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Let me introduce the most awesome group of team mates anyone could ever have! Not only are they my very good friends, but I also have the pleasure of working with them to bring this forum to all of you, each and every week;

and myself;

Here are the qualifications that will be used in the selection of each honoree. People that are selected will be recognized based on:

1. Acts of kindness that they show to their fellow man.

2. Must be willing to help others, and treat people in a kindly manner.

3. Have a good-hearted nature, and shows it through all that they do.

4. Must be a positive role model, and set a good example

5. Must be professional, avoids negativity, and promotes success through faith and hard work

So, if you know of anyone here at AdlandPro that are not necessarily "high profile" people per say, and that don't get the recognition that they deserve, let us know. We will be helping to get people recognized that should be *A SHINING STAR*. All nominations must be in by Saturday and please tell us why you believe the person deserves to be recognized.

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The meaning of the name AMANDA;

AMANDA                                                               

f   English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Finnish
Created in the 17th century by the playwright Colley Cibber, who based it on Latin amanda meaning "lovable".

*NOTE - For more information on this name , or any other name, please refer to the following website; http://www.behindthename.com/

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Here is AMANDA'S bio;

Hello Friends,

Thank you for wanting to feature me.

A little about me:  I am the youngest in my family comprising of a mishmash assortment of siblings that I accepted as normal.  My father was a widower with 3 sons, his first wife had been married before and two of her children accepted Dad as their father so for many years I never realized that they were  half siblings. My mother and father had 4 children, my sister, two brothers and myself.  There is 13 years between my sister and I, 8 years between my eldest brother and 4 years between my elder brother and I.

For the first 6 years we lived in the country and my father owned his own business of trucks, driving the school bus, the local taxi and service station to the residents around the area.

We had our own power house as electricity was not available until much later. Having our own source of electricity was convenient so we did not go onto the main grid. 

I remember always having an oil can, and  I oiled every moving part around the property that I could find. I earned the nickname of 'Oil can Aggie' from my sister, later to be shortened to Aggie.

Mum and my sister and brothers moved to Taihape were I lived and grew up. 
My father sold his business and wanted to go into farming so he bought some land a few miles from our old house. He relocated the old Powerhouse and used this building as his kitchen living quarters and and old army hut for his bedroom. 
He came home each weekend and we would go stay with him when farming needed extra help e.g. shearing, lambing time.  He farmed for 10 years before he retired and came to live with us permanently.  He died when I was 21.

I got my first pony when I was 14 and attended pony club, did jumping, and games which my pony was very good at and he could turn on a dime.  I graduated to horses, then I took a break from riding for many years. I took up my favorite past time again when my daughter and son showed an interest, so I rode with them to pony club and pleasure riding.  I was married for 20 years which ended in a two year minimum legal separation before divorce could be granted.

I came to the States in 1999, and met James, my pen pal, in person who was living in Redding, California.  After 4 days I left to travel to Wyoming to stay with Brenda, and we did some traveling around the States. Together we traveled up to one of our friend's who was living in Washington.  I went back to Redding, as I still had a few weeks before leaving to go back to NZ, and I helped James to relocate up to Oregon. 
James and I got engaged and all too soon it was time to leave.

James quickly got a job at a restaurant as waiter while he looked around for something else. After two other jobs he was finally settled into permanent hours at an Assisted Living Facility where he worked for the next 5 years.
 
Back in New Zealand I stayed with a couple of friends and decided to train as Care Giver at a nearby city, living in a Womens hostel boarding house. This is for women who have no income and cannot afford to  rent an apartment. This was challenging as many women came and went, and some women had come from bad home situations. I had never had to share living quarters, although we had our own bedroom we took turns with chores of cooking, cleaning etc and changed weekly.

I attended the training school for the next 10 months and graduated as Level 4, which is equivalent to LPN here in the States (unfortunately all this training does not give me LPN status or pay). I called James each week as toll calls are much cheaper from NZ...it was a long year apart.  I sold clothes and cashed in my life insurance and other possessions to raise the money to come back and start afresh.

I returned to the States a year later expecting to be marrying James within weeks, instead my separation dragged on for another 10 months as my ex decided to be difficult. I thought we had parted friendly, as I had come and visited and we got on very well.  I was under a lot of stress for years  before and after my move, and after receiving permanent resident status and starting work as Culture shock set in. The working policies and procedures are so different to what I was use to and none of my fellow co-workers or supervisors seemed to understand even when I told them I was having difficulty understanding. 

James and I moved from the apartment he was living in and bought a single wide in a Manufactured park where we lived for 5 years.

James decided to try Driving trucks because he was not going to be chosen to advance in the Care Facility so he attended the Truck Driving School and was accepted at Werner's where he drove OTR for a year.  I was employed at University of Oregon in Housing and worked as Detail cleaning mostly in the apartments and on campus when needed.

We sold our single wide and  relocated to Wyoming for a year where we rented so James could still stay with Werner's and drive for Net Ops. We were finally able to buy our first home here in Greenwood on 4 acres.  James works from Werner's HQ to Iowa with Net Ops.

My daughter Kerie, has visited us here as she has flown out to the States 3 years in a row to work in Vail, Colorado as shuttle driver and she snowboards on her free time.  She comes out for 5 months. Kerie has been off campus, Teachers College and this is her last year before she graduates.

My son Daryl is expected to come out this year, I have not seen him in 7 years.  He has been doing his apprenticeship in engineering and he is frustrated as he has not been receiving the tuition to pass quicker than he should have and hopes to be finished this year.

We have two puppies a Jack Russell, Minnie Mae who is 5 months and a Rotweiller, Max who is 9 weeks and is now bigger than Minnie...they play very well together.  Our lab mix dog Shadow kept running away, either just running off when we were out playing with him, or getting off his chain. This last time he ran off he has not come back, he has been gone for 4 weeks now. We have a quarter horse filly, yearling Chyna and just bought a Paint/quarter horse mare, Harmony, she has one blue eye and one brown eye.

I have been a member of Adland Pro since December 2004, I do not recall how I found Adland Pro, and I did not really get going until last year when I became more active in the forums.

I work in Teamwork because it makes our Dreams work.
My main business is Jerky Direct where I am working with a strong team that is growing under the excellent leadership of Linda Harvey! The Team Leaders are dedicated to helping us  build a downline team under them.

Xooma healthy water, under the leadership of Joe Downing and my up line.  I have been enjoying great improvement in my stiff joints from drinking x20 blast everyday.

Home Based Times which is promoting SiteWizardSeo


Kind regards
Amanda

Jerky Direct Omega Radiance Skin Care.
Xooma Healthy Water.
Home Based Times

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Let's all Congratulate AMANDA on being named one of this week's *SHINING STARS* If you are not a friend of AMANDA'S please send her an invitation to become your friend today! Here is AMANDA'S link;

http://community.adlandpro.com/go/Amanda_NZ/