Pray for Rain and a #LinkyParty

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #166!

Today I'm sharing photos of my garden during drought. I'm very happy to see my Agapanthus and Plumbago flowers blooming. The fountain has been switched off and the grass and some flowering plants are dying. We have been on water restrictions for more than a month, but we are better off than other parts of South Africa.

Please pray for rain! South Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 20 years. Our dams are dangerously low. Please pray that our land will be refreshed with good rain. Thank you!

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Click on my photos to see them at their best!

Plumbago

Plumbago and Agapanthus

Agapanthus

Below is how my garden looks
when we don't have drought:

This is Amanda's kitty and
she's all grown up now.

Here's my latest coloring page completed.

Rejoice in the Lord always.
Philippians 4:4

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Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

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
Instagram

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
• Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
• Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
• Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
• Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

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Weekend Linky

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Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link parties I take part in.

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Swimming with Lego Friends and a #LinkyParty

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #182!

This is my 600th post!

600 posts in 4 years of blogging.

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.

Click on my photos to see them at their best!

Today's photos include Amanda's new Lego that she got on her 8th birthday. Amanda loves Lego and she even asked for a Lego themed birthday party last year when she turned 7. This year we didn't have a party, except for a class party. We took her to the theme park in Cape Town with a friend instead, but I'll share a few photos of that fun-filled day another time.

Amanda shows Grandma (Nana)

that she can now ride a bike.

Amanda goes birthday shopping with

Nana a day before her birthday. She

comes home with pink-purple hair,

as Nana paid a donation to

the cancer association.

Amanda opens presents on

her 8th birthday. She is

very excited and surprised

for her new Lego Friends

from Mommy and Daddy.

Amanda takes her new

Lego Friends swimming.

Daddy takes photos of Amanda

swimming with Mommy.

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

Here's a peek at
My Latest Post

on 1camera1mom:

Paternoster, South Africa

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

Now on to my blog hop...

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

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+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

and

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
• Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
• If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
• Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS14XLc-z2uSUW00dIvyZc7lEfLP2tkPgO3qmU3NWi_UObDs_d7XqpYhjp0BBeROyZot-8YlEFU9rguELrZYu3arN1qHHNpB4_ezrb-TlBlfHRSOvP7pBA0VI-j1RkUkF77wJxUc7M7ye/s150/Picture%2520Perfect%2520Party%2520Linky.jpg"/></a></center>

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.



Visit my Blog Hops page to see the hops that I often link up to.

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My Birthday and Weekend #Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #165!

It's been a busy and fun-filled birthday week! Amanda had a birthday on Sunday and I had a birthday on Thursday. If you missed Amanda's Birthday photos then check out Tuesday's post, the Birthday Girl.

I was spoiled with lovely and thoughtful gifts. Even Amanda spent time shopping for me with her grandma and another day with her dad. She also chose a couple of gifts and paid for one or two small items with her pocket money.

My blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.
Click on my pics to see them at their best!

The morning of my birthday
(I borrowed Amanda's natural
gemstone bracelet for the day)

Amanda chose the card, a chocolate heart, French
nougat and orchid food for my new orchid plant. 

Gifts from Hubby - Belgium chocolate, cream liquor,
and the Inspirational Coloring for Mom book

The first page that I colored from
my new coloring book.

We made a lasagna the night before and
popped it into the oven on my birthday.

I don't follow a recipe when making lasagna, but here's the order of layers with lasagna sheets between each layer: on the bottom was white sauce (Béchamel sauce), then cooked mince (ground beef), then creamed butternut, another layer of cooked mince and lastly more white sauce with grated white cheddar cheese on top.

How I like to make

my lasagna layers:

For the mince (ground beef):

I cook lean mince (ground beef) and chopped onion. My favorite seasoning for the beef is chicken stock (we use one that doesn't have MSG), salt and pepper, a can of chopped and peeled tomatoes and ketchup. Make sure the mince isn't too saucy or the lasagna will end up runny.

The white sauce:

I make a traditional white sauce (Béchamel sauce) like this one and add a couple of sprinkles of nutmeg. I don't use pepper, because I use pepper in the mince (ground beef).

The vegetable layer:
I find that lasagna can be a heavy dish, so I like to include one layer with a vegetable. I use either a creamed spinach or creamed butternut.

We had butternut in my birthday lasagna. It's a great way to sneak a vegetable in when you have picky eaters. Thankfully, all four of our kids like to eat fruits and veggies. We raised them to eat healthily, but we know that not everyone likes the same things, so we try to be understanding. Can you believe that I have two kids that don't like bananas? 

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

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

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
Instagram

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
• Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
• Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
• Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
• Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWaX10yWr7xxEQ5BBMhOqdZxobJ0omJBq-v8ENFn3YNNebsnsYBHwcGyje-XzSlHSJOIlZ1rEOp89LyNI97XrPFZtdeH_AvaNV3F8hOvHfsuwe29ALNQw75ibK34buYq7nhpGGZJ8UTnoB/s150/Make+My+Saturday+Sweet.jpg"/></a></center>

Weekend Linky

This is a blog hop!

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link parties I take part in.

Read More

Birthday Girl with #Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #181!

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.

Click on my photos to see them at their best!

Amanda and my mom-in-law

On Friday I posted photos of Amanda's class party. You can see her classroom and her teacher here: Birthday and Blogiversary!

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

Here's a peek at
My Latest Post

on 1camera1mom:

Britannia Bay and More!

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

Now on to my blog hop...

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

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+

Pinterest 

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

and

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
• Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
• If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
• Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

<center> <a href="http://abooksandmore.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Amanda’s Books and More" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitS14XLc-z2uSUW00dIvyZc7lEfLP2tkPgO3qmU3NWi_UObDs_d7XqpYhjp0BBeROyZot-8YlEFU9rguELrZYu3arN1qHHNpB4_ezrb-TlBlfHRSOvP7pBA0VI-j1RkUkF77wJxUc7M7ye/s150/Picture%2520Perfect%2520Party%2520Linky.jpg"/></a></center>

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.



Visit my Blog Hops page to see the hops that I often link up to.

Read More