Children’s Ministry | Amy Scott's Thoughts

Concluding April April 29, 2024

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 12:40 pm

It’s time for the end of the month wrap-up. Crazy, right? Mentally, I’m stuck in the middle of April. I’m absolutely flabbergasted that May begins this week. Part of the reason my mind is frozen in the middle of the month is travel-related. When I travel, I feel like time stands still. I expect to come home to a calendar that hasn’t moved while I was away, but that is not reality. So here I am. Playing catch up and wrapping my head around May.

We have an annual conference in Coeur d’Alene, ID at the end of April. Our network of the Assemblies of God gathers to take care of business and cast vision for the coming year. It’s a good mix of free time, conference gatherings, and meals with the pastoral staff of our church. CDA is about a 6 hour drive away, so Jeremy and I had plenty of drive time to dream out loud and sing along with my current musical obsession – all things For King + Country. The highlight of Monday was taking a hike together before the conference started. Getting my steps in is a priority because conferences come with a lot of sitting and eating. I need to balance that with moving! Jeremy and I enjoyed lunch at a local favorite, Meltz Extreme Grilled Cheese and got mini cookies at Crumbl for the first time. Yum! Tuesday, we had dinner with fellow children’s pastors in our network and enjoyed some Bible trivia together. After dinner, we met up with our church team for dessert at the hotel. Wednesday, we got to cheer on two of our team members who got ordained. Jeremy got to golf in a tournament that afternoon while I got some introvert recharge time. It was the the perfect combination of taking a walk, finishing a book, and watching a show.

The boys were off on their own adventures while we were at Network Conference. Jeremy’s parents graciously watched our kiddos while we were away and the boys had a blast with Nana and Papa! They spent a few days at the beach doing all sorts of fun stuff. They got to enjoy the beach, the hotel pool, an aquarium visit, a carousel ride, and time at the arcade. Nana and Papa know how to have a good time! It was fun to get updates from them as they adventured together. The boys brought their spending money and picked up treasures in the form of small stuffed animals and new puzzle cubes. We are in a massive Rubik’s cube phase at the moment. The boys enjoy watching YouTube tutorials on how to solve these cubes and honestly, it’s a bit beyond us all. With tenacity, they are picking it up as they continue to study!

Our weekend was spent catching up on laundry, chores, and resting after travels. We also played some family games together as a way to reconnect after being apart. A highlight of the weekend for me was going to see “Unsung Hero” in the theaters. When Jeremy and I saw For King + Country in concert, they were promoting the movie and sharing their family story from stage. I knew I wanted to see it on the big screen! Also, fun fact – their sister, Rebecca St. James, was my middle school hero. Her music and ministry had a major influence on my faith in very formative years. The movie was moving, powerful, inspirational, and so much more. It’s neat to see how this family is still ministering together. It was definitely worth the visit to the theater! A big shoutout to my parents for watching the boys while Jeremy and I got a movie date. We are very thankful for all the grandparent support we’ve been shown this week!

And there you have it! The end of April is in sight! Our May is a bit up in the air at the moment, but I know no matter lands on the calendar, our family will always find adventures around the bend!

Taking a hike before Network Conference began. Such a beautiful day to be outside!

The Coeur d’Alene Resort is always such a beautiful place to stay and visit

Jeremy took flower pictures on our hike! I borrowed them because they were too pretty not share!

Beach Boys! Thank you to Nana & Papa for this awesome adventure!

Movie date to see “Unsung Hero” in theaters!

Reliving my Rebecca St. James obsession! CDs, t-shirts, posters, devotionals, concerts, signings – I was all about all things RSJ in middle school. So thankful for the influence her music has had on my life! Her song “Kingdom Come” featuring For King + Country is one my current favorites!

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An April Update April 18, 2024

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 1:47 pm

After a very busy start to April, our middle of April has been considerably quieter. Jeremy and the boys came down with minor colds. We cautiously opted-out of our extracurriculars for about a week just to be safe. It’s funny how our schedules can go from 0mph to 100mph and back again in a blink! Things have been more in the 15mph category this last week and that’s okay. Thankfully, no one was super sick and it ended up being a nice change of pace.

We had a fun outing before the colds kept us home – we visited Northwest Trek with family! Northwest Trek is an animal park that features animals native to our area. They have a large free roam exhibit that you can caravan through. A zookeeper leads the group and gives information through a radio station the vehicles tune into as they follow. We loved seeing a closer look at the moose than we’ve ever had before. The lynx was super active thanks to a keeper talk. We met the new marmot that was rehomed from Mt. Rainier. If you ask the kids what their highlight, they would say the playground. It makes me chuckle that they love seeing all the animals, but the playground and time with cousins always wins!

We followed coverage of the Solar Eclipse as a part of our homeschool day on Monday the 9th. We followed the path from Mexico to Maine. It was on in the background of our school day and we paused to watch every time a major city went dark. Unfornately, it was cloudy and rainy day here in the PNW. We saw pictures though of how our local area had a small bite of the sun – just like someone nibbled on a cookie. It was a fun science lesson and gave some excitement to a Monday around the house.

Our latest adventure has been housesitting the neighbor dog. For the last few days we’ve been TC-sitting and the boys loved it. They were very responsible and took their jobs seriously. It helps that TC is a very low-key dog. The boys did everything from making TC her meals to taking her out to the bathroom to picking up poop and giving her treats. They doted on her quite a bit. It was a good opportunity for them to experience pet care firsthand.

Those are the highlights for the middle of the month. Things should be picking up pace again as we look to the latter half of April. We are optimistic for the next wave of adventures around the bend!

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A Musical Weekend December 13, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry — Amy Scott @ 2:55 pm

I could have entitled this blog a musical week, but the main musical highlights happened over the weekend. Our children’s ministry started practicing in September for our annual Christmas musical. This year the musical was Jingle Bell Beach which featured three singing groups competing for top spot in a singing competition. Owen and Graham were both a part of the “Electrons” – the pop/techno group. Performances were this weekend and they went so well! Owen did a great job with his two solos. Both boys were fabulous at memorizing the words and motions. It was so fun to watch the whole production come together.

Jeremy spent quite a bit of time preparing for the musical this last week. From picking up additional microphones and choir risers to shopping for t-shirts and snacks, he was a busy guy! On Wednesday, Owen attended an extra drama/solo practice and I joined Jeremy and Graham to help with our Wednesday evening children’s program. It was an all-hands-on-deck kind of a week. On Sunday morning, I was backstage for the first performance and then I switched places with another mom. I got to watch the second gathering while she took my spot backstage. It’s always a wild morning and it’s never perfect, but it was great nonetheless. I love watching the boys (and all the kids, really) get up on stage and share the Christmas message with our church. Jeremy also has extra platform time on this special Sunday, so he leaned into the beach theme. It’s not often he can be on stage in a Hawaiian print shirt and shorts on a Sunday morning.

The musical was obviously the main event this last week, but the main event around our house was Jeremy building the new bookcases we picked up at Ikea when we were in Portland for the For King + Country concert. Jeremy built them Thursday after work and I dove into book rearranging right away. I started with the new bookcase we added to the playroom. Our playroom books along with some books from the boys’ room went onto the new bookcase. I moved the board games out of the playroom closet and into the open space made my the moved books. I’m hoping with the games being visible, they will be played more often. Moving some books from the boys’ rooms created space to add to their room collections this coming year.

On Friday, with the playroom complete, I moved on to rearranging the books in our bedroom now that we added an additional bookcase there. Our count is up to four bookcases in our room. Jeremy has mentioned I’m turning our room into a library. My real dream is to turn the playroom into a library, but that’s probably a decade out, so it’s our room until then! I was able to move some décor items from the top of the bookcases on to the top shelves. The Billy bookcases from Ikea are so tall. I like having décor on the top shelf so that the top row of books isn’t too hard to reach (I’m short). I was able to move the Bibles and commentaries to their own section (yay) and now we have space on the non-fiction bookcase. We now have two fiction bookcases with plenty of room to add to our home library as well.

Before adding two more bookcases, things were getting tight and adding new books was becoming like a Tetris puzzle. Now there is breathing room again on our shelves. I can add books without messing up the categories and order in place. It feels good. Seeing the blank space on the shelves is a bit of a siren song. Growing a home library is a slow and deliberate process (for me, anyway). I might want to fill in all the gaps right now, but I realize this project set us up for growth in the future. I can live with the open space and dream about the new books that will someday fill those gaps.

Here we are less than two weeks until Christmas!!! The Christmas musical is behind us and we have only two more days until we are on Christmas vacation. I am very much ready to wrap up the school year for 2023 and enjoy the change of pace that comes with the holidays. Wishing you all well as you celebrate this season!

The new playroom book nook! The picture books are still color coded, but the chapter books are not because that would mess up the series’ we have. The top shelf of the Billy bookcase is book-free. I didn’t want kiddos scaling the bookcase to reach the top. Plus, it leaves room to fill in more books later.

It might create more messes, but I want the board games to be visible. The farthest right open cube is books that were too tall or wide for the narrow Billy shelves.

The new bookcase (on the left) in our room. Love that there is space to grow again! The top shelf on each bookcase is a basket with our DVD collection and décor. I don’t love displaying movies/shows, so these baskets have been a favorite of mine!

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Falling Further into Autumn November 2, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 1:48 pm

November is here! October is bright red and orange leaves with mostly blue skies. November is evergreen trees and the brown of branches exposed with gray skies. There is a definite shift. October is a super fun month for our family (birthday month!!!), but the pace isn’t sustainable beyond October. November feels like the time to slow down, be cozy at home, and watch the rain pitter-patter on the window. The change of pace is welcome.

Let’s jump into the autumn adventures we’ve had in the last week. The first being our visit to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Graham had been planning this zoo day as his birthday outing for months. Unfornately, his birthday tummy bug meant we had to postpone. Thankfully, the weather held and we were able to enjoy a sunny, but cold day at the zoo. Since we often go to the Oregon Zoo or Point Defiance Zoo, it was neat to visit a new zoo. We went to Wild Lanterns there a few years ago, but you don’t see the animals at that event. We also took the kids to visit this zoo when they were one and three, so they had no memory of that trip. It was very much a new experience for them and a great way to celebrate Graham’s birthday!

My forever friend, Christa, invited me to join her for a book folding craft at her local library. I had some reservations about my crafting skills, but a book related day out with my friend sounded enjoyable. The group that assembled to craft was diverse and the instructor was full of personality. To finish the craft in the two hour window of time was a bit of a task. We really had to hustle. We made lanterns out of folded books and battery-powered candles. When I got home, I added a bit of ribbon and found a home for my lantern. I wasn’t sure if I would create something worth displaying, but I’m happy with how it turned out!

Tuesday was Fall Fest – our church’s annual Halloween event. The boys went as the Kratt brothers, Martin and Chris, from Wild Kratts. I wore a Canada hoodie, a beanie, and took my Tim Hortons reusable cup as a prop. I was going for “tourist in Canada”, which is my very real self! We got to the church early to deliver Jeremy dinner. The boys were able to test out the games before things got busy. We had friends arrive at the start of the event, so we went around with them and did all the games again. We ended the night at our new church playground in the front of the building. It was chilly, but the kids had a blast running off all the sugar energy! Also, a big shoutout to my hubby and his team for once again hosting a stellar event! A lot of hard work went into making that night a success!

A few quick highlights… We dedicated the new playground on Sunday at church. It was freezing and definitely a memorable moment. Jeremy put red ribbon all around the playground and he let all the kids cut the ribbon together. The cold weather didn’t keep the kids from playing after the ribbon was cut. On Sundays, we’ve been working on our Christmas musical. Parts were given out in October and Owen has two singing solos this year. He is happy with the solos he was given. I’m sort of thankful he didn’t get a speaking part. It was great last year, but it means less pressure on me to help him run his lines at home. I’m good with that. We’ve completed our 1st quarter of school! All is well on the homeschool front. We are in a good groove.

And finally, today is Red Cup Day, which is a holiday in this household. Jeremy came home at lunch with Starbucks treats! I had my first peppermint hot chocolate and cranberry bliss bar of the season! Jeremy got a gingerbread latte and Graham got a snowman cookie. We love these seasonal treats! Jeremy also surprised me with a super pretty reusable cup. Happy Red Cup Day!

Visiting the Woodland Park Zoo in honor of Graham’s birthday

The final result! And yes, I have a fondness for decorating with pinecones.

Monday was pumpkin day! We made pumpkin waffles in our new mini-waffle maker and then we carved pumpkins.

Activating their creature powers and going wild as Martin and Chris Kratt from Wild Kratts.

November 1st calls for new Christmas pajamas.

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Bye, Bye Summer September 22, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:38 pm

We’ve been back to school for a few weeks, but since today is the official last day of summer, it feels right to say so long to the season. It seems like the weather agrees with the calendar. Today was beautiful. Sunny and 77 degrees. Tomorrow the rain returns to the PNW. Right on cue for the start of autumn. The last few weeks of summer have been good to use (honestly, the whole summer season was good to us). Here is a recap of what we’ve been up to these days.

Hunting season has certainly been a thing. Jeremy was out in the woods as much as his schedule allowed. Both boys joined him one evening and Owen joined him two additional times. Owen loves looking for wildlife and came home each time with a list of a little creatures he saw on his adventure with Jeremy. I love his enthusiasm for nature and wildlife.

Our homeschool co-op has met twice and the boys are loving being back at co-op with friends. The classes this fall are public speaking and art. So far, public speaking as been fun games that the boys are enjoying. So many giggles! One game was grabbing a random item out of a bag and selling it to the group. The details could be accurate or made up. Since our group has quite a few little boys, most of the products shot lasers. Thus the giggles!

I had a very bookish weekend last weekend. On Friday night, I met with my book club. I haven’t been since April, so it was long overdue! My book club friends are my local community and I’m so blessed to share a love of reading with them. It such a source of encouragement and joy for me. Saturday morning, I attended a women’s conference at our church. I taught a morning workshop on helping the next generation fall in love with God’s Word. I shared my story of falling in love with the Bible, what we’re doing in our household to encourage a love of God and the Bible, as well as what resources I recommend. I brought two bags full of Bibles and devotionals to class with me. I was definitely in my zone!

After my time at the conference, I met up with my hubby for lunch and errands. They boys were with Nana & Papa at soccer games for the cousins, so it was fun to sneak a little date time in after the conference. Jeremy was super supportive as I shared how my morning went. I came home to clean the house for company and Jeremy took off for the woods. Sunday after church, my parents came over for pizza and Pokémon. My sister brought a video game and her Pokémon cards to share with the boys. They were thrilled! It was a fun impromptu family gathering.

Today’s outing was a trip to Lattin’s Cider Mill and Farm. It’s a small farm, but the boys love visiting all the animals. I go for the apple fritters! Yum! We’ve been taking our kids to Lattin’s since they were babies. It’s so fun to return to this fall (okay, super late summer) outing every year. I’m a fan of traditions like this!

It’s time to say so long to summer and hello to fall! This summer was full of pool playdates, fun family vacations, and an awesome start to our school year. It’s hard to leave such a good season behind, but I know good days are ahead. Autumn is my favorite season – favorite flavors, favorite outings, favorite celebrations. Time to embrace the next season. I do believe I celebrate tomorrow with a pumpkin muffin.

Co-Op Art: Graham’s Grizzly Bear and Owen’s Boat at Sea

Science Experiment: Testing the pH level of our soil.

All the books that traveled with me last weekend. The small stack was for book club and the other two were for my workshop.

Pokémon heaven! Auntie shared so many cards with the boys!

Owen is a good hunting buddy! I love getting pictures like this from Jeremy!

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Summer Camp 2023 August 13, 2023

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:51 pm

Wow, we’re almost halfway through August! Sorry I went radio silent there. August has been a different month. After two months of hosting all the playdates and pool parties, we hunkered down at home the first week of August as a rest/prepare week. Even though we had no company or out of the house plans, it was a hugely productive week. Jeremy was prepping for directing a full 7 days of kids camp and I got all the prep work for the school year done. I’ve filed our intent to homeschool with the school district, officially planned the 1st quarter of school, and printed our first day of school signs. I am as ready as possible to start the school year at the end of the month. Woo hoo!

Last Sunday, Jeremy took off for kids camp. He directed two camps in one week. Camp One was Sunday through Wednesday and Camp Two was Wednesday through Saturday. Our church joined Camp Two, so I had a few days of single “momming” at the start of the week before joining Jeremy at camp. I had my permanent crown placed last Monday which means I’m done with my summer of dental appointments. Praise the Lord!

Owen went to camp last year while Graham and I stayed home. Graham wasn’t old enough to be a camper and we wanted Owen to be all-in on the camp experience (and not feel torn between family nearby). It was a great experience for Owen, but a hard experience for Graham. He missed Owen terribly. As the director’s family, we get the option of tagging along at camp and we decided to take it this year. Graham slept on an air mattress in Jeremy and I’s cabin while Owen bunked with our church boys. Next year, Graham will be old enough for the full camp experience. For his first camp experience, Graham got to choose when he wanted to participate and when he wanted to chill out at our cabin. We’ll see how he handles the full schedule next year. One of the highlights of camp was going with the cousin. Two of my nephews joined the fun and we’re hoping for even more cousins next year. The kids would tell you that cousin time, the lake, and the snack shack were their favorite parts. Owen took the chapel messages to heart and we had some good conversations as he processed what God was doing in his life. It was fun to watch the kids enjoy all that camp had to offer.

To raise money for a missionary family, the kids got to turn Pastor Jeremy into a human dog. What does that mean? The leaders sprayed condiments of ketchup, mustard, and relish and then the kids stuck hot dog buns on to Jeremy. He was a good sport about it all… but what a mess! The stinky “hot dog” laundry is washing as I type. It was the last load to run… I put it off for obvious reasons. We are unpacked and ready to rest!

One more highlight, Graham lost his first top tooth last night. It was wiggling before we left for camp. A few foods made it bleed and that freaked Graham out. He doesn’t do well with blood. At camp, Graham was super concerned about what foods might bother his tooth. I’m glad it’s out now so he can eat whatever he wants again. Done with the drama!

That about covers this mid-August update. We are enjoying these last few weeks of summer vacation before the school routine starts up again. School is almost here, but we have one last hurrah planned before we settle down. I’ll keep you posted!

Splurged on mini murphs while Jeremy was away.

Packed and ready to go! These kids were hyped up for camp!

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Conferencing April 22, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Travels,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 3:36 pm

The antibiotics I mentioned last Friday kicked in and did the trick! I was well enough on Saturday to start a full week of conferencing. Last Saturday, our church offered an all-day parenting conference. I wasn’t sure if my throat would heal in time for me to attend, but it did! Being a homeschool mom has scaled back my ministry participation, so it was nice to jump into a one day event and be a support to our pastoral team. The conference was a full day with breaks for parents to discuss what they heard and make intentional plans forward. We received many positive comments from those who attended. It’s always a joy to equip and encourage parents. This is where world changers are formed – in our homes, with our parenting! The investment in our families has an astounding ripple affect. It’s neat to be a part of something much bigger than I can see and understand in this moment.

After the full day at the parenting conference, our family packed up on Sunday and took off for another conference. The boys got a “spring break” with Nana and Papa while Jeremy and I attended a ministry conference with our Assemblies of God network of ministers in Idaho. We are so thankful for Nana and Papa! They gave our boys an awesome experience while we were at both the parenting conference and Network Conference. We couldn’t have achieved all this conferencing without their support! Coeur d’Alene, ID is a beautiful location for a conference. We enjoyed eating out with our pastoral team, connecting with other children’s pastors, and learning from engaging and challenging speakers. My favorite moments of the conference were slipping away for time with just Jeremy. We don’t get a lot of kid-free time, so it was a treat to have a few “date” like moments for ourselves in the midst of the conference. My favorite times were walking around the park near our hotel and taking a hike along the lake. It was so nice to get out of our seats and stretch our legs. The hike along the lake was delightful and the fresh air (though chilly) was invigorating!

Now our family is back together and settled at home. I had book club last night, which is always a highlight of my month. I’ve had plenty of laundry to tackle and just general resettling to do around the house. The boys purchased Uno Attack and Uno All Wilds yesterday, so we’ve been alternating between variations of Uno and Wingspan at the dining room table. It feels good to be home! The margin for rest is appreciated. Between holidays, illness, and travels, all our social plans have landed in this coming week. I, personally, need to recharge before we tackle the week ahead. I’m thankful for the buffer this weekend offers before we dive into more good stuff!

I packed 5 books with me on this trip! Good thing we didn’t fly. I would have been over the weight limit, for sure!

This chilly hike might have been my favorite part of the week! It started to snow on us at the end, but worth it!

Jeremy and I each got a personal sized “Gooey” at the hotel restaurant. They are known from their over the top ice cream desserts!

Home time = Game time! The boys are loving the cardholders they made with Nana.

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Easter Week April 14, 2023

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 1:19 pm

Easter week is always a big one for our family. Jeremy is a children’s pastor and Easter is the biggest Sunday of the year. Lots of preparation goes into making Easter Sunday the best one ever. Thankfully, Jesus’s resurrection makes it the best Sunday ever, regardless of our human efforts. We love to make holidays special, especially for the boys. We love all the activities, gifts, and fuss. But we also realize that new Easter shirts, bunny ears, chocolate, and plastic eggs have nothing to do with the true meaning of Easter. We can live with both/and. We can have both the celebration of our resurrected Savior and the springtime activities.

The Thursday before every big Easter event, our family spends the afternoon down at the church helping to prepare. This means moving prizes and gifts into place so we can give them away over the weekend. For as long as the kids can remember, they’ve helped us prepare by moving Easter baskets and setting up the church for other children to enjoy. It’s a PK (pastor’s kid) tradition and they love it. They are so helpful and so enthusiastic about the weekend to come.

Our house turned into the hub for all the Easter activities. On Friday, I decided to make sugar cookies. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to use my bunny and egg cookie cutters. Saturday, we hosted an Easter weekend celebration with my parents. We had a pizza lunch, gave the boys their Easter baskets, and did an egg hunt. Later that evening, we colored Easter eggs. We often get asked why we do so much on the Saturday before Easter. With Jeremy working a good portion of Sunday, this allows us to get all the Easter festivities in without jamming them into the latter half of Sunday. It allows us more time as a family without feeling rushed.

Easter Sunday, the boys and I went to the late gathering at our church. This was the time that Jeremy needed me to assist with Children’s Church. Before church, I made the boys take their obligatory Easter Sunday pictures. They are good sports and put up with my mini photo shoot every year. After church, we had the Scott clan over for egg hunts, playtime, and a meal together. It was a full afternoon and evening of Easter fun with family.

The bonus of being a ministry family is getting the day after Easter off. It was a big week leading up to Easter and an even bigger weekend. Having Monday off is a nice rest to look forward to after so much activity. We decided to take our boys to see The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It was after spring break in our area and we figured going during school hours would give us a less crowded experience. We opted to see the movie in Olympia at the mall. They have “luxury loungers” at this theater. We all got a kick out of putting our feet up and leaning back to relax and watch the movie in style. We haven’t been to the movies as a family since Frozen 2 in 2019. It definitely felt like a special treat.

So often this happens… After a big week with lots of effort, someone in our family gets sick. This year it was me. I developed a sore throat Monday night and I’ve been batting it all week. After two tele-health visits, I started an antibiotic last night to treat it as strep throat. This was supposed to be a full week with a co-op field trip and a playdate with friends. Instead, I’ve spent a lot of time trying not swallow. Advil and salt water gargles have been my best friends. Skipping school wasn’t an option with our commitments this month. I masked up and homeschooled the best I could with a weak voice. Not ideal, but I didn’t want to get my kids sick. Being a homeschool mom makes illness difficult. Jeremy helped with the boys when he could, but there was no substitute teacher to call in. I’m hoping the antibiotics take effect soon so I can move forward with our upcoming plans. Our April plans are a bit “extra” this month and I would hate to miss more than we already have. You can’t plan for these things and you can’t control them. Whatever happens, I have peace. I’m doing the best I can. Sorry to end with the bad news after a post all of all sorts of goodies. Hopefully, the next time I write you, I’ll be well with adventures to share!

The boys helping move Easter baskets into the Children’s Church classroom for Sunday.

Happy Easter! He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!

The boys did an egg hunt with the cousins and then the adults got to do an egg hunt as well.

Ready for *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*!

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A Spring Celebration & Other Joyful Moments April 3, 2023

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 1:44 pm

The beginning of spring always comes with a special celebration right around the corner. Jeremy’s birthday!!! His spring season is often filled to the brim with Easter preparation, but our family likes to make sure that he gets his time to shine. He’s the best and we can’t help but make a big deal of his day. He is worth the honor and extra attention. The boys and I kicked off Jeremy’s birthday weekend on Thursday evening when he got home from work. We greeted him with cake, cards, presents, balloons, and the happy birthday banner up declaring it was time to party. Technically, his birthday wasn’t until Saturday, but we are firm believers in celebrating over many days. Friday, we had a family outing to Top Golf. This is our third year in a row visiting for Jeremy’s birthday. Apparently, it’s become tradition! For Jeremy’s actual birthday, we started the morning with a family game of Wingspan. The birthday boy won, of course. My parents brought take-out over for a birthday lunch, we took a walk in the sunshine afterward, and then went to Jeremy’s parent’s house for dinner. It was a fun and festive day filled with family!

Other highlights of the week included a playdate with friends. It was a dry afternoon and the kids spent the whole time in the woods building a fort. My mom-friend and I got uninterrupted conversation while our kids were busy building. It was a win-win for all! We’ve certainly been social this spring, especially this last weekend. We had friends over for dinner on Friday. Jeremy and Owen helped with our church work party on Saturday morning. Then we all met at Nana & Papa’s for pizza and games with some visiting family. Yesterday, I was able to catch up with my forever friend, Maggie, over a linner of pizza and pizookies at BJ’s Brewhouse. I love when family, friends, and food all combine for a good time!

Now it’s Easter week! It’s always a big one on the church calendar. We are looking forward to this coming weekend with great anticipation. We have special goodies to giveaway at church. We have multiple family meals and Easter egg hunts. I have all the elements of our Easter baskets assembled and ready to go! I still need to fill eggs for our family egg hunt on Saturday. There will also be some tasty treats to prepare and silly pictures with bunny ears to take. New polos are washed and ready for the boys to wear on Easter Sunday. All the fuss cannot eclipse the true reason we celebrate – which is our Risen Savior, Jesus! The greatest celebration is for our redemption made complete on the cross! So thankful for all the joyful moments this season provides. It’s a sweet spring season!

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Star Stomp and Other Christmas Adventures! December 7, 2022

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 7:19 pm

We are only one week into December… but if I recap the whole week for you, it will seem like we’ve lived an entire month in seven days! The big focus on the week was Star Stomp, our church Christmas musical. Friday evening was practice for the kids with solos and drama parts. Graham got to spend a special evening with Nana and Papa while the rest of us worked on the production. I did my final role as a “substitute star” on Friday night. I was able to practice my backstage role at Saturday’s dress rehearsal so I was ready for Sunday morning. We had some family members come on Saturday to watch the dress rehearsal and that made it extra special. Sunday’s performances were amazing! The kids did the best they’ve ever done! Owen did a fantastic job as Lil G and Graham was a super star in the choir!

Over the last week, we’ve seen snowflakes most day and even had some accumulation from time to time. Sunday morning was a slow drive into church since the roads were snowy and icy. Usually, I stay home if there is snow on the road (even a dusting), but the kids had to get to the musical… so… I did it. I was nervous the whole way, but we made it! Sunday afternoon into the evening, the snow came back and started to stick. Again, we had another snowy drive down to the church. This time for a Christmas party and lucky for me, Jeremy was behind the wheel for this drive.

Tuesday was our second Christmas party of the month. This time with our co-op friends. I put together 30 gift bags filled with fidget toys and sweet treats for a Left/Right game. The kids had a blast passing the gifts right and left with the silly story I read about Santa losing his toy sack. Mr. & Mrs. Claus were surprise guests at our party. I wasn’t sure if we were going to make a Santa picture happen this year, so it was nice the opportunity came up with no effort from me. The boys requested LEGO Super Mario sets from Santa (which is no shock). We wrapped up the party with a Secret Santa gift exchange. Graham got a dragon egg that hatches and grows in water. My countertop in now Baby Dragon Command Center. Very fascinating stuff.

This week I’ve tackled my Christmas cards and got them to the mail. I also wrapped almost all of our Christmas presents. Our shopping is mostly complete except for a few small things. I’m feeling good about the Christmas to-do list. If parties, productions, and projects weren’t keeping us busy enough, our church is also hosting a scavenger hunt the entire month of December. In the midst of our commitments, our family is completing holiday challenges in the scavenger hunt app. We’re doing the best we can, but we’re currently in 10th place. We’ll need to up our game soon!

So here’s the stats – two musical practices, two musical performances, two Christmas parties, multiple days with snow, Christmas cards out, Christmas wrapping mostly done… this week has been a LOT! The good news is the rest of the month mellows out now. We have some Christmas plans and traditions to make happen, but it shouldn’t be such a mad dash. We are ready to rest up and enjoy a bit of Christmas vacation right around the corner!