Family Time | Amy Scott's Thoughts

12 Days Away – Part 2 September 22, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 12:05 pm

Hanging at the hotel in Bellingham!

After we wrapped things up with staff retreat, our little family took off to connect with my parents. We went straight to their house and did some laundry while we waited for my dad to get off work. The first leg of this trip was to be the whole Vitzthum/Scott/Gallaway clan. My dad had rented a mini-van to hold us and all the luggage. When my sister and brother-in-law got off work, we met up with them for dinner and then we caravaned the rest of the way up north to Bellingham. Originally, we were going to make the trek up to Vancouver, BC all in one day, but my dad suggested going part of the way a day early. This gave us a full Friday in Canada with almost no travel time in it. Driving from Cle Elum to my parent’s house and then up to Bellingham made for a long day in the car, but Owen did really well for the most part. Once we all got settled into the hotel, it was quickly approaching bedtime. Thus, ended one of the bigger travel days of the trip.

Lunch in Steveston

Friday morning, we left the hotel around 9:00am. We purposefully waited until then to avoid commuter traffic at the border. We got through border crossing fairly quickly and we were to our townhouse before 11:00am. We stayed in cute development in Stevenson Village. Jeremy and I had visited Steveston before and knew that it was a quiet and quaint little town. It was nice to stay outside of busy Vancouver. The village had a lovely river walk that we enjoyed often while there and it is the filming location for our favorite TV show, Once Upon a Time. I was really excited to share this with my sister because she loves the show as much as Jeremy and I do. Our first order of business once we got settled into the town house was lunch. We walked downtown and ate the location of Granny’s Diner for the show (really known as the Stevenston Cannery Cafe). We wandered around town and showed April some of the key filming locations.

We spent the afternoon driving into Vancouver and visiting the public market at Granville Island. There were lots of sights and sounds and smells to take in! The market has so much to offer. We walked from the market to dinner at Go Fish. This little seafood shack on the river was a fun find from Jeremy and I’s last trip. It was very tasty! I really love salmon fish & chips!

Enjoying the Canadian wilderness

Saturday, we went to the Capilano Suspension Bridges. This park boast one massive suspension bridge, a treetop walk, a boardwalk and a cliff walk. All of the different experiences were a lot of fun. The suspension bridge wiggled a lot more than any of us expected. It caught me off guard! The treetop walk was like walking from tree house to tree house using small bridges. The board walk offered lovely views of the sunny forest and the canyon. The cliff walk was a set of steel bridges that followed the length of the cliff. The views were great and the weather was fantastic. It was a great day to be outside enjoying nature! After the bridges, we drove around Vancouver. We took a look at Chinatown, we wondered around Safeway looking for goodies we could only get in Canada and then we headed to the Metropolis at Metrotown, which is a huge mall! The last time I was there, we didn’t get to see all of it, so now I feel like I have officially conquered it! The rest of the evening included dinner at the townhouse and then a walk into town for mini-donuts! What a yummy dessert!

Point Atkinson Lighthouse

Sunday, we went to a small hole in the wall joint called Waffle Gone Wild for brunch! It was very tasty. I got a banana nutella waffle and it was yummy! This was the day that April and Andrew had to head back home so we went back the house to say our good-byes. During this good-bye period, we became aware that Andrew had lost his wallet. Originally we thought that he had left it at the house, but as we turned the townhouse upside down no one could find it. Things started to get a little panicky when a neighbor saw Andrew outside and asked if that was his wallet. The neighbor had found it earlier that morning! We were so thankful and April and Andrew were still able to hit the road on time! After the Gallaways took off, we turned around and drove outside of Vancouver so we could see the Point Atkinson lighthouse and the view Cypress mountain. Both sights were lovely (minus the traffic and Owen screaming in the car and a massive blowout diaper – those were the not so lovely sights).

A&W Goodness!

Monday was our last full day in the Vancouver area. We went back to Granville Island to explore it when it was a bit quieter. We got some souvenirs and then took off to explore new territory. We stopped at A&W for lunch so my dad could relive the good ol’ days. Apparently, he ate at A&W a lot when he was a kid. It was fun because they served us our sodas in frosty mugs. I even got poutine with my meal which is french fries, cheese curds and gravy. It’s a big thing in Canada, so I thought I would have a try at it. It was very filling! After lunch we visited Trinity Western University. TWU was a school that both April and I had considered going to. It was fun to explore some of the suburb cities like Langley and Abbotsford. Monday night was leftovers at the townhouse and packing up so we could depart the next day.

There were lots of crazy random things that happened during our stay in Vancouver. Apparently the townhouse has a switch for the hot water heater that is on the wall in the half bathroom. That switch got turned off so Dad and I had no hot water by the time it was our turn to shower on Saturday. That was an interesting adventure. For the longest time we couldn’t figure out where all the hot water went, but our guys are resourceful and finally figured it out (not until evening though). On Friday, while at Granville Island, we saw a cyclist trash in the middle of the road. My mom being the nurse went to her and and stayed with her until she could get up and off the road (which was a long while). We got stuck in tons of traffic in the Vancouver area. They have lots of 5 lane roads that merge down to one lane for bridges or tunnels. I think my dad might have a new found hatred of driving in Canada thanks to all the traffic!

I really do love all the things you can do inside and outside of Vancouver. The Capilano Suspension Bridges were a favorite highlight for me. All the food was great and I was happy that we tried a bunch of places we don’t really have here. I munched on many a Canadian candy bar just because we didn’t have it at home. We also got Tim Hortons doughnuts. The group wasn’t too impressed with them, but I thought they were good. I like doughnuts and Tim Hortons are everywhere, so it was nice to say we tried it!

Well, that about concludes Vancouver! Stay tuned for Victoria!

Group shot!

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Cliff walk selfie with the fam

Mini-donuts!

Banana Nutella Waffle – YUM

Sunset walk on the river in Steveston Village

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12 Days Away – Part 1 September 20, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 12:30 pm

Bed Bug

The Scott family has returned from an epic international adventure. Our trip started off in Cle Elum, WA for our annual staff retreat and then followed right into a family vacation to Vancouver and Victoria, BC. Let me tell you, 12 days is a long time to be away from home with a baby! In fact, 12 days may be the longest I’ve ever been away from home to date. Since our trip had 3 very different locations, I’m going to break this up into a three part blog! That way I can share more pictures and stories!

Staff retreat… oh, staff retreat. I didn’t make it last year because I was 37 weeks pregnant and I didn’t want to be far away from home in case I went into labor. Going back to staff retreat this year was an interesting experience. Since Owen is still nursing, he was invited in along. I knew going into the trip that it was going to be a challenge at times. Staff retreat can be a very serious time of discussion and planning for our church pastoral team. Babies don’t lend to serious discussion. The first day went great until bed time. Right off the bat, we realized that Owen wasn’t too interested in sleeping in his Pack’n’Play. If we didn’t want him screaming at night then that meant we had a bed bug. The bonus to the house we rented was that it had three stories so Owen’s screaming was only really heard by 2 other couples. However, I still struggled with letting him cry at night. Especially because we were all in the same room and that meant I wasn’t sleeping either. So… co-sleeping became the theme of the whole trip. I’ll be honest, I don’t sleep as great with Owen in bed with us. I love my little snuggle bug, but I also like getting solid sleep. The two don’t go together all that well.

Distracting Owen while the group eats dinner… He is seriously a monkey!

One of the main activities for staff retreat was a special business meeting to elect a new network leader for our Assemblies of God district. This was a big, important meeting. There was some tension with the election process, but in the end, I think we all came to a good place and a new network was elected. I was proud of Owen. He stayed in the nursery at unfamiliar church for 3 hours. That is longest I’ve left him in a nursery before. I gives me hope that in the near future, I can maybe keep him in the nursery for both gatherings at Bethel! Anyway, back to the meeting, I was grateful to be a part of the voting process. It was a long meeting and I was glad when we reached a conclusion in harmony. This day ended with an epic adventure for me. The big meeting was over an hour away from the house we were staying at. Owen was melting down at the restaurant where the team was having an important conversation. I decided to take off and drive back so Jeremy could focus on the task at hand. During my drive home, in the dark, my phone died so I had to get back to the house by memory! Without my phone I had to remember the door code and then because the front porch light was out, I had to enter the code in the dark with Owen in my arms! It was a bit zany, but we survived!

Cousin time!

The next day while the guys went golfing, Owen and I took a drive to hang out with my sister-in-law and niece and nephews! This branch of the family lives the furthest away, so anytime I get to spend with them is a special treat. I love seeing Owen play with cousins. It was nice to be a way from serious conversations and big meetings. The whole afternoon was very relaxed and I enjoyed myself immensely. Owen slept the 45 minute drive there and back, so my introverted side got some much needed quiet time as well. A win-win!

The last day was simply loading up and hitting the road for the next adventure. I learned a lot on this trip about work related things and traveling with babies. They don’t mix all that well. I was off with Owen keeping him from melting while the group had their discussions. I knew this was likely going to be the case, but I thought I would give it a try. In between the moments of keeping up with Owen, I was able to have some good conversations with the staff members and the food for the whole week was really good. Our lead pastor’s wife certainly knows her way around the kitchen! Overall, I’m not sure I would do staff retreat with a baby again, but… I was brave and I tried it. Sometimes you just have to go for it and see what happens. I know that Jeremy enjoyed having us around. It was great to visit with the team again, even if I didn’t get a chance to contribute much to the conversation. God is good and we are blessed to work with a fabulous group of people who love Jesus and love people.

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Hello Autumn! September 6, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Getting Creative — Amy Scott @ 2:45 pm

This last week has been a quieter one than I expected. Pulling a muscle in my back meant that I had to slow down more than I am used to. I’ve tried my best to be good and rest. However, our life is never too dull, so here are few of the highlights from this last week. It’s officially fall! Oh wait, I know it’s not, but to me it is. September is always the beginning of my favorite time of year. This Wednesday, I had my first class with the new girls at church. Oh my! Was that an experience! This class was all energized, crazy and loud! It’s a great group of girls and I’m looking forward to what a new year with them holds. Hopefully the volume level will decrease as the year continues… but they are 5th/6th grade girls, so I’m not holding my breath!

With the help of Jeremy, I was able to get my fall decor out and placed around the house. Nothing too extravagant. Just a few autumn touches here and there. I even got crafty and used mod podge, mason jars, and leaves to make new tealight holders. I saw the idea on Facebook and I’m a sucker for autumn leaves. Being true to me, I don’t love what I create, but it did turn out better than I expected. By mid-project my hope was diminishing. Once they dried, they looked a lot better.

Both Jeremy and my mom are harvesting their mini-pumkins and I have four little beauties on my wood stove. They are eagerly awaiting the company of more pumpkin buddies! I know it sounds crazy, but I’ve already had a slice (or two) of pumpkin pie this season. My mom was the one who bought it, so I blame her! Last night, I felt up to doing some baking so I made a fall favorite for Jeremy and I – Hello Dollies. They are now cut into bars and placed in the freezer. Jeremy prefers to eat them frozen. I will eat them at most any temperature!

This last week was the beginning of football season. Usually football season wouldn’t be blog worthy, but now that the Seahawks have won the Super Bowl, the whole northwest is a bit crazy about them. I was gifted a Seahawks shirt this last week and I was informed that I should wear it on Thursday for the big game. I did because I love my hubby (who suggested it). I felt a bit silly wearing Seahawks gear when I’m really not a fan of football. Jeremy decided it would be fun to watch the game on my dad’s ginormous television, so we headed out to my parent’s house. We snapped a quick photo of all us in our gear and then the boys headed upstairs. Mom and I watched different documentaries on Netflix and Owen went back and forth between the two groups. Our local Safeway had Seahawks themed desserts, so we enjoyed some extra special treats. I have a feeling our household is going to be following the season closer than ever before. Oh goody.

So many little things are happening that really make it feel like autumn is here. The kiddos have gone back to school. Just last night, we had a flock of geese fly over us heading south. The light is different. It gets dark so early now and the nights are cool even if the days are warm. These are some of my favorite days. Last year, I was so occupied with having a baby that I didn’t get to do all my favorite fall things. I’m looking forward to this season with great anticipation. I can’t wait to share the things I love with Owen. There is lots of fun to be had and the season has just begun! Hurray!

It’s feeling like fall!

Enjoying the big game!

A fall favorite – Hello Dollies!

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Finishing Up August August 30, 2014

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 4:43 pm

Owen’s first visit to Mt. Rainier

There is just one full day left to the month of August. I’m flabbergasted. It’s been such a big, full month and now it’s about to finish up in a blink. I’m honestly having a hard time remembering that it’s Labor Day weekend. It feels too early. But regardless of how I feel, here we are. The month started off with an awesome week of Family VBA and moved into helping at the fair with our MOPS group. Jeremy took our 5th graders to a Mariners game. We’ve enjoyed Jeremy’s grandma and aunt visiting from South Dakota. Jeremy pulled off an super fun kid’s zone at a local car show and I helped at the MOPS dunk tank (taking money, not being dunked). We moved from that big event into a few days at the beach. Owen came down with a head cold while we were away and the day after we got home, I tweaked my back. Good times… My mom and Jeremy have been gracious and helped me out quite a bit. I’ve been trying to not lift Owen all that much, but I’m finding that to be tricky. My in-laws gave us a heating pad a month ago when I last tweaked my back, so I’m again using the heating pad and keeping the Advil close at hand.

Completed my August goals and new magnets for the board!

Despite my current state, I was able to enjoy a lovely trip to Mt. Rainier with Jeremy and Owen yesterday. The weather wasn’t great for seeing the mountain, but we enjoyed ourselves just the same. Owen really loved the stops we made and was a smiley boy most of the time. Days like that are fun. It’s great to be able to share our favorite places with him. The first year is fun because there really are so many first to share and discover. This was Owen’s first visit to the mountain and I’m positive it won’t be his last. There is a lot I could write about Owen and his many firsts and changes, but I’ll save those for his upcoming 11 month blog. That’s right around the corner. (Eeek!)

Today we enjoyed brunch with the Scotts and said our good-bye to the South Dakota travelers. We love their visits and look forward to them every year. We really enjoyed introducing them to Owen and watching him get loved on by them. We’ll close August out with home-smoked brisket tomorrow made by my dad. That should be super tasty! On Monday, I plan on pulling out my fall decor and I have a Starbucks date in the evening. September will soon be here and it’s chalked full of fun adventures to be had. As summer is winding down and the autumn routine is ready to kick in. Most kids will be back in school on Tuesday. I’m going to enjoy these last few summer days while they are here!

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Beach Vacation August 28, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 6:35 pm

We just got back from a few days at the beach with Jeremy’s side of the family. We rented a beach house in Manzanita, OR and enjoyed some lovely weather. The trip included a few meals at my favorite places, a trip to the Tillamook Cheese Factory and a couple of beach walks. We had lots of time to catch up with family, play games and eat. Owen loved hanging out with his cousins and he had a blast exploring a new home. The only downside to the trip was that Owen didn’t do so great sleeping at night while we were gone. The last day, he came down with a head cold which made our final night quite epic. It was honestly the worse night we’ve had yet with Owen. We barely slept a wink. Other than some zany nights, the days were fun and it was a great family memory made. Here are some photos from our travels!

Dinner at Mo’s

Snacking in his new chair

Sunrise beach walk

Snuggle buddies!

Hanging at the Tillamook Cheese Factory

Sunset beach walk

Sunset

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Flying Through August August 17, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 4:37 pm

Here we are over half way through the month of August! I’m not sure how, but time keeps zipping past me. This last week was a full one for the Scott Family. On Monday, Jeremy took some of our graduating 5th graders to the Mariner’s game. I didn’t stay up to wait for his arrival home, but I did ask Siri on my iPhone who won the game before I turned out the lights. Siri informed me that Seattle crushed Toronto. I found it humorous that she used the word crushed, not something like the Mariner’s won or what not.

On Tuesday, Owen had his 9 month well-check appointment at 10 months old. Since this appointment had no shots, I’m guessing it didn’t matter that it was a little off schedule. I was grateful to not have to deal with a cranky baby who doesn’t like shots. They did have to do a finger prick, but Owen didn’t even cry. The nurse said that they don’t often cry at this age because they are so used to getting banged up through exploring the world. It’s true. Owen’s exploration and mobility have left him a bunch of bruises. I’m about to wrap him in bubble wrap! Of course, it’s always fun to see the stats. Owen is 19% in weight, 30% in height and 73% in head circumference. To my surprise, Owen weighed in at 19lbs. 6 oz. He has yet to break the 20lbs. mark! I’m okay with him being on the smaller side because he is healthy and happy. Our doctor was really encouraging and said Owen is doing great.

The latter part of my week was spent the good old Southwest Washington Fair. Our MOPS group has a booth at the fair and each of the leadership team members took two shifts. The shifts were four hours each and they dragged on a bit because our booth wasn’t really hopping. We offered a diaper changing station and a private nursing room. I was a little disappointed more people didn’t take advantage of it. On Thursday, I was paired at the booth one of our mentor moms, Kate. It was fun to chat with her and get to know her story more. On Friday, Jeremy and Owen joined me. Once my shift was up, we met up with my sister and brother-in-law to have dinner and explore the fair. It had been years since I’d gone to the fair, so I was super excited for the fair food! I had my all-time elephant ear and I was a happy camper! Yum!

Fun @ the SWW Fair

After some busy days, we had a day around the house yesterday. When Owen napped, I laid in bed and read. True luxury! I’m currently rereading the Anne of Green Gables series. I’m very happy to loose myself in the world of Avonlea and Prince Edward Island. Jeremy picked some apples off our trees. We have a great crop of apples coming in this year! I spent part of my afternoon making a homemade apple pie with home grown apples. You can’t beat that!

Around the house on Saturday! Toby needed to make a blog appearance since it’s been awhile!

That’s what the Scotts have been up as of late! We have family coming into town this week and we are looking forward to being reunited with some of our South Dakota family members. This will be there first time to meet Owen and we can’t wait to make the introductions! I know that the month will be over in a blink and the new school year will be starting. I’m trying to enjoy these last few summer days before the fall schedule picks up again. I love the seasons and the cycle of time. It’s been a good summer and more fun is still to be had. However, there is lots to look forward to just around the bend! We are blessed!

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How the Week Finished July 20, 2014

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 3:11 pm

Last time I blogged I was midway in my week without Jeremy. While the first half of the week went quickly, the second half flew by in the a blink! It’s been busy times as I have traveled all over Washington state. Thursday, Owen and I drove up north of Seattle to visit Jeremy at kid’s camp for the afternoon. Friday, Owen and I went down south for a play date with Cousin Nolan and Aunt Beckie. Jeremy got home Friday evening and then Saturday we all took off over the mountains to celebrate my niece’s 2nd birthday. I almost didn’t want to get into the car today to go to church. I’m so ready for some home time with my boys! I’m grateful for that today! All the travels and adventures made for an exciting close to the week. Owen and I missed Jeremy so much while he was away. We are happy to be back together! One happy family! Here are some photos from the end of the week!

Reunited for an afternoon at camp

This is how nap time happens at camp!

Play date with Nolan

Daily gifts from Jeremy

An Elmo birthday for Miss Brinley!

Swimming with Carson

Love being an auntie!

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Holding Down the Fort July 14, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 5:34 pm

Owen, Toby and I are keeping on eye on the homestead while Jeremy is away for 6 days at Kid’s Camp. Jeremy had an overnight commitment in April and I had my sister come spend the night with me. That makes last night my first official night alone with Owen. Obviously, we lived to tell about it the next day. Only 4 more nights to go! While I miss my hubby terribly, I have packed my week full of projects and outings to keep myself and Owen occupied. Yesterday, Jeremy took off after church so Owen and I had the afternoon/evening to fill. We went up my parent’s house to have dinner and play with their exciting toys. After dinner we came home to finish off the evening with DVR’d television, laundry folding and book reading. We’re an exciting bunch.

The mystery bags! I’m trying to patient and not open them all at once!

Jeremy left 5 bags of surprises for us while he is gone. Today Owen and I got to open up the first bag! Jeremy got cookies for me and a toy for Owen. At least, I assume that was the gift breakdown. He didn’t say. I do love little people so maybe the toy was for me. I’m not sure I would like to see Owen on an Oreo sugar high. I’ve already dug into the cookie stash today!

Monday’s surprise goodies!

Apart from keeping Toby and Owen alive, I am also responsible for watering Jeremy’s many plants while he is away. There are two planters in the front of the house, the flower beds, his garden and the green house. Lucky for me, Jeremy has most of these set up with sprinklers and drip hoses. All I have to do is remember to turn on the water… and off. I’m two days into my watering commitment and so far so good. If these plants die, it’s not for a lack of water.

Trying to keep the green things green

Today, Owen and I have worked on a couple of projects (I will blog about these next week – they are a surprise for Jeremy, who reads this blog). I ran some errands while my mom watched Owen and we have a meeting with a family at church. Tomorrow we have MOPS in the park in the morning and we’ll be stopping by sister’s house to check it out. We haven’t been over since moving day, so I am excited to see how she’s settled in. I have packages to get into the mail, baby clothes to sort, my regular house chores to do, root beer floats for my Wednesday night class and a new book to finish. I even have a soda experiment to perform this week. Never a dull moment! I hope all this activity helps us to sleep hard at night and makes the days fly by so we can be reunited with Jeremy sooner! I sure miss that man!

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Celebrating 8 years of us & 9 months of Owen! July 8, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 12:37 pm

Celebrating 8 years!

Today is a very special day. Two things coincide on this one day. Today is Jeremy and I’s wedding anniversary. We are celebrating 8 years of wedded bliss! I’m grateful for the 7 years that Jeremy and I had together before having Owen. Our marriage has been built on a strong foundation. It’s been an adventure figuring out our lives as parents. I’m so glad that I get to be on this adventure with Jeremy. He has the ability to make me laugh whatever mood I am in. He is giving and caring. He does little things often to show me he loves me. He is a wonderful provider for our family and I am blessed by his strong work ethic. It’s been fun to watch Jeremy with Owen. They are good buddies. Owen is lucky to have a father who is so invested in his life. The last 8 years have been filled with ups and downs. Jeremy has been by my side for all them. I’m so excited that this is still just the beginning of our love story!

9 months

The other fun element of the day is Owen is now 9 months old! Somehow our little boy has reached the 3/4 of a year mark! How? I do not know. Owen continues to grow in personality. He loves to laugh and talk. Our baby is not a quiet baby. I know I say this monthly, but I am amazed at how vocal he is. He now says Dada and Mama in a way that makes me think he understands what he is saying. Another big milestone is Owen got two teeth this month! With the addition of teeth, Owen has shown slightly more interest in finger foods. He is still cautious, but he seems more willing to lick things and try to put them in his mouth. If you hand Owen something, he will immediately hit it on something to see what sound it makes. He loves to make noise. Other random Owen news, he now likes to hang out on the wood floor. On the floor, he has the ability to scoot. Owen isn’t crawling, but he is moving. He knows how to get around in a very makeshift kind of way. He loves to hit the bins on our bookshelves and he enjoys laying under is jumperoo (weird kid). He also loves to walk while holding our fingers. He can practically run! We did have our mishap where Owen let go of Jeremy’s fingers and biffed it. The couch leg caught his fall and cut his eyebrow. He handled it well, but there goes that modeling career! Overall, Owen is a happy 9 month old baby boy! It’s been so amazing to see the changes month to month and I am excited for the little boy he is becoming. He is a sweetheart who now gives hugs and kisses. I could keep sharing tidbits endlessly, but alas, all blogs must come to an end. I will leave you with some recent photos!

Hanging with Grandpa

The socks totally go with these jammies, right?

Pool time with Daddy!

New favorite spot

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4th of July Weekend July 7, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Getting Creative — Amy Scott @ 6:02 pm

Happy Independence Day from the Scotts!

It’s been a great long weekend! Anytime you have the words long and weekend in the same sentence, it’s a good thing! Friday was the 4th of July and we celebrated with friends and family. We got a visit from our favorite Californians. It was a fun morning of playing games, chatting and munching. Friday afternoon was spent at my parent’s house where we had steaks to celebrate Independence Day. Our evening was a quiet one spent around the house. Owen went down just fine despite the firework noise. Our Toby dog was freaked out as usual. He ended up in sorts of unique places in our house. His favorite spots were under Owen’s crib and tucked behind the toilet in our bathroom. Poor pup. I always feel for him as he shakes in fear. A lot of people asked how Owen liked the fireworks. I’m sad to admit that Owen didn’t see a single firework this year and neither did I. The last few years, Jeremy and I have decided not to blow up our money. Jeremy watched some of the neighbors fireworks through the trees. I hung out with Toby and went to bed. Very exciting stuff, huh? Maybe next year we’ll do a small show for Owen.

Saturday was my dad’s birthday, so it was back to my parent’s house for another round of celebrating. This time there was furniture rearranging and pulled pork sandwiches on the agenda. My dad makes yummy pulled pork and he made a ton of it. We were sent home with leftovers and we’ve been enjoying them the last few days. We also stopped by Home Depot on Saturday to do some daydreaming/research for future house projects. While we were there we purchased the supplies to re-stain my dresser. I didn’t realize it until I started cleaning my dresser on Saturday night, but my dresser is as old as I am. My grandparents gave it to me as gift. One of the top drawers has an apple painted in by my grandma and the other drawer has a note on the bottom saying it was given to me on June 12, 1986. I figured that a 28 year old dresser really was in need of a touch up.

The rest of the weekend, I’ve been in dresser project mode. Saturday, I got it all cleaned up and the old hardware removed. Sunday, Jeremy helped me sand it and I started the process of applying two layers of stain. Today, I did some touch up spots and one last layer of stain. Once that dried, I added the new hardware! It looks like a completely different dresser. I said that if the dresser went well then I might stain our bookshelf to match it. After tackling this project, I will leave the bookshelf alone. Jeremy might tackle that. I am too much of a perfectionist. I like how the dresser turned out, but I’m not extremely handy so it stretched me. We are letting it dry one more night before bringing it inside from the garage. It will be nice to get the contents of my dresser put back in order. Right now our room looks like a giant closet. For those of you who know me, that is not my style! I can’t wait to see the whole room put back together.

That was our weekend in a nutshell. Hope you had a great holiday weekend as well!