribute some apples.

All in all, September is a great month for family history. Don’t forget to record the fun times with pictures and videos.

Song of the Month

Calendar

Check the calendar  for classes and other opportunities! 

Important Dates

August 31 | Closed for Labor Day

Sept. 1 |  Closed for Labor Day

Oct. 5 | Closed for General Conference 

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August 2025

 Preserving When It Comes

County fairs, school, and the remaining days on the river are memories waiting to be slammed into the family history books. And even if you’re not showing a calf or don’t have a family member attending school, you can still come up with some fun, creative ways to preserve memories. For example, let’s say you attend the rodeo. What do you do with ticket stubs, food wrappers, or other random paraphernalia that ends up in the car? Or perhaps you drive by your old high school and a memory pops up of way back when. Then what? 

Memory Preservation

Memories come to you for a reason. They remind us of the past and help us build a stronger future. They also are a great time to preserve said memories. Rodeo items can be photographed, smash booked, scrapbooked, and stored in a myriad of ways. High school memories can be video journaled, blogged, or journaled about as well. And don’t let this list stop you. Find your way of memory preservation. You’ll thank your past self someday. \

Keeping A Journal

Journals have remarkably different styles depending on the person. Some just write out day by day while others record certain moments or testimonies. One favorite is gratitude journals where the individual writes about their day, focusing on the positive (which can be much easier said than done in this crazy world). 

Donating Journals

Also, did you know you can donate journals to be stored by the Church History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Delicate journals that require attention or that no longer have a living firsthand relative are especially desired for preservation. Contact them by phone or an online form to see if they’d be interested in your journals. 

• Phone: 1-801-240-5696
• Online Contact Form: https://chl.libanswers.com/form?queue_id=4226

So go ahead and preserve things as they come to mind. You won't regret it!

Song of the Month

Calendar

Check the calendar  for classes and other opportunities! 

Important Dates

August 31 | Closed for Labor Day

Sept. 1 |  Closed for Labor Day

 

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July Blog

 Finding Family History in our Independence and Pioneer Roots

Independence Day 

One of the most beloved holidays, the Fourth of July, has come and gone again. Fireworks, watermelon, parades, a bunch of memories waiting to be preserved through photographs, journals, and more. July is also normally a month of fabulous weather, so even more memories like swimming lessons, picnics, river boating, races, and ball games come to fruition as well. A good summer goal is to preserve as much as you can for your future self and future generations to enjoy.

The key to preserving memories is finding something that is easy and fun for you and your family that is unique to you. Some take pictures while others paint, and some keep mementos. Whatever the case, if you can do it in such a way that everyone is involved—many hands make light work. 

July Memory-Making Ideas

1. Compile a summer scrapbook where every family member contributes their own page about their summer. This can include photographs, quotes, and even pieces of items (such as a candy wrapper or a piece of parade tinsel). 
2. Create a family video using photographs and video content (you know some of the family are snap chatting and stuff). Encourage all that have a phone to participate. 
3. Create a family folder system where they can share photos and videos for people to access and view. Many sites, such as Google Drive are relatively free or inexpensive.

Pioneer Day

Another beloved holiday is Pioneer Day, honoring those that settled the Magic Valley. So many of the community are descendants of those stalwart individuals who dug canals, settled towns, homesteaded farms, and built the communities we know and love. There are many ways to honor and make memories about these people as well. 

1. Film a “documentary” of about five minutes of an individual or a specific family’s life. Interview family members that knew them. Tell the stories about them using photographs and voiceovers. And maybe make a tradition of it every year. 
2. Make your own mini pioneer camp or trek. Research the activities they did and set it up for the entire family to participate. One family I know plays the game Stretch. It’s a semi-dangerous knife throwing game, but nearly everyone remembers playing it with their grandfather. 
3. Design a garden feature or floral arrangement that honors the pioneers. It can be hand drawn or actually executed in a garden. Include flowers that family members enjoyed (or fit their culture or previous country’s native flora) and anything else that applies. For example, many people enjoy using old tractor or trucks as garden features that they’ve inherited from relatives. 

All in all, July is a month of memories. Enjoy the sunshine, the laughter, and the new memories you make when visiting the old ones. 

Song of the Month

Family History: Wedding Research and Juneteenth 

June Weddings

“Oh they say when you marry in June, you’re a bride all your life,” is the line from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (an excellent family fun film, by the way). June seems to be the time of, if not the wedding itself, then the planning of it. Invitations, decorations, Hallmark channel research, making the in-laws mad, color matching, temple and other venue scheduling, catering, and the list doesn’t seem to want to end. June is also an excellent month to research other weddings, ancestral ones. 

Family History Weddings

It took 1,024 people to create you if you’re looking at the most recent ten generations before you. That’s a lot of weddings, elopements, and the like. And every person has them. If not planning for an actual wedding, why not look up the past? Oftentimes there were announcements or posts in the newspaper, some photographs, and guest lists. Ask relatives about the ones they remember. Usually it’s something about the weather, but asking for more details can give you a fun picture of the past. 

Some activities you can do along with this include: 

1. Wedding Scrapbooking: find, print, and paste all the wedding pictures you can find into one place. You can also add side-detail information like their themes, the temple, etc. 

2. Vision Board: taking the general consensus of the weddings you examine, make a traditional family wedding based on all of the previous. Use pictures and words to illustrate what a “traditional” wedding in your family looks like. (This one would be especially fun for 10-12 year old girls). 

3. Collage: Find and print off all the wedding pictures of the couples you can find. Then cut and paste them together on a large piece of cardstock paper. 

4. ‘Guess who?’ Cards: create flip cards with pictures of the couple on the front, their names and wedding date on the back. These could easily become a memento to use at family weddings and receptions. Lamination is recommended. 

5. Heritage Wedding Map: mark where each relative was born and then connect the markings to where they were married. I imagine the bigger the map, the easier that would be to accomplish.

Juneteenth

Another aspect of June is the upcoming Juneteenth on June 19th. In Texas, slavery was officially abolished on that day and others have quickly adapted it as a national holiday against the abolishment of slavery in general. Perhaps, this would be a good month to do your family research on Civil War era happenings. Some were directly involved with the Civil War, some were immigrating still, and others were exploring and frontiering throughout the West.  

Some activities you can do along with this include: 

1. Create a timeline of family events from 1850 to 1890. 

2. Watch a Civil War-themed film such as The Red Badge of Courage. 

3. Map out the frontier during the Civil War era and any social events that happened. 

4. Read the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. It’s worth the read. 

5. Create a slideshow depicting any known photographs in the family from between 1850 to 1890. 

Weddings, emancipation, frontier exploration, and family history can all be rolled in together like a giant cinnamon roll this June. Have fun!

Song of the Month

Calendar

Check the calendar  for classes and other opportunities! 

Important Dates

June 15th | Closed for Father's Day

June 29th-July 5th |  Closed for Independence Day

 

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 Family History: A Bridge of Celebrations

May is a month chuck full of celebration, making it the perfect time to reflect on the importance of family history. From "May the 4th Be With You" to Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day, each observance connects us to traditions, stories, and values passed down through generations.

Holiday 1

"May the 4th Be With You" started as a playful nod to Star Wars fans but has grown into a celebration of storytelling and legacy (and sometimes even blue milk at the grocery store). Just like the Skywalkers and Solos, our own families carry sagas filled with triumphs, struggles, and hope. Sharing these stories helps younger generations understand where they come from — and inspires them to dream about where they're going. 

Activities for May 4th:

• Create a "Family Galaxy" tree, mapping ancestors like a Star Wars family tree using stars or constellations. 

• Host a Star Wars-themed movie marathon with family trivia breaks that could relate to moments in the movie. Chewbacca Nobake cookies are also a great idea. 

• Make custom "family crest" shields inspired by Star Wars houses.

• Record a video where each family member tells their own "origin story." Feel free to dress in costume as well. 

• Dress up and do a photo shoot imagining your family in a galaxy far, far away. You can even edit out backgrounds or set up homemade backdrops, fans, and lights for fun special effects. 

Holiday 2

Cinco de Mayo, often misunderstood as Mexico’s Independence Day, actually commemorates the Mexican army's unlikely victory over France at the Battle of Puebla. It's a reminder of resilience, unity, and cultural pride. For families with Mexican heritage, it’s an opportunity to share tales of ancestors who stood strong in the face of adversity.

Activities for Cinco de Mayo:

• Cook a traditional family recipe together and talk about its history.

• Create a scrapbook highlighting Mexican heritage and family stories.

• Learn and perform a traditional Mexican dance together. Line dances are also festive. 

• Share family stories of immigration or cultural milestones.

• Host a "heritage showcase" where each family member presents a cultural craft or story.

Holiday 3

Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the incredible women who nurture and shape our families. It’s also a moment to honor generations of mothers and grandmothers who passed down traditions, strength, and love. Family history lives strongly through the stories of mothers — the keepers of recipes, dreams, memories, and values.
Activities for Mother’s Day:

• Create a family "Mothers Through the Generations" photo collage.

• Record interviews with moms and grandmas sharing their favorite memories.

• Bake a special family recipe passed down by a mother or grandmother.

• Write letters of appreciation to mothers in your family history.

• Plant a garden together, dedicating it to the mothers in your family. 

Holiday 4

Later in the month, Memorial Day invites all Americans to pause and honor those who gave their lives in service to the nation. Many families have personal connections to military history, with loved ones who served in wars and conflicts. Sharing their stories — their courage, sacrifice, and dreams — keeps their memory alive and honors their place in the broader American story.

Activities for Memorial Day:

• Visit a cemetery or memorial and leave flowers in honor of veterans.

• Create a memory wall at home featuring photos and stories of family service members.

• Write letters to active-duty military members or veterans.

• Organize a family "history night" to share military service stories.

• Make a family timeline that highlights important moments of service and sacrifice.

Each of these days, in their unique way, encourages us to connect with our roots. Family history isn't just about names and dates; it's about the spirit, courage, and values that flow through us. As we celebrate, let's take time to listen, share, and preserve the legacies that continue to guide and inspire us.

Song of the Month

Coming This Summer

Calendar

Check the calendar  for classes and other opportunities! 

Important Dates

May 8th Closed for Carpet Cleaning

May 11th Closed for Mother's Day

May 25-26th Closed for Memorial Day Weekend

 

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