Family Time | Amy Scott's Thoughts

Summer Beach Getaway! August 25, 2025

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

Just one week until we head back to our regular school year schedule! We enjoyed the slower pace of summer school in June and July. We really enjoyed taking the month off in August. But alas, the school year is quickly approaching! It’s crazy how fast summer goes. I remember feeling that way as a kid and now as a parent it seems magnified. I’m trying my best to make the most of those 18 childhood summers!

We had one final “hurrah” of summer last week. We took off to the Washington coast for a few days. Grandpa and Grandma now have a beach place. A new spot to make family memories together. We enjoyed our time there for the 4th of July and we were eagerly anticipating more time in August. Our days at the beach were a good mix of activity and rest. Our crew was getting over the summer camp sniffles, so stamina wasn’t quite 100%, but that didn’t keep us down. We were at the beach every evening. The boys playing the waves, getting all sandy and wet. Jeremy and the boys took morning walks each day while I got ready at a slower pace.

On Monday, we went mini-golfing in Long Beach. This was one of Graham’s summer bucket list items. We got there right when it opened and had the whole place to ourselves! We grabbed some lunch in town and then explored the kite festival happenings down at the beach. The kites were super cool to watch and Graham was thrilled to see a vendor selling churros as we walked down to the beach. Monday was really his day. After the kite festival, Jeremy surprised us all by suggesting we go to the arcade. The kids had a blast! I even played a couple of games. We got home mid-afternoon and crashed at the beach house for some rest. We enjoyed an evening trip to the beach and then a Scoopers run for ice cream. It was a great day in Long Beach.

Monday was our town day and Tuesday was our nature day! We hiked a couple trails at the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge. Visiting the refuge was on Owen’s bucket list. While he didn’t see as many birds as he hoped, we did enjoy time on the trails. The only downside of the morning was Graham got stung by a wasp. The best way to recover from a bee sting was cookies as the local bakery! After our time at the wildlife refuge, we went to Cape Disappointment State Park. We have visited the North Head Lighthouse before and this time the trail to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse was open (it’s been closed in the past). We decided to explore a new trail and lighthouse. The view from the lighthouse was fantastic and the boys enjoyed our stop at Dead Man’s Cove. Not a pretty name, but a very pretty beach! Once our legs were done with hiking, we did a repeat of Monday – back to the house to rest for part of the afternoon, dinner, and then a trip to the beach. We wrapped up Tuesday with backyard smores and a beautiful sunset!

Wednesday was our final day at the beach. We spent the morning tidying up the house and packing. We had lunch at Chico’s, the local pizza place. Our kids love pizza so it was a must to find good pizza on the peninsula. Thankfully, Chico’s was kid-approved! I’m sure we’ll be back. We made one last stop at the kite festival on the way out of town. The event had filled in more since our Monday visit. After we left Long Beach, we took off for Fort Stevens on the Oregon Coast. The kids hadn’t visited Shipwreck Beach in years and they wanted to see it again. We also explored the ruins of Fort Stevens. I have such good childhood memories running around the batteries at Fort Stevens. It made my heart so happy to see my boys enjoying it just as much as I did. We’ve taken them before, but it had been years, so it was all fresh and new to them. We learned a bit of WWI and WWII history, but the coolest part was visiting the Earthworks which was built during the Civil War. I’ve always assumed the west coast doesn’t have much civil war history, so it was fascinating to discover a piece of it so close by. I love when adventures can also be educational. Yes, I’m such a homeschool mom!

The kiddos weren’t ready to come home. They could have stayed at the beach house for the rest of the summer and very happily lived off smores and ice cream! Like I mentioned earlier, we are now home and in the last week of summer vacation. It’s been so good. We’ll take many fun memories into the school year with us. One last beach getaway was the perfect way to wrap up our summer break!

Sprawling out at the beach house! They took great delight in having their own queen beds.

They are happiest when they are wet and sandy!

Cooling down with a sweet treat after exploring the fort

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Summer Camp 2025 August 13, 2025

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:54 pm

A week ago, the boys loaded up for summer camp! I was so excited to send them off on a great adventure, but I also knew I would miss them deeply! All the feels! Jeremy directs two weeks of summer camp for our network. Week one runs from Sunday to Wednesday and week two from Wednesday to Saturday. The boys are such good pals while Jeremy is a way for the first half of the week. The second half of the week is such a novelty because I am home alone. This is my second year of having “Mom Camp” and I enjoyed it immensely. But, I’m always very ready to have all my boys (hubby included) home and under the same roof again. Life is truly better together!

The kiddos were super jazzed to head off to camp this year. There was a bit on rain on Wednesday that threatened to “dampen” their spirits, but once they connected with their cousins and friends, they were ready for a good time. I enjoyed hearing about their summer camp escapades from Jeremy. The lake at camp is a huge draw for both swimming and boating. The kids had a blast with field games and free time activities. Jeremy shared about chapel moments and praying with the boys. They came home with all the camp songs stuck in their heads. It’s been so sweet to hear them singing the worship songs to themselves throughout the day. Being a year older, Graham had a better year at camp. He was homesick less and he engaged more fully than the year before. He is definitely maturing and it shows! Owen is glad he gets one more year as a camper and hopes to come back as an intern when he ages out.

I filled my days at home with good things. I took long walks everyday, often chatting with my mom in the fresh air and sunshine. I did a lot of baking and reading. I worked on house projects. I get a thrill out of productivity without interruption. Such a treat! I also watched the old Anne of Green Gables movies. My family doesn’t appreciate them so no one complained when I took over the TV with seven hours of Anne. I had some social plans as well. I wasn’t a complete hermit. I went out to dinner with a friend on Wednesday. I had another friend over on Friday for a movie night. I’ve been dying to see what is so terrible about the new Snow White and my friend indulged me. Overall, it was the perfect balance of social and solitude. I was able to be productive and restful. Such a good time. I look forward to Mom Camp 2026!

Being reunited with my family meant a fair amount of laundry. I think my washer and dryer sighed on Saturday night after 8 loads of laundry. I get some serious satisfaction from cleaning up all the luggage and getting everything back into its rightful place. Saturday, Sunday, and Monday involved a lot of rest and recovery. We made it to church for VBA on Sunday. I made cinnamon rolls on Monday for our cozy home day. Tuesday, we adventured to Mt. Rainier for a family outing. It’s been a few years since we visited the mountain in wildflower season. They were so pretty! We saw marmots, ptarmigans, squirrels, and chipmunks. Owen is all about the mountain birds while Graham is all about the mountain rodents.

Now I’m strategizing on how to fit the rest of summer plans into the next two and a half weeks. I’m praying the weather will cooperate! This weekend has an atmosphere river moving in that definitely has me rearranging premade plans. The summer is winding down and yet I feel like there is so much left to do! We’ll see how it all pans out. I’ll just keep doing my best to savor the summer.

Ran to Staples for the last of the school supplies and stopped by McDonald’s for lunch. We treat ourselves a lot when Jeremy is away. It’s how we cope!

We also play lots of games while Jeremy is gone. Keeps us busy and distracted from how much we miss him!

Dinner out with my forever friend, Christa!

So much baking! From scratch raspberry crisp with raspberries from our garden, gluten-free coffee cake for movie night, vanilla “welcome home” cake, and cozy cinnamon rolls for our rest day.

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The Summer Rundown August 4, 2025

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 1:27 pm

July tends to be a super social month of us. Somehow most of our social engagements landed in a two week span of July. It was a bit of a whirlwind, but also incredibly fun! Jeremy had jury duty in July which added a unique vibe to the month. He never had to report, but he did have to check often. We didn’t make any out of town plans, due to jury duty, so our days were spent locally. We often hosted company at our house or met up with friends at parks. We also had some extra time with family this month while Jeremy’s aunt visited from out of state. Our big outing was a trip to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. It was a cool and cloudy morning which made for great animal viewing. The red wolves are our favorites! Our library summer reading program provided tickets for both kids and adults this year. What a treat!

True to life, not all summer moments are fun and games. The boys had their first dental work this month (beside their biannual cleanings). Graham had a tiny cavity that needed a small filling. No numbing was necessary and the entire appointment took about 20 minutes. Easy peasy! Owen had two baby teeth that were getting in the way. Despite a month of wiggling, they didn’t come loose so the dentist had to assist. This was Owen’s first time getting numb at the dentist. He was nervous, but handled it like a champ. A few days after the dental work, Graham had his first consultation with the orthodontist. It looks like a palette expander and braces are in his future! Oh goody! I’m glad those appointments are behind us. We can give thoughts about teeth a short break.

August comes with it’s own set of adventures! On Sundays, our church runs our Vacation Bible Adventure program for the month. We kicked off True North VBA this Sunday. Week one was a hit! Our kids love VBA! Jeremy and his team do a great job of decorating and making the theme come to life each year. We can’t wait to for the next four Sundays!

An annual August tradition is summer camp. Jeremy co-directs two camps for our Assemblies of God network. The first camp started yesterday so the boys and I are on our own for a few days. We taught the kids Boggle on Saturday before Jeremy left for camp and they loved it! We played again yesterday and another game has been requested for today. I picked up a few Dominos pizzas yesterday as a treat and we’ll live off the leftovers for a few days. My meal planning skills are strong when I’m the only adult in the house. Haha! Graham baked himself cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning. Our days are filled with games, books, baking, playing outside, and yes, some screen time, too. I try to keep the boys and myself busy while Jeremy is away. We sure do miss him!

I’ve been using the quieter days to work on some projects. My biggest project has been back-to-school planning. I have our first homeschool semester all planned and written down in my official planner. I even have first-day-of-school signs ready to go. It feels good to have the fall prepped. It will allow me to truly savor this final month of summer. We are starting a new state history curriculum this year and I need to pick up to two binders for it. Then I’ll be officially, officially ready for school to start! We usually start school the last week of August, but we’re waiting until after Labor Day this year. It feels nice to know we the full month of August to enjoy the last days of summer break. We making the most of our summer days before they disappear!

Red wolves at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

Lunch out with family! The boys love cousin time.

So grateful for lots of time with Aunt Sandy!

Living off of pizza while Jeremy is away

My cinnamon kid! Have to pass along the skills to pop a Pillsbury can on to the next generation!

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Swimming Through Summer July 21, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 11:31 am

We are swimming through summer here in the PNW. Our days have been filled with so many good things – family, friends, pool time, park dates, barbeque, pizza, and ice cream treats. These summer days are flying by in a blur! We have been blessed to share our home with family and friends. We love watching kiddos run amok in the yard or splash around in the pool. We’ve played board games, enjoyed tasty food, and have had wonderful conversations. We’ve been thankful for air-conditioning and ice cream on 90 degree days. We’ve also reveled in cool, cloudy days that hint at the coming fall. It’s been a good mix! We’ll just keep swimming and see where the summer adventures take us!

Scootering and biking with friends at a new park

Making a splash! We had to add water to the pool after this swimming adventure!

It has been a while since I’d made sugar cookies and I was feeling inspired by the thriving bunny community in my yard this summer!

Just out for a float! The pool can be chill!

Family BBQ to celebrate of Aunt Sandy’s visit

The Triplets! These cousins are just a few months apart. The left is before they started kindergarten. The right is before they start middle school. We’ll need to snap another picture in three years to document high school!

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So Much to Celebrate! July 9, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 11:46 am

Hold on tight! We’ve had so many summer celebrations over the last few weeks. I’ll do my best to highlight them all. I’ll have to back track to June for a little bit to get you all caught up. Here we go!

We welcomed the first day of summer with a visit to GG and a baby shower! It was a week before GG’s 92nd birthday so we showed up with flowers and a birthday card. I figured a week was in the acceptable window of time to celebrate with the birthday girl. Visits to GG are always a precious time! I’m so glad we got to celebrate with her.

The baby shower was for a friend who grew up locally in Lewis County. Aimee was my faithful, right-hand women when I taught my Wednesday night girls class. Once she graduated from kids ministry, she volunteered all the way through high school. She now lives out of state, but she was home for a family baby shower and I was honored to join. I’m so excited for her and her husband to become parents!

We completed some major projects in June. We made Jeremy’s vision of a National Park travel wall become a reality in his office! I loved sorting through the maps and pictures to create something special. It definitely highlights our family’s love for exploring new places. Jeremy has one more wall to complete before his new office is finalized. He is so close to being fully settled in his new space!

The other big project in June was a family garage sale. Jeremy’s parents hosted a multi-family sale and Jeremy and the boys went all in to assist. This was an excellent opportunity for the boys to practice hands-on math and people skills. They learned so much and were so helpful! After cleaning out Jeremy’s office and going through the house, we had quite a bit to contribute to the sale. It always feels good to clear things out, make space, and tidy up!

Now for July! We were able to celebrate the 4th of July and my dad’s birthday at the Washington coast. My parents recently purchased a beach house and this was the first time our whole family spent a few nights there together. We took a few walks, introduced the boys to the National Treasure movies, made smores around the fire pit, and watched the free fireworks show from the deck. It was great to celebrate both America’s birthday and Grandpa’s birthday with a family weekend away!

To keep the holiday weekend vibes going, Jeremy had Monday and Tuesday off this week. On Monday, we went for a birding walk at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. We got out early to beat the heat and Owen was rewarded with spotting two new birds to add to his birding list. This is one of favorite local nature walks!

Yesterday, Jeremy and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary! Jeremy took the day off. I love that we got to spend the whole day together. We took the kids to see How to Train Your Dragon. They love the animated movies, so this movie was highly anticipated. They both enjoyed the live action version and now have been singing the theme music to themselves as they go about their day. While the boys did piano lessons with Nana, Jeremy and I went to dinner and got ice cream together. It was a simple day, but very sweet. I love adventuring through life alongside Jeremy. I’m so grateful to celebrate another year together!

Visiting GG to celebrate her 92nd birthday!

A sweet way to celebrate Aimee’s baby boy!

Getting Jeremy’s new office put together has been such a fun family project!

Birding adventure at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

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The June Jumble June 18, 2025

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 2:00 pm

June has held a variety of activities for our family. We certainly haven’t had a quiet start to our summer vacation, but it’s been good, fun, and productive. We’ve been busy, which isn’t my favorite speed, but I’m hopeful that some slower summer days might be around the corner for us… I need to go back to putting a non-negotiable “X” on at least one of the week. Turns out God had the right idea when he created the Sabbath. My body, mind, and soul crave a day off after a period of “go, go, go!” I could wax poetic about the intentionally slow life, but let’s move on to the assortment of experiences we’ve had recently.

The backyard pool is up and running! Or swimming… Anyway, the warm weather last week super heated the pool and made for some delightful June swims. It’s been a bit of a project to re-inflate all the pool toys and to sort out which ones had leaks. We replaced a couple floaties and got the kiddos new googles. We are ready for the summer swim season! We’ve already had one pool playdate with friends. We also had our first park play date with friends and we have another on the books for next week. Pools, parks, and pals are a great way to spend our summer days!

Our family project has been moving Jeremy into a new office at work. We have new staff members joining our church team at the end of June/beginning of July. In order to make space for their arrival, a new office hub was built and Jeremy relocated to this space. We’ve been working in phases to make this transition happen. It’s been quite the project!

First, we spent an afternoon sorting his old office. We decided what would move to his new office, what needed to find a new home in the church, and what needed to be donated. Let’s just say a children’s pastor can collect some wacky stuff over 20 years of ministry! The second phase was moving the remaining items from Jeremy’s old office into his new office. After that, we did a shopping day to gather new organization and décor items for his new space.

Just yesterday, we put the organizational items into place and started arranging all his things. Today, he got a loveseat for additional seating. The final phase will be getting wall art up. It hasn’t been a speedy process, but it’s nice to see it all slowly coming together. Interior design isn’t my strongest skill, but I love organization and making things tidy. It’s been fun to work together on this project as a family. The boys have even lent a hand. It’s been a team effort!

Father’s Day was in the June mix. We celebrated a different dad each day. Friday was Jeremy’s day. He opted to head to Portland for an office shopping day. We treated Jeremy’s to Chick-Fil-A and Salt & Straw while we were in the big city. Saturday, we had pizza and cake with my parents and sister. We celebrated both my mom’s birthday and Father’s Day. Sunday, we had bomb pops after church as a way to honor all the “pops” in our congregation. We did a fun bomb pop themed craft with the kids and had a bomb pop photo op in our lobby. It was a super “sweet” way to celebrate! We had dinner at Nana and Papa’s house with family to celebrate another birthday and Father’s Day. So many festivities!

Add in an orthodontist check-in for Owen, dental cleanings for both boys, sorting/pricing items for an upcoming family garage sale… June has felt a bit like a jumble! Friends, family, celebrations, changes, projects, appointments on top of the everyday stuff like chores and summer school. It’s been a lot! We are tackling our to-do list while making time for family and friends. Now to just balance a little more rest into the mix. We’ll get there!

My ideal way to spend a summer afternoon!

It’s been a few years since I updated my profile picture. Plus, I needed a new photo for an event this fall, so this is what I came up with. Natural Amy – curly hair, sweatshirt, books. That’s as authentic as it gets!

Jeremy’s old office in the sorting process

True love is resurrecting all the floaties and finding the sinkies before a pool playdate.

Officially moved in to his new space! Jeremy still has more to do, but it’s a workable office.

Officially moved out! Kind of sad, but we are excited for a new team member to settle in here. It’s a good space!

P.S. Stephanie from Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase tagged me in a fun summer blog tag. I had hoped to participate this week, but I’m running low on time. In case I don’t get to it, I wanted to highlight her post here. It’s such a fun idea and I’m honored that she thought of me. Thanks, Stephanie!

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Summer Has Begun! June 9, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:14 pm

With May endings comes summer beginnings! While the first day of summer isn’t officially until June 20th, we are officially in summer mode now that our regular school year wrapped up in May. Switching to our summer school schedule is a little bit of an adjustment period. I’m actually grateful for a lighter school load this month. June has filled in with all sorts of extra commitments. I’m glad that summer mode has given us the margin to show up in other ways this month.

Our first official day of summer vacation was spent visiting friends at the beach. My forever friend, Maggie, was staying at the Washington coast after the passing of her mother. It was a sad reason to be reunited, but time with Maggie’s family is always a blessing to our family. It’s so sweet that our families are friends. We visited the local bakery, got crafty making centerpieces for Jayne’s memorial, let the kids play at the McDonald’s play place, and then spent hours at the beach. Such a good way to jump into summer.

We wrapped up our final week of soccer last Tuesday. It was a beautiful sunny day and the boys played so well. It’s been neat to see their improvement from fall to spring. They’ve really advanced in their soccer skills. I’m proud of them. Graham wasn’t so sure about spring soccer, but he ended up enjoying much more than expected. I’m glad it was a win for our family!

Tuesday was also the beginning of the summer reading program at our local library. After soccer, we went to the library to pick up our free tote bag, books, and fair tickets. We picked up the paperwork for the program as well. We’ll be back in a couple weeks for another round of free books and coupons. The summer reading program is always a highlight of our summer.

We’re coming off of a few full days. Thursday, we met Maggie’s family in town at their hotel for a swim. We enjoyed pool time, pizza in the hotel lobby, and then play time at a local park. We just kept the fun going until it was time to wind down and prepare for Friday. Friday was Jayne’s graveside service and celebration of life. We got to the local grange early to help decorate. This was our kids first graveside experience. I’m thankful they were there to support Maggie’s kids and be pals on a difficult day. The graveside and celebration of life were a lovely testimony to Jayne’s well lived life. The grange was decorated in vibrant colors, beautiful flowers, and cute knickknacks. It felt like Jayne. All the treats were Oreo themed to honor her love of Oreos. It was such a cheerful celebration of Jayne’s life. Saying good to Maggie’s family on Friday was hard. We loved having them nearby, but we hope to see them again soon.

The pace of the weekend continued with a trip to the beach on Saturday. My parents recently acquired a beach house on the Washington coast. We spent Saturday doing projects around the house. The boys have loved exploring this new location and can’t wait for our first overnight stay later this summer. Sunday was church in the morning and a family birthday party in the afternoon. Unfornately, Graham ran out of steam before the weekend was over, so we sent Jeremy and Owen to the party as the family representatives. Graham and I rested and kept cool with AC and slushies from Grandpa’s new slushy maker (thanks for sharing, Grandpa)! We are in the middle of a heat wave at the moment and 90+ degree days call for cool treats.

The summer adventures have only just begun. We’ll see what the rest of June has in store for us!

Forever friends through all the ups and downs of life!

The beach and friends! Best way to kick off our summer vacation.

Wrapping up spring soccer! Thankful to Nana & Papa (and Grandma & Jeremy) for cheering the boys on this season!

Kicking off the summer reading program at the library

Such a beautiful day to celebrate and honor Jayne.

Another weekend, another visit to the beach!

90+ degree days call for super cool treats!

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May Endings May 29, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 2:24 pm

May has been a month of full of endings… Actually, specifically this last week. Each ending has been bittersweet and has been accompanied by many emotions. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster around here! Let’s dive into it… Going in reverse order!

Today was the last day of school for my homeschooling boys! They completed their 3rd and 5th grade curriculum as well as their end-of-the-year assessment testing. This year the race to the finish line felt more like a sprint or a mad dash. My goal was to finish before June and we succeeded! Praise the Lord! Usually the end of the year is all sweet with no bitter, but this year… This year is a bit different. Owen wrapped up elementary school today. It’s a big milestone. Because we homeschool, the transition to middle school won’t be quite as big as a jump as it is for other students. It’s still hitting me a kind of hard. I’ve loved the elementary school years with my boys. They’ve been such a fun adventure. Middle school kind of intimidates me, but I have to believe that God is faithful. Good times still await us! I can trust the Lord with the future and with my kiddos. I’m so proud of Owen and Graham for all they’ve accomplished this year. Graham specifically made some big leaps in his education this school year. We will celebrate with pizza and chocolate cake this evening!

Our homeschool co-op came to end this week. We had a final meeting on Tuesday and held a presentation fair. Each family set up a display and then gave a presentation on their project. It ended up being a science fair (even though any topic was acceptable). Our boys gave a report on our adventures in Redwoods National and State Parks. One family did science experiments to show the difference between physical and chemical changes, another talked about teeth, another shared their rock collection, and one brought their household pets (including a hissing cockroach). It was a sweet time and the kids got to play on the playground in the sunshine afterwards. The bittersweet part of this ending is our co-op has decided to disband at the conclusion of this year. Many of our core families are moving on to new opportunities. It felt like time to be done with so many members leaving. This change will open up some time in our weekly schedule. I’m researching and noodling on what new extracurriculars will take the place of co-op. We’ve been a part of this co-op for four years and it was such a blessing to our homeschooling journey. We’ve learned a lot of great subjects and made many friendships that will carry on outside of co-op now.

The final ending I have to share is the passing of a sweet friend. My forever friend, Maggie, lost her mother to cancer early Saturday morning. Maggie’s mother, Jayne, has been in my life since I was 16. When I think back on all the big moments of my life like graduations, weddings, and babies, Jayne is attached to those memories and those seasons. It’s not just the big moments either. There were countless small moments as well… seeing her at church, high school sleepovers, making brownies in her kitchen, saying hi when we visited the beach. Jayne had an eye for design and a talent for making things beautiful. She loved her family and showed up for them in big and small ways. She was a light in any space she entered. She will be dearly missed. Walking along side my friend through this loss has been hard, but my comfort is in knowing that Jayne is healed and whole with her Creator. That is truly a better existence and I know I will see her again someday.

Okay… heavy stuff today… But that’s life. It certainly has it’s ups and downs. They often happen simultaneously. I’m trusting the Lord with these many endings. I might not know all the next steps or what the next season will hold, but that’s okay. God sees the big picture. I just need to focus on doing the next right thing in front of me. God’s got this and he’s got me. Amen!

I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies for a play date, but I didn’t want to take the time to scoop them. Cookie bars for the win!

A sign that summer is coming! Time to get the backyard pool set up!

So fun to swim with our homeschool sports group. Super handy since our pool is still freezing!

Wrapping up our homeschool co-op with a presentation on the redwoods.

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The Final Stretch May 21, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:20 pm

I thought about calling this blog post “The End is Near!” But that seemed a bit too dramatic! All I mean to say is that our school year is about to wrap up. We are about a week away from being finished! Woo hoo! Coming off of two weeks of travel, it’s been a bit of a mad dash to get back to school and then race to the finish line. It’s so close! I’m ready to tie a bow on the school year and call it done!

We started homeschool soccer again last week for the spring season. It’s a short season – only 4 weeks. Owen got his first goal the first week and Graham got his first goal yesterday. This season the teams are smaller so the boys are seeing a lot more action on the field. I’m so proud of them for running hard and engaging with their team. We’ve gone to McDonald’s each week to celebrate the goals with Happy Meals. Soccer makes for big, but exciting Tuesdays.

Last week, we had our final field trip with our homeschool co-op. We visited a local dairy farm to see the day-to-day operations of running a farm. The boys got to pet, feed, and milk the cows. They also got to climb all over a bunch of hay bales like they were a jungle gym. We ended our outing with a hay ride through the pasture. The funny thing about our hay ride was the cows following in a parade behind us trying to munch on the hay we were using as seating. It was quite the sight!

The boys and I were finished with our travels after our Redwoods trip, but Jeremy still had one more traveling adventure on his calendar. He attended a men’s conference with our church on the other side of the state. His brothers and father also come and they golf as much as they can while away. It’s a time that Jeremy looks forward to every year. I held the fort down at home while he was away. Thursday was a normal school day. Friday, the boys and I went to lunch at Panda Express and ran errands in town. I hosted book club Friday night and the boys got some extra video game time with friends who came over to play. Saturday, we had a Portland adventure day with my parents. We roamed IKEA, Barnes & Noble, Petsmart, Target, Powell’s Books, and the LEGO Store. We had a yummy lunch at Red Robin and ice cream at Salt & Straw for dessert. It was a fabulous day exploring our favorite stores and spending time with family.

I look forward to updating you again when we have officially finished the school year. There is definitely a since of accomplishment as we complete our current curriculum. It’s been a good year and I’m proud of the growth I’ve seen in the boys. They are such diligent students and it’s a joy to be their teacher. While we still do school in June and July, it’s a lighter schedule for summer. I enjoy the change of pace and it’s also interesting to start new curriculum. Here’s to wrapping up the final stretch soon and moving on to new adventures!

Celebrating Owen’s 1st goal with Happy Meals last week.

One of our favorite places! Gotta love bird books and Boxcar Children!

Stretch break on the way home to look at chicks. So cute!

Meet Leafy (also known as Leaf). Turbo is feeling under the weather so Leafy became Turbo’s replacement on the mantel. Here’s hoping Leafy can survive this spot.

Our indoor plants might not thrive, but we are trying! Turbo and his single leaf are now blending in with Jolt. Also, how cool is that nest? My dad’s co-worker passed it along so Owen could identify it. He is such a bird nerd!

Soccer was chilly and damp this week, but worth to watch Graham score his 1st goal!

Celebrating Graham’s 1st goal with Happy Meals yesterday.

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Spring Breaks: Part 2 May 12, 2025

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 3:17 pm

The last two weeks have been a break from the our usual routine. We’re coming off of back-to-back travels which led to an extra long “spring break” in our school calendar. I love that homeschooling gives us the flexibility to travel during the school year (yay for avoiding crowds). Our first adventure was a work trip for Jeremy and I while the boys stayed with Nana and Papa. The second trip was a family vacation which was packed with educational experiences. I can list it a field trip in our school records. I love experiential, hands-on learning. The great outdoors and the real world make a wonderful classroom! It’s also a nice break from learning at the dining room table.

The work trip was a conference in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Every spring we attend Network Conference with the Northwest Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God. Our church pastoral team and spouses come together to enjoy this conference together. It’s full of good conversations, many laughs, and lots of food. I love the time away with Jeremy. We talk a lot about ministry due to the nature of the conference, but we also talk a lot of life, parenting, goals, and dreams. It’s a great getaway for us. The boys always have a blast with Nana and Papa. It’s so nice to know they are good hands and having a great time.

Our family vacation was a trip to Redwoods National and State Parks surrounding Crescent City, California. We used Crescent City as our jumping off point to explore both Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. We also spent a decent amount of time at the California coast exploring tide pools and bird watching. We took a tour of Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City. We did Tour Thru Tree and Trees of Mystery in Klamath. Tour Thru Tree is a big tree you can drive through. It’s a quick stop, but a big hit for the kids. Trees of Mystery was a first time experience for us. The Canopy Trail, which was a series of high ropes suspension bridges, and the Sky Trail, a gondola ride, were the highlights of our visit and worth the admission cost. We definitely tested our comfort zones when it came to heights. Overall, our boys loved the majesty of the redwoods. They felt so much wonder as we wandered the forest. The redwoods are a beautiful example of creation declaring the glory of God. Jeremy did a wonderful job researching which trees to see. He made it feel like a scavenger hunt adventure!

The second half of our vacation was driving up Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast. We stopped at West Coast Game Park Safari for a truly unique experience. The park itself is small, but has a large selection of exotic animals. The big cats were a family favorite, but it was also neat to feed the free roaming goats, sheep, deer, donkey, and peacocks. The highlight of the trip was getting to pet Lyla the lynx. It’s not everyday you get to pet a lynx! We also stopped at the Sea Lion Caves before making it to our destination of Newport, Oregon for the night. On our final travel day, we visited the Yaquina Head Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area. We saw so many seals and even some pups with mamas. There was more birding and tide pool exploration. We’ve investigated this spot numerous times and it has yet to disappoint. We also made a stop at the Tillamook Creamery. Yes, we were there a month ago, but we couldn’t pass up cheese and ice cream for brunch! Our final adventure was a walk in Cannon Beach to look for puffins nesting on Haystack Rock. The puffins were sighted and we ended our vacation happily exhausted!

Now we’re home and back to the real world. We enjoyed celebrating Mother’s Day with family yesterday and we got back to school (around the dining room) today. We are in the final weeks of our school year. The end is in sight! Hooray! We also have a couple more homeschool co-op commitments this month and we are starting a month of homeschool soccer tomorrow. Lots of a good stuff going on. We are happy to be home!

We enjoy watching travel videos before we visit a new place. Jeremy and the boys thought it would be fun to make one of our adventure to Redwood National and State Parks. Hike along with us and explore some big trees with our family!