Amanda's Books and More: August 2013

Friday, August 30, 2013

Make My Saturday Sweet - Blog Hop #47

Welcome to another weekend and a fun blog hop! You can make it sweet by linking your blog bellow on my Make My Saturday Sweet and visiting a couple of bloggers who linked up before you. I'm also joining Create With Joy's link party, Friendship Friday, and her topic today is "Time."

I took this photo at a really neat farm stall last year.
You can see my series on 1camera1mom.

Time does mean different things to different cultures. Some cultures are more event oriented and not time oriented. My son recently attended a Brazilian get-together and he got there with his Brazilian friend about 10 minutes "late." They were the first ones there. Some only arrived much later and everyone brought food.

I am not a big time keeper kind of person. I keep a schedule only for activities that we have to be at. I have to be careful to plan ahead, so that I or my kids are not late for things. My husband is usually more of a stickler when it comes to getting out of the house on time.

If I had more time in the day, I'd probably write more. I think it's more about prioritizing, though, than it is about having more time. If I kept a good routine, I'd be able to do it, but I'm more of a go-with-the-flow kind of gal.

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It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to
link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest

Twitter

Facebook

Leave me a comment with your link and I will follow back!

Here are the easy rules:

Follow Tina (your host) @ Amanda's Books and More.
Link up your family friendly blog.
Please try to add my hop button on your most recent post or on your side-bar.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
Visit at least the last two blogs before your link and leave a comment.
Follow any new blogs that you like.

Blog Button Code:

This is a blog hop!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Picture Perfect Party Linky #54

My mom flew our family to the States to celebrate her 60th birthday. It was our first time seeing where they spend their holidays in Florida. These pictures were taken on the very first day that we arrived. My mom and step-dad were showing us around. You won't see me in any of these photos as I was taking the pictures, but there's a really nice one of me on my latest post, Matanzas, Florida - Part 2.

Amanda

Grandma Lisa and Amanda

Amanda and Samantha

Robbie and Amanda

Samantha, Jessica and Grandma Lisa

Amanda posing in the passage of where my mom
and step-dad were married. The doors were
locked, so we didn't get to peek inside.

Now on to my blog hop...

Here's your chance to link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

Come join me on this fun and easy blog hop!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free
to link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Twitter

Facebook

and

Here are the easy rules:

Follow me. Please leave a comment so that I can follow back (as long as your blog is family friendly).
Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
Grab the button below and add it on your post or side-bar.
Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Make My Saturday Sweet - Blog Hop #46

It's time again for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop. How can you make someone's Saturday sweet? By linking up your blog and visiting other bloggers who linked up before you! It's easy and fun.

I'm also linking up with two Friday blog hops and answering their writing prompts. Today's Finish the Sentence Friday is "I wasn't really myself when I..."

I wasn't really myself when I fell pregnant with Amanda, my fourth child. It's not that I didn't want more kids, but my three older kids had grown up to a large extent and I was enjoying having my life back. Not only was I emotionally not ready, but I also became physically ill with morning sickness. I lost 8 kilos during my pregnancy. My kids (and Hubby) rallied behind me and gave me lots of support. They were excited to be getting a new brother or sister.

When Amanda was born, she was the center of our family. We drew closer together and the kids learned how to help care for a little one. Their job was usually to take turns playing with her. This was a huge help. However, the first year was the hardest, as Amanda had terrible colic and couldn't sleep at all in the day. She slept at night, but not that well.

All my babies were born with colic. I don't know why I had to go through it four times around. My son's colic lasted till around 4 months, but the girls all had it for longer. Jessica had it the longest. She didn't settle until two weeks after turning two years old.

I always carried my babies around, because I knew they were uncomfortable and not crying for nothing. This put a huge strain on me every time. I suppose that's another reason why I dreaded having another kid, but Amanda has been the biggest blessing. She has thoroughly enriched our lives.

Amanda's foot prints made into a butterfly
Preschool Art 2013

Today's Friendship Friday's theme is "Back to School."

As many of you already know, we live in South Africa and our kids are on a different school system. Their school year begins in January and ends in December. Even their summer break, which is from Dec. - Jan. is not as long as in the States. I think that makes getting back into the swing of things not so hard, as there isn't such a big gap from the year end until the new school year begins.

My kids are now in their third school term. Jeremiah is in the 11th grade, Jessica in the 9th, Samantha in the 7th, and Amanda is in preschool. She will begin grade R (grade K) in January and is now preparing for that. Even though there is no perfect school system, all my kids are happy at their schools. We're really blessed.

*********************

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to
link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Pinterest

Twitter

Facebook

Leave me a comment with your link and I will follow back!

Here are the easy rules:

Follow Tina (your host) @ Amanda's Books and More.
Link up your family friendly blog.
Please try to add my hop button on your most recent post or on your side-bar.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
Visit at least the last two blogs before your link and leave a comment.
Follow any new blogs that you like.

Blog Button Code:

This is a blog hop!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Picture Perfect Party Linky #53

Friends of my mom and step-dad are involved in rehabilitating wild or feral mustangs near St. Augustine, Florida. Their names are Ericka and David Savage. They introduced us to three mustangs who had been recently rescued from bad situations and were being rehabilitated so that they could go to their forever homes. They also took us to meet mustangs that they themselves had adopted. Three of my kids even got to ride on the tamest one. It was Amanda's first time on a horse and she loved it. You can see more photos on my 1camera1mom, including the special tattoo on their necks, which allows wildlife officials to keep track of them.