The Happy Dance Blog

Google Panda

2011-11-14T03:51:00.000-08:00

Well, today marks one month of my financial ruin, thanks to the Google Panda that destroyed the traffic to my four year old website, Create A Christian Wedding. Prior to this, I was getting about 1400 visitors a day and making about $1000 a month, money desperately needed to pay our bills. Then Google did some new update called Panda and now I am lucky if I make enough each day to buy a cup of Starbucks. Most days, I do not.

At first, I had no clue what was going on. Then I started looking in the SBI Forums and saw that hundreds of other websites were included. Not sure what Google did but my top quality website with original content, previously approved by Google has gone down the toilet.

Funny, back in May, when I was invited to Austin to attend a Google Adsense conference, the folks at Google told me I had a great site and they helped me to place more ads, telling me this would help me even more.

Then on October 14, 2011, they blasted my financial world and dumped my traffic down to 300-450 a day and some change in my Google Adsense account each day. All that work for nothing. I have waited now all this time, hoping Google would fix it, but they are not going to. So I do not have a clue what to do.

I have no idea what they want since they will not answer me or anyone else. The mighty powers at Google have spoken with their Google Panda and now I am not getting found. So much for giving their search engine visitors a good experience. Yes, there are other search engines. The problem is, most people use Google for their searches. Therefore, I am not being found like I was before. It took 4 years, $1200.00, and countless hours of work and research to put my site up and in one day, Google reduced me to nothing.

I wonder what I did to upset them. My husband wants me to just forget the websites and do something else. He may be right. Sorry, folks, but I am definitely not doing the happy dance this time. Just sign me Sick and Disgusted.

Another Cold Front In San Antonio!

2011-11-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

After a really hot summer, with temps in the 100s on a lot of those days, we are getting another cold front in San Antonio tonight. Right now, it feels quite chilly outside and it is so refreshing. The current temp is 48 degrees Fahrenheit! Woo hoo! It feels great!

I have been taking the 3 puppies out all evening, just to feel that great cool air that I never thought would get here. It is supposed to be in the 60s and 70s over the next 5 days, but at least we are getting a little cold here and it is wonderful!

If you are thinking of visiting San Antonio, 'tis the season to do so. With cooler temperatures, you can enjoy our Riverwalk and all of downtown San Antonio. River cruises are a lot more fun in the cool air than in the boiling hot sun. Take it from me because I have done the cruises in both kinds of weather. Everything is more fun in the cooler weather. In just a few short weeks, the Riverwalk will be lit up with Christmas lights again. Come on down and do your Christmas shopping on our Riverwalk or in La Villita or El Mercado aka http://www.san-antonio-family-fun.com/marketsquare.html. You will love it!

Last week, we adopted 2 new puppies from the San Antonio Animal Shelter. Lucy, our new puppy, is feeling much better after a case of Kennel Cough and she is running around, eating, and acting like a healthy puppy. Ethel is doing well and has not been sick. Annabelle has a bit of an allergy or cold but is doing well. I gave her some honey tonight to soothe her throat. She lapped it up and loved it. The kitty is trying her best to stay away from the puppies, usually up on a piece of furniture, away from all of the puppy activity. It is fun to watch them all.

A New Family Member

2011-10-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

This coming Wednesday, a new family member will be joining our household. Yesterday, the San Antonio Animal Care Center held a dog and cat special where you could get any dog for $25 or any cat for $15. It is still going on, located by the San Antonio Food Bank.

David and I went down and we picked out a sweet five month old female puppy. They would not release her yesterday as she still has to be spayed tomorrow, but we adopted her. We are excited to have a new family member, especially since the dog we have, Puppy aka Annabelle is really our daughter's dog. We are watching her for Tiffany while she is away at school. Our kitty is really our son's cat so we don't have an animal of our own. Our dog Jackson was put down last November when he was 14 years old and was having breathing problems. He was a good dog, great with our children. We miss him.

So our new puppy is a girl...I have been thinking of names. At first, I thought of Sarah Palin, but then I thought, why not call her Lucy after my favorite actress, Lucille Ball? I think I will call her Lucy. She is big and laid so calmly on David's shoulder yesterday. I wish we could have brought her home already. Hopefully her surgery will go well and we can get her soon....There was another sweet 1 year old female dog that I wanted also, part Corgi like the queen has. I would like to go and get her. Hopefully, she found a good home yesterday.

San Antonio Weather

2011-10-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord for the beautiful weather we are finally getting here in San Antonio! Let me tell you that after a miserably hot summer of many days of 100+ temperatures, the cool air feels incredible! Sixties and seventies feel great and forties and fifties feel even better early in the mornings.

So what am I saying? San Antonio is just lovely in the fall! The Riverwalk is never more enjoyable than in October, November, and December. Stroll the endless sidewalks, eat at one of the incredible outdoor cafes. Shop in River Center Mall. There is nothing like taking a River Cruise in the cool air. You will learn about downtown San Antonio and see it from the river, below street level. You will love it and if you are lucky, your pilot will be one of the funny guys who entertain their passengers while they educate them.

SeaWorld is still open, but the days and hours are limited now. Check it out. Plan your visit. Bring your camera and comfy walking shoes.

Cool Front

2011-10-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Time for another day of work but it is windy outside! Yes, praise the Lord that a cool front blew in. It is 69 degrees right now and windy but the temp will be dropping down this morning more and the high is supposed to be only 79! This is a welcome change in drought-stricken Texas. Thank you, Jesus for the nice change. Gotta get ready for work now. Let's all make it a golden day, folks!

Glenn Beck In San Antonio

2011-10-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

If you regularly listen to Glenn Beck, you know that he has moved to Texas, or at least his family has. He is in the process....So yesterday, he posted on Facebook that he would be coming to a city near you this fall. I checked and he is coming to Cornerstone church on Sunday night, October 30, 2011 for FREE! Yay! I am very excited about seeing him live and in person! A few months ago, he came to San Antonio and tickets were $90 a piece so we could not go. You can bet I am going to this! How exciting! I am a big fan.

Glenn is going to talk about Israel. He and John Hagee both are big supporters of Israel. I plan to get there early and get a decent seat. I do not want to be stuck in a balcony seat when Glenn Beck will be there!

Also, Joel Osteen will be here at a Walmart tomorrow to sign his new book, Every Day A Friday, but I don't think we will fight traffic to see him as I have to work tomorrow. I found out about that this morning on Facebook. I understand the concept because Friday is when people get excited about the weekend. However, Dave Ramsey is always saying that if you are the type to always say "Thank God it's Friday," you will never make it as a valuable employee or business owner. I believe Dave is right. David and I have new businesses and we work on them seven days a week most of the time because that is what it takes.

I Love Lucy 60th Anniversary

2011-10-16T13:33:00.000-07:00

To the left, the one and only beautiful Lucille Ball.

Since I was a small child, I have loved Lucy. I used to watch I Love Lucy reruns three times a day in New York. Yesterday was the 60th anniversary of the first I Love Lucy show in TV!

In this photo, I am wearing a tee shirt of my favorite actress, Lucy!

Lucille Ball was an amazing actress who somehow related to everyone back in the 50s and after, no matter what age. I have always been mesmerized by her and especially by the magic of the I Love Lucy show and cast. Why? I am not sure. I learned comedic timing from her. I learned to make expressive faces, complete with her funny noises, and to "fake" cry. I learned that shopping is fun and that being a housewife really is a full time job. I learned about friendship and I learned about love, all from watching that show as a child.

My favorite episode is Lucy Is Enceinte--the one where she finds out she is going to have a baby. My least favorite episode is the one where she dreams she goes to Scotland and meets the dragon. Not sure why, but that one is the dud of all of them. Oh, and that Connecticut house. Wasn't it dreamy? I have always wanted to have that house and live out in the country and have chickens because Lucy did it. Sadly, that did not happen, at least not yet. I did get married and I had three beautiful babies. Unfortunately for the most part, I had to work during their childhoods, but for brief periods of time I got to stay at home with them. I live in the city of San Antonio now so no chickens.

A few years ago, I dressed up as Lucy for Halloween and won first prize at work, pictured left.

Lucille Ball has always been my favorite actress and continues to be. No one can come close to touching lives with laughter and love than she did. Her show is continually seen around the world by laughing fans who love her antics. Life was simple in the fifties compared to today and it is a welcome break to put everything down and just sit and watch and laugh with Lucy. Happy 60th, Lucy and thank you! I love you!

Let's Pray For God's Presence

2011-10-15T19:22:00.000-07:00

Psalm 42:1 reads, "As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God." (NIV)

Right now, our country and our world is going through some crazy times, with all of these Occupy Wall Street protests all over along with the economy coming apart and wars all over the Middle East, or so it seems.

The politicians in Washington continue to mess up our country and economy and the Republican nominees are battling it out in debates each week. Sarah Palin has stepped out of the race. Obamacare and tax threats, including his jobs program, which is just a tax bill, seem to be raising prices everywhere. Many don't have jobs and companies are afraid to hire new employees because they are afraid they will have to pay more per employee to fund Obamacare.

Right now, it is time for Christians to unite and pray for God's presence as the Psalmist described. He said that his soul pants for God as a thirsty deer looking for water in a dry land. That deer had an intensity in his search for water. If he did not find water, he was going to die. Similarly, if we do not search for and find God, we will die spiritually. Our country will shrivel up without its Christians fervently searching for God's blessings and help. We desperately need God to fix our country and heal our economy. Let's pray with intensity!

Dave Ramsey

2011-10-13T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers,
Long time, no write...Sorry about that. Yesterday, I sure did the Happy Dance when I got to meet Dave Ramsey live and in person at the Entreleadership book signing at Books a Million in San Antonio! It was a privilege to get to thank the man who is helping us to change our lives for the better by getting financially fit, both personally and in our small business

! Yes, my husband and I thanked him vocally and with a card as he signed our books. There were about 1,000 there according to what Dave Ramsey said today on his radio show. The place was packed, but fortunately for us, we got there early so we did not have to stand in long lines.

The Entreleadership books is what we have been waiting for since last year when Dave first announced that he was writing it. It is all about starting and running a business, a successful business with no debt. I am halfway through with it now and am enjoying it immensely. I have learned a lot. Thank you again, Dave!

Great Christmas

2009-12-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas a bit late! Happy New Year a few days early! We had a great Christmas, even though David had to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Andrew and Cinnamon came over in the evening on Christmas night so we got to see them for a bit.

Tiffany took me to see The Nutcracker ballet in downtown San Antonio at the Municipal Auditorium. We sat in row 10, center stage and it was phenomenal. Prior to that, we went to the Riverwalk in the cold with the wind blowing hard. We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, inside of course, and it was great. We had a lot of fun.

Then Christmas Eve night, we went to the midnight Christmas Eve service at BRCC, our church and it was awesome. Got home at 1:33 am and I could not sleep. Finally fell asleep and then it was time for David to get up at 5am so I woke up again and finally fell asleep again and woke up at 7:30am. The kids were asleep for quite a while, though so I worked on my computer for the morning and then stuck the turkey in the oven and made the rest of Christmas dinner. The turkey was great.

More later...

Happy November!

2009-11-23T03:31:00.000-08:00

You just have to click on this link to laugh! A friend sent this in an email to me and it will get you doing the happy dance as you prepare to stuff your turkey this week. Turkey laughter...

Sorry it has been so long since I have let you know how we are doing. I had the big and very ugly "F" birthday last week that I did not take well, but I guess it is better than being dead! So I should be happy. I just never wanted to be old, but then again, who does? So I need to grow up and accept my age, right? Ha ha ha ha, like that will happen!

I have to get dressed and get to work now, but Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Job In San Antonio

2009-10-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

My husband got a job 4 weeks ago after 10 months of job searching in San Antonio. He is working for a Canadian company brand new to San Antonio called Transcom. It is a wonderful company providing customer service support for many different clients. It is a wonderful feeling to get 2 paychecks instead of just one. I am no longer solely responsible for supporting our family and paying all of the bills. What a relief that is! Praise the Lord!

If you are looking for a job in San Antonio, go to Transcom.com and apply. They are actively seeking hundreds of employees right now. Prepare to work. They pay a decent wage for a good day's work. Good luck.

A Job After 10 Months!

2009-09-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

As you know, my husband returned in November of 2008 from Afghanistan where he was a part of the Poppy Eradication Force for over a year. All of this time, he has been trying to find a JOB, you know, where someone pays you to work for them...Nothing for 10 months. Now this is not a lazy man and he has a ton of experience doing all sorts of things. He also has a Bachelor's Degree, but nothing...

So on Tuesday at work, I was listening to 1200 WOAI and on the news segment they mentioned that a new company is in town and they need 125 workers to do customer service. I told David and he went online and applied. He did some testing and emails back and forth. Last night after 9pm, I heard him in his office talking. I came up the stairs and asked him to repeat himself and as I approached the office, I noticed he was on the phone. He was having a phone interview. He hung up and announced he got the JOB!!! At this point, we did not care what job, just that someone would actually hire him. Whoo-hoo!!!!!! He is going to be earning cash to help me in paying our bills.

Now we have to buy a car as he starts at 4pm and I do not get off work until 4:30pm. So transportation has to be worked out, but at least it is a start!

He will continue on with his websites and with selling our stuff on Amazon as he has been over these past 10 months, only now I won't have to panic, wondering if I will have enough to cover the bills, food, etc. So thank you, God, for David's new job. We are definitely doing the Happy Dance at our house this weekend!

A Very Busy Week

2009-09-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for taking time to visit my blog. Sorry I have not posted in a while. I really looked forward to all that I had planned to accomplish over the long Labor Day weekend. I am so far behind on my dictation class and thought I would get caught up. Friday night after work I began to get caught up and then found myself falling asleep, short of my goal, at the computer so I gave up and went to bed around 11pm.

Saturday morning, I began again. Right after lunch, the phone rang. It was my father-in-law. My mother-in-law had just suffered a heart attack and was being taken by Air Ambulance to San Antonio's Texsan Heart Hospital. So my husband and I changed our clothes and rushed over just in time to see the helicopter leaving. We waited in the Emergency Room waiting room for 2 hours before they finally let us in to see her. My father-in-law showed up about an hour after that. She did have a heart attack.

We stayed all day on Saturday. Went back after church on Sunday and stayed for hours. Went back on Monday. They did a heart catheterization on Tuesday and, thankfully, there was no blockage. Her heart would not slow down and her blood pressure was sky high! Tuesday and Wednesday were also spent at the hospital. Then on Thursday evening while we were visiting, they finally discharged her. She lives in Leakey which is 2 hours away from San Antonio so my husband and I drove her home. We got back to San Antonio around midnight and I had to get up at 5am to be at work by 7am. It was a pretty exhausting week all around! Many other things happened as well, but I won't bore you...

So we are glad that Mom is doing better. We did get a ton of rain here this past week also so that is wonderful since we have been in a drought. Things are starting to look greener and it is very cloudy out.

We continue to work on our web sites. I am now selling earrings on my wedding site. If you would like to learn how to make your own earrings, please see my hub page article.

Gotta get back to my dictation now. Take care.

sbi

2009-08-26T17:09:00.001-07:00

Earn Money By Building Your Own Website

But how about making yourself, your friends, or your loved ones feel great for a whole year? I have the perfect Christmas or birthday gift. Really it is perfect as a gift anytime of the year. Read below for the gift idea of a lifetime! Their own business....

The month of December is the Best Time Of Year To Buy Site Build It! There are great specials all through the year but in December, it is buy one and get one free!

Are you familiar with Site Build It!? It's an all-in-one hosting, site-building, and online-success-making system that can possibly change a life. SiteSell, the manufacturer, actually guarantees online success if you follow the proven system.
Here's a short video that explains the product...

Over 100,000 customers have already used it to create real online businesses that let them work-from-home or wherever they want (it's a Web based system). They've got plenty of testimonials to prove it too.

Take a look at their Case Studies page...

Or this page of videos that were actually done by their customers...

But the best news of all is...

December is the absolute best time of the year to buy Site Build It!. From the middle of December through January 1 of each year, they have a Holiday Special going on where you can buy-one-site and get-one-free. It ends up being about $150 per site.

I know what you're saying. Why do I need more than one site?

You don't! You can always give the other one away as a New Year's gift. Or sell it. Or find a friend who wants a great deal too.

But you might want to keep it. Did you know that the majority of people making a full-time living online have more than one site. You just might double your pleasure... and income.

And did I mention they guarantee your success. Yup! You can get your money-back if you don't feel that it will help you build a successful online business. There's really no risk involved.

But once you understand their process you'll be hooked.

Most people think that all you need is hosting and site-builder software to make a Web site. That's technically true. But getting people to find that Web site is the key to building a long-term business that actually makes real money. Without traffic your site will be lost in the wilderness. You will not make any money unless you can be found on the web. SBI! has a great set of tools so you will be found. My web sites are found by thousands of people each month. Cool stuff!

Their system helps you build a site that people are looking for. There C-T-P-M system teaches you how to create a site that's in-demand. Once you have traffic then you can choose many ways to turn that traffic into revenue. Yes, earn money by selling goods or electronic books. Earn more with Adsense Google ads, Infolinks, Kontera, Chitika, Amazon, and E-Bay, just to name a few of the ways that I earn money with my web sites.

Doesn't it just make sense?

But I don't know anything about the Internet you say. Or HTML. I'm no computer geek, you say. Neither did I when I started building my first web site. I did a lot of research and could not find any negative publicity about Site Build It so I finally bought a site and built it.

Can you send email? Have you used a word processor? Then you can build a Site Build It! site. You really don't have to be any type of expert. With their block builder system, you can build a professional looking website that will earn you money. It's really a simple process that is doable by anyone. All you need is the motivation and commitment to follow the process.

If you can't do that then Site Build It! is not for you. It's not a "Get Rich Quick scheme." There's really no such thing. But if you have the motivation and a working brain you CAN build a website and you can make money with it.

After all your success is guaranteed. What have you got to lose? Except maybe your day job once your income replaces it? Tell me the truth, didn't you always wish you could work from home, making your own schedule so you could be there for your family? Don't you hate the commute to work every day? Aren't you sick and tired of making money for others instead of putting your hard work to work for yourself?

And maybe use that Buy-One Get-One-Free Special to start a whole new life. Give the best Christmas present ever to yourself and/or to someone you care about! Check it out. Even when it is not on sale, SBI is a bargain for one site at $299 all year long. There are many holidays during the year where you can buy one for $299 and get a second one for $100 more! Check it out and do some research. You will find that it is a top quality product and really works!

Here Is Something To Dance About

2009-08-25T03:52:00.000-07:00

I have just started a new venture on my wedding website...selling handmade earrings. I have designed and am now selling beautiful, yet inexpensive earrings. They can be worn to weddings and everywhere. No real stones. I use glass beads. Making earrings is fun and easy, but many don't want to be bothered. Don't pay expensive prices in department stores. Buy them from me! Check out my incomplete yet working sales page at Affordable Wedding Jewelry.

Check Out Some Of My Hubs

2009-08-22T12:19:00.001-07:00

more »
HubPages

Check Out Some Of My Hubs

2009-08-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

more »
HubPages

My Best Hubs So Far

2009-08-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

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HubPages

Please Visit Our Amazon Store

2009-07-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

We are selling our personal belongings and have set up an Amazon store to do so. Due to unemployment, we got behind on our house payments and now the bank wants their money.

There are many great massage, wedding, and travel magazines and books among all of the things my husband and I have listed. Home school books and all sorts of entertaining movies and good reads are there as well.

Please help us get caught up on our mortgage and make a purchase. Thank you and to quote Mrs. Kim, "We appreciate your business!"

Camp Livingstones

2009-07-19T04:08:00.000-07:00

Just got back from taking my son, Matthew, to the church to leave for a week of youth camp at Camp Livingstones in Tennessee. 39 kids went this year. They will have a blast and even get to go white water rafting. This is Matthew's last year to go as he just graduated and was lucky that his employer allowed him to take a whole week off since he just started his job!

The youth group went to this same camp last year as well and had a blast. I woke up at 2:15 for some reason, even though the alarm was set to go off at 4:15. I have a lot on my mind. So much that I do not even want to talk about it now, but not much of it is good, that is for sure. Oh, by the way, just to set the record straight, Infolinks is unorganized and Wells Fargo sucks. Unemployment sucks and so does the economy thanks to our great redeemer, obama. He has done nothing but get us worse in the hole and the bailout he gave to Wells Fargo and other banks and car companies has done nothing to help my family as we lose our house. So no this is not much of a happy dance blog post today and it sure does not glorify God. If God gets us out of foreclosure, I will let you know.

Massage Chair & Table For Immediate Sale

2009-07-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

For the beginning massage therapist or massage therapy student, I have for sale one beginner massage table complete with carrying case. The table is in excellent condition. Also, one fabulous massage chair with carrying case on wheels, also in excellent condition. Either was hardly ever used as I upgraded quickly. For more details, click on the link above. Thanks and have a great weekend.

I also have various massage books and magazines for sale as well for those in the San Antonio area only. I do not want to ship.

Photos and details can be found at the link above in the title of this post. Just click on the title....

Great Weekend

2009-07-05T17:22:00.001-07:00

I have had a great 3 day weekend from work. Got to spend time in the pool and watch some good movies at home. No money to go anywhere or do anything right now, but that is okay. I got to see the fireworks at SeaWorld San Antonio last night from my bedroom window and they were beautiful, spectacular as always. They started around 9:15pm. We watch them from here every year since we moved into this house 8 years ago. They are close enough that we can hear the booms but far enough away that we cannot hear the oooohs and aaaahs of the crowd! What a wonderful show they put on for me last night.

So thank you to Shamu and SeaWorld of San Antonio for making my 4th a little brighter each year with your spectacular fireworks show!

My son, Matthew, started a new job this past Friday night as a movie usher. This is his 3rd night of work and it seems to be going well for him so that is wonderful! They are giving him a good number of hours each evening so he can build up his bank account and start saving for all of the expensive guitars that he wants to buy. He only owns 4 so he feels a bit deprived!

Gotta get back to my online work. Back to my great new job tomorrow and did I mention that I am still doing the happy dance because I got this job? I truly am thankful for it. Have a great evening.

Obama and Socialism

2009-07-01T17:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a story that a friend sent. It says it all about what Obama and Congress are trying to do:

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student,
but had once failed an entire class.

That class had insisted that socialism worked;
that no one would be poor, and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said,
"OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.
All grades would be averaged, and everyone would receive the same grade;
so no one would fail, and no one would receive an A.

After the first test, the grades were averaged, and everyone got a B.

The students who studied hard were upset, and the students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around,
the students who studied little had studied even less,
and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too, so they studied little.

The second test average was a D!
No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame, and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings,
and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.
All failed, to their great surprise,
and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail
because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great;
but when government takes all the reward away,
no one will try or want to succeed.

Can it be any simpler than that?

BRCC And Josh Nunez Band

2009-06-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

We just got back from being part of a live recording at BRCC aka Bandera Road Community Church in San Antonio. Josh Nunez and his band did a concert, recording it to make a live CD and video and it was so cool. The place was packed with worshippers and the band had a great time, jumping and moving and playing their incredible music. I am so glad we were a part of it. Tons of young people were there and it was an awesome experience! Can't wait for the video to come out in about 2 months. CD too.

No More Pain!

2009-06-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to update all of you on my rotator cuff tear that I got when I fell back at the end of February. I am finally pain-free throughout most of the day, unless I twist my arm a certain way. It is so great to sit at work all day long with no more pain! So exciting! Anyway, I am doing the happy dance because I am finally feeling so much better. My arm has a way to go before it is fully functional, but it is so great. So thank you, God for healing my rotator cuff tear. No back, shoulder, arm, or neck pain. I had been in pain for so long that I had forgotten what it is like to go through a day without it. It is wonderful!

Happy Birthday Tiffany

2009-06-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Happy 17th birthday to my beautiful daughter, Tiffany Joy! I cannot believe that my baby girl is all grown up! This morning I woke her up early so I could take some photos of her opening her presents before I left for work. She is at her work now but should be home soon. I should be asleep. Tiffany is the nicest little gift I ever got and such a sweet surprise from God. She is an incredible daughter. So I do the happy dance because God blessed me with such a wonderful girl in my life! Thank you God.

SBI Website Business Sale Now!

2009-06-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Now through June 21, 2009, there is a great End Of School Special from SBI. Buy one web site so you can start your own online business for $299 for a full year and get the second web site for just $100 more. Yes, once again, Site Build It, the company I use to build my four web sites is having their annual End Of School/Beginning Of Summer Special so you and your children can benefit.

While they are home for the summer, give your high school students, high school graduates, college students, and college graduates something they can work on during the summer months--a real business of their very own. No kidding. They can build a business that will continue to earn real income for years to come. Yes, I own four profitable web sites by using SBI to build them and I started three years ago. My income goes up each month. They can build their own sites on whatever they love, sharing their knowledge and love of the topic with others. You, too, can take advantage of this great sale. Buy one for yourself and one for your teen or young adult student.

A Post Just For Alexa.com

2009-06-05T04:11:00.000-07:00

# Contact info submission
url: thehappydanceblog.blogspot.com

site_name: The Happy Dance Blog Spot
site_description: A blog about how God is blessing us.

San Antonio Vacation

2009-06-04T04:19:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! School is out this week in San Antonio and it is already out in other parts of the state. Time to start planning your San Antonio vacation! There is so much to do here in the magnificent city. Take the kids to SeaWorld and SixFlags here in town. Stay down on the Riverwalk and shop and eat like you have never done before. It is so beautiful downtown. So much to do. Don't forget to pay homage to the heroes of Texas at the Alamo in downtown San Antonio. If you have never before visited our city, do yourself a great, big favor and come on over to the best vacation you will ever have in Texas. For tons more information, please check out all of the great stuff on my site, Family Fun In And Around San Antonio. Pack lots of shirts and tank tops, sandals, comfy walking shoes, and your bathing suit. Both SeaWorld of San Antonio and Fiesta Texas Six Flags have pools for you to swim in when you visit. Don't forget the sunscreen. It is hot and sunny here! Enjoy!

Praise Be To God For His Goodness

2009-05-26T15:31:00.000-07:00

Praise be to God for his goodness. We are not going to lose our home to foreclosure. The bank allowed us to make payment arrangements. I credit this to God and not to Obama! My new job is going well so far and we are very grateful for it.

We had a good holiday weekend. School is almost out. Things are looking up all the way around....More later.

Happy Mother's Day From My Son

2009-05-12T04:54:00.000-07:00

I was wrong. On Sunday afternoon, my son, Andrew, did call to wish me a Happy Mother's Day from his honeymoon in Colorado Springs! I was so surprised. That was sweet of him. They are having a wonderful time. Gotta go to work!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! I hope you were all kind and got your moms something great, maybe a chair massage or better yet, a table massage! My three children are above. Tiffany, Andrew, and Matthew at Andrew's wedding on Friday, May 8! Wow. So hard to believe. Anyway, my daughter gave me a basket filled with gums, mints, a Venus shaver, new pajamas, flip flops, and a cinnamon candle. My son Matthew is taking me to a movie. My son Andrew is in Colorado Springs on his honeymoon so chances are he is definitely not thinking about his mother!

Andrew And Cinnamon's Wedding

2009-05-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Friday, May 8, 2009 was my son's wedding day. Andrew and Cinnamon's wedding was at the McNay Art Museum by the fountain. They had originally wanted it at the fountain but because San Antonio is under water restrictions, they were not allowed to have it on. So they improvised. It was beautiful, but the air was so humid. There were school buses of children on field trips there. Some of the groups stopped their tour and watched the wedding. At the end, they cheered and shouted "Congratulations!" and "Have a nice life!" It was really neat.

Then we went over to the Quarry for the reception at Piatti's. They had a nice spread. The wedding cake was beautifully done. I cannot remember the name of the bakery. I will have to ask Andrew. He and Cinnamon caught a 6:45am flight this morning for their honeymoon trip to Colorado Springs.

So my beautiful preemie baby boy is a grown man now with a wife of his own. It is so hard to believe. Time truly flies by. In the photo above, from left to right are David (my husband and Andrew's dad), Cinnamon, Andrew, and me!

For more photos and video of Andrew and Cinnamon's wedding, check out my web site, Create A Christian Wedding, where I will be posting them and writing about it over the next few days as time allows. We took hundreds of photos.

Andrew And Cinnamon Are Getting Married

2009-05-05T17:33:00.000-07:00

My oldest son, my preemie, Andrew and Cinnamon are getting married this Friday morning. The photo above of Cinnamon and Andrew was taken Christmas 2008.

Andrew came into this world as a preemie, two months early, because I had preeclampsia during my pregnancy. At birth, he weighed three pounds, 11 ounces. He spent six weeks in neonatal intensive care before he was big enough and well enough to come home at a whopping 4.8 pounds! Raising Andrew was a joy. As a toddler, he could carry on interesting conversations about many types of dinosaurs. We read about them all the time. I really thought he would be a paleontologist, but he is planning on teaching high school history instead!

He loves tae kwon do and is a second degree black belt. He also enjoys history, politics, and Star Wars. Andrew moved out into his own apartment last Friday and I have not seen him since. I guess he is enjoying his one week of freedom before his wedding in three days! This week he has college finals as well so I know he is busy, but I miss him.

I wish Andrew and Cinnamon many years of happiness and the best possible marriage blessed by the Lord Jesus Christ.

There will soon be wedding photos on my wedding site, Create A Christian Wedding.

Matthew Schulze

2009-05-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

My son, Matthew Schulze, is an amazing musician. He writes songs, both words and music. He plays drums, guitar, and piano, among other instruments. He graduates from homeschool high school this month. He also works parttime at Taco Cabana and has his own website, Guitar Beginner Center

Below is a video of him with his sister, singing a song. He wrote the music and had a little help with the words from his sister, Tiffany, and a friend from church. Enjoy

Tiffany Schulze

2009-05-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Tiffany Schulze, is an amazing young woman. She is 16, a junior at Science and Engineering Academy, a songwriter, and a musician, who has a parttime job at a local restaurant, and has her own web site about books, Best Book Reviews For Teens And Young Adults.

I don't know how she does it all. I am very proud of her. Below is a video of her playing and singing one of her original songs. Hope you enjoy it.

My Wedding Site!

2009-05-05T04:15:00.000-07:00

Wow! 533 unique visitors went to my wedding site, Create A Christian Wedding yesterday! That is the most visitors I have ever had before. How exciting.

Speaking of weddings, my son gets married on Friday. Surprisingly, they did not refer to my wedding site at all for their plans. I have been building my wedding site for over two years now, but...

I have to get ready for work now. Today will be my 5th day on my new job. Please visit my wedding site and see if we can make today's visits even more than yesterday's!

Mother's Day Special From SBI

2009-05-02T06:29:00.000-07:00

Soon it will be Mother's Day. This year it is Sunday, May 10, 2009. If you are stumped as to what to get Mom, there is a great Mother's Day Special from SBI. Buy one web site so you can start your own online business for $299 for a full year and get the second web site for just $100 more. Yes, once again, Site Build It, the company I use to build my four web sites is having their annual Mother's Day Special so your mom and you or your mother-in-law can benefit.

So you can build your own online business and give one away to your mom so she can build her own online business. Or, give one to your mother and the other one to your mother-in-law!

What a great idea for a gift--the start of a business to bring in income for the rest of their lives! That means additional retirement income for them later on and additional income before.

Don't give your mom some flowers that will wilt away in just a few days. They are pretty for just a few days. Give her something that will last and benefit her--her own business with SBI.

Remember To Do The Happy Dance

2009-05-01T04:32:00.000-07:00

Remember to do the happy dance each day and praise the Lord for his goodness. That is what my son is doing this morning. Andrew, my 21 year old, is moving out into his first apartment today and will live by himself for a whole week! Next Friday, he will marry his fiancee, Cinnamon and then she will move in so he gets one week of being alone. He is very excited about it and about his upcoming marriage. Wow. The 21 years went by so fast but at least we are losing our son in a good way, by marriage and not because he hates us or because he ran away or because he died. We are very fortunate.

Now off to work for me to start the third day of my new job that I love. Have a great day!

Another Great Day For Me!

2009-04-30T20:14:00.000-07:00

Hi! Another great day for me. Work was great with my new job. Tonight is my son's last night of living at home. Tomorrow he moves into his new apartment and one week from tomorrow, he marries the love of his life! Where did the time go? He is very excited.

I got a surprise this afternoon. I got my very first payment from Chitika today. I did not expect it until next week and it was $5 more than the unaudited amount was supposed to be so that is great! If you don't know, Chitika displays ads sort of like Google, but only to search engine traffic so your regular readers never see additional ads. Anyway, I tried them for the first time in March and it was very good. Great again for April. The payment I got today was for March. So I am very pleased with them.

If you have a web site, try Chitika!

I Started Work Today

2009-04-29T18:35:00.001-07:00

Well, I started work today at my new job so I am doing the happy dance! Praise the Lord for my new job! It is a good commute, not very far, a nice place, everyone was very nice, friendly. I have a nice-sized cubicle and the chair is very comfy. Wow. God is good! Soft colors in the office, very easy on the eyes with light grays and blues. I love it. Things went well at home in my absence. I got my Google payment today so I was able to pay bills and buy groceries after work tonight!

My Mother-Of-The-Groom Dress

2009-04-25T19:00:00.000-07:00

As you know, my son is getting married in 13 days now. Today, my daughter and I went out shopping for my mother-of-the-groom dress for me. We went to JC Penney and the first dress we saw, I got. We tried on two sizes and unfortunately, I fit into the larger but it looks pretty good on me. So I am glad that is over. It is hard to find dresses for me because I am short, but JC Penney usually has nice petite clothes and the really nice thing is that the $100 evening wear dress was half price! Woo hoo! I hope the bride and groom like it. I have not seen either of them all day long.

Now we have to get something for my husband to wear.

My Hubs, Squidoo Lenses, Family Web Sites, And Blogs

2009-04-25T18:52:00.001-07:00

Here are some articles about SBI!

Learn How To Build Your Own Business

How To Be A Successful Work At Home Mom

Work At Home With SBI

SBI Will Build A Web Site For Your Business

The Magic Of SBI

Here are my blogs:

Fun In And Around El Paso

The Happy Dance Blog

For Massage Therapy Students

Iraq Up Close And Personal

Books I Think Are Great

Create A Christian Wedding

You Need A Chair Massage

My Squidoo Lenses:

Guitar Beginner Center

Vegetable Gardening Made Easier

Create A Christian Wedding

Best Book Reviews For Teens And Young Adults

Family Fun In San Antonio

Help For Hurting Pastors

Iraq Up Close And Personal

Chair Massage Is For You

You Want To Visit Colorado Springs

The Magic Of SBI

My Hub Pages:

Learn How To Build Your Own Business Online

Battle Of Flowers Parade

How To Dress For A Successful Job Interview

Work At Home With SBI

Wedding Bible Verses

How To Be A Successful Work At Home Mom

Why You Should Vacation In Colorado Springs

SBI Will Build A Web Site For Your Business

Becoming A Massage Therapist In Texas

Make Compost For Your Vegetable Garden

How To Study For School

SeaWorld San Antonio

Easy Backyard Vegetable Gardening

Make A Living With Chair Massage

Civilian Jobs In Iraq And Afghanistan

Our Family Web Sites:

The first four are mine:

Chair Massage Is For You

Create A Christian Wedding

Fun In And Around Colorado Springs

Family Fun In And Around San Antonio

Next are my husband's web sites:

Iraq Up Close And Personal

Help For Hurting Pastors

Vegetable Gardening Made Easier

My son's web site:

Guitar Beginner Center

My daughter's web site:

Best Book Reviews For Teens And Young Adults

Dress For Success

2009-04-25T09:09:00.000-07:00

Over the past several months, both my husband and I have been going out on a lot of job interviews. Now, don't get me wrong. I love to wear jeans and t-shirts. That is actually my uniform of choice. But out in the business world, jeans don't cut it, unless the company allows you to wear them on casual Friday. Yet, I see a lot of people going to job interviews in jeans. My guess is that no one has told them how to dress for success at a job interview.

These kids show up in jeans, a t-shirt, and flip-flops. Some add a baseball cap, an eyebrow ring, and a tattoo. I am so amazed when I see them. So this morning, I wrote a hub page called How To Dress For A Successful Job Interview.

I hope it will be of help to the masses of young people who don't have a clue. Check it out. Dress for success at the office. Jeans everywhere else!

Site Build It! Web Sites

2009-04-24T19:14:00.000-07:00

Hi and thank you for visiting my blog this evening. Site Build It web sites rock. If you want some extra money coming in each month, consider building a site using Site Build It.

It has been a good day. Today was Battle of Flowers parade day in San Antonio so schools were closed and so were a lot of businesses. It was cloudy and cool and the perfect day to go downtown and watch a parade.

I spent the day writing HUB pages about SBI. If you want your own web site, be sure that you read as much as possible as you can about SBI because this is the way to go. I have 4 SBI sites, my husband has 3. My son and daughter each have their own.

SBI or Site Build It Web Sites make everything easy to put together with its suite of tools for just $299 per year. It is way worth it. Don't depend on free or cheap hosting. Use SBI. Here are some of my Hub articles on SBI.

Here are the links for you to read my HUB pages:

Learn How To Build Your Own Business

How To Be A Successful Work At Home Mom

Work At Home With SBI

SBI Will Build A Web Site For Your Business

Please read them and take the advice.

I also created a Squidoo lens today about them. It is called The Magic Of SBI

Beautiful Fiesta Day In San Antonio

2009-04-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

Today is a bright, beautiful Fiesta day in San Antonio. It promises to hit 94 degrees here today for Fiesta celebrations according to the weatherman on Good Morning San Antonio! Wow! Last night started NIOSA, which stands for Night In Old San Antonio. More on NIOSA here. Come on out tonight and enjoy the food!

I had two great job interviews yesterday and I go back for a second interview this morning so I am very hopeful. This is a great company according to all of the research I have done and I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity. So God is blessing and we are excited about all he is doing. We are hopeful and expectant on several fronts for a financial miracle breakthrough from God. No matter what he does, we praise him for all he has done for us.

***UPDATE*** I got a phone call this evening and I got the job! Praise the Lord. I am so very excited at how quickly this took place. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us and please continue to pray that God will bless David with the right job as well!

My Hub Pages

2009-04-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

I have recently discovered Hub Pages and so far I have written 3. If you would like to see them, they are here at My Hubs.

Cool, huh? They are not hard to make and I am having fun.

Another thing I am having fun with is creating lenses on Squidoo. Well, time to get back to work.

My Son's Honeymoon Trip To Colorado Springs

2009-04-19T16:06:00.000-07:00

My son, Andrew, and his fiancee, Cinnamon are getting married in less than 3 weeks! They will be flying to Colorado Springs for their honeymoon. Colorado Springs is a beautiful place for a honeymoon. I am sure they will have a wonderful time! Don't they make a great-looking couple?

I am hoping to go up this summer and take more photos for my web site about Colorado Springs, Fun In And Around Colorado Springs. It will be great to see some of the things I have missed, like Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods.

Hard to believe, but they have been getting snow this past week, while here in San Antonio, it has been in the 80s most days.

E Learning Through SBI

2009-04-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

I build web sites for a living right now while I wait for a new job. When I started building my first site almost 3 years ago, I knew nothing except how to send email. I heard about SBI and did a lot of research. I bought my first site and started building. It was fairly easy, but I made my share of mistakes along the way.

Now, SBI just got easier. Instead of doing it alone, you can now take a 12 week online course from the comfort of your own home, learning how to build a web site. If you are looking for a way to supplement your income with an online business that you can do at home in your spare time, an SBI site is the way to go. Your teacher will show you exactly how to build a web site that works, one that gets traffic and earns money. Give it a shot today with SBI's E Learning.

Happy Anniversary to My In-Laws Today!

2009-04-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Happy 40th Anniversary to David's parents, John and Ann Schulze today! To the left, from January 2009, are my mother-in-law, my son Matthew, and my father-in-law at Matthew's birthday party.

It is hard to believe that they have been together for 40 years. They married when David was 11. David's birth mother abandoned her husband and 4 small children when my husband was 3 years old so they were alone without a mom for 8 years. My husband says life improved greatly after they married Ann. She has been a wonderful mother-in-law and friend to me now for the past 22 years. So thanks, Mom, for taking on such a daunting task!

We hope you have a wonderful day together.

Happy Anniversary To Us!

2009-04-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, April 18, was our 22nd wedding anniversary. Happy Anniversary, David! It seems like just yesterday that I walked down that church aisle on my father's arm to become your wife. That is us to the right at First Church of the Nazarene in El Paso, TX back in 1987.

The time has flown by and in less than 3 weeks, our oldest son, Andrew, is getting married. How is that possible? Seems like just yesterday he was a preemie in NICU and now he is 21, a junior in college, and a soon-to-be groom.

We could not go out to celebrate as we are totally broke. Yet, we have faith that God will provide us with one or more jobs soon. We are grateful for the income we do have right now with our web sites. It increases some each month.

I have a job interview on Tuesday for a terrific position so I ask your prayers for this job and for a job for my husband as well. Will keep you posted!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! He is risen! He is risen indeed! This morning's attempt at having a sunrise service in San Antonio were not very good. It started pouring around 6am and did not quit until after 7am. We were not planning to attend one as we had to be down at the Freeman Coliseum by 9am. The church we have been attending recently, BRCC, rented it so all 6 congregations could be together under one roof for Easter from 11am to 1pm. My husband volunteered to be an usher. I had never before been to the Coliseum and it was pretty cool. The lighting and the smoke were awesome. The worship bands all got together and played as one big unit. The music was incredible in there. The place had over 7,000 worshippers and the service was fabulous.

A lot of people went down front to accept Jesus as their Savior. It was pretty incredible.

When we left the Coliseum, you would never know that it had rained in San Antonio! Not a cloud was in the sky and the sun was shining brightly, an all-around beautiful day.

I am waiting expectantly for what God will do in our lives this coming week.

Texas Massage Therapist

2009-04-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered Hub pages and just wrote my first one on becoming a massage therapist in Texas. It was very easy to do. If you want to take a look, please see it at Becoming A Massage Therapist In Texas.

I am also posting my student blog again starting today at For Massage Therapy Students.

Two more reasons to do the happy dance!

God Blessed Us With Food!

2009-04-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

We are doing a happy dance as God has blessed us with food. Our neighbors are leaving on a quick trip and were afraid the organic fruit they bought would go bad so they asked us if we wanted it. I, very happily, said yes! Lemons, grapefruit, mangoes, pears, cantaloupe, tomatoes, and some parsley and bean sprouts, too. They also gave us 8 large cans of Bush's yummy beans, you know, the kind where the dog has the secret recipe. So we are very thankful that God is providing for us. We have not been able to afford fresh fruit in a while so it was an answer to prayer.

Good Friday

2009-04-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”- Romans 5:6-8 (NIV)

Today is Good Friday, the day that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross for my sins and for your sins. Because of his sacrifice, I don't have to go to Hell when I die, even though I deserve it because I sin. You don't have to go to Hell either. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins because of his work on the cross and he will. You can know right now that you have eternal life through him by accepting him as your personal savior.

We should all be doing the happy dance because of this!

Good Friday and Jesus' Sacrifice

2009-04-09T05:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a Good Friday message that my husband wrote in Iraq two years ago. I think it will be good for you to read. Jesus' sacrifice on Good Friday made it possible for sinful human beings to go to Heaven. Thank you, Jesus for dying for me!

Now from April 6, 2007:

Happy Good Friday to each of you on this wonderful spring day.
While you were sleeping in the night, Jesus was praying for you. He loved you then and he loves you now. Even though he was nervous and scared about what was going to happen to him, he still remembered to pray for you.
While you were sleeping in the night the religious leaders came and arrested Jesus. They falsely accused him of all sorts of things.
Then they beat him and carried him off to a weak-kneed ruler who allowed bad people to do bad things to a good person. It was not fair but it was all part of the plan.
While you are going about your day, Jesus will be on trial for his life. The people will finally decide that he needs to die. The same people who witnessed his miracles have been mislead by the bad people. They want a murderer to be released so they can kill an innocent man.
About the time you go to eat lunch, they will hang him on a cross where he will die a horrible death. He will hang for three hours while the insects munch on his raw flesh and his life's blood flows freely down the cross. While he hangs there, his lungs will fill with fluid making it hard for him to breath.
About the time school gets out in the afternoon, Jesus will cry out, "It is finished". The curtain in the temple will tear in two and dead people will come alive. A centurion will say, "Surely this man was the Son of God". In other words, we have killed an innocent man.
While you are watching the news on TV this evening, people will be preparing Jesus for burial. By the time you go to bed, he will have been dead for seven hours.
Even though you will probably not think about him all day today, Jesus has had you on his mind.
God Bless You.....
David Schulze

God Wants Us To Prosper

2009-04-09T04:54:00.000-07:00

God wants us to prosper. If this is so, why do we have such financial problems all of the time, or so it seems?

A few days ago I read from Psalm 25:12-13 (NIV) "Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land."

I had to back up at this point and read it again: "He will spend his days in prosperity..."(NIV)

So if we fear the LORD, meaning not to be afraid, but to respect him and treat him as he should be treated, he will prosper us. Maybe that is the problem. I have not been living the way I should. I need to turn my direction around right now.

There are other verses in the Bible about how God allows those who love and serve him to be prosperous. No, I am not talking about Name it and Claim it stuff, but what God has allowed to be put in his Word, that he will bless those who live for him.

This morning, both my husband and I have job interviews with the same company. We spent a few hours yesterday filling out paperwork and taking online tests for this position. We were grateful to get the interviews so whether or not we get the jobs is up to God and to him goes all of the praise, no matter what happens!

***UPDATE*** We never even got in to see an interviewer even though we had appointments. We were told we were overqualified and were sent home. What disappointment and shock! God must have something better....

Palm Sunday

2009-04-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Palm Sunday! We are on our way home from Leakey, Texas, where our son, Matthew the musician played his guitar and the piano and sang at one of the churches--Church in the Valley. He did a great job and we were so very proud of him! He has to be at church in San Antonio by 4pm as the youth are leading tonight's service and he is playing the keyboard. He had to take off from work for this.

For lunch, we ate at the Eagle's Nest in Leakey. They were busy and it took them about an hour to get our chicken tenders out to us. Very delicious. They are not normally that busy, but there are not many places to eat in Leakey on Sundays. So we waited. We had a good time.

My husband, David has 2 job interviews tomorrow. Hopefully, the Lord will bless him with a job as we are out of money. It has been a long time since we have had a work paycheck. I still have not had an acknowledgment on any applications I have put in. So we wait upon God to bless us. The mortgage is already past due and I have a stack of bills that are due.

I know God has not forgotten us, but sometimes it sure feels like it...Please God, remember us and bless us with a financial miracle. We need jobs badly. We look forward to seeing how you will bless us in the coming week. Thank you.

Two Funerals This Past Week

2009-04-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

Well, we went to 2 out of town funerals this past week for relatives on my husband's side of the family. One was expected for a 93 year old aunt, a wonderful Christian woman whom everyone loved. The service was a celebration of her life.

The other was for a 17 year old girl killed tragically in a car crash at 2am on a school night. The cemetary was filled with high school students crying, and understandably so. Sadly, they had no hope for ever seeing her again. Not one Scripture was read, only things written by family and teens, how fate had taken her. My heart broke for them as there was no hope, no message that Jesus is the Savior, only great sadness and pain.

I came home, very relieved to see my 3 almost grown children, realizing that they are good kids and I am fortunate to have them.

If you don't know it, Jesus can save you from your sins and make you whole. When you die, you will go to Heaven and spend eternity with him if you accept him as your Savior now. Don't wait until it is too late. Jesus loved you so much that he died on a cross for your sins and for my sins. He arose on Easter and if you accept him as your Savior, you will arise one day as well.

Good Morning, America

2009-04-01T06:36:00.001-07:00

Good Morning, America! It is a lovely and cool morning in San Antonio. Temp was down to 49 this morning. Happy April Fool's Day. Just checking all of my March stats now that March is over. Web sites are growing.

So far, no job calls this morning. No emails. But we still have hope. Our hope is in God who will provide for our needs.

As David said in Psalm 119:114, "You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope."

Make it a great day. Will keep you posted on any new developments.

Do Your Own Tax Return

2009-03-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

Did you do your own tax return? Ours is pretty complicated and my husband thought we would have to pay so he has been putting off doing ours. He finally got it finished today and we are actually getting a refund! Whoo-hoo! Another happy dance. We still do not have jobs so we really need that money for basic living expenses. God is good and we still wait for him to give us the jobs he wants to have. Of course, the mortgage is due tomorrow and we do not have it. I am trying to stay calm and not panic...

I am praising the Lord that our kids are fine and healthy. My husband's 16 year old step-niece was killed in a car accident early this morning. Our own daughter is 16. Being a parent is so scary. Also, my husband's aunt passed away last night, but she lived a good, long life.

We have been busy building our web sites.

My husband is feeling much better today although his leg is still swollen from the spider bite he got in Kuwait. Want to read about it? You can at Iraq Up Close And Personal.

Have a great night!

Tiffany And Her Job

2009-03-30T18:53:00.001-07:00

Tiffany, my daughter who is 16, loves her job at Jason's Deli. She is saving up to buy a car and she wants to go to work as much as possible. She actually enjoys her job. This is a novel concept as far as teenagers go, right? So I am thankful that she found a good job that she enjoys and that pays her well for a teen. She is very happy there and has been working there since September of 2008. She is a hard worker and takes AP classes at the Science and Engineering Academy where she goes to school. So we are proud of her. Tiffany, you are a wonderful daughter and we are thankful for you!

Ready For God's Blessings

2009-03-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

Good Monday morning! I am ready for God's blessings this week as I prepare for job interviews. My husband is not so ready. He spent the night sick with fever and throwing up, but hopefully he will feel better in a few days.

All of the kids and the dog are fine this morning. I am busy working on my transcription but thought I would take a moment and say hi. I worked a little on my Create A Christian Wedding site this morning.

I have been persistently praying for our needs in regard to jobs, financial help, and some healing. My toe and shoulder continue to slowly improve. So I praise God for this.

Make it a great day and remember to be persistent in your prayers for your needs to be met as well. Take care.

Vegetable Gardening

2009-03-29T18:01:00.001-07:00

All 3 kids are at work right now and David and I went out to the backyard a few hours ago to check on his vegetable garden. The plants are all doing very well. We get some strawberries everyday. We have baby tomatoes growing already so hopefully we will not get anymore frost or freezing weather. David is quite the farmer. Check out his web site and learn how you can garden by reading what he says and watching his videos. See them at Vegetable Gardening Made Easier. Garden vegetables taste so much better than store-bought veggies and this will save us a lot of money this summer. We will get to eat healthy. I love fresh vegetables. I am so glad my husband is home to garden this year. (If you don't know, he has spent most of the past 5 years working in the Middle East.)

Pain Update

2009-03-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

If you have been following me over the past month on Twitter, you know that 4.5 weeks ago I fell and injured my right shoulder. It was pretty bad. No bone damage--just soft tissue damage. I am still experiencing some pain and cannot perform some movements, but it is so much better and the pain has lessened considerably. Well, 9 days later, I broke my toe and I am still hobbling around a bit, but it is healing. The toe is still a little swollen but I can use most of my foot now. Just call me Grace. I am very clumsy, but I have never had 2 injuries like this before. It has been rough. I have been bored in the house for quite a while, working on my sites and doing my transcription, but I am pleased now to be out and about some. I can actually wear shoes again. Not too many pairs yet, but hopefully I will be able to put some heels on for my job interviews this week that I am fairly confident the Lord will set up for me. I will just wait and see what he has.

In anticipation of David's interviews that he does not have yet, I washed and ironed his nice clothes today so they are ready when the phone rings this week. I will keep you posted.

Matthew And His Job

2009-03-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

Matthew has recently started a new job with Taco Cabana and he loves it! This is a praise as he needs to make a good income! So far, everything is going well. He is excited. Next Sunday, April 5, Matthew will be playing and singing at Church In The Valley in Leakey, Texas so he is very excited about that. If you are in the area, stop in at 11am and praise the Lord with him as he shares his gift of music. He will be updating his web site soon as well. Please keep him in prayer. Thank you.

Sunday Sermon--Be Persistent In Prayer

2009-03-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today, we went to BRCC, a non-denominational community church and today's message really hit home. How often do I pray a few times about something and then figure God does not care because he does not rush to answer my request? Today's lesson was out of Matthew7 and the pastor had 3 brand new doors up front to demonstrate what Jesus meant when he taught about prayer in the Sermon On The Mount. Now I have been in church my whole life, but no one ever explained it like this before. The pastor said some people rap two or three times, quietly and then walk away if no one answers the door at someone's home. This is me. Others nearly bang the door down and keep on knocking and knocking until there is an answer. This is the type of persistent prayer that Jesus was talking about. This is the kind of prayer that God answers. God has all of these good gifts for us, things we need, but he chooses to give them to us when we persistently ask, when we boldly ask. We are his much-loved children and need to approach him boldly, asking him for what we need. It was a great demonstration and I got it.

Read over Jesus' teaching on prayer and visualize yourself knocking on the door to Heaven, asking your heavenly Father to provide the things you need and just keep on until he gives them to you. Don't give up, but believe that he loves you and cares and that he will provide you with the things you need.

Friday Blessing

2009-03-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hi! Sorry but I have been so busy...Let me bring you up to speed. On Friday, I went to check the mail and the mailman brought us a check for almost $400. Totally unexpected. How wonderful that we were able to get groceries, gas and have some money for the car insurance! Praise the Lord. This is happy dance time. No, still no calls for jobs, but God is in control and he is providing. Also, on Thursday, I got an internet payment from my websites so that means the utilities get paid! Still no check for the house payment due on the 1st, but I can see God moving.

Then yesterday, I applied for a claims processing job and a few others, but I would really like the processing job since I have done this type of work for many years. It is with a good, solid company and it will be great for us. David has also been applying for more jobs.

We have been working on our websites, building pages. I mostly built them on my Colorado site, Fun In And Around Colorado Springs.

I just put up 2 pages on my San Antonio site today as well: Family Fun In And Around San Antonio.

I hope you will visit them and that you enjoy what we write about. My husband put up pages on all 3 of his sites and sent out a much-needed Iraq site newsletter. His sites are:
Iraq Up Close And Personal

Help For Hurting Pastors

Vegetable Gardening Made Easier

Happy Wednesday!

2009-03-25T04:51:00.000-07:00

Good morning Everyone! I have been taking care of web site business, broken links and emails this morning. I still have not poured that first cup of coffee but I will now and then read my Bible. Let's make it a great and productive day!

Do The Gratitude Dance With GMA

2009-03-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Above is the link to the GMA Happy Dance or Gratitude Dance that they showed this morning. It is kind of inspiring and is a much better way to live the day than panicking and crying and being depressed. Take a look and then try it and see!

No Phone Calls

2009-03-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well, another day has passed and still no job calls. Money gone, bills due. I sure hope God blesses us with at least one job soon. He knows we have to eat and pay the bills, not to mention take care of our kids. This makes no sense. Kind of hard to do the happy dance when I stop to think of this...I will praise the Lord anyway and trust him for something good. Thank you God.

I did a lot of transcription online today for school but still so much to go. Am working on my
Create A Christian Wedding tonight. Later...Have a great evening, everyone.

Another Happy Dance Reason

2009-03-24T10:17:00.001-07:00

Okay, for those of you who follow me on twitter, you know that 4 weeks ago today, I fell and injured my shoulder badly. Then a week later, I broke my toe. I have been in a lot of pain but today, I want to let you know that most of the pain is gone. My toe is just a little swollen now and I can use most of my foot to walk. My shoulder is the greater injury and today it is doing so much better! So I am carefully doing a happy dance of praise for healing, even though it is taking a long time! I cannot wait to get back to walking and regular exercise.

Also, it is raining some here now and they say we will get more tomorrow. We have been in a drought in San Antonio for about 19 months so this is a great thing. And even better, I do not have to go out and drive in it!

Medical Transcription/Most Visitors Ever!

2009-03-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

I am a full-time student online, studying medical transcription and my web sites are helping to support me until I finish. I have about 2 more months to go. I am now at the point where the only thing I do all day long is transcribe medical reports. They are interesting and I am learning so much. Of course, my family thinks I am sitting at home, doing nothing all day long and they are constantly asking me to do one thing after another for them. They also consider my web sites as play, not realizing that the income from them is how they are eating right now...

Yesterday, I had the most visitors to my Create A Christian Wedding site ever--547 unique visitors in one day! I am so excited about it that I am again doing the happy dance. Better quit dancing and get back to work transcribing medical reports. Later!

Build Your Own Web Site

2009-03-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

I am not a techie at all. I use Site Build It or SBI to build my web sites. They make it easy by using a block by block system. If you do know html, you can upload your own in SBI, but you do not have to. You can still build a great web site without it. SBI gives you a complete suite of great tools to use to make everything easy. Building a web site takes time and you won't get rich quick. It is a slow process, but you are building a real business about something you know and care about, something you are passionate about. Check it out by clicking the link below. I took several weeks to make up my mind. I did a ton of research and finally, I was convinced.

If you are trying to secure some financial freedom in these uncertain economic times, building your own online business is the perfect solution. Do it in your spare time and soon you will have a growing, thriving business, extra cash to help with the monthly bills. Good luck!

Jelly Belly Jelly Beans

2009-03-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

Do Jelly Belly jelly beans make you happy? They are fabulous, made famous by President Ronald Reagan, who always had a jar on his desk. If so, order some now. They make everyone do the happy dance!

The Jelly Belly Candy Company makes more than 100 mouthwatering candies, including such delights as chocolates, gummies, sour candies, Confections for all the major seasons, and of course the world's #1 gourmet jelly bean. Easter is coming up soon!

Yum!

Woo Hoo For My Post

2009-03-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

Now I am doing the happy dance as I was able to figure out enough html to post the links in my previous post and have them open in new windows! This is major for me! Dance with me!!!!

My Web Sites

2009-03-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

First, I will give you the URLs of my web sites.

They are:
Chair Massage Is For You
Create A Christian Wedding
Fun In And Around Colorado Springs
Family Fun In And Around San Antonio

Next are my husband's web sites:
Iraq Up Close And Personal
Help For Hurting Pastors
Vegetable Gardening Made Easier

Now, my son's web site:
Guitar Beginner Center

Finally, my daughter's web site:
Best Book Reviews For Teens And Young Adults

Please check them out. They all contain a lot of helpful and useful information on a variety of topics. Thank you for visiting them.

Good Morning San Antonio!

2009-03-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

Good morning, San Antonio and everyone else! My name is Juanita. This morning on Good Morning America, they were showing people doing The Happy Dance to cheer themselves and others up and I thought, "This is a good idea." Things right now are not going all that well for us as we are both out of working and looking for jobs but not finding. Money is gone but I need to remember all of the good things that God has blessed us with, like my husband being home from the Middle East after 5 years, our 3 healthy grown children, the possibility of rain in the midst or our city drought, and so much more.

My husband keeps telling me not to look at the negative, but at the positive, so I will try. For instance, we are beginning to earn income from our 9 web sites. So thank you, God, and please continue to bless them...Hope you all have a great day!