WAHM-Articles Blog Tour - My Readers May be New to Article Marketing

It’s possible; my blog readers are new to article marketing. What is the best way to get started with article writing?
Amy, that’s a great question and one that needs to be addressed. Article marketing is something every business owner needs to do. The reason is because it’s an easy way to build trust and show your expertise. When people see your articles in print, they feel the author knows what they’re doing.

Since your readers are new to article marketing, getting started may be difficult. It’s hard to know how to get started and to know what you need to do once you’ve written your articles. This post will give you some tips to help your readers get started.

1. Topics

The first thing you need to do is decide what you’re going to write about. The first thing you need to do is decide who your target market is and what they need or want. The reason for this is because it’s important you write your articles based on them. Your target market is going to be reading them so you need to help them solve problems, prevent them from happening, and anything they might find useful or helpful. Brainstorming is an easy way to come up with topics once you have your target market in mind.

2. Writing articles

Writing articles is not difficult when you follow these steps. Your articles need to be between 400 and 800 words in length. They also need to be content and keyword rich. It’s a good idea to have your keyword in the first sentence of the first paragraph and in the last sentence of the final paragraph. Then it will depend on the word count as to how many times it will appear in the body of your article. Usually it will be two or three times, but that doesn’t always work. Base it on the number of paragraphs you have in your article.

3. Bio’s

The bio in your article shares a little about you and your business. It’s the only place in your article where you can talk about the things you offer and include your website. This is not something you can share in the body of your article, so you need to include that in the bio section.

4. Directories

Once you have your article written, it’s time to submit your article to article directories that are geared toward your target market. You don’t want submit them to directories that aren’t visited regularly by your market. That will be a waste of time for you and you won’t get the traffic and growth you’re expecting.

Article marketing is important to any business because it helps increase traffic and it builds trust and expertise. When you follow these steps you’re sure to have success with article marketing.

Amy thanks again for allowing WAHM-Articles to stop and visit your blog. We hope this post will help your readers get started with article marketing. We just came from Sophia and Shelly’s blog, so make sure you click here to read how we helped their readers. Also, make sure you click here to visit Chris Carroll’s blog on Thursday to see how we’re going to help her readers with article marketing.

Make this Christmas Special for Someone in your Community

The holidays are a great time to volunteer in your community. It is a busy season and there are a lot of things to be done. Unfortunately, there are people who are unable to do things for themselves. How great would you feel knowing that you helped someone in your community have a wonderful Christmas?


Community service –

Community Service is not just for people who have been in trouble. It is a way to help the people in your community. Here are a few things you can do to help around the Holidays

- Shovel driveways for the elderly,

- Help cook or serve a meal at a homeless shelter

- Buy or donate food to a homeless shelter. Homeless shelters are always in need of food. Go through your pantry and find canned goods to donate to them.

- Offer to be a bell ringer for the Salvation Army

- Offer to shop for Christmas presents for a senior citizen that is unable to get to the mall

- Offer to fill out Christmas cards for the family of an elderly person in your community

Donate your time at Nursing Homes–

Christmas can be very lonely for people in a Nursing Home. When you donate some of your time during the holidays, it makes them feel special. That is a wonderful feeling. Here are some things you can do while you are there.

- Decorate a Christmas tree

- Get a group together to sing Christmas Carols

- Make ornaments for their tree

- Help them make gifts for a child that is hospitalized

- Help them make gifts for their children or grandchildren

- Just talk!

Donate toys for less fortunate children –

The Salvation Army will usually have Christmas Trees at malls or shopping centers with tags on them. These are filled out by children whose families can’t afford to buy gifts for their children. Usually, these kids ask for some kind of toy, and then they give their clothing size. You will not get to see the expression on their faces when they open them, but I guarantee that every child will appreciate the gifts they get. This is an easy inexpensive way to help a child in your community.

You have the ability to make this Christmas special for someone in your community. Christmas is a time for giving. This does not necessarily mean you have to spend a lot of money. Give the gift of companionship and love. For someone who is alone on the holidays, that may be far better than a gift. If you have extra money, buying a gift for a child who may not get one is a way you can help out. Either way, you are touching someone’s life, and that is the best gift of all.

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Reading



One of my favorite things to do is read!!! I particularly enjoy Christian books and Parenting/Relationship books.

My favorite Christian author is Karen Kingsbury! Karen is a Life Changing Fiction author and has several series books and stand alone titles. To view a list of her books, you can click this link. http://karenkingsbury.com/books/

My favorite series of Karen Kingsbury's is the Redemption, Firstborn and Sunrise Series! As I was reading these books, I literally felt as if I was a part of the Baxter family! They are a wonderful family who deal with problems that we sometimes face in our lives. Redemption is the 1st book in the Redemption Series and it was co written by Gary Smalley. It is a "must read"!

Oh, and one last thing! As much as I love going to the library and checking out a book, I have to say that I absolutely LOVE my Kindle!! It is so lightweight and fun to read from. Downloading books onto it is so easy. I am thinking that I might have to get my husband and kids one for Christmas!!

Veteran's Day - A Special Thanks To The United States Military

Today is Veterans Day. It is a day that we remember those men and women who served or are currently serving their country and in some cases died for their country.

(I hope I have acurate information on the following people)
The people that I remember today are:

George Byer - U.S. Army - WWI
George Byer was my Great Grandpa. He was building bridges when he and a group of men were asked if they would like to be a cook in the Army. No one else volunteered so he said that he would do it. He joined in June of 1917, 10 days before his 24th birthday and he spent time in England and France.
Thank You, Grandpa!!





Allen L Spencer - Sergeant U.S. Army Air Force - WWII
Allen Spencer is my grandpa. At 17, he joined the United States Army Air Force and fought in WWII in the European Theatre. He served as a flight engineer and the top turret gunner on a B-17 Bomber. He participated in 35 bombing missions, and was accredited with shooting down 4 German planes and he provided air cover over the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and an Air Medal with 4 oak leaf clusters, one for each plane he shot down, and two gold stars signifying that he had taken part in two major aerial engagements.
Thank You, Grandpa!!

Ronald Schulenberg - Private U.S. Army - Operation Desert Storm
Ron Schulenberg is my uncle. He had served for 3 years, his full enlistment, and then was recalled for Operation Desert Storm. He spent 3 months fighting in the war.
Thank You, Ron!

Robert Masterson - Private U.S. Army
Robert Masterson is my cousin. He served as airborne infantry until he was injured, and then he reclassed as a mechanic. He served for three and a half years.
Thank You, Robbie!

Allen Beach - Corpsman U.S. Navy
Allen Beach is my cousin. He is currently serving in the U.S. Navy, and is a Hospital Corps A School Graduate - Class 125 Alpha/Bravo.
Thank You, Allen!

Burt Fowler - U.S. Army National Guard - Operation Iraqi Freedom
Burt is a close friend of my husbands and has done 2 tours in the Middle East.
Thank You, Burt!

Warren Beach - CPO U.S. Navy - Gulf War
Warren is my uncle. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Saratoga in the Persian Gulf during the Gulf War. He retired after twenty years in the Navy at the rank of Chief Petty Officer.
Thank You, Warren!

Victoria Forbord - PFC U.S. Army
Victoria is one of my closest friends. She was honorably discharged as a PFC. She served from June 2001 to May 2004, and was inactive reserves until 2008. She went to basic training at Ft Jackson SC and attended AIT in Ft Gordon GA, in the field of Telecommunications.
Thank You, Victoria!

Cameron Cardinal - U.S. Army - Operation Iraqi Freedom
Cameron is a very close friend of my family. He joined the military in November of 2008 and he just returned from a tour in Iraq fighting as a Gunner for the U.S. Army. He is preparing for another tour next year.
Thank You, Cameron!

Steve Spethman - U.S.M.C
Steve is my cousin. He joined the Marines in 1990 and served for about 9 months before he was injured and received a medical release.
Thank You, Steve!








I'm sure there are many other veteren's in my life that I may have missed, so I want to say Thanks to them as well. Because of you and the ones listed above, I am free. Free to be who I am...free to believe the way I want! Because of you, I feel safe and protected! Thank you...a million times, thank you!!

Family

What is family to you?

To me, family are the people who you should feel safe with. You should be able to have conversations with them without feeling attacked. You should love them and feel loved by them. They are the ones that should be there, first in line, to help you through a situation. And yet, it sometimes seems as though they are just the opposite of that. They are there to attack your opinion of something or someone. They are right there making hurtful comments about you without regard as to who else might be listening or reading.

Why is it that "We hurt the ones we love"?

Is it really so hard to show love to those that God chose to be the closest in our lives? Is it that we know that no matter what, they are family and they "will get over it"? I know that no family is perfect. We all have different opinions, religions, or political views, but I feel it is important to respect each other enough to listen and talk about those differences without personally attacking one another. So, how can that happen? What can we change in our lives to make this possible?  I don't know the answer, so I guess I am hoping for some help with this one! Any comments are welcome!

Why is it that.....

As my son and I left the gym tonight, we were trying to figure out what we would have for dinner. I told him that I wasn't very hungry and that I wanted a salad or some veggies. He said that sounded good to him too. I was so proud of him for making that choice instead of fast food which is so much faster and less work on my part. So, we get to the store and I tell him that I want to stick to my budget. (We are trying to get some bills paid off so I am very strick on spending lately) So, he picked out 3 of the things he wanted; Carrots, Sugar Snap Peas, and some apples. Just those 3 items came to $8.00. That was before I had anything picked out, plus I had to get my husband and daughter dinner as well. I started thinking that it would actually be cheaper to go across the street to Wendy's and get food from the dollar menu. I mean seriously, I could feed about three of us on $8.00 there.

You hear all these people talking about how the US has the most obese people in the world. Why is it so inexpensive to eat the junk food and if you actually want to eat a healthy meal, you practically have to get a loan? It just doesn't make sense to me!!

I Love Days Like This!!

~Psalm 118:24

This is the day which the LORD hath made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Today was a wonderful day and I just have to tell everyone about it!! I have to first off say that it didn't start out that way! I had most of the day off, but it was spent studying and testing. I woke up at 6:45 this morning and went straight to the computer to read as much as about the history of insurance as I could. I have been studying since July, so it wasn't like I was cramming for this test, but I was hoping that I wouldn't forget anything if I had just read it. So, 10:15 came around (quite fast, I might add) and it was time for me to leave for the test. I got to the place where I thought I was supposed to be only to find out that I was not at the right address. Thankfully, it was just across the street so I wasn't late. I got to where I needed to be and I felt like I was trying to board an airplane. I had to turn my pockets inside out, pull up the sleeves of my sweatshirt, and show them behind my ears. (That was the strangest part of my day) So, then I finally get seated to take my test, and for the most part, I felt really good about it. When I had answered all the questions, and decided to review my answers, I started getting worried. Finally, I decided to go ahead and let them know I was done. I told the guy that I didn't want to know the results. I didn't want to cry in front of him if I failed. He handed me my results, and my ID's and I began heading over to the locker where I had all my personal belongings stored. As I put the key in, he said, "Oh...Congratulations!!" I turned and looked at him and he was just grinning at me! It was all I could do not to jump up and down!

The last part of my day was spent at my daughters school for parent teacher conferences. She called me this afternoon and sounded like she really didn't want me to go. Of course, that sounded my "Mom Alarm" and I made sure I was there!  I was pleasantly surprised! All of her teachers said that she was a joy to have in class. They of course said she was very "social", but I have been hearing that since she was in kindergarten. I am very proud of both of my kids. They have been working very hard this year to keep their grades up, and I thank God everyday for them!

The Payphone

I have to tell you a funny story that just goes to show how old I am. (Not that I think 34 is old!!!) My son and I went to the public library a few months ago and as we were walking in, he just stopped. I couldn't figure out what was wrong and why he wouldn't go into the library. At first, I was a little annoyed because I just wanted to find the books I was looking for and go home. Finally, he pointed to a payphone.....YES, a payphone! He was so excited about that. He said "Mom, I don't think I have ever actually seen a payphone up close" I couldn't help but laugh out loud.   It was too bad that I hadn't brought any change with me. Can you imagine how excited he would have been to actually use one?

This story popped into my head for some reason last night as I was trying to go to sleep. I realized just how many things have changed since I was his age. Sure, we had a phone, but it was attached to the wall. We didn't call our friends and family that were out of town very much because it was expensive to call long distance, so we wrote letters to them. I remember writing countless letters to my uncle who was in the navy. These days, of course, you see people driving down the street talking on the phone. Most cell phone companies offer free long distance, and letter writing has all but ceased. It is so much faster to just text. My father in law is in New Zealand for a few months and I had a full conversation with him through text messaging last night.

I just have to wonder what life will be like for my grandki....kids' kids. (It felt wierd calling them my grandkids)

Attitudes Are Contagious....Is Yours Worth Catching?

Philippians 2:1-5   If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus

A friend of mine on Facebook has the best attitude. She is the only person that doesn't say "UGH...it's Monday". Instead, she says, "GOOOOOD Morning Monday!!! Soooo happy I'm here to share it with you!!" or "What an awsome weekend!! And off to a fabulous week!!" After reading her posts for several weeks, it dawned on me that my attitude needs some major adjustments!!!! 

My thoughts are more like this...."Why do people use me?" or just simply "UGH!!!!" As I was just re-reading what I had typed, I smiled at my friends words and frowned at my own. How sad is it that my own thoughts bring me down. I can't imagine how the people in my life must feel when they are around me? Who would actually want to be around me?  I worked in an office that had a motto: "Attitudes Are Contagious...Is Yours Worth Catching?" Mine certainly is not! So, I have decided that I need to work on it.

Here are my goals for changing my attitude:

1. Read my Bible.
    * That is the most positive book ever written!
1. Stop being so hard on myself.
    * By being critical of myself, I am creating unnecessary stress.
2. Find the positive in a negative situation.
    *It's there! I just need to look for it!
3. Be thankful for what I have in my life.
    *I am blessed with a great job and wonderful family and friends!
4. Treat myself every now and then.
    *I deserve to be pampered and to get something new every once in a while too!!
Revision 10/19/2010 - I received a wonderful suggestion from one of my Twitter friends to add a 5th goal! It a good one too!! Thanks Esther!!
5. Remember to laugh!!!
    *Laughter can turn the worst day into the best day. Find a reason to laugh every day!
Already I feel a little more positive! I WILL make my attitude worth catching!

That Hurt!

Yesterday morning at work, I received a phone call from someone who I considered to be a friend. She was upset that her check had been deposited in the bank. I told her that I was never told that she needed the check to be held for a few days. Her boyfriend, who I also considered a friend, insisted to her that he told me. I can remember the conversation "to a tea", and I am positive that he didn't tell me that. I was extremely hurt by the whole thing. As the day progressed, I found myself getting more and more angry at them both. And yet.....that voice that I know to be the Lord's kept saying "FORGIVE THEM!!" 

Matthew 6:14-15 says “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

It was a tough thing to get through, but with God's help, I have forgiven them, and I pray that God will give me the right words to say should I run into them in the near future.

Footprints in the Sand

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

Last night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonged to me, the other to the Lord.

After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.

This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it. “Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

Testing

Well, today I completed the study material for my licensing exam to become an insurance agent. I passed all the "pre exams" as well. I hope that I do as well on the REAL exam in a few weeks. The past month or two, I have been doing a lot of reading. I can't say truthfully that it is interesting. It's NOT!!! I found myself feeling very nervous. How can you retain information that you are bored with? I was worried about failing this test and letting everyone at work down.

I was reminded of Philippians 4:6 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

So, that's what I intend to do in the days leading up to the actual exam. I will pray! I will not be worried about it and I am believing that I will pass this test on the first try! Amen!!

15 Years!

“I don't pretend to know what love is for everyone, but I can tell you what it is for me; love is knowing all about someone, and still wanting to be with them more than any other person, love is trusting them enough to tell them everything about yourself, including the things you might be ashamed of, love is feeling comfortable and safe with someone, but still getting weak knees when they walk into a room and smile at you.” Unknown Author

On this day, 15 years ago, I was preparing to walk down the aisle and marry my best friend! I am more in love with him now than ever and I am looking forward to the rest of our lives together! I love you Travis!!!!

My Homemade Breakfast Scramble

Ok, so any of you that know me also know that I am NOT the best cook in the world!!  Every now and then though I surprise myself and actually make something worth eating!! Last night, I told my husband that omlettes sounded really good for dinner. (He makes really good omlettes....I don't) He said "Oh, they do, but I won't be home to make them for you. Then he said as he walked out the door, "Be sure to save some dinner for me."  So, I decided that I would attempt a Skillet Scramble. I cut up some onions, green peppers, garlic, and mushrooms and sauteed them in butter, then added some hashbrowns and then mixed in some eggs and some bacon I fried up when the potatoes were cooked through. It looked and smelled SO good. I had to take a picture!

Travis did get to have some of this for lunch today, but we had to make more. There was about a half a cup left after we ate. I got an email from him today saying that it was awesome!!! That doesn't happen very often in my house, so I have to brag about it when it does!!

I can't understand some people!

It just baffles me that people think that:
(1.) if they use foul language and yelling that they will get what they want and
(2.) that it is OK to act that way.

I was taught that no job pays me enough to sit and listen to someone cussing at me. I will hang up on someone if they cuss at me, and I have! If you show respect to the people you are in contact with, they are more likely to respect you and try their best to help you out.

Sorry....JUST HAD TO VENT!

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

You try so hard to teach your children right from wrong. You take them to church to ensure they know what the Bible says, and yet, as they turn into teenagers, they begin to rebel. They do things that they know are not right such as sneaking out, drinking, smoking and so on. “Why?” you ask them. The response: “because everyone else is doing it. I just want them to like me.” Frustrating, right?
Peer pressure is extremely difficult to handle as a teenager. Adults have a hard time telling their friends no, but for teenagers, it is worse. So much is changing with them and that is awkward. The only thing they want is to be accepted. Unfortunately, that means they do things they know are wrong. Remember that the Bible says in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” No one is without sin. You sinned, your parents sinned, and your kids will sin. The important thing is to help them understand what they did was wrong and help them to ask God for forgiveness. Show them that ours is a loving God, who knows our human weaknesses and loved us so much that He made a way for us to escape death and Hell, even before we served Him.

If your teenagers are going through this stage in their lives, pray for them, and help them pray for themselves. Show them in a loving way that what they’re doing is wrong and make sure they understand that you discipline them because you love them and you want to help them. Remind them that their actions will always have consequences good or bad, and you only want the very best for them.

Pray for your child to see the error of his/her ways, and when he/she does, be prepared to pray with him/he for forgiveness. (It’s important to add your child's name where you can, since you are praying a faith prayer over your child.)

Father, I know that what my child did was wrong and I ask your help in showing him/her that. I know that I have to discipline him/her according to your word in Proverbs 13:24. Reach out to my child and show him/her your ways, and help me to be ready to pray with him/her when he/she is ready to receive. Guide me as I go through each day so that I am better prepared to handle the situations that I am faced with concerning my child, in Jesus name. Amen

Memories of Granddaddy

Today would have been my husbands grandfathers 80th birthday. Everyone called him Granddaddy. Sadly, we didn't spend a whole lot of time with him, but earlier in our marriage, we went to the Wyoming Cowboys Football games with him in Laramie. Boy did he love the Pokes! He had season tickets and he loved it when his family went along for the ride!

He had the best laugh! Whenever he laughed, it didn't matter what kind of a mood you were in, you had to laugh with him. It was just contagious! He loved his grandkids and great grandkids dearly.

How Fast Kids Grow Up!

Ok, so just 2 days ago, I was in the hospital holding my newborn baby girl. Yesterday, I was holding my newborn son. OK, so not literally of course. They are 13 and 14 years old!

I remember, not too long ago, taking the day off work on Shai's birthday. We went to the store and bought "A Goofy Movie" I think we watched it about 20 times that day. She was just about able to say the words as it played in the VCR. She was 4 years old and celebrating her 1st birthday. (She is a leap day baby)

It seems like yesterday that my son was at baseball practice. He was struggling getting the ball to hit the bat. As I stood there wondering why he was having such a problem, it dawned on me that he was holding the bat wrong. After practice, I went to his coach and said "He is holding the bat wrong". His coach, of course, said no he's not. I handed his coach the ball and said "Toss it at him". I told Caalab to hold the bat like he does at home. He put his left hand on top of his right faced the other direction. The coach threw the ball, and Caalab hit that ball well over the guys head. You should have seen the look on his face. He came up to me and said "I have never coached a left handed kid before. I am sorry I doubted you".

My daughter is starting High School this week, and my son is in his last year of middle school. I just can't believe they are old enough for all this! I find myself very nervous for Shai. She can't possibly be "big" enough to walk the halls of NCHS. It's such a big school.

Sturgis 2010

Yesterday, we got back home from Sturgis. What a Blast!!! I was nervous about the "hardcore bikers" you always hear about....you know, the ones that are involved in fights, murder, etc...! The people that were there were so friendly. They stopped and talked with us at our campground and were apologetic if they bumped into you. I didn't see a single fight or even an argument!

I jotted down notes on what we did or saw during our trip, so here is a "snapshot" of the 5 days we were gone:

Day 1 - We got to our campsite about 2:15 p.m. and set up camp. After it was set up, we went for a quick ride into town just to see what we wanted to do during the week. I noticed that the locals rent out their backyards to campers & RV's. A lot of them sit in the front yards all week just watching the bikers drive by. Went back to camp and the guys started cooking dinner. I sat there smelling the food and thinking how great it was going to be to not have to cook for a week!! After dinner, we went to the Buckcherry and ZZ Top concert. ZZ Top was great!!! We got back to the campsite at about 12:45 a.m. Was looking forward to sleeping in a little bit!

Day 2 - Was awakened at 6:45 a.m. by motorcycles reving their engines and crusing around the campground. I was amazed that they had partied all night and had managed to wake up that early in the morning. I was the only one awake for about 2 hours. Travis and Burt took forever to get ready. We finally left the campground about 11:00 and went to the "Full Throttle Saloon". It was so crowded there. They put on different kinds of shows daily. The one we saw was midget wrestling. Travis enjoyed it more then anyone there I think! Later that evening, we went to the concert. It was Bob Dylan and Kid Rock. Kid Rock was ok, but we didn't stay long. We were all pretty tired. We got back to camp at about 10:45 and once again hoped to sleep in!

Day 3 - Well, we got to sleep until 8:00 a.m. We had decided that today would be our "Crusin' Day". We took the "scenic route" to Deadwood. Yep, that means the guys got lost and were relying on their phones for directions!! We finally got there and played penny slots for a while. -----------------------------------> Then we went to Burt's girlfriends room and took showers. We had planned to go see Mt. Rushmore today, but didn't make it there. We had a really good time in Deadwood. We spent the evening at the campsite and caught a fireworks show. It was a really nice night.

Day 4 - We spent the morning at camp, just relaxing. In the afternoon, we went to the "Traveling Wall" It is a replica of the Vietnam Memorial. It was very emotional for me. When I walked up to it, the first thing I saw was this---------------->

My eyes immediately started to tear up. We walked up further and saw flowers and pieces of paper with notes to the soldiers from their friends and family. I was video taping for Travis and I decided to read two of them and I almost cried while reading it. After we looked at the wall for a while, we went into town to see some friends. We didn't stay to long because it was so hot outside. We went to the store and bought some food then went back to camp for some dinner. After dinner, we went to the concert. Tonight was Ozzy Osborne. I didn't see too much of that show because I had "gigantor" standing in front of me. He had to have been 7 feet tall. Travis had a great time though!

Day 5 - We decided to head home a day early. We got our campsite packed up and headed out. We decided to go to Keystone. Ok, so I begged. I wanted some of thier famous taffy! After we got the taffy, we drove by Mt. Rushmore and we were on the road home. I ended up getting a little bit car sick, but felt fine after a while. We pulled into town about 8:00 p.m. and surprised the kids and my parents. It was a great trip, but it was so nice to be home!!

What is in a Word?

She offered to make cookies EVERYTIME we came over, and oh man, were they yummy!!! She loved listening to country music on her record player, and she knew everything there was to know about her favorite singers. She loved to knit. She tried to teach me how to do that, but I was never able to figure it out. Most of all, she was a wonderful woman who loved everybody she knew. She never held a grudge when my cousins or I picked on her. (Oh how I regret that now!) She would turn right around and offer us a cookie and she never said a single hurtful word to us. Never even gave it a second thought.

I bring up this information because of a single word that gets said a lot these days. I will only use it once in this post. That word is "retard(ed)" If you ask a teenager the meaning of that word, chances are, they will say it means someone is dumb. They call their friends or family members that to insult them or to tease them. While they are insulting other people, they are also calling someone with developmental disabilities dumb, but as you have read above, about my aunt, she was capable of doing many things on her own. What if they aren't capable of those things, you might ask. To that, I say that they still deserve respect and love just like anyone else in this world. They are human beings.

~July 9, 1950 - Aug 13, 1989~

She was someones daughter, granddaughter, sister, sister in-law, and MY aunt. I love her and I miss her dearly. My point in this is that when that word is said, it is hurtful, even if it was not directed to them. Please be courteous and speak to people in the way you would want to be spoken to. I can tell you that the "R" word is something you will never hear me say because it is insulting to one of the most wonderful people I have ever had the privilege to know - my aunt Marlyce!

Puppies are so easily entertained!!

Our new puppy is about 4 months old and loves it when the water is turned on. He thinks that he can catch it, and he trys everytime the water is on. It is the funniest thing I think I have seen in a long time from an animal!!!

We're off to Sturgis!

This morning, we are leaving for Sturgis. I am nervous and excited! I have never been to Sturgis before and I have no idea what to expect. Travis has to go for work and they let him take me along if I could snap some pictures for the radio station. We will be gone for the week and during this time, we will be attending several concerts such as ZZ Top, Scorpion, Tesla, The Doobie Brothers, Kid Rock, Motley Crue and more.

Beartrap Festival Day 2

The family went up to the mountain again this morning for day 2 of The Beartrap Summer Festival. This morning was very cold. Thankfully, we had some sweatshirts in the back of the car. We took the dogs with us this time and they did surprisingly well with all the people and other dogs that were there.

Travis was working the festival today, but he made time in between driving Patty Loveless around to hang out with the family! What a great guy I have!!

Caalab had a great time in the inflatable maze they had there. They were doing races to see who could get through it first. The other kids were younger than Caalab, so he let them win more often then not! He's such a nice kid! These are his feet....he was moving to fast to catch the rest of him! ----------------------->

<---------When my most active child and both dogs fall asleep, that means it is about time to head back home. We had a great time this year at Beartrap and I look forward to next years Festival.

Beartrap Summer Festival

Ahhhh.....Beartrap Summer Festival!!! We got up to the mountain around 10:15 this morning. The weather was perfect. There was a slight breeze that cooled us off just enough when it started getting too warm. We decided to go get some food. There were a variety of different kinds of food, but it was quite pricey! We decided on Frito Pies and Philly Cheese Sandwiches.

We went walking around and Shai decided to get a tattoo. NO!!! It wasn't real. It's called a "Henna Tattoo". It is a paste that temporaraly dyes your skin. It is supposed to last for 2-4 weeks. We'll see!! This is just after she got it done ------------------>

<---------This is after it started peeling off and you were able to see the results. They guy said that it will darken a little bit more than this.

Well, we had a pretty good time. I look like a lobster and I am hoping I won't be in too much pain tomorrow since we will be headed back up there again! I suppose I should go buy some sunscreen, huh?!?!?!

Famous People

Thanks to my wonderful husband, and working in hotels, I have been able to meet a lot of famous people during my life. I was trying to remember all of them one time when I was asked, and my mind drew a blank, so I am going to make this list and probably edit it as I remember more.

1. B.B. King

2. Larry the Cable Guy

3. US Senator Al Simpson - WY

4. Finger Eleven

5. Poison

6. Motley Crue

7. Staind

8. The Secret Service

9. US Senator Craig Thomas -WY

10. Texas Tech's Coach - Bobby Knight

Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to get a picture with the ones I met at the hotel. We were warned that if we did we would be written up or fired.

Stay tuned for more to the list!!!!

Busy Weekend Coming Up

My family and I have a busy weekend coming up!

Starting on Saturday morning and going through Sunday evening, our family will be going to "The Beartrap Festival". It was started in 1994, and is an annual event held on the mountain for a weekend. They have vendors of all kinds. People that make and sell their crafts and clothing, or businesses who go to advertise their products. There is also a concert that will be held. This year, it is Patty Loveless among others. After that, we will head home, load up our car and head to Sturgis for a week (without the kids)

I am mainly just excited to get out of the house and to spend some time with my husband and kids!

I Love the Rain!

This is my kind of weather!!! When the clouds go grey and the lightning and thunder start up! I love the smell of the rain as it falls and how clean everything looks when it's done!

These pictures were before the storm














I heard one report of 73 mph winds and one of 116 mph during this storm, however I don't know that I believe the 116 mph story. Someone also told me there was a funnel cloud spotted somewhere. It rained pretty hard, that was nice! When I left work, it smelled SO clean!
I LOVE thunderstorms!!!

25 things you should know about me

I came up with this list about a year ago. It is not in order of importance!!

1. My husband, Travis, is my best friend
2. I talk to myself....a lot
3. I have a fear of public speaking
4. I am very bashful. If I don't know you, chances are good I won't say a word to you
5. I cry during every teary eyed chick flick...even if I've seen it a hundred times
6. I don't like cake
7. I go to breakfast every other Saturday with my mom and dad
8. I am a legal midget (4' 11") and Travis reminds me of that fact daily
9. I love to listen to Travis play his guitar, and I am so proud of him for teaching himself to play
10. My grandpa passed away on Dec. 12, 2007 and it seemed like years before I stopped crying daily
11. I have 2 tattoos. One is a rose vine on my ankle and the other is a dolphin on my hip
12. I hope to visit New York City, Cancun, The Phillipines, Germany and England in my lifetime
13. I love Starbucks coffee. I would have one everyday if I could get out of bed on time
14. I am NOT a morning person
15. My friend Carina and I have known each other since we were 5 years old.
16. My friend Victoria got me hooked on the show "Sex in the City"
17. I cannot dance. Please don't ask me to make a fool of myself in public
18. WARNING: I am unable to tan. I will wear shorts. Have your sunglasses near by!
19. I was blessed with a wonderful husband and 2 wonderful kids
20. I don't go a single day without talking to my mom, dad or sister. Sometimes all 3 in 1 day
21. I am distantly related to Princess Diana on my moms side.
22. I am distantly related to the 11th prsident of the US, James Knox Polk, on my dads side
23. I try to live my life the way God wants me to. I am so thankful He is in my life!!!
24. I believe that everything happens for a reason
25. My first car was a 1977 Camaro and I hope to have another Camaro someday!

Change of Heart-Memories of Mrs. Ennis

Isn't it strange how drastically your views on people change as you grow up? How you can dislike someone when you are in elementary school, only to be deeply saddened as an adult when you hear that that person has become terminally ill. Hearing sad news such as that is bound to stir up some long lost memories of that person. This post is for Mrs. (Evelyn) Ennis.

One memory that always has stayed in my mind all these years is what I will call the "NESTER" incident! My friend Carina and I, as well as a few other friends, were in a Christmas play about a donkey named Nester. There was a song that we sang that went something like this..."Nester was a donkey who seldom laughed or played..." We were in the lunchroom at school where Mrs. Ennis worked and Carina was trying to sing the song, but the lunchroom was quite loud that day. She plugged her ears so she could hear herself better and ended up screaming "NESTER" at the top of her lungs. The room fell silent and from across the room, walking at full speed toward our table, was Mrs. Ennis! Oh boy!!! We were in for it!

Just explaining that story does it no justice! It was hilarious! Of course we were terrified of the trouble our table (and our friend) was in.

I obviously have grown up since then and I am no longer afraid of Mrs. Ennis. She is a wonderful woman that always had our best interest in mind. She wasn't really ever being mean to us. She was just not allowing us to get in trouble. My mom told me a couple of nights ago that Mrs. Ennis has lung cancer. She is currently in a coma, and is expected to go on to heaven soon. I know that I will see her again someday, and I will remind her of the "NESTER" incident. I am sure we will have a laugh about it!

Fear not....

In church today, Pastor Dan spoke about worry. God doesn't worry about anything. NOTHING at all!!! So, why do we? There are so many places in the Bible that tell us not to worry or fear.
Unfortunately, I didn't write down the verses that he used this morning, but here are a few that I found on my own.

Psalm 91:5-6 5"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon day.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let your heart not be troubled, neither let it be afraid
Luke 8:50 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

There are so many more verses that I could put on here, but it would make this post too long. I am so glad that I made it to church today! It was such an awesome service. I know that I worry about things that I shouldn't...finances, my husband, my kids, my job, just to name a few. I pray about these things daily and I need to just relax and trust that God will take care of it. His word says that whatever I ask for in His name, I will have. Praise God!!!!

Come, Now is the Time to Worship

"Come, Now is the Time to Worship."

John 4:23 - Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

"One day every tongue will confess you are God and one day every knee will bow."

Romans 14:11 - As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.

"Still the greatest treasure remains for the those who gladly choose you now."

Exodus 19:15 - Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine.

Why???

Why is it so hard to sleep when Travis is not here? Anytime he is away from home, I can fall asleep, but I wake up several times throughout the night. When he is here, I sleep like a baby. Yes, he keeps me warm and makes me feel safe, but can my mind really know the difference when it is sleeping? Hmmm.....I guess so!

UGH!!!! I am so tired! It's gonna be a long day, I think!

My Husband

Travis and I have been married since September 16, 1995. He is my best friend. We met at Target where we were both working. It turned out that my mom worked for his grandmothers brother in law! Small world....or a small town. You decide!

When he got up the courage to ask me out on a date, he came up to me (at work) and said "So, do you want to go out with me on Friday night?" I of course said yes (because he was amazingly handsome) and he said "Oh, well I guess I will have to come up with something to do now". He thought for sure I would say no! It was so funny because I thought he was out of my league and he thought I was out of his! Anyway, he is the love of my life and I am more in love with him now then ever!

New (again) to a Blog

I had a blog about a year ago. I stopped using it for some reason and it disappeared, so I decided to start fresh. I am planning on using this blog to document things that are happening or have happened in my life that I want to remember. These are the best times of my life and I don't want to miss a moment of it!

This is me:

I am a Christian wife and mother. I have been married to my wonderful husband since 1995 and I have 2 amazing kids. As of 7-28-10, my daughter is 14 and my son is 13. I recently started a new job at an insurance agency and I am currently studying to become a licensed agent. I also am a Virtual Assistant. Insurance is completely different from my past jobs, but I am really liking it.

The words that follow are my life! I hope you enjoy them.