MERRY CHRISTMAS! I couldn't think of a better gift to give than the gift of family!

This has been a years journey into tracing the movements of our ancestors stemming from a DNA  test I had with 23&ME. I regret that I wasn't a good student in History. It bored me and I  found the multitude of names and dates hard to remember and hard to recite. In hindsight, if I  had known the rich history of our family, I may have clung to those names and found relevance  as I sat in that desk.

I go forward from here instead and hope that you will enjoy researching names off the list and  seek them out on your own. Like a personal treasure hunt! You will find everyone from a relative  who was hung for piracy, some royal Scottish ancestry and a few notable heroes! Hint:look into  the citation for web pages that can expand the journey.

I hope that you will share this with your family. Let them know they came from a long line of  individuals who have traveled without luxury, endured hardship and wars and worked tirelessly  to create a life and a home in the harshest of environments.  We are made of some seriously tough stock!A great activity for kids would be to take a name  from the list and do a Google search. Family member with lots of citations will probably have  the most luck and fulfillment. But, if you find something really neat and you don't see it  here, let me know!

Enjoy and understand that this is a work in progress! I have not added any cousin names or  extended family just yet.

Please, source your findings and I will resource it and add it in order to keep the chain of  information consistent. Also, email me photos and I will upload as they  would really enrich and personalize this tree! Names, dates, location and photographer /source  credit information would be appreciated.