Amy’s Bookshelf | Amy Scott's Thoughts

Spring Breaks: Part 1 April 7, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:54 pm

The bonus of being a homeschool family is we have lots of flexibility with our calendar. We don’t take a traditional week long “spring break” like most schools. Before you feel too sorry for my kiddos, we do take breaks throughout the spring season. It’s fun to add some extra adventures in alongside our normal schooling schedule.

The first mini-break we took was for Jeremy’s birthday. He took the day off of work so we could celebrate the day with him as a family. Our adventure day found us down south in Oregon. Our morning was spent at the Woodburn Premium Outlets shopping for a few clothing items. Shopping can be an educational experience if you make it so. We talked with the kids about what makes factory outlets cheaper than other shopping options. We also talked about the math involved with sales and discounts. I love highlighting these economic elements while our kiddos tagalong on errands. After a tasty lunch at Red Robin (where Graham ate his weight in bottomless fries), we took off for Bullwinkle’s Family Fun Center for a round of mini-golf (which the birthday boy was the winner). We took a drive to admire Willamette Falls, Multnomah Falls, and Horsetail Falls. The weather was in the 80’s and beautifully sunny. It felt like a summer day, not spring! We couldn’t have asked for a better day to celebrate Jeremy!

Our second spring break was with the whole Scott family. All 16 of us Scotts met up at the beach for a vacation together. The house was the perfect size for our large family. The boys loved the game room and the media room. The house was also right on the beach! The view was stunning and you can’t beat a minute walk to the ocean! Family games, beach adventures, and chilling around the house were all highlights of our time together. Again, the weather was beautiful for this adventure – dry and sunny! You couldn’t have asked for better beach weather at the beginning April! Our family came down through Tillamook so we could stop at our favorite place – the Tillamook Creamery! It was a great way to kick-off our vacation time. We also stopped at another favorite, Pig’N Pancake, on the way home. The boys are definitely going through cousin withdrawals now that we’re home. We are so blessed for the genuine friendships with our family. We packed this beach vacation with family memories that our kiddos will take into adulthood. I can’t what to hear what they remember of these wacky and wonderful times we spent together!

We have more spring “breaks” planned in the coming month! Yay! I look forward to sharing these adventures with you soon.

What happens when the parents go out for dinner… Papa and Nana said they could handle all the kids… that seems debatable!

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

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 8:15 am

Bookish Thoughts for March

My bookish thoughts continue to center around adding books to our home library! I promise the monthly book hauls will come to a close soon, but… This month featured some fantastic book purchases! Let’s start with the “pretty” books I used to decorate our new fireplace mantel. I started out with Puffin in Bloom versions of Anne of Green Gables and a boxed set of Jane Austen books. I quickly realized those books were a little too girly for our very boy dominated house. This led to me adding Wordsworth Collector’s Editions of The Railway Children, The Wind in the Willows, and The Jungle Book. They perfectly balance with the Puffin in Bloom books both in color and content. I love how they look on the fireplace!

I was thrilled to receive my pre-ordered copy of Sunrise on the Reaping on it’s release day. As a Hunger Games fanatic, I’ve been waiting for what feels like forever for this book. It was bittersweet and oh-so-good! It definitely won it’s place as my top pick this month! Other home library additions include all of Melissa Ferguson’s books (I was given a gift to use alongside a free book reward on ThriftBooks.com). We added another used Audubon Field Guide (rocks and minerals) to our resource shelf. We love collecting these field guides. I was also invited to go thrift shopping with a friend. I got 6 books for $5, so I felt good about that! This month has been a good mix of pretty, new books and thrifty, used books!

**The March Book Haul**
(Minus the Audubon field guide…I forgot it! Oops! Just imagine a extra field guide by the National Parks guide.)

I’ve had books on the brain a lot this month! Aside from my own personal reading, I’ve been preparing for our upcoming homeschool year. Our school year is June-May, which means we are about to wrap up one year and begin a new one! I made my curriculum plan at the beginning of March (which is the earliest I’ve ever done that). Now I plan to spread out my purchases over the next few months, so we’re ready to start summer school in June. I love selecting my kiddos curriculum and it’s so fun to pour over the new school books once they arrive! I can’t wait!

**Owen’s March Pick:** *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*
**Graham’s March Pick:** *The Mystery of the Missing Pop Idol* (The Boxcar Children)

Top Picks for March

**Non-Fiction:** *A Million Little Miracles* captured my attention and held it! Mark’s focus on how awe-inspiring our world is definitely hit home with me. The focus on science, nature, and wonder clicked with the joy I get homeschooling my boys. I love that I get to share a million little miracles with them that point to an amazing Creator!
**Fiction:** *Sunrise on the Reaping* was a long awaited new release for me. I knew Haymitch’s story wouldn’t have a happy ending, but I greatly enjoyed revisiting recognizable characters and seeing a depth to Haymitch’s games that was previously unknown. This book did a great job of connecting *The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes* to the rest of of the Hunger Games series.

The Book List for March

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:

Lasting Ever: Faith, Music, Family, and Being Found by True Love by Rebecca St. James and Cubbie Fink – 4 stars
A Million Little Miracles: Rediscover the God Who Is Bigger Than Big, Closer Than Close, and Gooder Than Good by Mark Batterson – 4 stars
Everybody, Always for Kids by Bob Goff & Lindsey Goff Viducich – 4 stars

Fiction:

Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss – 3 stars
The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson – 4 stars
Snowy Serendipity by Melissa Ferguson – 3 stars
The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair – 3 stars
The Cupid Chronicles by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
Petals and Plot Twists by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
Driving Maisie Crazy by Deborah M. Hathaway – 4 stars
All Over the Map by Lanie Jacobs – 3 stars
Secret or Shutout by Leah Brunner – 3 stars
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – 4.5 stars
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey – 3 stars
The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey – 3 stars
The Last Star by Rick Yancey – 3 stars

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Making Changes Around the House March 8, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Getting Creative,Home Improvement,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 12:49 pm

We’ve been making some changes around our house this last month. I don’t claim to have home design skills. Jeremy jokes that my décor style is “library” – just add a bookcase (or bookcases) to any open wall and fill with books. It’s worked well for me so far. We did veer off the bookcase plan a bit this last month, though. Here’s how…

At the beginning of the year, Jeremy and I started researching living room furniture. We thought about adding a few new pieces to our space. We can be picky and furniture is expensive. We won’t buy something that we don’t love just to fill a space. We patiently waited and our plans finally came together. I mentioned a few posts ago that we purchased a new IKEA bookcase in February. It matched the bookcase we already had in our living room. We set these two bookcases up on either side of our television. I’ve been loving this change to our space. We have more room for board games and puzzles. I love displaying our everyday values like reading and playing together. The living room has a much more homey vibe now.

By moving the bookcase to a new spot, we created a very empty wall. It was a blank slate for a new project. Originally, we planned to put an IKEA cabinet on the wall, but the cabinet we liked (that matched our living room furniture) was out of stock. This allowed us to daydream about what other options might fit on the wall. One of our brainstorming sessions led to the idea of an electric fireplace. I’m drawn to practicality, so it was hard to give up the cabinet idea (since a cabinet meant storage and storage is practical). Once the fireplace idea took hold of our boys, it was hard to let go of the idea. It would offer another cozy element to our space. Also, we covered up our Christmas stocking wall with a bookcase, so I loved the idea of the Christmas stockings being by a fireplace in the future… In the end, I came around to the idea of a fireplace.

Once we decided on the fireplace, we had to find one that was the right color, the right size, and the right price. It took a little while for “that” fireplace to be found. We also decided to paint three of the smaller walls in our living room a shade darker than the rest of the space. This new accent color made the fireplace stand out more. After the walls were painted and the fireplace was put into place, I had the project of styling the mantel. The first item to move over was a house plant that was too tall for our living room space. Then, I added some framed school picture of the boys (which I paired with their preschool graduation pictures to showcase their growth). After pictures, I added some pretty books because I can’t not decorate with books. To finish off the look, I added a couple of fake greens from Hobby Lobby and my signature pinecones (I have pinecones all over the house, for some reason they make me happy and they are one of my favorite ways to bring nature inside). We had a mirror in a closest from our last home that finally found a spot in this house over the fireplace (it only took 7 years of waiting for the right place). Now that the look is complete, I’m thrilled with how it turned out!

The final big project took place in our backyard. Jeremy decided it was time to tear down our rickety play structure. The kids will miss the swings, but the whole structure felt like it might collapse with enough force. Our boys have outgrown the slide and play area. It was time to see it go, but it was still bittersweet – a sign that our boys aren’t tiny anymore. The boys even helped with the deconstruction project. Now Jeremy has plans for a firepit to take over that portion of the yard. His grand vision includes red Adirondack chairs surrounding a fire structure of some sort. While red is not a color we decorate with, the chairs are a nod to our travels to many Canadian national parks. In the parks, they have red Adirondack chairs set up in scenic locations. We made it our goal to find as many as we could when we visited Canada in 2023. It’s a sweet way to honor our family memories and to make some new memories in our own backyard. I can’t wait to see what he creates in this new space.

When we haven’t been in project mode, we’ve been keeping up with our normal life stuff – book club, school, piano practice, chess club, well check doctor appointments… The nice weather has meant walks, bike rides, and plenty of time on the trampoline for the boys. We had a field trip to the Oregon Zoo yesterday. It was so sweet to see their new baby elephant, Tula-Tu. The animals were active and the weather was prefect. It was great to get outside and adventure together as a family!

I’ve never had a mantel to decorate before! It was such a fun novelty!

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What I’ve Been Reading – February 2025 February 28, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 5:55 pm

Bookish Thoughts for February

I had some fun finds this February!!! A friend of mine recommended The Host by Stephanie Meyer and she gave me a free copy from Goodwill. I was super skeptical of this sci-fi romance… She had recommended it a few a times before, but without handing me the actual book, I probably would have never read it. Turns out, I LOVED it. It’s now one of my new favorite books and I’m currently re-reading it, because once was not enough. I even watched the movie version to do a comparison. It’s no surprise the book was better, but I still enjoyed the movie (it felt like a Cliff Notes version of the book).

I also discovered a new author this month – Melissa Ferguson. She was a recommendation from another author I follow. You might notice I have a thing about books that are about books. Melissa’s Meet Me in the Margins and The Perfect Rom-Com were books about the publishing world and aspiring authors. Her other books were also delightful. I feel like I have made a new friend in the bookish world. Inkheart and Jenny Colgan’s books were also books about books. It’s seems to a theme with me!

Other highlights of the month included adding a few more books to our home library! I went Amazon route for a few (including a pre-order of the new Hunger Games novel coming out next month). I had a Goodwill shopping outing with a friend this month as well. I found a couple of good books for myself, but I love Goodwill for adding to the boys’ library. I grabbed a couple favorites from my childhood as well some from their favorite authors. To wrap up this bookish month, I hunkered down with my home library to work on a parenting resource list for my church. It was a joy to pull favorite books off my shelves and share them with others.

Jeremy and I taught a parenting workshop at our church. Not only did I type up a book list of every parenting book I would recommend, I also raided my bookshelf and brought as many as I could to share! Books are my favorite way to research, learn, and grow. It was a joy to share these resources with other parents.

The Goodwill Haul – the copy of *The Fault in Our Stars* is a signed hardback in fabulous condition! Also, *The Host* is one of new favorite books of all time!

Owen’s pick of the month – *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*. Graham’s pick – *Hardy Boys Adventures: Deception on the Set*.

Top Picks for February

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

Fiction:

People Pleaser: Breaking Free from the Burden of Imaginary Expectations by Jinger Duggar Vuolo with Juile Lyles Carr – 3 stars
Life Without Lack: Living in the Fullness of Psalm 23 by Dallas Willard – 4 stars

Non-Fiction:

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan – 3 stars
Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan – 2 stars
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke – 3 stars
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez – 2.5 stars
Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson – 4 stars
Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson – 4 stars
How to Plot a Payback by Melissa Ferguson – 4 stars
The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson – 4 stars
The Perfect Rom-Com by Melissa Ferguson – 5 stars
The Host by Stephanie Meyer – 5 stars

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These February Days are Flying By… February 21, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 10:51 am

I’m truly shocked to see the end of February creeping up on us! After a quiet start to our month, our calendar picked up pace and now it seems like we’re flying through the month! How is it almost done? There is so much to share today so here we go!

Our homeschool co-op had a field trip to Kalama Sourdough Bakery last week. Best smelling (and tasting) field trip ever!!! We learned how a homeschool student started this company by selling loaves at a farmers market as a young teenager and now as and adult he has grown it into a full time business with 30 employees. It was neat to see how something so small grew into something quite large. The bakery tour was fun and informative. We all received a giant sourdough roll to sample at the end of the tour. So yummy!

We finally got our “snow” day last week! Around 11:00am on Thursday, it started to snow and it was clear that it wasn’t going to let up. Jeremy came home for lunch and decided to stay home due to the condition of the roads. With Jeremy home, we were able to go sledding by pulling the boys behind the minivan on the driveway. Jeremy also passed on his skills for making a “snow bear” (instead of a snowman) to the boys. The kids even made snow angels in their swimsuits when they got into the hot tub that evening. Craziness! It was an afternoon for chilly snow play and warming up with hot cocoa. I got my “grass-fully-covered” snow accumulation that signifies a true snow day in my mind!

The snow day put our Valentine’s Day plans in jeopardy, but thankfully, we were able to keep them despite the winter weather. We try to make Valentine’s Day a little special, but it’s not a big deal in our household. This year we had dinner plans with friends that helped us to up our Valentine’s Day vibes. I decorated with paper hearts on the wall, tablecloths on the tables, flowers and chocolates on the tables, sparkling cider, and HeartBaker pizzas from Papa Murphy’s. Our friends brought all the fixings for chocolate fondue and we used our fondue pot for the first time in many years! It felt decadent and it was the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert. It was fun to share this holiday with friends.

After Valentine’s Day, our long weekend of adventures continued! On Saturday, we joined my parents in a visit up north to see our sweet GG. We enjoyed chatting, eating Chipotle, and hanging out at GG’s house for a few hours. Sunday, our family ran errands down in Portland. We were on a mission to find a bookcase at IKEA and we grabbed the last one before they were officially out of stock. It felt like a miracle! Monday, we rearranged our living room after Jeremy built the new bookcase. I spent quite a bit of time moving things around on the shelves, trying to find the right arrangement of items. I love how it turned out! I’m not great at interior design, so I’ll let bookcases display books and games as a form of lifestyle décor. I’m all for displaying what we value. Monday wrapped up with a book shopping outing to Goodwill with a friend. It was good, good day!

I realize that February is a short month, but it always catches me by surprised! The days are flying by so quickly! I’ll see you back here at the end of the month for my monthly reading recap and we’ll see what adventures are right around the corner for our family as the calendar moves away from winter and toward spring.

Our rearranged living room! I love how the bookcases look beside the television.

We moved the bookcase that was on this wall into the living room. Now we get to reimagined this space… I’ll keep you posted on how it goes!

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

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 2:12 pm

Bookish Thoughts for January

January was another good month for adding to my home library! It’s always an exciting project going over my book lists and deciding what books will win a place on my bookshelves. I’m still vacillating on how to spend my last few birthday dollars. You might see yet another book haul next month. Possibly… We’ll see. Book shopping is one of my favorite things and curating my home library is a delight!

With the addition of a new bookcase after Christmas, the boys have wiggle room to add more books to their personal libraries again. We’ve restarted having them add a book a month to their collection. Graham is into The Boxcar Children at the moment, especially the mysteries involving food. The Doughnut Whodunit was Graham’s choice for January and I have feeling The Pizza Mystery might his selection for February. Stay tuned! Owen is in a massive Harry Potter phase at the moment. He has read the entire series and he continues to re-read his favorites over and over again. He discovered the Minalima editions with their illustrated and interactive pages and he now owns books 1-3 in this fancy edition. He loves that he has “pretty” books on his shelf. My love of pretty books has spread to the next generation. I’ll take that as a parenting win!

When it comes to my actual reading, January has been a diverse month! I’ve continue to binge read Kasey Stockton and her regency romances. Many of my favorite Kindle Unlimited authors had new releases this month. I enjoyed Marie Soleil’s retelling of Beauty and the Beast and Kasey Stockton’s newest rom-com. Carina Taylor and Jenny Proctor also had new releases. Angela Ruth Strong’s Fiancé Finale was a well written ending to her three book series. Robin Jones Gunn is one of my favorite authors and it was thrilling to read a new release from her. It’s been a while since she’s released a book. I’ve missed her! Authors definitely feel like friends to me.

When it comes to non-fiction, I’m reading Mom Heart Moments: Daily Devotions for Lifegiving Motherhood by Sally Clarkson and Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!: Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens by Kate Bowler during my quiet time. I finished reading the New Testament this week and I started Psalms for this coming month. I read Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis and I hope to start Life Without Lack by Dallas Willard (a book about Psalm 23) soon. Add in the beauty of Fields of Joy and the suspense of God’s Smuggler and I’ve had a good non-fiction month. I’m so thankful for books that encourage my faith and spiritual growth.

**January’s Book** **Haul:** Audubon Society Field Guides, New Testament Filament Bible Journals, Madeline Martin’s WWII novels, Angela Ruth Strong’s Resorting to Love series, Ann Voskamp’s devotional journals, and Bob Goff’s new devotional.

**Boys’ January Picks:** Graham selected *The Doughnut Whodunit* and Owen chose *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone* (Minalima Edition)

Top Picks for January

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:

Fields of Joy by Ruth Chou Simons – 4 stars
God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew with John & Elizabeth Sherrill – 4 stars
Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis – 4 stars

Fiction:

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin – 4 stars
Fiancé Finale by Angela Ruth Strong – 4 stars
Tea with Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn – 4 stars
Winning Winnie’s Hand by Deborah M. Hathaway – 3 stars
Isebelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil – 3 stars
Hail Marry by Martha Keyes – 3 stars
When Alec Met Evie by Jenny Proctor – 4 stars
Charlie Takes a Chance by Carina Taylor – 3 stars
Recipe for Rivals by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars
The Jewels of Halstead Manor by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars
The Lady of Larkspur Vale by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
The Widow of Falbrooke Court by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
The Recluse of Wolfeton House by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
The Smuggler of Camden Cove by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
A Forgiving Heart by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon – 3 stars
The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan – 3 stars

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What I’ve Been Reading – December 2024 December 31, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 9:00 am

Bookish Thoughts for December

December and January are two of my favorite book months of the year. Christmas and my birthday allow me to splurge and add to my home library in a massive haul that I don’t have funds for any other time of the year! Thank you to the kind family members who gifted me the joy of books this Christmas. Not only did I put my Christmas cash toward books, I was also able to add another bookcase to our playroom. The one bookcase was completely full and since we have years of book collecting ahead of us, we needed more space for our growing home library. I also had to do some rearranging of my own bookcases to make room for this month’s acquisitions. Making space for books makes me very merry, indeed. It also tickles my nose. It’s good thing I rearrange my books almost annually, because the amount of dust that collects behind them is astonishing. I love making things neat, tidy, and organized. Projects like this are the perfect way to wrap up the year and tie a bow on the holiday season!

The freshly rearranged playroom with a new bookcase so we can continue to grow our home library!

The first thing the boys bought on our day after Christmas shopping outing was books. They didn’t want to leave the van after that. Raising readers!

My first book haul was the Timeless series! These books were my binge read series this fall. I loved each one and I’m looking forward to the next installment in May!

My second book haul! A mix of books I’ve enjoyed in the past and unread new releases. Not all my books arrived in time for this post, so I’ll share more in January.

Top Picks for December

I enjoyed a year with Bob Goff in 2024. He is such an encouraging author. My kids fell in love with Bob while we read *Love Does for Kids* this fall. They are excited to start *Everybody, Always for Kids* in 2025.
It’s was a very 3 star Christmas reading season, but *The Holiday Cottage* stood out as a 4 star read. It was a good recommendation from a friend.

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:

Until Unity by Francis Chan – 4 stars
Live in Grace, Walk in Love: A 365-Day Journey by Bob Goff – 4 stars

Fiction:

Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb – 3 stars
Holiday Hostilities by Katie Bailey – 3 stars
Five Stolen Rings by Gracie Ruth Mitchell – 3 stars
Izzy and Her Off-Limits Love by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens – 3 stars
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens – 3 stars
Catch Yourself a Snowmance by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
Since We’ve No Place to Go by Kate Watson – 4 stars
The Holiday Husband by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
Yuletide Bride by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
All is Mary and Bright by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
A Duke for Lady Eve by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
An Agreeable Alliance by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan – 4 stars
The Run Option by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
Dropping the Ball by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars

Always fun to see to see my year in review on Goodreads. I read two more books than last year and was up about 700 pages!

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Christmas 2024: All The Festive Fun December 27, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:19 pm

So much Christmas magic has happened since my last post! It’s almost too much to recap in words so you’ll notice a LOT of photo collages to share the last two weeks. We’ve had church Christmas gatherings, Christmas lights galore, Christmas baking, Christmas movie watching (we introduced the boys to Home Alone 1 & 2 and Journey to Bethlehem), Christmas family celebrations, Christmas shopping, and Christmas gift wrapping. So. Much. Christmas. This time of year is truly magical. The sights, the sounds, the flavors… They bring out child-like wonder in all of us. It’s a joy to celebrate together as a family. All the Christmas festivities are a chance to remember the true reason for Christmas – Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. Emmanuel, God with us! I hope and pray that your Christmas season was filled with light, joy, and peace. Merry Christmas from our family to ours!

Jeremy turned our family into cartoons! The kids had a blast helping Jeremy make our Scott extended family into cartoons for Christmas as well.

A weekend filled with Christmas shopping and wrapping, our church float in the Lighted Tractor Parade, and Advent after multiple church Christmas parties.

Christmas Baking: I made molasses softies and sugar cookies. I used Starbucks holiday cups as my color inspiration this year.

Enchant Christmas Light Maze in Seattle, WA

Christmas Day: Stockings and gifts at GG’s house

Day After Christmas: Woke up to no power due to a wind storm, so LEGO building happened by lantern light. We still did our Day After Christmas shopping – books and Pokémon card were a highlight.

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What I’ve Been Reading – November 2024 November 30, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 9:22 am

Bookish Thoughts for November

So many bookish thoughts for November! Where to begin? Let’s go for the highlight of the month – Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyers. I love the Timeless series! Across the Ages is the fourth book and it did not disappoint. I purchased it on my Kindle for a day when I knew I would be waiting a lot and would need a book to fill the time. It was the perfect companion! I love the time-crossing, dual historical timelines in this series. This latest installment gave me Pirates of the Caribbean vibes which made me chuckle. Also in historical-fiction new releases, I enjoyed An Honorable Deception by Roseanna M. White. This book concluded her Imposters series and I felt like it was a great conclusion. White brought in characters from her other works which I adore when an author does that. It’s like bumping into an old friend unexpectedly. Makes me happy!

Christmas reading makes this time of year even more magical!

Shall we move on to Christmas books? Since it’s November, I dove into Christmas books like an Olympic swimmer! I started the month with The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. It features twin sisters who are both bakers. This vibe fit perfect with cheering on our friend, Megan, on the Holiday Baking Championship. Give me all the holiday baking goodness!!! I read new Christmas releases by Kortney Keisel (this one was sad, but good) and Courtney Walsh (gotta love the save-the-family-Christmas-tree-farm plot). I’ve also been re-reading the Christmas Escape series. I’m waiting for December to renew my Kindle Unlimited subscription. I have a list of Christmas books TBR in December. Seasonal reading is the best!

I completed The Tenet of Windfell Hall at the start of November. I can now claim I’ve read a book by each Bronte sister. I’ll take that as my literary gold star for the month. I also ended my non-fiction dry spell. I did a book swap with a friend a couple weeks ago and she supplied with me a stack of non-fiction books. Borrowing books is very motivating. I try to return books relatively quickly, so it means I’m likely to prioritize them on my TBR list. I have a couple of her books left to read in December. Non-fiction often gets lost in my busy autumn season and then is eclipsed by Christmas reading. As someone who “tries” to diversify my reading, I’m glad I could end the fiction-only phase.

Top Pick for November

*Across the Ages* (Timeless Series: Book 4) by Gabrielle Meyer – I would have included *The Holiday Swap* by Maggie Knox, but I’m currently loaning my copy to friend.

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:

Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better by Brant Hansen – 3 stars
You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity by Francis and Lisa Chan – 3 stars
Psalms: The Prayer Book Of The Bible by Dietrich Bonhoeffer – 3 stars

Fiction:

The Tenet of Windfell Hall by Anne Bronte – 3 stars
The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain – 4 stars
Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
An Honorable Deception by Roseanna M. White – 4 stars
Before I Do by Sophie Cousens – 3 stars
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox – 4 stars
The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler – 4 stars
One Foggy Christmas by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
Later on We’ll Conspire by Kortney Keisel – 4 stars
Christmas with a Crank by Courtney Walsh – 3 stars
The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird – 3 stars
Christmas Baggage by Deborah Hathaway – 4 stars
Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel – 4 stars
Host for the Holidays by Martha Keyes – 4 stars
A Newport Christmess by Jess Heileman – 4 stars

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November So Far… November 18, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:23 pm

November hasn’t turned out to be a hibernation month like I originally thought it would. I assumed we would slide into a quieter schedule after all the hubbub of birthday month in October. But… November had other plans. I’m thankful to say we’ve found a good groove now that we’re in the latter half of the month, but I’m still waiting for my hibernation feels. I doubt I’ll find it with the holidays right around the corner… Maybe January will have the quiet, chill vibes I’ve been longing for?

Our first weekend of the month was a restful one. It was nice to recover from Fall Fest with a puzzle, cider in the crockpot, breakfast out at a local favorite (Berry Field’s pumpkin pancakes – yum!), lots of fall baking, and some LEGO building. The first full week of the month was filled with a co-op field trip and an out of town conference leading into multiple family birthday celebrations. After that, I moved into friendship focused week. Lots of good stuff happening here!

Our family enjoyed our visit to a hands-on pioneer farm with our homeschool co-op. We learned about pioneer school rules and pioneer chores and housekeeping. I’m so grateful for modern conveniences. I’m not cut out for farm chores and pioneer housekeeping. The kids loved getting a wagon ride and testing out many of the farm chores for themselves. Owen really enjoyed his time at the blacksmith forge. Graham liked fiddling with the tools. The farm animals were super friendly and the boys made good friends with Bacon Bits, the pig.

A highlight of our weekly family calendar right now is watching our good friend, Megan, compete on the Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network. It’s such a neat experience to personally know someone on television. We watch Megan bake on the edge of seats each week! Our family is a whole cheer squad. It’s a big deal and we take watching Megan very seriously. Can’t wait for week three to air tonight!

While the calendar has been full these last few weeks, it’s been filled to the brim with the people we love. We’ve celebrated three family birthdays this month. We had pizza and cake with Nana, we went to a trampoline birthday party for my nephew, and we had a surprise party for Jeremy’s aunt. I’ve also been thankful for time with forever friends. I got a red cup and talked books with Christy last Monday, I had a phone date the next day with my out-of-state friend, Maggie, and then dinner with Christa on Wednesday. I’m extra thankful this month for the friends and family I get to do life with!

November is over halfway over, but there is still so much fun ahead this month. It’s crazy to think we are breezing through November and while it hasn’t been the quiet month I expected, it’s been a good month. As we focus on gratitude this month, I am thankful for the people who color our days with love, joy, support, and a bit of excitement! We certainly keep things interesting around here!