Thursday, July 2, 2009

SCGS Jamboree 2009 - A Weekend of Fun! (Part 3 and Thank You)

Oh for Sunday....


I arrived to the conference at 9 A.M (I slept in a bit so I could get some much needed rest). I spent the morning hanging out with some great geneabloggers, checking email, wandering the exhibit hall, and exploring RootsMagic 4.

Kathryn Doyle was sweet enough to introduce me to so many wonderful people on the exhibit hall floor. One of whom (and I am so happy to say this) was Dick Eastman. Yes....I met yet ANOTHER one of my blogging idols.



Kathryn Doyle and I - without her, I never would have been able to meet Dick Eastman!



Dick Eastman and I - it is such an honor to take a picture with him! I was so honored when he said that he read my blog! Words can't even describe how happy I was!

At 11 A.M. I decided to head on over to Lisa Louise Cooke's class "Google: A Goldmine of Genealogy Gems (Part 1)". It was a great class! Not only is Lisa fun to watch because of her bubbly personality, but she offers some great tips! While I knew many of the tips from her Genealogy Gems Podcast, it was still inspirational to hear her speak live. She gave a few great tips that are not on the podcast and some great suggestions.


After the lunch break, I returned to Lisa's class, except this time it was part 2. Once again, I was feverishly taking down notes. While I knew a lot of the basics that Lisa covered, she offered more great tips that gave me even more inspiration!


I spent my last couple of hours sitting in the geneabloggers lounge, saying goodbyes to all of the wonderful people I've met. It was definitely difficult to watch all of my friends leave.


At around 4:30, my sweet boyfriend, Billy, and his dad drove me home. And I knew my weekend of fun was over.


I have to tell everyone a huge Thank You!


Thomas: You started geneabloggers and you are what keeps it going! The mardi gras beads were so creative and so much fun! Your hardwork made the geneabloggers dinner run so smoothly. It was such a pleasure to meet you and I had such a blast talking with you.


Paula Hinkel: You co-organized this huge event and you thought of everything. You are so sweet, so kind, and so on top of everything! While I didn't get to sit down and really talk with you, I wanted to thank you for all of your hard work. I know I am so lucky that this was my very first genealogy conference because it is so forward thinking, so progressive, and so much fun! Thank you so much for all of the hard work that you put in.


footnoteMaven: I know I went a little crazy when I met you, but I meant it when I said that it was such an honor to meet you. You are one of my blogging idols and you work so hard on your blogs and the GYR. Thank you so much for just sitting and talking to me - it was such a pleasure to meet you.


DearMyrtle: You are even more sweet, kind, and knowledgeable than I could've imagined. You are so down-to-earth and your passion for genealogy really shines through. It was such an honor to meet you. Your blogs continue to be an inspiration for me.


Lisa Louise Cooke: You are so much fun! You are so full of energy and excitement. Talking to you feels like I'm talking to my best friend! I learned so much from your classes and just from talking to you. Thank you for talking to me at dinner - I had so much fun!


Dick Eastman: I was so honored to meet you and to hear you say that you read my blog was like a dream! Thank you so much for making my day.


Gini: You and your husband are such sweet, wonderful people. I can't thank you enough for driving me back and forth and for the great company. Your husband is a saint and it was so much fun to just sit and talk with you. I had a blast!


Amy: You truly are a rockstar! You are so much fun to be around and talk with. Thank you for everything!

Illya: You went above and beyond to help me out. Thank you so much!


All of the Geneabloggers: Thank you for being exactly who you are! You guys are so full of energy, fun, and you always know how to make me smile. Every single one of you is talented, kind, and I had a smile plastered on my face all weekend. You all made me feel so at home, so at ease, and it was such an honor to meet all of you and be able to pick your brains. It was hard to leave because I had the time of my life at this conference. Thank you for making this conference so much fun.

2 comments:

Lisa Louise Cooke said...

Elyse, I didn't realize this was your first conference. What a great way to start! Thanks for your kind words. It was wonderful meeting you - your enthusiasm is contagious. Keep up the great work with your blog!

Kathryn Doyle said...

Elyse, I had such a good time with you at Jamboree and I'm enjoying your reports. Your enthusiasm is contagious and gives me hope that genealogy is spreading to the under-20s!