February | 2026 | Amy Scott's Thoughts

What I’ve Been Reading – February 2026 February 28, 2026

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

Bookish Thoughts for February

February might be a short month, but it’s been an excellent bookish month! I’ve enjoyed acquiring a few more books for my home library. I ordered two parenting books after recommendations from a parenting conference at our church. I really enjoyed Parenting by Paul David Tripp and I look forward to diving into Growing With soon. My book club had a field trip this month – we went book shopping at Goodwill! I Heard the Owl Call My Name was my exciting find that day! I got By the Shores of Silver Lake at Powell’s. I love that store! The boys not only got their monthly books, but also a book from Powell’s. I love treating them to something special when we’re there. To keep the thrifting theme going, I’m expecting a small order from Thrift Books. It won’t arrive until next week, so I’ll have to highlight that in my March post. Yay for new books!

I’ve been doing a bit of a deep dive on the Vanderbilt family after visiting Biltmore last month. I picked up a copy of Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty. While the book was fascinating, George Vanderbilt and Biltmore weren’t mentioned. Apparently, other family members were more notorious. Building the biggest house and living a bookish life didn’t grant George or Biltmore any space in the book. It was an interesting look into the Vanderbilts as a clan, though. These Tangle Threads was a historical fiction that took place in the decade after George Vanderbilt died. It gave insight into how the estate operated without him and the flood of 1916. I ended up researching many tangents online as I read it. I’m currently reading The Last Castle and it’s all about George’s life, legacy, and the Biltmore estate. It was exactly the deep dive I was looking for when I started this binge!

Other highlights of the month, I was excited to read Melissa Ferguson’s long-awaited new release, Without a Clue. I don’t read a lot of cozy murder mysteries, so it added some nice diversity to my month. I read quite a few fairy tale retellings at the beginning of the month. I’ve been filling in the gaps with The Gentlemen’s Gamble series – a historical fiction series revolving around a marriage bet place amongst seven friends. There has been quite a bit of variety in my reading this month. It’s been delightful to hop between so many different genres.

The Book List for February
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:

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty by Anderson Cooper – 3 stars
Parenting: 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family by Paul David Tripp – 4 stars
Gifts and Gratitudes: A Year of One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp – 5 stars

Fiction:

Once Upon a Winter Beast by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
Once Upon a Rose by Monique Brasher – 3 stars
Lily of the Tower by Maire Soleil – 3 stars
An Accidental Marriage by Deborah M. Hathaway – 3 stars
A Foolish Proposal by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
A Fortunate Miscalculation by Karen Thornell – 3 stars
A Novel Engagement by Anneka Walker – 3 stars
The Cowboy’s Game by Cindy Steel – 3 stars
The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin – 2 stars
Without a Clue by Melissa Ferguson – 4 stars
These Tangled Threads by Sarah Loudin Thomas – 4 stars

The Ordinary Adventures of February February 23, 2026

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:22 pm

February has a unique vibe. It seems to be a mellow month for our family. After the hype of the holidays and then celebrating my birthday in January, February can feel quiet in comparison. Don’t get me wrong, I love quiet. It has it’s place in everyday life. Even in these ordinary days, we are still enjoying smaller-scale adventures as a family and with friends. Let’s take a look!

The boys took turns sharing sniffles this month. Thankfully, they were minor! I was able to have dinner with my forever friend, Christa. She’s on the cusp of a big move, so my time with her feels extra precious right now. We had a parents’ night at church. The boys hung out with Nana and Papa while Jeremy and I attended the event. The next day (Valentine’s Day), we went to the beach to help Grandpa and Grandma with some house projects. The beach house is being renovated, but it was neat to see the progress in-person. Jeremy hosted the Bethel Kids Winter Olympics. This competition was a big hit! Owen came away with a silver medal in curling (or something resembling curling) and Graham got a silver medal in the penguin waddle race (totally an Olympic sport, right?)

We enjoyed a down day on President’s Day and went out to Chinese food on Lunar New Year. We caught up with friends at their house. The moms chatted about life while the kids played laser tag and board games. The boys are loving piano lessons right now and look forward to their new video session each week. It’s fun to see them tackle a new way of playing the piano. I got my haircut. My book club did a field trip to Goodwill to browse for books! We had a family shopping day in Portland to look at books for me, a video game for Owen, and Pokémon cards for Graham. Jeremy was hoping to find a new puzzle, but nothing sparked his fancy. We’ll keep looking!

As you can see, nothing much to report. Just all the ordinary adventures! The boys have found a renewed loved for scootering and their marble run set. It’s sweet to see them making adventures out of the small moments. Life doesn’t have to be big, flashy, or impressive to be good. I’m a fan of ordinary days. I’ll remember these ordinary days just as fondly as the extraordinary ones.

My contribution to the parenting event – book recommendations! This is my scaled-back assortment!

The sweetest bread bowl there ever was! Such a fun treat for Valentine’s Day!

The Bethel Kids Olympics! My IG story from Sunday the 15th.

Family shopping adventures call for a moment of rest in Fred Meyer…

Fresh haircut! It had been 11 months, so it was long overdue.

Homeschooling These Days… February 11, 2026

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:00 pm

We’ve been homeschooling for years and I get the occasional inquiry about our educational philosophy and social calendar. There is still the belief that homeschoolers are just hiding at home away from the world. This couldn’t be further from the truth with our homeschool experience. I’m continually amazed we get to do this homeschool life together as a family. It’s been such a wonderful opportunity. Our life is anything but boring!

While I was visiting the Carolinas, homeschooling with Dad was an adventure! Jeremy and the boys went to Top Golf, which I totally count as a field trip. The boys helped Jeremy at work with a community service project. They also played many board and card games, worked on their piano lessons, and made cinnamon rolls with Nana and Papa. All these activities have educational value! I love that they get to learn in community and out in the world. It’s a rich and rewarding way to do school. Jeremy also had them pull out their school books and work at the table. We didn’t want to get too behind in our curriculum. I was so thankful Jeremy put on his Homeschool Dad hat on while I was out-of-town. It’s fun to mix-up the routine!

Homeschooling right now looks like meeting up with friends at the library for Lego Club. It’s a visit to the Lewis County Historical Museum with friends for a Washington State history field trip. It’s learning a new way to play the piano with Nana. It’s weekly art lessons with other homeschoolers (the fridge now displays beautiful hand-drawn hummingbirds and silly faces). It’s making a tide pool display in science. It’s reading On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder out loud while snuggled up on the couch with blankets. These are the days I will look back on and remember fondly (I hope my boys will too). Homeschooling has been such a gift.

We still have plenty of time around the house. We don’t live at a fast pace. We have mornings at the table doing book work and afternoons to either rest or adventure. We regularly spend time with friends, family, and our church. I had no idea when we decided to take the plunge to homeschool in 2021 that it would be this good. I’m just so grateful! These are lovely days. I’m glad I get to walk them alongside my family, together!

P.S. This post was an ode to homeschooling and all that I’m loving about it right now. I realize that this is a personal decision that works well for our family. I am in no way saying it is the right and only way to educate and raise children. Just sharing my real-life, lived-in experience and the joy that it brings.