Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

Shop Till You Drop May 12, 2012

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 12:19 pm

I really should be prepping for my first preaching experience ever… which happens tonight… t-minus 6.5 hours… But I always get the itch to write a blog when I haven’t posted the day before. Even in the busyness of life, writing my thoughts down here seems to help me keep some form of sanity. I thought I would share with you the fun I had yesterday!

It’s been such a blessing to have my sister back in the area! Over the last year I have had to go shopping by myself or with the husband. Both scenarios aren’t ideal! Shopping by myself means standing in front of the mirror for way too long and wondering from every angle if I look okay. I just can’t seem to decide on my own if I like certain things. I will admit that I can be decisive in some clothing decisions, but for the most part a good deal of thought goes into every item before it’s purchased. When I’m by myself it just takes longer to make a decision. Shopping with Jeremy is often like shopping by myself… He just drops me off at a store and finds something manly to do while I’m in there. Even if I do try something on and ask for his opinion, he usually tells me I look good. Don’t get me wrong, this is very sweet, because I honestly do believe he thinks I look good. His lack of any other opinion makes me wonder if it’s really true.

Time to Shop!

My sister and my mom have been my shopping buddies from sometime. They are very helpful. They offer up suggestions, help me decide between which items to get keep and which items should go back. April especially likes to help me see options beyond my usual styles and colors. I can’t help it that I love the colors navy and gray so much! Having a shopping buddy really does help me!

Yesterday was our first shopping trip since April’s been home. I know I’ve said this before, but I do most of my shopping for two seasons in one trip. I’ll have a fall/winter trip and a spring/summer trip. As much as I love getting new things, the process of shopping seems to wear me out. I’m not sure why. I don’t think it’s all the walking around. My guess would be it’s all psychological. As a classic over-thinker, I can make the most fun tasks complicated and tiring. I think this is my problem with shopping.

It was great to be together as a family again. Mom drove which April and I always appreciate! We went down to Portland which is our favorite shopping place. Gotta love no sales tax! We had a wonderful lunch at Claim Jumpers and a yummy afternoon treat of frozen yogurt at Menchies. Overall it was a very successful, fun day! The weather is perfect for my new spring clothes and I’m glad that I have something new to wear while preaching this weekend! Silly, I know, but the honest truth!

 

Family Bonding May 2, 2012

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 4:58 pm

As I mentioned before, I spent the weekend at the Oregon Coast with my family. It’s been a busy week with a lot going on at work, but I wanted to blog about my family bonding experience before the details got fuzzy and left my head. I know I shared that we had good times together spiritually as a family, but I would like to focus on another form of family bonding. The silly kind!

There are lots of ways to bring a family closer together and I do believe a spoons tournament did it for our group. For those that don’t know, spoons is a card game kind of like musical chairs. The first person to get three cards of the same kind grabs a spoon. There is always one less spoon than players. Once the three of kind is achieved and the first spoon is grabbed, all the players dive at the spoons and hope to get one. The person who doesn’t get a spoon is out and you remove a spoon for the next round. This game can get a little violent and is very active. It was so funny to attack together over spoons just after we all prayed together! As predicted, blood was drawn. Poor Aunt Patty was attacked by a spoon. My sister-in-law, Beckie, was literally jumped on by Aunt Cathy! Good times! Ultimately there could only be one victor and Beckie took home the prize!

Hoping for a bingo!

We all experienced something new together – Bingo at the Lions Club. I’ve only played Bingo the old fashion way and let me tell you, there are a lot of rules I didn’t know about! Very few won anything from our group, but the attempt at Bingo was pretty fun! I got a pretty purple dobber out of the deal, so I guess I did win in a way. All I can think of now is what kid’s crafts I can do with it! I really should have given it to my mother-in-law, Debbie, since purple is her color! Sorry, Deb! I should have left it for you. However, it didn’t help me win the game, so I’m thinking it was a dud. Or maybe it was my bingo sheets… or maybe it was me… I’m not sure! It was still a lot of fun to all play together and learn something new.

Saturday night as I was getting ready for bed, I realized that a prank had been pulled on me… My bed was short-sheeted. I really should have paid attention to how it was done, since I’ve never short sheeted anyone before. I couldn’t get into bed. *Insert frown here* I initially thought I was the only victim and I resolved myself to say nothing of the matter so it wouldn’t get the reaction my pranking  family had hoped for. However, my other roomies were short sheeted as well, so we made a plan to head down stairs with our pillows to attack. Let just say  heading down the stairs in the pitch black resulted in my missing the last step and almost dying of laughter. Mind you, I was trying to be quiet. We couldn’t find the door handle and I’m afraid our entrance was not smooth. However, the pillow fight that did follow after we made our way into the room was quite funny! Yet another example of family bonding through violence!  Oh my!

Other highlights from the weekend would be getting ice cream at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, exploring the town of Rockaway Beach, and making picture frames to hold our group photo. The serious stuff is good and draws us together, but so does laughter and a good attack now and then! It was all in good fun and tucked away in the memories of Family Ladies Retreat 2012!

 

Another Weekend Away April 29, 2012

Filed under: Bible,Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 6:51 pm

I’ve returned from another weekend away at the Oregon Coast. This time I got to hang out with my family for the weekend. The Scott/Reid/Carroll/Smith crew spent time together laughing, crying, praying, playing, crafting, walking, shopping, and eating together. This year my sis-in-law, Beckie, and my cousin-in-law, Cori, and I took over the planning. I offered to do the devotional time. It was an honor to pray for each of the ladies on our trip and share with them what I felt God laying on my heart. I thought I would share with you our devotional message from Friday evening:

Read Deuteronomy 6

God Moments and Spiritual Storytelling:

This is one of my favorite passages in the Old Testament. It calls us to be story tellers and remember what God has done for us. It’s not just enough to remember in our own quiet moments, but it calls us to be vocal and to share what the Lord has done in our lives.  We can’t keep it to keep it to ourselves. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get so focused on the future that I forget about the past. Now, I wasn’t there when the Red Sea parted and God delivered the Israelites from Egypt (shocker, right?), but I do have my own God Moments where God showed up big in my life. For me these were moments where God re-directed my life or revealed some life-changing truth to my heart. He has helped me conquer hurdles and obstacles. For me, these God Moments are the times when the Red Sea was parted and God showed up in a big way. When these God Moments are happening, it’s easy to see his hand and recognize his work. However, as time distances us from these moments, the details get hazy. Something we couldn’t stop talking about doesn’t come up as often. We move on and get back to life. This was a big problem for the Israelites. They seemed to have the attention span of a child. God provided miracle after miracle and yet they still didn’t trust him. Even with witnessing the awesome hand of the Lord fight for them, they were still derailed by each new struggle.

This is where Spiritual Storytelling comes into play. Since I work with kids, storytelling is a key part of helping them grasp the Word of God. It’s no different really when we grow up and become adults. We still need to have the element of storytelling. We need to be sharing with each other and the coming generations where God showed up in a big way. Here a couple reasons why Spiritual Storytelling is so important:

  • It helps us remember – when we share our stories; it solidifies the lessons learned in our hearts and minds. It keeps the miracle fresh and live.
  • It inspires us and others – I love that feeling of being on the edge of our seat as you listen to a good story. It’s compelling. When we share our stories, we inspire others in the middle of their own struggles. We are living examples that the Lord is good. Also, our stories will help us in the future. All of us will have many God Moments and have many Red Seas. When we remember how he has been faithful before, we can confidently walk into the next struggle knowing he will not let us go there alone.
  • It keeps the legacy alive – There are moments in history that certainly define a family tree. I can think of couples who have broken the cycle of addiction or abuse, people who have made commitments to change the future for the next generation. These are moments that need to be shared. Even in my own life, I can see how my parents made intentional decisions and shared the reasoning with my sister and me. We are a part of their legacy. These major decisions and life altering moments can change a family tree forever. We must celebrate these changes and also guard the next generation from going back to destructive patterns.

I realize that not every environment is safe for sharing our personal stories. Some things will be shared with only a few. However, I think there is value in sharing our stories even if it is with just a few trusted people. You might feel that everyone already knows your story, but you’d be surprised how many actually don’t.  Also storytelling isn’t a onetime thing. It’s repeating the miracles over and over. It’s about writing them down and making alters of remembrance in our lives. Don’t assume that everyone knows or that no one cares. We all miss out when you keep your stories to yourself!

 

Flying By April 26, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 2:06 pm

It seems to happen all the time in casual conversations. Someone says, “I just can’t believe how fast the month is flying by!” I don’t know about you, but I hear this all the time. In fact, I think that very statement could be one of the anthems of my life. Time just always seems to be flying by. Things that were months or weeks out on the calendar are now just around the corner. Once one thing is off the radar, something else comes up to take its place.

Here are I am thinking about how the month of April has just flown by. Easter always takes up a huge chunk of time and energy. Add a church ladies retreat, a family ladies retreat, my sister moving home, planning a sermon for mother’s day, a local area connection dinner for women in ministry, a party for a friend, randomly getting a new king mattress (hand me down, but in great condition) and then needing to spend the day shopping to find all the bedding for it since we’ve never owned a king bed, preparing all the permissions slips for summer which means nailing down all the details for our summer activities, multiple lunch dates with friends, family and mentors, selling two vehicles… should I go on? I could list all things that I didn’t get to this month, that I now feel guilty about  – like not reading enough, not writing enough, not meeting with students enough… No wonder the days fly by! Really??? Anybody else just plain tired after reading all that? I know I am after living it!

Right now I find myself in a situation I find myself in a lot… It’s the day before something, today is the day before my family takes off for a ladies retreat at the Oregon Coast. I’ve been planning and prepping for this weekend away for months. Two weeks ago I was busy preparing the devotional times I hope to share with the ladies, on Tuesday I was printing all my materials and making a pile of all the stuff I need to be remember to bring. Somehow in all the prep and trying to keep up with life that I almost feel too tired to go… This bothers me. My life gets so busy that instead of looking at a weekend away as a blessing, I tend to view it just as another thing I need to do. I should clarify that this has nothing against the event itself or the people who will be attending it with me. It’s good stuff, but more than anything I just want to sit in my pajamas and do nothing. Instead of being social, I want to hide. I’m being real here!

This month was a tricky one for me. I really tried to balance things out, but I don’t feel like succeed. I don’t want my life to just fly by. I don’t want my time to be spent just marking dates off the calendar and throwing myself headlong into the next thing. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but with my schedule, I feel like I live my life a month in advance at times, by the time I actually get to whatever is on the calendar I’m either too tired to enjoy it or my mind is already onto the next month and all things that I need to be doing in prep for that. It’s a vicious cycle!

As I prepare to head into the next big thing on calendar, I pray that God would give me rest. Even in a room full of people, I pray that my little introverted spirit would be refreshed and feel a sense of peace and calm. I don’t want to live life frantically. I don’t want to be so busy that even the good things in my life start to look like things to check of my list. I want to savor the moments! I want to really live in them – not too tired to enjoy them and not thinking about the next big thing I need to be on top of.

I can see how this all comes back to my core value word that I got to add back (it’s really my aspiration word) – balance! I need to find balance. I know that I struggled with this month so much because my core value of balance is out of whack. Even though April has flown by, here is hoping that I can slow it for May. I guess that is the great thing about each new month and really even each new day, we can decide the pace. I’ve been trying to keep up a little too much in April. I know myself and I know I can’t live this pace continually. It’s up to me now to set the tone for May. Here’s hoping it doesn’t fly by as quickly.

 

Not in Kansas anymore! April 25, 2012

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 3:46 pm

Toby and Todd playing in the yard!

This Sunday my sister moved home from Kansas! As one of my closest friends, it was difficult to have her at such a great distance. I’m thankful for technology that allowed us to stay close while she was gone, but having her here in person is so much better. It’s been a fun couple of days as I have gotten to see her each day and make up for lost time! Here are some highlights from the past few days:

  • Our puppies got to meet for the first time! It was fun to meet April’s Todd and see him interact with my Toby. Todd is full of spunk and really loves to kiss me. It was a very exciting meeting on Sunday!
  • April agreed to be my travel buddy for my last drive in the Malibu. Monday evening we drove up to Puyallup so I could sell my Malibu to my cousin. It seemed fitting to spend the last drive with her talking about life and what we see our futures. (For those at are wondering, I feel really good about selling the Malibu and keeping it in the family. I think I worked through all my emotions on Thursday when I thought it would sell and didn’t).
  • We’ve been sharing with each other our new favorite songs and bands. We’ve also spent a good deal of time singing along to old favorites.
  • April brought me beautiful tulips that are now displayed on my table! She’s so sweet!

  • The only 2 people in the theater!

    We went to the movies and were the only two people in the theater! It was fun to talk during the movie and even text and know that I wasn’t going to get in trouble!

  • We laughed while shopping for random things and at dinner together in our favorite Mexican restaurant. It was good to have her back because we laugh so much when we’re together. There is a true goofiness that comes out when I’m with her.
  • We’ve already had a sleepover! She kept me company while my hubby was away at a conference.
  • This morning we both read for a while. April kept reading while I did quiet things around the house. It was so restful to just be ourselves. We enjoy each other’s company even when we’re not talking.

April hasn’t lived this close to me since she got married almost 4 years ago. I’m excited to see our friendship continue to grow. I’m praying for her and Andrew as they settle in to being back in the northwest. This is an exciting time as a family and I’m really happy to have them back!

 

Some weeks… February 15, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 4:49 pm

Okay, some weeks are pretty free and life is fairly easy going… then I have weeks like this week where I am filled to be brim with good stuff. I’m talking about things I like to do, things I enjoy, things that matter to me. However, add them all together and it starts to feel like a bit much. So here is a glimpse into the first half of my week and my projection for the second half of my week. (Note some of you will read this and think that I’m a wimp and have accomplished really nothing of worth… that is fine if you are super human and super cooler than me. I am not super human and I like naps).

Sunday started off like any other Sunday. I get up and get ready while my dog sleeps snuggled into my bed. I’ll be blow drying my hair and look over at him so peaceful like and I am reminded that life is not fair. I am certainly not a morning person, but a lot things happen in the morning hours – like church. So I must get up and take part in these activities with people who enjoy the morning. I try to smile and pretend that I wouldn’t rather be in bed. By the time children’s church rolls around I’m usually pretty alert, but starting to get hungry for lunch. I know it’s so silly, but I often think a lot about lunch while I’m helping with the kiddos. Maybe I should pack a snack??? But then they all look at me with those eyes that say “did you bring enough to share with the group?” and of course, I didn’t… so I scrap the snack idea and just wait for my first meal of the day to happen around 1:00pm. Sunday was a life group Sunday and the group was meeting at our house that night. I got home and started to eat almost immediately. After my late lunch I started to clean my house in anticipation of the company I would have over that evening. Once the house is clean enough to make my conscience happy I then decide to spend my last few free hours sleeping – oh yeah! Gotta love a Sunday afternoon nap! I wake up to discover my hubby has fallen asleep on the couch. That never happens! We are both dopey but welcome our company shortly after 6:00pm… After 2 hours of meeting and listening to Jeremy talk on the phone with his brother about blinds and my favorite TV show, it’s off to bed.

Monday morning has a way of being different than all other mornings… It’s a beginning of a new week. This week happens to hold the Missionettes sleepover where I can expect to be responsible for 80-100 girls and volunteer leaders. Needless to say, Monday morning is spent focusing on nothing but the sleepover. Monday at noon I head off to lunch with my mother-in-law. We have a monthly lunch date to spend some time together out of the office and develop our friendship. After lunch, I head to the store to by eggs, flour and an onion. The eggs and flour are for baking project later that evening. The onion is for my husband. I have a few quiet hours at home and then I have a youth student over to bake cookies with me.

Tuesday while getting ready I hear my cell phone go off saying I have a text message. I find that my mom has decided to give Jeremy and I a couch and an over-sized chair. I tell Jeremy and he gets excited because these are nice pieces of furniture. We accept and make plans to pick up the furniture next Thursday… then on Monday… and then we decide to pick it up after work! Yep, we’re decisive. Since Tuesday was Valentine’s day Jeremy was sweet and got us take-out for our staff meeting meal. After work we headed up to my parents to pick up the furniture. We realize the furniture doesn’t fit through the doors well, so have to load it by going round through the backyard where there are double doors that make things a bit easier. We load up a church van almost completely full with furniture. Jeremy and I decide we’re starving and stop to get fast food on the way home. We know that with furniture in the van we’ll want to set up ASAP when we get home. The rest of the night is spent moving what seems like all the furniture in our home around to various places and then moving them back again. Good times.

Now we come to today. I woke up and cleaned my entire house, steam vacuumed all by one room of my house (I didn’t do our guest room because pieces of a disassemble futon are scattered around it n0w – yes, you better believe that drives me crazy). I have finished a book and started a new book. I have responded to many emails and phone calls regarding the sleepover because the deadline to register is today. I will dress up in clashing mismatched clothes for a class dress up day tonight and I will come home and pass out. Tomorrow I will set up and decorate for the sleepover. Than I will go shopping for all the food and door prizes for the sleepover. Soon enough Friday will be here and I won’t stop moving until midnight when I make my class go to sleep. However, I won’t sleep because every sound I hear I will assume that some student is trying to sneak out.

Okay… this got quite long! Sorry! I just thought I would share the fast paced, high action life I live! It’s a fun life, but let me tell you – I see another nap in my future… most likely a 6 hour one when I get home on Saturday!

 

Shout out to my parents! February 8, 2012

Filed under: Family Time,Recollections — Amy Scott @ 5:31 pm

The inspiration for this blog came to me a few weekends ago. Jeremy and I were helping his brother and sister-in-law move into their first house. Jeremy had been down there the weekend before that as well helping them to paint before they moved their stuff in. I started to think about how great it was of my in-laws to help them paint two days in a row and then help them move the next weekend. I was reminded of the week we moved into our house and how much Jeremy and I were both blessed by the help of our parents that week. My parents helped pretty much paint our entire house. We moved Easter week so Jeremy was super busy at work, but I was able to take time off work and help my parents paint. One day I had to work and I remember my parents painted our house when we weren’t home. Now that’s love!

My mind started to wander and remember all the times and different ways my parents have been here for me since I officially graduated and move out. Now I get them being awesome parents while I was home and a kid, but I’ve been amazed by the relationship I’ve been able to have with my parents as an adult. I know there are families who are not as close as mine. I take the relationships I have with my family seriously. I know I am blessed. I am able to be real with my parents and they have been beyond helpful to me as I’ve grown into this adult role. They’ve been supportive but they’ve also let me go. I know that they respect me as an adult. I’m sure it’s a delicate balance to raise a child and then release them to be themselves once they are grown.  My parents have done this transition with grace and I will admit that I am impressed and hope I can be the same way when I have grown children.

Now I will admit that growing up, I had moments just like any other kid. I wondered if my parents really got it… You know, back when I knew everything and thought I had all the answers. It wasn’t perfect. There were disagreements and hard moments. However, I remember other moments more than I remember those. I can remember vivid conversations with my parents where I was completely honest about what God was calling to me to do. I can remember talking over my options and my future with them. I can remember them truly listening to me and not projecting their own desires on me. They always encouraged me to be my best and hold high standards for myself. The ability to be honest with them from the beginning has given me a great foundation to the relationship we now have.

This might seem weird for a lot of people, but I love hanging out with my parents. I really value their friendship and the wisdom they can share from their experiences. Jeremy and I truly enjoy having both our families live so close to us. They are active parts of our lives and we love that. Yes, it sometimes makes Thanksgiving and Christmas complicated, but the year around relationship is worth the holiday juggling. We have been forever shaped for the better by being raised in good solid Christian homes. We knew our parents loved each and loved the Lord. I am so thankful for all they offered to me growing up and I am so glad that still have them as influence in my life. My parents rock! Just thought you should know!

 

A new year and another year January 7, 2012

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Recollections,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 9:28 pm

Right now I’m smack dab in the the middle of the New Year and my 26th birthday. It’s a very contemplative time as I ponder 2012 and turning another year older. What will this year hold? This might sound strange, but I’m not a fan of odd numbers, so I’m always happy when I enter an even calendar year and even year of age. As much as I don’t want to be another year older, I am somewhat comforted by the fact that it will be an even year. Like I said, I’ve been thinking a lot… it’s something I probably do way too much in general. Here is what has been bouncing around in my head…

When asked what my new year’s resolutions are I had to say none. I have no goals set for 2012. My mom said this was healthy since according to her I’m scary when it comes to goals. I will be the first to admit that I like to be working towards something and that I have pretty high standards for myself. I’ve been thinking about a lot about my standards. I’ve been looking back in my mind to the standards I set for myself as a  youth student. I’ve been remembering the things that I was passionate about and that shaped the adult I’ve become. I was blessed with a group of friends and family that held me accountable to the high standards I set for myself. Because of the high standards I’ve always had in place, I find that I hold others to equally high standards. Now I don’t judge when someone isn’t like me or not on the same page as me. I just care a lot about my friends and family. I want the best for them. This leads me to holding a pretty firm line in some areas of life. It’s been a challenge for me to watch some people that care about deeply make choices I don’t always support. I can give my two cents when it’s asked for, but really, I’m not in control of others (DUH!) and I’m not responsible for their choices. As a teacher at my church, it’s hard when this happens with students. I feel in some way that I let down in my training. While, I know that isn’t true, I feel the weight of their choices.

As I’ve been pondering the standards that I hold for others, I started to evaluate the standards that I currently have for myself. If you’re going to teach, the Bible says that you’re going to be held to the standard of your own teaching and higher. I started to look at myself deeply and wondered if I’m really walking the walk that goes behind all my talk. Now, I haven’t had any major revelations about poor standards in my life, but I have come to the conclusion that I need to do better. I have so not arrived yet… I’m so far off from being the person I need to be. Even today, I had to apologize for a blunder I made and a lapse in judgement. I’m still human no matter how hard I strive to be perfect. Tonight at church, we sang two songs that mentioned weakness and being weak. In the car ride to church I was praying about that is how I felt, so it no surprise for me to see the theme of weakness coming out in worship. I feel so weak. I know that in my weakness God can do great things. I also know His strength and power is revealed in times of weakness. I just don’t feel like some strong spiritual giant. I feel small. I’m a bit of a control freak who has through a lack of control in life turned a bit paranoid. I can see healthy tendencies in my thoughts and perceptions. I know there are roads I don’t want to go down. I need to refresh my mind and my way of thinking.

All being said, here is what I came up with as my solutions and in a way somewhat my resolutions for the this coming year. I need to pray more. I find that I’m good when I have time to write out my thoughts, but I need to be praying a lot more than I am now. When I try to do things on my own, I fail. I need God to be a conscience part of my every moment. I need to invite him to live each day with me. I know the lines of communication need to be more open for me to see growth in my life. I believe that a focus on prayer coupled with my Bible reading will be a backbone for growth in me this coming year. Bottom line – I want to be better. I want to be a better wife, sister, daughter, friend, employee, teacher, mentor and overall follower of Christ. I know that the people in my life and my Savior deserve my best. I pray that God will give me the strength to make changes in my own heart. If I start with making a difference in my life then I can truly do a better job of making difference in the life of others. This is what I look forward to in 2012 and hope being 26 will be defined as – a year of change – a year where I get better. I believe the this desire to get better will be something I struggle with every year. I think it’s the desire for eternity in my heart. It’s my desire to be truly made right and whole by the love of my Savior. I will someday know this feeling to the fullest, but for now I will make small strides towards the woman God wants me to become.

 

New Year’s Eve January 3, 2012

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 8:58 am

New Year’s Eve is an extra special day for me. It’s my sister’s birthday and ever since I can remember we’ve celebrated her birthday right up until midnight. She’s got in good in that department. Most people celebrate their birthdays with loved ones into the evening, but April really get a full day of birthday honor.

Celebrating April’s birthday this year was super meaningful, even though we did all of things we normally do. April has been living in Kansas for the last six months, but is home for a couple week for the holidays and to celebrate her birthday with family. It’s been great having April and her husband, Andrew, around to hang out with. We last saw each other in Chicago which was very fast paced trip. It’s been great to have some down time with them and just be chill. Many days have been spent playing video games, watching movies and eating a ton of food!

This New Year’s Eve was very much like those of the past. April always requests Chinese food as her birthday meal, so we went to the Great Wall in Salkum for dinner. We all enjoyed a yummy meal and fun conversation. They have these place mats at the restaurant that tell you what your birth year is on the Chinese calendar. Even though we’ve read the descriptions thousand of times, we still discuss them. I finally put together that half of our family our rabbits – Mom, Andrew and April. Rabbits are supposed to avoid Cocks which would be Jeremy. I’m a tiger and I’m supposed to avoid monkeys which would be my father! What strange family dynamic we have if this silly place mat were true!

After dinner, we headed back to our home for dessert. We played some Wii party after dessert and then my parents took off for the night. They aren’t night owls and didn’t feel like welcoming the new year with us. I’m sure they were happy to be home in bed at midnight. April, Andrew, Jeremy and I settled in for a night of video games, board games, a mini dance party, and lots of laughs! This is the first time that I’ve gotten to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home since I’ve been married. Most of the time, Jeremy and I travel to my parent’s house or April’s house to spend the evening. It was harder for me to stay awake this year because I knew my own bed was right around the corner. This lead to me drinking a lot of soda to stay awake. That was great when it got me through midnight. Not so great when I couldn’t fall asleep when I went to bed.

It’s been a fun vacation. I’m still out of the office this week. My hubby took off this morning for work as per usual. It was strange to send him off while I’m still in my pajamas on the couch. We’ve really enjoyed time with friends and family over the last few weeks. I’m blessed to be the family that I am. I’m so grateful for what each member of my family brings to my life. In a world of family dysfunction, I know it’s something special that I can say I’m friends with my family and I genuinely enjoying spending time with them. In fact, that is what my plans are today. I’m going to head up to my parent’s house and just spend the day hanging with family. Hope that you’re enjoying your start to 2012! I know I am!

 

The Simplest Things December 28, 2011

Filed under: Bible,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 1:43 pm

Right now I’m in the midst of my Christmas break which has been awesome, but sadly brought down by a massive head cold. I’ve been able to do all that I wanted and hoped for – just while being medicated… kind of a bummer, but a break is a break and I’ll take it! We spent a lot of time with Jeremy’s family over the weekend and yesterday my sister and brother-in-law arrived from Kansas. We’ve had a great time connecting with them and playing lots of video games. They boys will play Call of Duty MW3 and when we all play together it’s Wii Party. Good times. Tonight we’re heading up to my parent’s house for our immediate family Christmas celebration. It’s fun to push the holiday out just a little longer.

As you can tell my normal blogging schedule is a little off. I apologize to all readers, but I think it’s a good thing when there is so much life going on that I don’t have to write about it. Makes me feel like I’m really living! Nothing dramatic, just filling the time in good ways! Today I was reading my Bible while everyone took turns getting ready. I found myself in Matthew chapter 6. It seems the simplest things and the simplest sentences can be the most powerful. This verse is highlighted in my Bible and I’m always so profoundly hit by it. I wish I could really own this verse and live it out. “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Matthew 6:27. I suffer from anxiety. I get nervous about everything and worry all the time! It’s amazing! I know it does NOTHING, but yet I am prone to it. I should really post this verse all over my house, car, and office! Worrying does me nothing. Even on Christmas break, I have found myself worrying about what others think, worrying about the schedule, worrying about this, worrying about that. I’m on a vacation and worrying seems to follow me! So today I am remind that worrying will not bring me more time or a better outcome. Give up the worry and just live!