Simply Me | Amy Scott's Thoughts

Fall Field Trips! October 4, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me,Travels — Amy Scott @ 3:34 pm

Field trips are one of my favorite parts of homeschooling. I love adventuring into the world with my family (and often with friends as well). There is so much experiential learning that can happen outside of our dining room table classroom. In the PNW, fall can be a glorious time to get outside, especially before the rain settles in closer to November. September and October field trips are some of my favorite of the whole year! I’ve already highlighted our visit to Fort Vancouver and the Oregon Zoo at the beginning of September (September Sports and Adventures!). We’ve keep the good times going with even more autumn adventures the last few weeks!

We recently enjoyed a visit to the Ape Caves with friends. It makes me chuckle that on a beautiful, sunny September day, we’d head underground! However, the hike from the cave exit back to the parking lot is much nicer with pleasant weather, so I’ll use that as our reason! The Ape Caves are always an unusual experience. There are many big rocks to climb over and lots of uneven ground. You certainly have to pay attention to your surroundings and it’s a pretty good workout. The kids love visiting caves and this is a favorite place to explore with friends! I’m so glad we made this outing happen. So much fun!

Next, we went to the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. After recently visiting both the Nisqually and Willapa refuges, I thought it would be fun to compare a third location. The RWR has two units and one has an auto tour. We selected that one. We saw many birds, white-tail deer (only found in that location), and, my favorite, a turtle! We got out of the van and walked some trails. It was another beautiful, sunny September day. With rain moving into the forecast, it felt good to be outside soaking in the sunshine. Wildlife refuges are a great place for our young nature enthusiasts to observe the local flora and fauna. I’m sure we’ll be back to visit the other unit in the future!

Finally, we made it to Mt. Rainier National Park to see the autumn color. When we visited the mountain in 2022, we were blown away by the fall colors. I’ve been trying to find the perfect time to visit again with that same amount of color, it’s evaded me… While the colors weren’t quite as spectacular as I had hoped for, our visit to Mt. Rainier was still worth it. We made it in time to see the mountain before it went behind the clouds. We enjoyed hiking around Paradise and stopping at Narada Falls on our way out of the park. I asked Graham what his favorite part of our adventure was and he replied stopping for Chinese food on the way home. Oh brother! Owen’s highlight was seeing a varied thrush (an uncommon bird).

We have more exciting field trips planned for October. Autumn is my favorite time to be outside in the PNW. I love the cool, crisp sunshine and fresh air! We are trying to make the most of the dry weather before the drizzle settles over us. By the time the rain arrives, I’m ready to slow down and be cozy inside. It’s a good balance. I love living in the northwest! Fall field trips here are the best!

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What I’ve Been Reading – September 2025 September 30, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 3:00 pm

Bookish Thoughts for September

It’s hard to believe September is almost over! Between back to school, hunting season, launching multiple programs at church, women’s conference, staff retreat, sports, and weekly field trips, it’s been a full month! But… Hunting season means my menfolk are out in the woods for two weeks looking for elk and that gave me a few extra evenings at home to read. Also, I try to balance our weekends so there is one quieter day for rest (and of course, reading). Overall, September turned out to be quite the profitable reading month, despite my full calendar.

Non-fiction highlights this month focus on Sally Clarkson. She’s the best homeschool-mom encourager out there! Reading her books is like having a wise mentor come alongside you and cheer you on in the good work you are doing. She’s always uplifting and inspiring. The Mission of Motherhood is an older book and it was fun to compare it with Well Lived ,which is a newer book and focused on her legacy. Well Lived had lovely pictures of her time in Oxford, England. It was sweet to see photos of Sally’s friends and family alongside reflections of her lifetime of faith. I have a few more books by Sally and her husband, Clay, that I hope to read this coming month. Their books always give my spirit a boost!

My binge reading of Denise Hunter continued. I finally got two long await books from the library. They were quite enjoyable! After watching the Anne movies in August, I felt compelled to read Anne of Green Gables. Anne is always good for the soul! The boys and I finished Little House in the Big Woods as our school real-aloud. These fictional little girls are so sweet to visit (just like old friends)! The English Masterpiece was another much anticipated library hold! Katherine Reay’s newest novel thoroughly held my attention. Set in the glamorous 1970s art world in London, it was a bit of a mystery and a different vibe than her last few historical fiction books. I found the variety refreshing.

Now I’m currently making my way through Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. One of my good friends LOVES this book and she requested I read it. She would like me to see the movie version in the theaters with her in March. I shared that I was reading this book on my Instagram stories last week and I received couple a responses from other readers who also enjoyed it. I hope it can live up to the hype! I’ll let you know what I think about it next month.

Top Picks for September

Owen: *Quest in Yosemite National Park*
Graham: *The Mystery at Snowflake Inn*

The Book List for September
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction

The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child’s Heart for Eternity by Sally Clarkson – 4 stars
Well Lived: Shaping a Legacy of Gratitude and Grace by Sally Clarkson – 4 stars
Culture Wins: The Road Map to an Irresistible Workplace by William Vanderbloemen – 3 stars

Fiction

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery – 5 stars
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder – 5 stars
The Summer of Me and You by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
Wildflower Falls by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay – 4 stars
One More Made Up Love Song by Jenny Proctor – 4 stars
All’s Fair in Love and Blackmail by Gracie Ruth Mitchell – 4 stars
All’s Well that Friends Well by Gracie Ruth Mitchel – 3 stars
The Aviator’s Lady by Gabrielle Meyer – 3 stars
True to You by Becky Wade – 3 stars
Falling for You by Becky Wade – 3 stars
Sweet on You by Becky Wade – 3 stars
Then Came You by Becky Wade – 3 stars

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A Week at the Beach August 28, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Simply Me,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:15 pm

We just got back from our final hurrah of the summer – a week at the Oregon Coast! We stayed in Oceanside for the first time. It’s near a favorite of ours, the Tillamook Creamery (we visited three times on this trip). While the creamery was familiar, this section of beach was new to us. We loved discovering a new stretch of the Oregon Coast. Highlights from the trip include visiting the Yaquina Head and Bay Lighthouse in Newport, exploring tidepools, collecting rocks and shells, daily beach walks, a tour at the Cape Meares Lighthouse, and a walk to the Octopus Tree. We enjoyed our favorite coast restaurants – Mo’s and Pig ‘N Pancake. We visited Terra Del Mar and Pacific City for the first time. We visited Jacobsen Salt Co. and learned how they harvest salt from Netarts Bay. Jeremy and the boys tried their hands at crabbing and clamming. There was also lots of restful downtime around the beach house. We played board games, the boys got video game time, and I read many books! We appreciated the extra time spent with my parents and sister. All around it was a great trip and an excellent way to wrap up our summer vacation!

Collecting cheese samples at the Tillamook Creamery

Exploring the Cobble Beach tide pools by the Yaquina Head Lighthouse

Birding at Sitka Sedge State Natural Area

The ice cream line at the Tillamook Creamery was too long our last night, so we all got pints at Safeway. A tasty way to wrap up our trip.

Last beach sunset (with Jeremy photobombing)

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Hello 2024! January 10, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 4:28 pm

Hello! Welcome to the first post of 2024! It’s been a pretty quiet start to the new year, but I still have plenty to updates to share. We rang in the new year asleep in our beds. It’s been years since we’ve attempted to stay up to midnight. Our neighbors set off loud fireworks that sometimes wake us up at midnight, but this year we slept through them (or they set them off early this year because we definitely heard them earlier in the evening).

We spent the first day of 2024 taking down our Christmas decoration. It’s always a bit sad. The house feels bare after all the festive décor is packed away. After taking down Christmas, I did a quick tidy of all the drawers and cabinets in the house. Unseen spaces need to be maintained so they don’t get out of hand. I am good at keeping tabs on my spaces, but it felt good to make sure everything was neatly in place. I was also able to purge a few unnecessary items. Jeremy spent quite a few hours over Christmas break organizing the garage and sorting through his closet. Our combined efforts gave our whole house a fresh feeling for the new year.

Soon it was back to school and everyday life commitments. We fell back into our routine fairly well. We had a great first week back at school. Our weekend was spent running errands and enjoying down time around the house as a family. We got quite a few new games in December and we played them all together. We also pulled out a family favorite, Wingspan, and played it a couple times over the weekend.

Our homeschool co-op met for the first time this week. I’m teaching a class this session, so Monday afternoon was a prep day for my Tuesday afternoon class. I’m leading a book club for the elementary school students. We’re reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis as a class. For our first class, we read chapter one together. We watched a short movie clip of Lucy finding Narnia and discussed the start of the story together. Our hands-on activity was decorating snowflake sugar cookies together. So much fun! Now the students will read a couple chapters at home and come back next week ready to dive into chapter four with me.

The exciting news of the day is we have snow on the ground this very moment! Our first snow of the season! We live on a hill so our snow totals are a bit more than the rest of the area. I was surprised our local school district didn’t even have a late start today. Our yard totally looks like a snow day; complete with a small snowman that the boys created before daylight! It’s been fun to watch the kids go in and out throughout the day. We’re optimistic that the forecast will bring more snow our way over the next couple of days. I’m 100% on board with being snowed in! Here’s hoping!!!

Back to school and back to science projects!

Jeremy created this clock in stages over Christmas break. It’s now complete and operational. He’s so crafty!

Owen got a new camera for Christmas. He wanted his first picture to be of him and his brother in matching Pokémon shirts.

This photo is now proudly hanging on Owen’s wall.

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What I’ve Been Reading – December 2023 December 31, 2023

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 10:00 am

Bookish Thoughts for December

It’s the end of 2023 and time to analyze this year’s reading. The stats I’ll share came from my Goodreads “My Year in Books” review. According to Goodreads (and my own note-taking), I’m wrapping up 2023 with 228 books read. That is less than 2022 (265), but more than 2021 (179). The goal I loosely held for 2023 was 200 books and I made it. According to Goodreads, I read 67,535 pages which averages about 296 pages a book. I find stats like this super fun… and kind of nerdy (I’m good with that).

Do you ever unintentionally fall into habits that become routines which become strict “must-do” items on your to-do list? Okay, maybe just me. I unintentionally started the habit of sharing what book I’m reading on my Instagram stories every Wednesday for 2023. It was fun to share 52 books in 2023, but I’m pondering if I will continue this into 2024. I never intended to make it a goal for year and somehow it become one. Since I’m a creature of habit, I have a feeling I’ll be posting my current read this Wednesday.

Another book goal of the year was to get my kids one book month to deliberately pace my book shopping. While they started the year super enthusiastic to pick a book each month, the energy has diminished some. If I bought them exclusively Pokémon books, they would probably be more excited, but I tend to push for diversity. Also, there are new Christmas books to be read, so I might pause on book purchases (for them) until new material is needed. We’ll see how long I last…

I added seven new books to my home library this month and I added quite a few titles to my Amazon Book Wish List. I went through my Goodreads and selected many 4 stars books that I’ve enjoyed and added them to my wish list. I also took note of books I’ve read on my Kindle multiple times and I now wish to give shelf space to these titles. I love reading on my Kindle and it gives me access to so many books, but I’m still in love with the printed page. I hope to add more to my home library after my January birthday. I try to pace myself when it comes to book shopping.

December Home Library Additions – These were all lovely gifts this month!

I don’t quite know what 2024 holds when it comes to reading goals. I counted pages for the first time in 2023 and that was interesting. I’ll probably continue to do so in 2024. I’ll most likely keep posting my current read on Wednesday in Instagram. I will set my Goodreads book goal at 100 again and see where the reading takes me. I have hopes to increase my read-aloud time with my boys. I’m also leading a book club with the elementary class at our homeschool co-op this winter. I’ll spend six weeks going through The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Owen is thrilled for my class and Graham is skeptical I can make a book club fun. I’m hopeful that my mix of reading, visuals (aka short movie clips), and hand-on activities will engage a wide range of readers (and non-readers). Finger crossed and prayers appreciated!

As you can see, I’m going into 2024 with books being top priority, no surprise. A reading life is a good life. May good books and great stories find you (and me) in 2024!

Top Picks for December

Due to space, I’ll keep my **Top Picks** brief. *The Home Edit Stay Organized* because of the pictures! If I had endless dollars, I would use all their products and labels! *The One with Kiss Cam* was the most un-put-downable book I read this month. I don’t usually give half points, but this was a 4.5 book. Almost perfect!

The Book List for December
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing.

Non-Fiction:

Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar – 3 stars
The Home Edit: Stay Organized: The Ultimate Guide to Making Systems Stick by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin – 5 stars
Jim Trelease’s Read-Aloud Handbook: Eighth Edition by by Jim Trelease and Cyndi Giorgis – 4 stars

Fiction:

Christmas in Paradise by Brittany Larsen – 4 stars
The Grumpy Side of Paradise by Brittany Larsen – 3 stars
(Not So) Famous in Paradise by Brittany Larsen – 3 stars
Second Chance Springs (novella) in Paradise by Brittany Larsen – 3 stars
Dizzy in Love (novella) by Brittany Larsen – 3 stars
The Royal’s Enemy (novella) by Brittany Larsen – 3 stars
One Small Secret (novella) by Esther Hatch – 3 stars
Jingle Bell Jilt (novella) by Mindy Burbidge Strunk – 3 stars
Merry Kismet (novella) by Anneka Walker – 3 stars
A Sugar Creek Christmas (novella) by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
His Mistletoe Miracle (novella) by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
The Holiday Husband by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
The One with the Kiss Cam by Cindy Steel – 4 stars (really 4.5 if I divert from Goodreads ratings)
Just Friends Forever by Martha Keyes – 3 stars
Season’s Schemings by Katie Bailey – 3 stars
Love on Deck by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
Falling for Your Brother’s Best Friend (novella) by Emma St. Clair – 3 stars
Rent Yourself an Elf (novella) by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
Single All the Way (novella) by Kate Watson – 3 stars
New York, New Year, New You (novella) by Rachael Bloome – 3 stars
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson – 3 stars

Side Note: While the authors may not have advertised the books as such, I have labeled any book under 250 pages as a novella this month. It seems this title can be fluid, especially with independently published books. Even I vacillate on what I view as a novella. My opinion tends to be under 200-250 pages, a book should be called a novella.

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Happy 8th Birthday, Graham! October 25, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 1:55 pm

After my post last Wednesday, things went a bit sideways for our family. It might seem like October – Birthday Month – has been all sunshine and rainbows and endless celebrations… but that hasn’t quite been the case. Wednesday afternoon, Graham started to complain about a stomachache. He had been looking forward to bringing cookies to his church class as a way to celebrate his birthday the next day, but instead, he ended up “figuratively” tossing his cookies. Graham had a 48-hour flu bug and he perked up Friday evening. However, his actual birthday was Thursday and he was down the count the whole day. Poor guy! Owen caught the same bug, but only had it for 24 hours (Thursday in Friday). Boo! Our best guess is they swallowed something in the pool water at Great Wolf Lodge, but we’ve also heard from friends that a tummy bug is going around in our area. Too bad it found us…

We had a birthday outing for Friday planned and dinner with friends on Saturday. We postpone those plans to this coming weekend. We are optimistic they will still happen even though they were delayed. Thankfully, the kids were 24 hours symptom free so we could host a family birthday party on Sunday afternoon. Of all our weekend plans, the party would have been the hardest to reschedule and the boys had been waiting so long for this time to celebrate with our Scott family. The party was a hit and our boys had a blast. Their favorite thing to do is play with their cousins so their hearts were very full. I spent my weekend in birthday party prep mode. I frosted sugar cookies, baked cupcakes, and decorated them. It was fun to throw yet another Wild Kratts themed gathering. Overall, it was a great day and huge success. We are so blessed by our family and glad we could celebrate together!

The cookies Graham meant to take to church on Wednesday were brought to church on Sunday, so we were able to make that still happen. Graham had hoped for donuts on his birthday and he was able to have one Friday night. We also ran through McDonald’s on Saturday to snag a Boo Bucket. Even though his birthday was rough, we were able to salvage some elements of our original plan. Our co-op sang to Graham and two other October birthday buddies yesterday. And Lord willing, Graham’s birthday outing will happen on Friday.

What a month! With less than a week of adventures left in October, it will be interesting to see how the month comes to a close. I’m hopeful for all the plans that await us, but after the flu interrupted our life last week, I will say my optimism is now colored with some caution. We’ll see how things unfold. It might not always be perfect, but it’s still a good life.

Science experiment on Wednesday morning before the tummy bug hit…

Happy Day After Your Birthday, Graham! We couldn’t snap a birthday picture on Thursday, so we had to wait for Friday.

It’s not birthday month if you don’t have multiple parties!

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Bye, Bye Summer September 22, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Science Experiment: Testing the pH level of our soil.

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

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

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

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Summer Camp 2023 August 13, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Splurged on mini murphs while Jeremy was away.

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

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The June Wrap-Up! June 29, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 6:15 pm

June is coming to a close and what a month it’s been! Way busier than I expected, but so much fun! If you recall my last post, we’ve had lots to celebrate in June. We had our final June celebration was this last weekend and it was a pretty big deal! My dear, sweet Grandma (or GG as the next generation calls her), turned 90 on Tuesday. We had a family gathering on Saturday to mark the occasion. My grandma is a special lady! I get my sweet tooth from her. I have so many childhood memories of family vacations and visits with her. Now I love chatting on the phone with her, knowing she’s praying over my family, and watching my boys play with the same toys I did at her house. She is quick to listen, encourage, and pray. What a blessing to celebrate this milestone birthday with her!

June has been filled with all kinds of good summer things. Since my last post, we’ve had another pool play date. We love opening our home to swim. I enjoy sitting on the deck in the shade watching the kids splash about. It’s even better with friends! We had a family dinner with friends and broke in their new bocce ball set. I forgot to snap pictures, but I tweaked my chocolate chip cookie recipe and found a way to keep them soft and chewy. I changed the brown sugar to white sugar ratio and baked them for a minute less than the directions said. I also tried keeping a slice of bread in an air tight container with the cookies and it worked! Hooray for baking victories! Other recent baking projects have include brownies and cinnamon rolls… I’m thinking tomorrow might be another baking day. I love rotating through treats. I’m the type of person who always has some kind of dessert around the house.

The boys wrapped up two weeks of swimming lessons today. They didn’t pass their levels, but we expected that. The progress they’ve made this session definitely shows. They both worked so hard! This summer was the most excited they’ve been for swim lessons. They couldn’t wait to get the pool each day. They are super sad lessons are now over. I, on the hand, am rejoicing. I’m thankful for a break in the pace. We’ll probably do another session this summer, just not the next session. The boys have our home pool to keep practicing in. The forecast for the next week looks hot, so I’m sure I’ll still be poolside, just in the comfort of my own backyard.

Well, that’s the June wrap-up! July is right around the corner with it’s own set of new adventures! Until next time…

Quite a few of our floaties have popped over the last year, so it was time to add a new one into the mx. Surprisingly, this popsicle easily holds three kids or one surfing child. And it has confetti on the inside. What’s not to love?

Playing at the park after swim lessons. I need to invest in some sunglasses for Graham. All pics of him this summer are at awkward angles to avoid the sun.

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Easter Week April 14, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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