Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

My 40th Birthday Adventure to the Carolinas! January 31, 2026

Filed under: Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:00 pm

I’ve hinted at a big trip and here is the reveal! For my 40th birthday, I joined my forever friend and birthday month buddy, Maggie, on her side of the country for a birthday celebration adventure! Maggie moved to South Carolina a few years ago and it’s been a dream of mine to see her neck of the woods in-person. Our 40th birthdays seemed like the perfect time to celebrate together!

I added three new states to my list on this trip – Texas (I figure 10+ hours at the DFW airport counts), South Carolina, and North Carolina. We even made it to the Tennessee state line, which made four states in one trip (TN wasn’t a new state, but still fun). This was a bucket list trip in so many ways. Getting to see where Maggie lives was such a gift. I love that I can now picture all her places when she tells me what she’s been up to. Winter Storm Fern did decide to crash our party. Due to the weather, we took three days of plans and condensed them into less than two. We saw a lot of country on Friday and Saturday before the storm moved in!

Thursday was my travel day. I was up at 3:30am getting ready at our hotel in Portland. We decided to stay by the airport to avoid the early morning travel. The whole family was awake and we were watching BBC America at 4:00am. It was a bird program. How could we not? Thursday was a long day with a four hour layover at DFW. Once I arrived in Greenville, SC and got my bag, it was almost 10pm. Despite the time change, I was very ready for bed after the early morning and travel day. The hardest part was saying good night to Maggie after such a short time of being together! But we had a whole weekend to catch up and an early morning the next day.

Friday, we were out the door early and off for Ashville, NC. Maggie made plans for us to visit the Biltmore Estate – including lunch at the Stable Café and staying at the Village Hotel. I loved every minute of the self-guided tour of the house. It was beautiful. The library was my favorite room (surprise?) and I couldn’t get over who elaborate the ceilings were in each room. It was quite a novelty to eat lunch in a horse stall and the whole estate was lovely! I loved our time at Biltmore!

We wrapped up our time at the house on Friday afternoon and made a quick trip to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We were supposed to spend all of Saturday there, but the park was closing at 7:00pm on Friday and not reopening until after the storm. We only had a couple hours to drive around Great Smoky Mountains. We found the famous smoky blue scenic views. They were stunning! I would love to come back to the park when I have more time to explore. It was still a treat to check it off my national park bucket list.

Saturday morning, we at breakfast at the hotel before taking a walk around the Biltmore grounds. It was very chilly, but the greenhouse was open and the perfect place to warm up! After we bid Biltmore adieu, we took off for downtown Greenville, SC. We enjoyed a yummy lunch at The Cheesecake Factory before walking around downtown. The temperature was very cold for our adventures and the big conversation everywhere we went was the weather. Thankfully, the storm didn’t move in until Saturday night. We were able to enjoy most of Saturday out before being homebound.

The rest of the trip was very different than the beginning! Thanks to Winter Storm Fern, we had lots of time to “chill” at Maggie’s house. We watched A Week Away: The Series and The Day After Tomorrow. We walked and talked and just hung out in her living room. It was a nice change from the go-go-go of our adventure days. The only thing we planned that didn’t pan out was visiting Maggie’s church. The gatherings were canceled due to weather. Once the roads cleared, we went to Waffle House (a special place for Maggie’s family) and Bojangles (I wanted to try something new). Maggie told me the Bo-Berry Biscuits at Bojangles are addicting and she was right! Good thing this Carolina chain hasn’t made it’s way to the NW. I’d be in trouble!

My trip was extended (by two days) when the weather led to multiple canceled flights. Maggie was a gracious host. I was so thankful I had a warm place to stay. The extra time with Maggie helped me through the delays. Maggie’s dog, Gus, was my pal over the course of the trip and he was a great emotional support dog as I navigated the big feels of being unable to get home. Overall, the best part of the trip was getting to be alongside my forever friend – whether we were adventuring or walking around her neighborhood or chatting on her couch. Our in-person time is so rare these days. It was definitely worth the trip, despite the weather!

As I mentioned, getting home was a struggle. I finally got a flight to DFW early Wednesday morning. I was in for an eight hour layover, but then my flight got delayed making it over ten hours. I was able to talk to American Airlines and thankfully, I got on an earlier flight out. It was a 21 hour travel day and my body was practically broken by the end of it. My suitcase wasn’t rerouted to my new flight. It arrived in Portland hours after me. It was supposed to be delivered yesterday, but it didn’t arrive… It says it’s out for delivery again today. We’ll see. Until my suitcase arrives, I feel a bit like my wild adventure is still on-going!

And there you have it! My 40th birthday adventure to the Carolinas (with a lot of time at the DFW airport). It was epic and unforgettable! I’m so glad I got to kick off this new decade with my forever friend and birthday month buddy! A big thank you to Maggie for hosting me and being up for anything!!!

Saying good-bye at PDX
Made it to Maggie!
The Biltmore House
The Stable Café
Can I live here? Please!!!
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Walking the Village Inn grounds! Chilly, but pretty!
Walking the Biltmore House grounds! Same as above: chilly, but pretty!
Warming up in the greenhouse!
Downtown Greenville, SC
My new pal, Gus!
Winter Storm Fern arrived…
We didn’t have hot water for the day, but we did have power and cake, so we were warm and well!
Another bucket list item for me on this trip: Waffle House!
One last walk around the neighborhood together!
Finding a quiet spot at DFW. It felt like the airport I couldn’t escape!
 

What I’ve Been Reading – January 2026

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 10:00 am

Bookish Thoughts for January

This time of year is always my favorite when it comes to books! Between Christmas and my birthday, I usually have a few new additions to my home library. This year, I was also gifted some very sweet and thoughtful bookish gifts (along with actual books). I’m a very happy bookworm! I feel so loved! You’ll see my bookish gifts and new additions to my home library in the collage below. My favorite thing just might be my home library embosser! I can’t wait to label ALL my books with my personalized seal!

Highlights for January… Fairy tale retellings! I’ve read so many between December and January. They are hitting a happy spot in my heart. From contemporary rom-coms to Texas westerns, I loved seeing how authors reimagined these classic stories. I particularly enjoyed Jenessa Fayeth’s Date with Danger due to the many Psych references (the show Jeremy and I are currently watching together). Gabrielle Meyer’s retelling of My Fair Lady in To Love a Lady was well done. George Vanderbilt was a side character and I felt a special connection to him this month (more on that in my upcoming post). I had a big travel adventure in January. Valancy (The Blue Castle) and Wanda (The Host) kept me company on the journey. So many good books!

Top Picks for January… I had hoped to read The Familiar Stranger in December, but I got distracted by Christmas novels and fairy tale retellings. I’m glad I waited in hindsight. It was a great book to kick off the new year with. Our church used this book as the springboard for a special series. I was curious about the material and I love keeping tabs on what our church staff is reading and recommending. The Familiar Stranger was a wonderful resource to introduce the Holy Spirit and highlight how the Spirit is alive and active in our lives. I am living more mindful of His presence thanks to this book. For fiction, I got a copy of Denise Hunter’s newest release from the library, The Second Story Bookshop. Her bookish books hit a right note for me. Also, the small cameo of characters from her Riverbend Gap series was appreciated!

Bookish Gifts! A jewelry box that looks like a book – I’m using it to hold my bookmarks, instead. Jeremy got me an embosser and seals so I can label my home library! A bookish hoodie – cozy and perfect for snuggling in to read. The additions to my home library in December and January! So much book love!
My travel books! I read them on my Kindle so I didn’t have to pack extra weight. I love reading familiar favorites on trips! Comfort reading!

Top Picks for January

The Scott Bros January Picks

The Book List for January
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction:

  • The Familiar Stranger: (Re)Introducing the Holy Spirit to Those in Search of an Experiential Spirituality by Tyler Staton – 4 stars

Fiction:

  • To Love a Beast by Karen Witemeyer – 3 stars
  • Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer – 3 stars
  • If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer – 3 stars
  • Clocked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer – 4 stars
  • The Lucky One by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
  • Date with Danger by Jenessa Fayeth – 4 stars
  • Taken with Trouble by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
  • Engaged in Espionage by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
  • Married to Mischief by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
  • Not How I Saw that Going by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
  • Not on Your Life by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
  • To Love a Lady by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
  • The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
  • The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery – 5 stars
  • The Host by Stephanie Meyer – 5 stars
  • Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder – 4 star
 

Officially 40: Here’s to a New Decade!!! January 20, 2026

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 2:35 pm

I’ve officially made to a new decade! I am now in my 40’s. Woo hoo! I have a lot of feels about entering a new decade, but the main one is gratitude! The Lord has been SO good to me. Through every high and low, He has been faithful. His faithfulness gives me hope for the future. I can look ahead optimistically knowing I am never alone and God’s in control. I can trust him with all the feels, things, details. He’s got me! I love my life and the people I get to do life with. I’m so so thankful!

I started my birthday with breakfast out with my family and parents. It was a sweet way to kick off the day. The boys and I came home to tackle our school day and then we enjoyed some down time around the house. I savored yummy food all day long. I love celebrating with food! Mac and cheese and chocolate cake are often on the menu for my birthday and this year was no exception! Jeremy and the boys took off for church in the evening and I reveled in a few quiet hours of introvert time. It was a very good day! I received some very thoughtful bookish gifts this year. I can’t wait to share them with you in my book blog at the end of the month. Stay tuned!

Our long weekend was a fun one. We visit the In-N-Out down south of us. I’m not a huge fan of fast food burgers, so I truthfully don’t get the hype. This In-N-Out as been open for months and it’s still a zoo. The crowd was crazy. I liked my burger, but I didn’t love it… Jeremy, on the other hand, thought it was awesome. After In-N-Out, we explored a new section of the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. We took the Oaks to Wetlands trail and stretched our legs on a beautifully sunny day. January sunshine is a rare and true treasure. It was too nice not to be outside!

Friday night was my book club. It was lovely to reconnect with friends after the holidays! We spent Saturday and Sunday celebrating my birthday with family. I love celebrating over many days and keeping the party vibes alive! I’m a big believer in birthday month! The boys started a new curriculum for piano lessons. They are learning a new process of playing by ear (instead of being tied only to sheet music). It’s an adventure for them and they are tackling it with enthusiasm. To wrap up this newsy update, we had the northern lights come out to play last night. Our family was out in our 25 degree backyard at 3:40am taking pictures and admiring the sky. It was so pretty, but we’re all a bit tired today. Apparently, we missed some crucial sleep!

I’m excited for my next few posts! I have a special adventure of my own right around the corner… I also have so many bookish things to share at the end of the month. I just can’t wait. It’s gonna be good!

Birthday Breakfast!
It was a birthday full of sweet treats and thoughtful gifts. Feeling so loved!
It’s not a birthday without chocolate cake!
Trying the new Ridgefield In-N-Out
Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge
Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge
Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge
Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge
Northern Lights
Northern Lights
 

January Rearranging… January 10, 2026

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 2:35 pm

Last year after Christmas, we purchased another bookcase for the playroom and rearranged it to make space for our growing home library. It seems to be a new tradition, because we did the same thing this year as well. Instead of a new bookcase for the playroom, we got two new bookcases. One of each of the boys’ bedrooms. They received new LEGO sets and books for Christmas and they were out of room to display their treasures. Over the last year, the playroom bookcases had filled up and would no longer work as an overflow for the bedrooms. Jeremy told me his goal for this coming year is to NOT buy another bookcase… Where’s the fun in that?

We grabbed two more Billy bookcases from IKEA on New Year’s Eve. We spent New Year’s Day assembling them and rearranging all the treasures the boys love to display in their rooms. It felt so strange rearranging these rooms. They’ve stayed mostly the same since we moved into this home 8 years ago. As we adjusted their rooms, it’s clear we’re accommodating older kids, not the littles we moved into the house with. My mama heart has been processing all the growing and changing of my boys as as I process and rearrange these spaces. It’s been a bit mentally taxing. It was like Tetris finding the right home and spaces for their things, while leaving room for new treasures to be collected in years to come. Definitely a mental puzzle!

We moved a chair from Graham’s room into the playroom, which was the springboard for rearranging the playroom. Our old set-up didn’t leave enough walking space between the bookcases, two chairs, and the piano. Last week’s project was the bedrooms and this weekend’s project was the playroom. It feels so good to have them both tackled now. We took down some maps from the walls that the boys have outgrown. We now have some new wall space to decorate around the piano. We’re thinking music themed décor, but I have no actual idea what that is at the moment. I’ll have to keep my eyes open!

Other highlights since I last posted… We spent New Year’s Eve playing games with family in Vancouver. We enjoyed a meal with Nana and Papa. We showed them the Christmas musical and shared a few of our new Christmas games with them. We celebrated my sister’s birthday with sushi! Owen was brave and tried it for the first time. He didn’t like it, but I’m proud he gave it a shot. The Scott family wasn’t into the sushi scene, so we all found Chinese food options while my parents and sister enjoyed their special birthday treat.

We finally took down the Christmas decorations. It was fun to restyle the mantel yet again! This week, I added paper hearts to the wall to go along with our paper snowflakes. The multi-color hearts go well with the birthday banner I’ve left up from my sister’s celebration. April and I have birthdays two weeks apart, so it felt like the banner could just stay up for “birthday month.” We spent our evenings at church last week for a special spiritual emphasis to start the new year. I got dinner with a forever forever on Wednesday. We started a new weekly art class on Thursdays mornings. We wrapped our first week back to school with a outdoor adventure to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Sunny January days are perfect for getting outside, going for a walk, and birding!

Happy New Year!

Graham’s New Bookcase
Owen’s New Bookcase
Upgraded Owen’s fabric totes! I decided to get Graham the same style but in blue. They’ll arrive this week and upgrade the look in Graham’s room, too!
The Restyled Mantel: I love the flowers and the kids love that the wooden duck is back in the main space.
Valentine Vibes
Trying sushi for the first time! Brave Kid!
Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
The Playroom: Before
The Playroom: After
 

What I’ve Been Reading – December 2025 December 31, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 10:00 am

Bookish Thoughts for December

It’s the end of the year and the bookish stats are in! The last three years I’ve read over 200 books a year and this year… I fell short by three! Good thing 200 wasn’t actually my goal. 197 is respectable, but as someone who doesn’t like odd numbers, I wish I got one more book read so I could end on a even note. Ha! I’ve set 100 books as my reading goal the last few years on Goodreads. It’s a low bar, but I’m not in competition with myself. The numbers don’t really matter. I’ve been pondering why I didn’t make it to 200 this year and I think the answer is two-fold. I feel like I read less novellas this year. Counting novellas in my book total always feels like padding the stats a bit. I would also say that I was a bit busier than previous years. Obviously, I still had plenty of time to read. I was a happy bookworm in 2025, but I do feel like I had less time to read. It’s all good. Life is full of ebbs and flows. I like to think I find a good balance of being active and restful in my daily life.

Let’s talk about December! Illness derailed a good chunk of my month, so there was extra time to read. More time to read meant extra Christmas novels and novellas. Once I breezed through my usual authors, I went searching for new books in Kindle Unlimited. Christmas is the best time to have KU! The highlight of the month actually came from the library, though – My Beloved by Jan Karon. I read the Mitford series a few years ago and really enjoyed it. There was a gap between when the series ended and this newly released addition came out. I’m not sure it would have been a 5 star read if I had read it back-to-back with the whole series, but the distance from the series made coming back to Mitford feel extra special. Reconnecting with the characters and the town set during the Christmas season – it was the perfect Christmas read for me. It gave me all the cozy, happy Christmas feels!

I also enjoyed Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention by Sarah Clarkson. I realize my introverted personality lends to a quiet life, but I’ve found such value in slower, smaller, quieter days. I love that quiet isn’t inactive. When you are still and quiet, you are aware of details and moments that can be easily rushed past in ordinary days. I appreciated Sarah’s reminder to strive for quiet (even in the midst of a loud house or a busy life) and the purpose quiet gives to our souls and our relationship with our Creator! I also wrapped up my one year devotional by Sarah’s mom, Sally. I loved gleaning wisdom and encouragement from Sally Clarkson in 2025. I look forward to starting a new one year devotional by Bob Goff tomorrow!

Okay, time to finish this up! This post has gotten long, but I’ll give myself some grace. This was a monthly and yearly recap all in one. It’s a bit extra! Usually, I would share my new Christmas books with you in this post, but my book acquisitions were smaller than usual this year. I’m saving for a special trip in January, so I didn’t go wild with a book haul this Christmas. I’ll combine my Christmas books and birthday books to share with you in January! Stay tuned! I hope you all had a lovely bookish 2025 and I wish you many great reads in 2026!

Top Picks for December

The Scott Bros December Picks

The Book List for December
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction:

  • Reclaiming Quiet: Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention by Sarah Clarkson – 4 stars
  • Mom Heart Moments: Daily Devotions for Lifegiving Motherhood by Sally Clarkson – 4 stars

Fiction:

  • How to Kiss on Christmas Morning by Jenny Proctor – 4 stars
  • Betting on the Best Friend by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
  • Hate You, Maybe by Julie Christianson – 4 stars
  • Never the Bride by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
  • Chess, Not Checkers by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
  • Ocean of Ink by A.R. Conwell – 4 stars
  • Partnershipped in a Pear Tree by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
  • Date Yourself a Grinch by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
  • My Beloved by Jan Karon – 5 stars
  • Once Upon a Sugar Plum by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
  • Meet Me at Midnight by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
  • Back to December by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
  • Sugar Cookie Christmas by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
  • Silent Heist by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
  • Just a Date by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
  • Just a Bet by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
  • Just a Trip by Jenessa Fayeth – 3 stars
  • The Christmas Promise by Gabrielle Meyers – 3 stars

 

Wrapping Up Christmas! December 29, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 11:34 am

Last week, we were kicking off all of our Christmas celebrations and this week is the wrap-up to all of that holiday cheer! I love that our family celebrates Christmas over many days. We even keep celebrating after Christmas. We keep the Christmas joy going as long as we can. Christmas is truly a season and not just a day!

In the week since I last posted, we’ve had so many Christmas adventures. Last Monday, we watched The Muppet’s Christmas Carol. It’s a Christmas classic! We got Starbucks treats and drove around to look at Christmas lights. Tuesday, the boys had their first ever piano recital. Nana prepared a wonderful evening to highlight the boys and their piano skills. It was a great night to celebrate both the students and their teacher! We so appreciate all the hours that Nana has given to teaching our boys. It’s been a joy to watch them grow in their love and appreciation of music. They put in lots of practice for this recital and it paid off. We are so proud of them for being brave and working hard.

Wednesday was Christmas Eve and our family celebrated all day long! We started the day with cinnamon rolls. After breakfast, the boys opened their Christmas gifts and we took pictures in our matching pajama pants. We enjoyed a festive turkey lunch before heading to church for a candlelight Christmas gathering. Nana and Aunt Patty were part of the a chime choir that played before the gathering. We got there early to cheer them on! Our evening was spent watching White Christmas and playing Graham’s new game – Liar’s Uno!

Christmas morning started with the boys opening their stockings. We packed up and hit the road for GG’s house. We got there a little early so we could chat with GG before the masses created Christmas chaos. My extended family has grown quite large and it makes for a wild time! I love watching the kids open their gifts and connecting with family we don’t see often. When things started to wind down at GG’s house, we took off for Nana and Papa’s house. We played a new game called Camel Up. It’s a camel racing/betting game. It cracks up that were playing Liar’s Uno and betting on camels over Christmas. What life skills are passing on to the next generation?! We enjoyed a tasty dinner and one more card game before heading home to wrap up our Advent season. We lit the Jesus candle and once again reminded ourselves that the best gift of Christmas is Jesus. Christmas means nothing if the Savior isn’t at the heart of our celebration.

We have a tradition of shopping in Portland the day after Christmas. The boys focused on Rubik’s cubes and Pokémon cards. I purchased a pretty copy of The Tenet of Windfell Hall at Barnes & Noble. Jeremy selected a new board game, Everdell Farshore, for our collection. The highlights of the day were birding at the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge early in the morning and lunch at the Cheesecake Factory with special desserts to share.

Now our main focus is learning all our new Christmas games. The boys got so many games this year! I’ve been playing Tetris with our game storage to find homes for all these new additions to our collection. We’ve enjoyed quite a bit of family time around the table. We had friends over yesterday and learned some of their new Christmas games well. We have plans with friends and family this week and I’m sure more games will be learned and played! It’s been a lovely Christmas season and we are thankful for so much as reflect on 2025. We look forward to savoring the last few moments of this year before we welcome 2026! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Scotts!

The Grinch House was a favorite on our Christmas light drive!
Piano Recital: Nana and her students!
Piano Recital AI Style
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Birding at the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge
Sweet Treats!
Festive Breakfasts!
So many new games to play!
 

Kicking Off Christmas! December 22, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 11:18 am

We’ve had a quiet December so far… Or quiet-ish… Quiet for Graham and I… After the Christmas musical, Graham came down with a second round of whatever bug is going around. I also had what we called “Graham Lite” – similar bug, but a lighter version. It made for a lot of home time. Recovery was a top priority so our family Christmas plans could happen. Thankfully, all the resting paid off and we were able to celebrate Christmas all weekend long! We had back to back Christmas celebrations this week. Saturday was my family and Sunday was Jeremy’s family. The kids are now on Christmas break from school and enjoying extra time to play with their new gifts. We are in a slight lull of Christmas activity, but more Christmas cheer is still yet to come. Hopefully, I’ll be back with more to share soon! Merry Christmas!

Owen was Jeremy’s buddy for the Lighted Tractor Parade!
A beautiful quiet moment at home
Advent Week Three: JOY!
Wild weather here in the PNW! One week is was flooding and the next a powerful wind storm. Our canopy was ripped off our deck, thrown onto the roof, and then crashed right outside Owen’s window! Thankfully, it didn’t hit the window. Jeremy was out dragging it away from the house at 1:00am.
Cutting it close! Finished all the Christmas shopping and wrapping right before our Christmas celebrations!
Gingerbread Waffle! Yum!
Festive Christmas attire thanks to AI!
Jeremy and I starring in A Christmas Carol! More AI fun!
Sharing the Christmas musical with Auntie, Grandma, and Grandpa
Played a few rounds of this hilarious game that Owen got for Christmas
A formal Christmas with the Scotts! Jeremy really had too much fun with AI this year…
Minute to Win It Games
Minute to Win It Games
Minute to Win It Games
Advent Week Four: Love
 

The Carol of the Toys December 9, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 2:43 pm

This last weekend was a big one for our family! Let’s jump right in!

Friday, I hosted my book club. It had been months since our schedules allowed for us to meet. I was excited for us to gather again, especially for our Christmas party. It’s one of my favorite nights of the year! I’ve been experimenting a little with gluten-free baking. I adapted an easy pumpkin cake recipe using a GF yellow cake mix. It was tasty, but you could tell it was GF by the texture. I filled a crockpot with apple cider and spiced it was cinnamon sticks and cloves. So good! We nibbled on treats, talked about what books we’ve been reading, and then did a wrapped book gift exchange. In years past, we’ve done a white elephant style game were we draw numbers and steal. With a smaller group, I thought a dice game might prolong the fun. It worked quite nicely. While I hosted book club, the boys went to see Zootopia 2 which they greatly enjoyed – both the movie and the treats!

Saturday, Graham was under the weather so I stayed home with him while Jeremy and Owen went to church for the big Christmas musical dress rehearsal. It was finally the weekend to perform The Carol of the Toys! I was bummed that illness decided to hit our house the same weekend as the musical. Isn’t that how life goes? We didn’t miss a single practice until the dress rehearsal. Resting on Saturday was the right choice. Graham was well enough to participate on Sunday which was a huge relief to us all.

The Carol of the Toys is a bit like Toy Story. The toy room toys come to life and are excited to celebrate Christmas with their Christmas toy friends. Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus don’t arrive with the Christmas toys, so a search party is formed to go find them. Owen played Toy Solider, who leads the search party. The musical was silly and sweet while keeping the true meaning of Christmas at the center of it all. It’s not Christmas without Jesus! Owen did an awesome job with his lead role this year and Graham stepped up to the mic for the first time to be part of a quintet. I’m proud of them for stretching themselves and all the hard work they put into making the musical great! Now we rest! I’m thankful for a few quiet recovery days after the big weekend.

Book Club Treats: Gluten-free pumpkin spice cake and a crockpot full of spiced apple cider. Yum!
Book Club Gifts: Scott Family Christmas cards with heart shaped bookmarks.
Book Club Games: A wrapped book gift exchange!
While I hosted book club, the boys went to see Zootopia 2 with their favorite movie treats!
The Carol of the Toys
The Carol of the Toys: Owen as Toy Solider
The Carol of the Toys: Graham’s quintet
The Carol of the Toys
The Carol of the Toys
The Carol of the Toys
Advent Week Two: Peace
 

A Sweet Season December 3, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 2:10 pm

It’s been a pretty sweet season around here! I laughed because I only took pictures of desserts for Thanksgiving! Otherwise, I was too caught up with the family time to remember to take photos. Honestly, I’m not great at capturing candid moments. I just set my phone aside and let the holidays unfold. We enjoyed two wonderful days of Thanksgiving meals with family. There is nothing quite like good food and times with loved ones. It’s a winning combination!

When we haven’t been eating, we’ve been playing board games. We invested in a new family game thanks to Black Friday savings. We bought Heat: Petal to the Metal. It’s been fun to learn a new game as a family. It’s similar to one Jeremy and I played in the past and enjoyed. The kids love the racing element. I’ve yet to win a game, but I’m happy to participate in a family activity. We’ve also played Yahtzee and Labyrinth in the last week as well. It’s so cozy on these dark winter evenings to gather around the table and play a board game together.

With Thanksgiving behind us, we dove right into some of our favorite Christmas traditions. We had our annual gingerbread house decorating day this last weekend. It’s a team effort. Everyone contributes to the final product. We aren’t professional decorators, but we have a great time! Owen requested a paper snowflake crafting session. We now have a blizzard of paper snowflakes decorating our living room. It adds another seasonal touch to our space. Sunday was the start of the Advent season. We have a new devotional this year that covers all the Sundays of Advent as well as a daily reading until Christmas. The kids have been eating daily chocolates from their Target Advent calendars. I love counting down to Christmas while keeping the true heart of the season in the forefront of our minds. These are some of my favorite days!

We added a new game to our collection: Heat! It’s been so fun to race this last week. I’ve yet to win, but I’m enjoying the experience. Ha!
Sugar Cookies for the Scott Family Thanksgiving! I’m not much of a cook, but I’m always happy to bring dessert!
Crumbl pies for the Vitzthum Family Thanksgiving!
Owen soundly beat us all at Yahtzee!
Annual Gingerbread House Day
Annual Gingerbread House Day
Annual Gingerbread House Day
Annual Gingerbread House Day
Annual Gingerbread House Day
A blizzard of paper snowflakes
Advent Week One: Hope
Advent Week One: Hope
 

What I’ve Been Reading – November 2025 November 30, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 12:23 pm

Bookish Thoughts for November

I could have named this post New Release November! It’s been such a treat to read so many long awaited new releases from my favorite authors. Only one book on my list is a re-read this month and that was The Bodyguard by Katherine Center. I was waiting for a library hold and the book takes place around Thanksgiving. It felt like a good seasonal read. You’ll notice a seasonal theme to my reading as well. I got a library copy of Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber at the very beginning of the month, so the Halloween timeline felt right. I’ve enjoy Garber’s other books and her main character in Alchemy is reminiscent of her previous heroines. While fantasy isn’t my favorite genre, I’m okay with a little magic now and again. Truthfully, I almost didn’t finish this one because I wasn’t sure about the direction it was going, but about halfway through it changed course. I enjoyed the latter half of the book much more. I didn’t love it, but I’m intrigued enough that I will continue reading when the next installment is released.

The new release I was looking forward to most this month was Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer. Her Timeless series has become one of my absolute favorites. I’m very impressed with the complex timeline Meyer has created. Six books into the series, there is a lot of overlapping of characters and times. It takes some thought to keep them all straight, but each addition adds insight into the whole series while still standing on its own. I love the many different historical eras she’s been able to cover in this series as well. It’s next level historical fiction, in my opinion. I devoured Through Each Tomorrow while we were at the coast at the beginning of the month. It was the perfect vacation read!

On to Kindle Unlimited!!! I have dozens of books on my Kindle Unlimited TBR. I’ve been stockpiling new releases through October and November. When I subscribed to KU, I barely knew where to begin! So many choices! I’ve been prioritizing the new Christmas novels, because seasonal reading makes me happy. Courtney Walsh, Kate Watson, Emma St. Clair, and Brittany Larson all released new books in series I’ve read before. Also, Kasey Stockton’s new release included characters from another one of her Christmas novels. I love reconnecting with friends and places in books. I’m only partially through my KU TBR, so prepare to hear more about my obsession with new releases next month as well!

Top Picks for November

I couldn’t pick a favorite this month! I loved a month full of new releases! So much fun!!!
Books of the Month: Owen is working on collecting all of the National Park Mystery Series and Graham has discovered a love for the InvestiGators series.

The Book List for November
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction:

  • You Bet Your Stretch Marks: Finding Beauty and Worth in the Ways Motherhood Marks Our Bodies and Souls by Abbie Halberstadt – 4 stars

Fiction:

  • Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
  • The Bodyguard by Katherine Center – 4 stars (Thanksgiving)
  • My Merry Mistake by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars (Christmas)
  • Acting Merry by Martha Keyes – 4 stars (Christmas)
  • Highland Holiday by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars (Christmas)
  • Planes, Reins, and Automobiles by Kate Watson – 4 stars (Christmas)
  • Fa-La-La-La Land by Brittany Larsen – 4 stars (Christmas)
  • The Wild Card by Emma St. Clair – 4 stars
  • The Dandelion Princess by Keira Dominguez – 4 stars
  • Tell Me True by Carina Taylor – 4 stars
  • The Friendship Variable by Marie Soleil – 3 stars
  • Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham – 3 stars
  • Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber – 3 stars (Halloween)

Side Note: I’ve been extra free with the 4 star ratings this month. I guess it’s my seasonal, new release happiness giving me rose-colored reading glasses this month.