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This Week with Crista: September 7–13, 2026

weekly recap Sep 13, 2026

This Week with Crista banner for September 7–13, 2026, featuring family history tools and resources.

One idea kept showing up this week: family history truly comes alive when we move beyond names, dates, and places on a pedigree.

When we take the time to discover who our ancestors actually were—their daily routines, the work they did, the decisions they made, and the legacy they left behind—we transform static information into vibrant memories of lives lived. Even more importantly, we create stories that we can actively pass along to the next generation.

That idea showed up in several places this week, so I pulled them together below.

What You May Have Missed

🎙️ Podcast: From Utah to Iceland: How to Pass Living Heritage to the Next Generation (with Eric Allen)

When we talk about family history, so many of us share the same quiet wish: we want our children and grandchildren to be interested. We want them to know who they are, where they come from, and whose shoulders they stand on. In this week’s episode of Stories That Live In Us, my friend Eric Allen returned to share how a trip all the way to the volcanic coasts of Iceland transformed his children's understanding of their heritage.

Listen to the podcast episode

📖 Blog Post: I Said Yes to Something I've Never Seen Before

My 2026 word of the year is GATHERING and this week I announced a brand-new, innovative type of family history gathering that I am creating with my friend, Diahan Southard (of YourDNAGuide fame). And I’m inviting you to be a part of it.

Read the announcement

🔴 Facebook LIVE: Uncovering Ancestors' Occupations

We went deep into historical records to discover what your ancestors did for a living and how their work shaped their daily lives and family stories.

Watch the Facebook LIVE replay

One Thing to Try This Week

My invitation in the Facebook LIVE this week was to capture your own job history, starting with the very first job you ever had. Open up your own profile page in your Ancestry family tree, navigate to the Notes section, and create a simple timeline list. Once you've documented your own employment history, try doing the exact same exercise for your parents or grandparents using census records, city directories, and personal memories. You’ll be amazed at how detailing their daily work paints a far richer picture of their lives.

Featured This Week

It’s time for the pajamas & pedigrees™ Fall Event!

If you’ve ever wanted to watch a professional genealogist do family history to see just how they do it (and what you might be missing in your own process), now is your chance. I turn on my Zoom camera, open up my family tree, and get to work climbing my family tree. And you can follow along and ask questions as we go.

Join other genealogy community members in an interactive learning environment all from the comfort of your home (in your favorite cozy clothes).

Registration is open now, so reserving your place early ensures you won't miss out on the live session, the bonus resources, or the community connection.

Learn More Here

Coming Up This Week

Tuesday, September 15: I’m keynoting at the Ancestry Product & Technology conference! Follow along on Instagram for exclusive behind-the-scenes looks throughout the day.
Wednesday, September 16: Join my talented colleague (and cousin!) Nicka Sewell-Smith for an Ancestry Virtual Event focused on Latin American Family History Tips for Beginners. Register here.
Thursday, September 17: Tune into a very special episode of Stories That Live In Us. One of our "Jammers" (a pajamas & pedigrees member) drove all the way from Texas to Utah to sit in the studio with me and share an unbelievable, dramatic life-and-death rescue story about her ancestor, a ship captain from Denmark.
Saturday, September 19 (9:00 AM): If you are local to Utah, come hear me speak in person at the West Jordan Mountain Shadows Stake Family History Fair (8173 S 3200 W, West Jordan, UT) on "How Does Doing Family History Connect Me to My Family and the Savior."

If You Only Do One Thing…

If you take just one action this week, check out the details for the 2026 Pajamas Fall Event. You aren’t going to want to miss the opportunity to watch me climb my family tree LIVE!