I haven't upgraded to the new Family Tree Maker 2010 yet. I've been looking at the features and reviews and can't make up my mind. What do you think about FTM 2010?

We've all had to deal with a common name weaving through our family's history. When the name pops up in our searches – how do we know that we are on the trail of the "right" John Smith. I've seen it recorded that there are over 30,000 John Smiths in the 1900 US census. With that many Smiths in the records, research can become a nightmare if you don't have a few tricks to narrow the field.

I've always said that "Stories Are The Key" to your family's heritage. Writing interesting stories, that capture the challenges and triumphs of your ancestors, may be your best gift you can give to your children and grandchildren. The hardest part is not uncovering the story in the first place, but rather writing it so that your family will talk about those events for years to come.

Before you set out on your next genealogy research trip be sure to check your supplies to make sure that you don’t miss a single opportunity to uncover your family’s heritage.

We’re all busy and anxious to get started on our journey. But if we are not properly prepared there’s a chance that we might miss a perfect opportunity to witness a new family story or capture a photo that answers a question that has plagued you for decades.

When it comes to dates – there are lots of rules and lots of exceptions. We've all experienced coming across a date of 08/11/1804 and trying to decide if it is August 11 or November 8. Here are a few common tools and rules that you can use to have a better chance of getting it right.

Here's a few key ideas that you can use to jump start your family tree research! If you have been researching your family's history for any length of time you may find that you seem to be hitting more roadblocks than ever. That can be very frustrating. I tried to identify a few things that amateur genealogists can do to try and overcome those hurdles. These ideas are not new…but they may be just the thing that you need to make an important breakthrough.

I was looking through my Great Grandmother's Journal the other day and realized that the pages had turned very yellow. This is not unexpected since she wrote in this particular journal back in the late 1800s. Her stories were simple, written by a 15 year old girl…but they are precious and I want to be able to pass them down to my children. I'm sure you have important books like that too; Family Bibles, Journals, Travel Logs, Scrapbooks, etc. Well, here are a few simple tips that will help you preserve these books for generations to come.

We frequently say that life was simpler back in our Grandfather's and Great-Grandfather's era. However, that doesn't mean that life was any easier in the 1800's!

Is your filing up-to-date? Can you find that essential census record when you need it?

I've been telling my story these past few blogs and now it's your turn to tell us your story. Why are you researching your family tree? What successes have you had? What road blocks have you encountered? We'd love to hear from you!