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| Amanda's never afraid of taking big leaps! |
Amanda's loves
- Broomball
- Legos
- Movies (especially superhero movies)
- The latest new technology
- Dancing
- Opera and Broadway musicals
- James Patterson novels
- Fireworks on the Fourth of July
Amanda's favorite vacations
- Visiting the birthplace of the Girl Scouts in Savannah, Georgia, in 2003
- Visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, in 2014
Amanda's special talents
- Making killer homemade jalapeno poppers
- Juggling
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| Amanda's latest board game obsession. |
Amanda's dreams in life
- Perfecting an underwater handstand
- Beating Laura at Boggle
- Being called Mom
About Amanda
by Laura
Amanda is the dreamer of the family. Amanda never says, “that will never work” or “we probably wouldn’t be able to…” Amanda says, “together, we can do anything!” Years ago, when we first started dating, I once got irritated and told her to be realistic. She said she liked being an optimist, and hoped she never changed. I then understood how much a realist like me needed a dreamer like her.
Amanda will be such a wonderful mom, because nothing fazes her. Her common refrain is, “I’m not worried!” I know that no matter what curveballs parenting throws our way, she’ll be a rock through it all.
Amanda was once a sweet little Texas girl with thick wavy black hair and a skateboard. She lived with her mom and sister, Julia, in a suburb of Dallas and spent her free time earning Girl Scout badges and going to see plays with her grandmother, whom everyone called Mame. Amanda’s dad died when she was very young, but his sisters made sure Amanda learned all about their Italian culture, like how to make authentic spaghetti sauce (which they call gravy) and how family comes before all else.
After college at the University of Texas, Amanda earned a spot at one of the best healthcare administration programs in the country, the University of Minnesota. She thought she’d spend two cold years getting her master’s degree and then head back to Texas, but when she met me, everything changed.
The first time I introduced Amanda to my nieces and nephews, it was love at first sight. Even now, after they’ve known her for years, my siblings’ kids flock to Amanda. Who can blame them, she’s super fun!
