Simply Me | Amy Scott's Thoughts

You are Loved & God is Good! December 7, 2016

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 3:16 pm

Here are the notes from my MOPS talk yesterday. It should take about 15 minutes or less to read. I hope that it brings encouragement to you. I had such a wonderful response yesterday. I was blessed to share my heart with such wonderful ladies!

Hello. For those of you out there that I haven’t met personally, my name is Amy Scott. My husband is the children’s pastor here at Bethel Church. I’m on the MOPS steering team and have been for the last few years. I love MOPS and I love that you are all here today. This is a special place and what we do here is important. I hope that as you’ve spent time around the table with other moms, you’ve felt a sense of community and belonging. It’s so encouraging to know that you are not alone and that you have a group of ladies cheering you on.

What I want to share with you ladies today is a lot of preaching to the choir. It’s a message that really touches where I am right now. I don’t know this as a fact, but I’m assuming a lot of you might be in a similar place or maybe can relate to my story.

I’m a thinker. I can’t turn my brain off. Sometimes it’s a blessing and sometimes it a curse. I’ve been thinking a lot about life, especially the last year, 2016, and all the changes that have happened. It’s been a big year. I turned 30, bought a minivan… Jeremy and I put our house up for sale. It was our first house and full of so many memories because we started our family there. My home has been my sanctuary, my refuge. Selling it and letting go was has been an exciting, but emotion filled decision. I won’t go into all the details, but we’ve had one deal fall through and it’s been months of delays and extensions with our current buyer. We thought we would close at the end of September and now we are praying that we close at the end of the December. The kicker is, we thought for sure that we were going to close in October, so we moved in with my in-laws. Now it looks that was two months too soon. My in-laws have been great to live with, but it isn’t ideal when we could have been in our home. In a lot of ways, I’m ready to move forward, but I feel stalled.

Some of you know that at the end of this summer, my husband had some serious health issues arise and we had to take a step back from ministry for a few months to make his health a top priority. He is doing better now, but there are still some questions that we haven’t found answers to. It’s been a lot to take in, a lot to process.

There are numerous other changes that would take too long to go into, but this whole last year; I’ve felt like my life has been sifted. It’s been a rewarding process in the sense that I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I can handle. Mostly I’ve learned how much I truly need to rely on God to get through the day. Sifting happens when things get shaken up. And I’ve felt shaken this year. In a lot of ways my sense of security has been lost. When your security is in things or even in people, life can be scary. There is a sense of doubt and worry. I’ve learned a lot about God being my rock, my anchor.

I’m a writer and a blogger. I used to attempt to write deep thoughts about life and ministry, but once I had kids my blog morphed more into our family life and what we’re up to on a weekly basis. My 5 followers love my updates. I’ve chronicled the highs and lows of this year through my blog. It’s interesting to me that after all the updates, once I’ve gone through all hang ups, holds up, struggles and fears, I would always wrap things up by talking about the goodness of God. Strange to think that I would write through all the struggles of life and then close by saying God is good.

And that brings me to what I want to share with you today. The heart of my message is you are loved and God is good. In the midst of it all, I would hold on to these two truths. I am loved and God is good. I knew this was true. I didn’t doubt it. And with these two truths being whispered in my ear and repeated over and over in my heart, I was able to walk forward on firm ground even when life felt unstable and insecure. I didn’t have a lot of answers. I still don’t.

I could choose to stress and worry about my husband’s health or about why we keep experiencing hold ups with our house, but instead I remember that I am loved and God is good and the details that I cannot control lose their hold on me. I can have peace.

Philippians 4:6-7 says:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

God’s got this has been my motto. I don’t need to worry, I don’t need to figure it all it out. I just need to trust that God’s got this.

I want to share a passage of scripture with you from 1 John 4. I’m going to read verses 9-19:

God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect.

So we will not be afraid on the Day of Judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.

There are a few key thoughts that I want to focus on. The first is that God loved us so much that he gave his one and only son so that we might have eternal life. God’s love is all about relationship. He loved us so much, so deeply that he gave the greatest sacrifice so we could have a relationship with him. It’s because of this truth that I have never doubted the goodness of God. God is love and his love restored my relationship with him. And I know that he desires that same relationship with each of you. His love is constant, searching, reconciling. He never gives up and never let’s go. I am secure in this knowledge.

Which leads me to verse 16 where it says, “We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.” We can trust this good news. We can trust God! No matter what happens in life, we can trust that he loves us. As I say it, it sounds simple, but it is deeply profound. We can trust his love. We can trust in a world that doesn’t make sense, that God’s got this, because he loves us. He is love. We don’t have to have it all figured out. We can trust his love.

In a period of time where fear has been waiting at my doorstep, hoping I will let it in and take root in my heart, I have relied on verse 18 that says such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If I am truly trusting in perfect love then I don’t have to be afraid. This doesn’t mean that everything works out the way I hope because God loves me. I have gotten many answers I didn’t like and I’ve walked down roads that I didn’t plan to walk down. I’ve experienced hurt that I didn’t want or expect in my life. I think we all have. But I don’t have to be afraid of these things. God’s perfect love casts out all fear. Even when I am uncomfortable, even when I’m confused, frustrated, broken hearted, or worn out, I know that at the base of it all, my foundation and my rock is this perfect love. This perfect love that knows where I’m at and is with me in each moment. When our trust is in God’s love, we can say good-bye to the hold that fear has over us.

Now the overall context of this verse isn’t just about us and God. It’s not a bubble. It’s not God loves me and I love him. End of story. This love is lived out in the context of community and relationship. It’s about us shining that love to those around us.

Verses 11 and 12 say:

Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

God’s love is brought to full expression in us. WOW! That’s big. I’ll be honest with you all. I’ve been debating about what I would share with you for a while. I’ve taken this talk a thousand different directions in my mind. But God really challenged me to share my story today, to be real and honest about where I’ve been and what I’ve walked through.

I’m a private person by nature. I want you to all think that I’ve got it together and that I’m composed. Over the last year though I’ve had more than one moment where my composure has fallen apart. In those moments, Christ followers have been there to encourage me. I’ve had the best support as I’ve been honest and open with trusted friends and family members. By sharing my story with them, even the ugly parts, they have been able to respond to my need and love me in a deep and personal way. I lose out when I keep my story to myself and you lose you out to.

This great love that we are a part of invites us to share that love. We aren’t meant to keep it to ourselves. We can live like Jesus here in the world and extend that same love to others. We need that love and we need to give that love. Community is important. Sharing your story is important. God has given you a unique story that only you can tell. Maybe you’re in the middle of the hurt and you need the love of community to hold you up as you sort through the mess. Maybe you’ve recently walked through something and your testimony of how God got you through it can give encouragement and strength to someone so they don’t give up. It’s a cycle of encouragement and every part of the process is important.

Now, I realize that this is a Christmas party. I haven’t spent much time talking about shepherds or wise man. The heart of the Christmas story is Jesus. God came to earth in human form and walked among us. He loved us to much that died for our sins, so he could have a relationship with us. The love and the sacrifice of his story is why we are here today. It’s why we celebrate Christmas and even more so why we celebrate a risen Savior at Easter. This story isn’t a holiday story. It’s an everyday story. The truth of God’s goodness and his love is evident all year around and it’s up to us to respond to it and to share it with the world. My hope and prayer is that you will walk out of this room holding deeply to the truth that you loved and God is good. With that knowledge tucked in your heart, I pray that you shine a little brighter today and love a little deeper. This is the heart of the Christmas message.

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December is Here!

Filed under: Family Time,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 3:08 pm

November finished up with a MOPS outing to Lattin’s Cider Mill and our house still not closing. Over the weekend, we contemplated the very serious option of putting our house back on the market. But… it seems like the buyer’s lender has since been in contact with our agent and things look hopeful. We should know by the end of the week if official paperwork is headed our way. I will admit that all these dates start to mean nothing to me since they come and go without news or action. However, I am trying to remain hopeful as the deal with our current buyer hangs on by a thread. I really don’t want to relist our house, so I’m praying we can still pull this off. If things really do pan out, our new closing date will be on or before December 21st. The tune “All I Want for Christmas is My House to Sell” rattles around in my brain.

December has treated us well so far apart from the ups and downs with our home. Owen got a Play Doh Advent calendar from my mom and Jeremy & I got him an Advent calendar that has a chocolate a day. It’s been fun watching him get excited to open a new compartment each morning and receive a special treat. However, our Play Doh play time has tripled thanks to all new and exciting things to play with.

Friday, our family did a little Christmas shopping and Jeremy got supplies for the kid’s choir weekend. It was a big day, but nice to be out and about as a family. As we were making our way home on the freeway, our back right tire went flat. It was scary, but God was good and there was no damage done to the vehicle. Because our van is still pretty new to us, we had to call for a tow and the gentleman who gave us a tow showed Jeremy how to access our spare tire. My dad rescued the boys and I from the side of the freeway and took us home with a quick stop at the church to drop off some sound equipment for the drama rehearsal that night. Jeremy made it to the church for the practice once he was able to get a new tire on the van.

Saturday was a day around the house for the boys and I while Jeremy worked on kid’s choir commitments. Sunday was the big performance. Owen’s class has been practicing two songs to sing as the opening act of the kid’s musical. Last year Owen just stood on stage by Jeremy. He didn’t have a clue what to do. This year, Owen knew the words to the songs. He sang and danced and got the audience laughing more than once. Must be a PK (pastor’s kid) thing. They know how to ham it up.

Jeremy planned to take Monday off as a comp day for the weekend. We woke up Monday morning to snow, so Jeremy’s comp day also turned in the perfect snow day. Jeremy and Owen were outside in the snow before the sun was even up! Graham and I later joined them for a walk in the snow. Later I made cookies for MOPS while snowflakes fell outside the window and Owen introduced Jeremy to his new obsession, The Polar Express.

Tuesday was our MOPS Christmas party and I was the guest speaker. I was able to get some thoughts written down at the end of the last week and I practiced a bit this weekend. I wasn’t as practiced up as the last time I spoke, but it still turned out okay. My message was about how you are loved and God is good. I went through some of the struggles of my last year and how God’s love and goodness has been the firm foundation that has kept me going. Once I wrap up this post, I plan on posting my notes in another blog entry. It takes less than 15 minutes to read if you are interested in what I shared. I also have a video of me speaking on my Facebook page. One of the ladies at my table recorded my message for a friend who couldn’t make because her preemie is in the hospital.

And that brings us today… For my class tonight at church we’ll be doing our Gingerbread House Decorating Contest. This is always a favorite and a highlight of the Christmas season for me. We added to the 4th graders to my class because of the small group of 5th/6th graders. This will be our first week with the 4th graders. I’m praying it goes well. This a fun time of year for them to join since next week will also be our Christmas party. So much good stuff to enjoy!

As always, I will keep you posted on the house situation. We went to check on the house Sunday with the boys. They ran around through the empty great room yelling because of the echo. I’m very much hoping that I will soon to able to post more definite news instead of just “hopes”. Until then we’ll just keep enjoying the Christmas season and all the holiday cheer!

Enjoying Lattin’s Cider Mill with my boys and MOPS friends

December 1st!

Yum

Owen was awake when he pulled over to the side of the road with a flat tire. Apparently it didn’t hold his interest so he decided to take a nap.

Time for a song and dance

We enjoyed dinner at Grandpa & Grandma’s house. Then Owen decided to curl up and got to bed in TC’s crate.

Not a bad way to start a day!

Walking in a winter wonderland!

Hacking apart the snowman

Gingerbread cupcakes seem like the perfect snack for a Gingerbread House Decorating Contest!

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Thanksgiving! November 28, 2016

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 2:08 pm

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you had a fantastic Thanksgiving weekend. It was a good weekend in our household. We watched lots of Christmas movies and decorated the house. I started my Christmas shopping online with early Cyber Monday sales and I’m hoping to do a little more today. Shopping for my niece and nephews is way easier than shopping for my own kids. Not sure why that is…

Since my brain capacity isn’t stellar, I’m going to just hit some highlights quickly. Graham has had his worst cold yet this week. It’s been hard to watch him suffer through it. Poor kid. Owen got his train table back in his room and he is super happy about it. Jeremy told me that Owen danced for joy when he saw the table getting pulled out of the storage unit.

Jeremy is gearing up kid’s choir the next few weekends and I’m going to need to start working on MOPS stuff… I produce a newsletter that comes out the beginning of the month and for some reason I always seem to wait right before the deadline to work on it. It’s the “one” thing in life that regularly procrastinate. Go me. I’m also speaking at our December meeting and while I’ve put a lot of thought into what I’m going to say, I haven’t formalize anything. I know it’s a big deal and I don’t want to make light of the commitment I’ve made, but I also feel like God is intentionally asking me to less scripted. I’m a little nervous. However, I’m also trusting that it will be just what it needs to be. And let’s face it, I’ll go in some notes. It just won’t be all typed out and rehearsed.

And for the house news… there is none! Haha! I wish there was something to tell you, but we are still waiting. This has been quite the journey. I’m certainly wondering where this road will take us. Hopefully it will lead to actually closing…

That’s it for now. See you in December!

Owen’s first gingerbread house!

Giving Graham a ride

Happy turkey day!

The whole Vitzthum clan on Thanksgiving!

The train table is back!

Decorating for Christmas!

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It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas November 20, 2016

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 3:49 pm

I usually hold off on Christmas decorations until after Thanksgivings. I’ll start listening to Christmas music in November, but Thanksgiving weekend is the kick off of my Christmas decorating. This year is different, however. I’m thinking it might just be the stress of our house not closing (yes, we signed another extension. We should know Monday if the sale is actually going to go through or if we’ll have to relist our home). Christmas is comforting to me and I’ve needed comfort and Christmas a lot this week. It started with me buying Christmas jammies for the boys on Monday and then it lead to Owen getting a small Christmas tree in his room and holiday window clings. Today, Owen decorated the star to put on the top of his tree. Now it’s official!

This week I got the opportunity to help in the baby classroom at MOPS (opportunity = we didn’t have enough volunteers so steering team had to step in). It was surprisingly nice to do something different at MOPS. I enjoyed chatting with the other childcare workers and I think Graham enjoyed hanging with me. It was a craft meeting and sewing machines were involved so it’s probably best that I missed that meeting anyway. I’m not crafty.

During Graham’s nap time in the morning, I’ve been intentional about my time with Owen. We’ve started doing Bible time together. We read a story and color a picture about it. We’ve also been working on tracing our letters and numbers. This week I saw great improvement in his tracing skills and his ability to hold a pen. I never thought how challenging holding a pen could be until I tried to teach a 3 year old how to do it. I am loving these one on one moments with my big boy. I love watching him learn and I am enjoying the teaching moments we share. I am praying that as I share stories of how great God is and how he takes care of his people, Owen’s heart will be soft and receptive. I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was four, so I know that Owen is not far off from possibly having his own Jesus moment and I am glad that I get to help sow these seeds and I pray that something good will grow out of it.

Yesterday, we drove over the mountains for my littlest nephew’s baby dedication. It was fun to spend time with my nephews and niece (and their parents and Nana & Papa). Owen got to jump on a trampoline for the first time and he loved it. He now knows that he got one for his birthday and he is itching for us to set it up. However, it’s pouring down rain at this moment. November isn’t prime trampoline weather on this side of the mountains.

God is good despite all of our ups and downs with the house. I am thankful for his constant love and encouragement during what feels like the longest process of my life. God’s got this. I don’t have to worry. I might be disappointed, but I don’t have to worry. Graham is sick and I’m wondering if my week is going to be a little slower than expected because of a sick kiddo. This morning I was trying to give Graham Tylenol to help lower his fever and he was crying in disdain. Owen on the other hand was practically in tears because he wanted Tylenol despite the fact that he doesn’t have a fever. I’m good at making everyone upset with me. It’s a glamorous life, being a mom. While I love the hugs and snuggles my boys give me, they also give me a handful of tears and meltdowns too. Gotta keep things even, right? Good thing God made my kiddos cute. It keeps them alive. Add Christmas jammies to those little boys and they “look” like little angels!

We love our Red Cups!

Relaxing in matching Christmas jammies!

Happy cheese muncher!

What can I say? They like to match! And they look so cute while they do it!

Just a few things I am thankful for! I love doing this craft with my Wednesday night girls.

Practicing tracing and holding his pen

Can you see Owen?

Doing Bible time in his Thomas tent

Decorating the mini tree

Owen’s new nightlight

Getting some Colton snuggles

Keeping up with the cousins and bouncing on the trampoline all caught up with Owen. He slept through Colton’s dedication.

The tree is official now! It has a star!

My handy helper!

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Still Waiting… November 13, 2016

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 7:27 pm

We didn’t close on our house last week. I’m not surprised, but I was hopeful. Now we will see if anything happens on Monday or Tuesday. If we don’t sign by then it will be another extension which just might break my brain. I stopped by our empty Moonlit house today after dropping a student off after church. The house felt weird. I hadn’t been there in weeks and the separation of time made it feel less like home. Our stuff isn’t there. Our little people weren’t there. It just didn’t feel like home anymore. I’m ready for it to be sold. Here’s hoping we can close soon and move on to the next chapter in our housing adventure!

Staff retreat with Graham went well. The kid was so exhausted that he passed out and slept hard everyday. It was great! His last hotel stay was rough, so his sleep was a pleasant surprise. We got a huge hotel room that after the first night, we had all to ourselves. It was such a blessing. Graham needed an afternoon nap each day, so while the staff kept diligently meeting, I got to slip away for some quiet time which was just what my introverted personality needed. It was fun to be with the staff and reconnect with them after a season of being away. We ate lots of good food and enjoyed unusually warm weather at the beach. It was a good week.

Now I am home and battling a sore throat. The days have been busy, but full of good things. Friday I said good-bye to my long time forever friend, Maggie. As you know, we meet every other month for lunch dates. We’ve been close since high school and her friendship is truly irreplaceable in my life. Her family is moving to California to start a new adventure. I am so excited for her, but so sad at the same time. I will miss her so much. However, I know that we will stay close through phone calls and emails and visits that might happen yearly instead of monthly.

Yesterday was my nephew’s birthday party at a fun bouncy house building. Owen has a love/hate relationship with bouncy houses – mostly hate. He was able to get over he fear and bounced away a good deal of the time. At the end of our bouncy time, he was even able to conquer his fear of the slide. It was a super fun outing and we had a blast celebrating with Nolan!

As always, there is lots to do this week. Places to go, things to do… I am grateful that with staff retreat behind us, we have no overnight travels for a few months. I am ready to take a deep breath and settle down. I am getting excited for the holiday season. I keep dreaming of turkey dinners, red cups, Christmas cookies and matching winter jammies for the boys. I love this time of year!

There were so many bunnies around our hotel at staff retreat!

This is one way to get a nap at staff retreat

Passing on the Mo’s love

Graham was laughing at the ocean! He loved it!

Out for a windy walk

The large spacious living room at our hotel! We didn’t want leave!

Brothers reunited!

My hubby brought me my first red cup on Thursday. It was perfect for my sore throat!

Saying “see you later” to my forever friend, Maggie. Over a decade of friendship and going strong.

Having a bouncy good time at Nolan’s birthday party

These two are such good friends!

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Settling In at Papa & Nana’s House November 5, 2016

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 11:10 am

It has been so nice to not commute up to Kirkland this weekend. We’ve been able to settle in and makes ourselves at home in our new surroundings. The boys were all sick over the weekend and that carried into the beginning of the week. Graham and Jeremy didn’t make it to Fall Fest because Graham had a fever and Jeremy had no voice. Owen and I went down to the church Monday morning to help set up. Owen HAD to go in his costume and I was okay with getting some extra use of out it! Owen played with the games as we set up and requested to sample the candy. Monday night, I helped serve nachos and hot dogs at the Fall Fest Cafe as a fundraiser for our MOPS group. Owen attended Fall Fest with Grandpa and then settled in to help Nana & Papa hand out balloons.

Tuesday was a MOPS morning and then the boys and I drove down to Longview to get have lunch with Auntie April. The purpose of the outing was to get a “red cup” with Auntie at Starbucks. My mind was blown to learn that the cups were green this year. Then I learned that holiday cups aren’t arriving until the 10th. I guess we’ll have to schedule another Starbucks date with April to get an official red holiday cup.

Wednesday and Thursday were NORMAL DAYS!!! Praise Jesus! Amen! Hallelujah!!! Everyone took off for work in the morning and I got to stay home with my boys and follow our normal daytime routine. It was exactly what I needed! When Graham took his morning nap, Owen and I read a Bible story together then we did a coloring sheet about the Bible story. On Thursday before our Bible story, I let Owen use his Usborne wipe clean books for the first time. The purpose is to practice tracing letters. Owen wanted to color more than trace, but it’s a baby step towards having intentional learning time during the day. Plus, it was nice to have one on one time with my big boy. Especially after having two weeks of being away from him so much.

Yesterday, we took the boys to Lattin’s Cider Mill & Farm to look at the animals and buy apple fritters. We ran some errands and bought meals to deliver to two of my MOPS friends. One is recovering from surgery and one just had a baby. Our evening concluded with playtime, pumpkin pie and Zootopia. Today I am working on laundry and packing for myself and the boys. Tomorrow, Owen goes back to Grandpa & Grandma’s for a few days and Graham will be joining Jeremy & I at staff retreat. I am seriously hoping that is the last overnight trip I have to take with Graham for a while. From October 18th-November 9th, my days at home have been few and far between. I’m looking forward to getting back from staff retreat and further settling into our groove at Papa & Nana’s house. The boys are doing well with the change and for that I am grateful.

That is the update for now. Hopefully, I’ll have delightful tales from staff retreat to share in my next blog. I’m also hoping to share that our house has officially closed… We are thinking that might happen on the 10th or 11th. If anything, praying the 15th is the latest this process will be drawn out. I won’t be happy if we have to sign yet another extension. I’m trusting God with all the details. I know it will work it out. In the meantime, I am working on growing the gift of patience.

The cutest train engineer ever!

Tigger had a fever so he had to stay home from the Fall Fest fun. At least he had a smile!

Green cups with April

Coloring with Mommy while Graham naps.

Practicing his letters

This is what the house looks like 20 minutes after everyone goes to work. It’s a comforting sight after a busy season away from home.

My good apples!

How tall this fall? In Graham’s case, it should say how short! Tiny toddler!

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A Little Bit of This and a Little Bit of That October 29, 2016

Filed under: Family Time,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 1:49 pm

This post will be all over the place. Lots of facets of our life to share.

The last two weeks have been spent partially up in Kirkland for pastoral care with Ministry Resources International (MRI). The first week we were there we spent the night in a local hotel. Since Graham didn’t sleep well in the hotel and the homework wasn’t too overwhelming, we decided to commute back and forth the second week. This allowed us to spend time with Owen in the evenings and we could do our homework once the boys were asleep. It was a tiring pace. I’m glad it’s completed. Our time at MRI was good. They encouraged us and gave us healthy life skills to work on. This experience is one that I would recommend to anyone. Growth is key to all of us being healthy people. We have now moved into a mentorship relationship with that will take place mostly through email. We will also probably head back in February for two weeks to check in and see what has/hasn’t been working for us. We are appreciative of the support we have received from our church, especially our lead pastor, as they have spurred us on toward health. This time away has been a fantastic investment in our leadership skills and my prayer is that when Jeremy returns to work this next week, real transformation will be evident in his life. (I would also like to give my mom a shout out for watching Owen while we were away. Owen loved all his adventures with Grandma. Being away from him was hard but I know that he was well taken care of! Thanks, Mom!)

On top of our time away for MRI, we moved on the weekend in between. It’s been a transitional week as we adapt to life in a new home. The boys are loving living with Nana and Papa. Owen has adapted probably the best of all of us. He loves the attention and he enjoys his new room. I’m looking forward to finding our new normal over the next few weeks.Bill & Debbie have provided most of our meals so far since we’ve been traveling daily. My hope is to set up a meal schedule soon so we can know who is cooking what days. We want to contribute and be a blessing while we reside in their home.

We have all felt the need to rest and recover. Graham appeared to have a tummy bug toward the end of the week and now Owen has spent the morning throwing up numerous times. Jeremy has a cold and all three of my boys have low grade fevers. I need a hazmat suit! I didn’t really have any productive plans in mind for the weekend and it’s looks like bugs have confirmed the need to be still and rest.

Yesterday was supposed to be our closing date. Oh yes, supposed to be! Let’s remember that our original closing date was September 30th. Then it got extended to October 28th. Now it looks like we will be signing another extension to November 15th. Apparently the financing plan our buyer is using has many loop holes that make processing it more complicated. God must want to grow patience in us. Please continue to pray for us as we try to wrap things up with our Moonlit house.

Finally, a small update on Jeremy’s heart health. He had a follow up appointment with the cardiologist yesterday. Nothing new came out of the echocardiogram. Now it’s recommended that he has CT scan of his chest to see if something abnormal is causing the pressure and discomfort he feels. The doctor also continued to encourage the implanted monitor idea. Jeremy will have another appointment in November to investigate what is involved with the implanted heart monitor. I know that Jeremy isn’t jazzed about the implanted monitor idea. Again, prayers would be appreciated!

What can I say? Never a dull moment with the Scott family. This next week we look forward to participating in Fall Fest at church. We have MOPS and Red Cup day. Depending on the weather, we might attend a local cider mill and farm. Lots of good, fun things.

Life in the hotel

Tired baby, ready to go home!

Love getting photo updates like this from my mom! The pumpkin patch was one of the many adventures Owen and Grandma had together.

The boys love living with Nana & Papa

Carving the pumpkins that Owen got at the patch

I think Graham would have taken a nap in the Target cart if we’d been there long enough!

After many mornings of being on the road early, I was grateful for a morning to be home and snuggle with my boys while they watch Winnie the Pooh.

Got to spend some quality time with my Californian forever friend, Christa! She has been such a support to me through all of life’s ups and downs!

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We Have Moved! October 24, 2016

Filed under: Family Time,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 8:12 am

This weekend we officially moved into Nana and Papa’s house. This move has been almost three months in the making. I was more than ready to take the next step in our housing journey.

The saddest part of the move for me was taking apart the boys’ rooms. Jeremy took all the stickers off the walls. No more penguins for Graham, no more woodland creatures for Owen. We spent so much time and care assembling those rooms and dreaming about the babies that would live in them. Such a good season of life took place in those rooms. Thinking about the new rooms the boys will have in our new house has helped me handle taking down their nurseries. There will be new rooms to decorate in the future and that gets me excited. If I felt sad about any part of the moving process, I thought of the house we hope to build and it gave me the excitement I needed to move forward joyfully. This will all be worth it.

We were able to settle in quickly at Bill & Debbie’s. All our stuff fit. This is a testamaent to how much space Bill & Debbie cleared for us. They have generously opened their home to us and given us plenty of room to make it our home too. The boys have loved living with Nana and Papa. So far things seem to be going well. Graham had a rough first night in his new room, but he did better last night. Owen has slept like a champ in his new room. His adaptability amazes me.

Yesterday, Jeremy and I went back to the Moonlit house to clean and grab a few items we left there overnight. Jeremy made a run back to his parent’s house for coolers so we could empty our fridge. While he was away, I mopped the floor and sang old Switchfoot songs in the echoey living room. Once I finished with the floors, I went around taking pictures and selfies around the house. I want to capture the memories.

This house has been such a blessing. It has been a gift from God and our family has loved it dearly. I remember getting the keys and walking through the door the first time it was officially ours. There was so much excitement and anticaption. We have made it a home and it has been our sanctuary and retreat. We started our family there and brought our babies home from the hospital there. I will always view this as the baby house. The place where my babies learned to crawl and walk. Good, sweet memories.

There are so many people I would like to thank right now. Both of our families supported us through this move. From moving our stuff to watching the boys, we have been given so much help through this whole process. We couldn’t have done it alone. Thank you to my friends who have been a listening ear for me through each step of this process. Your encouragement and prayers have kept me going. Thank you to my in-laws for letting your home be invaded by our loud and zany family. And a HUGE thank you to my hubby, Jeremy, for all the hard work he has put into this move and our whole housing situation. His efforts and strategy are the reason this move went so well. He has been a support to me as I’ve processed this change. His love has been so life giving to me. Last but not least, I am so thankful to God for each blessing and even each setback that has come out of this season. Our family has grown and God has shown up time and time again. We are counting our blessings and we are thankful!

Repacking the kitchen

Let’s do this!

Helping Mommy clean up the dust bunnies

Owen in his empty bedroom

7+ years in this house with this amazing man!

Cleaning, taking selfies and saying good-bye

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Happy Birthday, Graham! October 20, 2016

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 6:31 pm

Happy 1st Birthday, Graham!

Yesterday was Graham’s 1st birthday! What a first year! This week we’ve been up in Kirkland at MRI (Ministry Resources International) doing pastoral care/coaching/counseling (whatever you want to call it). Our mornings have been spent in appointments and then our afternoons/evenings have been spent doing homework and reflection. Graham has done a good job being a part of our meetings. I am proud of him. We packed lots of toys and snacks to keep him occupied while we met. He didn’t love spending the night at the hotel and was up quite a bit in the night. This meant our routine developed around getting him to take a nap before our meeting times and then after our meetings. This is how the first part of Graham’s birthday was spent. He got up early, enjoyed a breakfast of eggs & cheese at the hotel and then took a nap before our morning meetings with MRI. After our meetings we drove a little distance to have lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Graham enjoyed the baby plate they gave him of bananas and bread. He also enjoyed Jeremy’s chicken and pasta. We told them at dessert time that it was his birthday. He got a complementary ice cream sundae with a candle in it. The look on his face while they sang to him was priceless!

After lunch we did a little bit of mall walking and shopping. Graham got another nap on the way back to the hotel. At the hotel, we did homework time while Graham stretched his legs and ran around the room. Once Graham started to need our attention and focus again, we took him down to the hotel swimming pool. He had a great time doing laps around the pool with Jeremy. I’m not a huge fan of swimming so I chose to document the fun from a lounge chair. Once the swimmers got a bit chilly, we went back to our room for a warm bath. From there we went to dinner. Graham loved Jeremy’s tomato soup and we split a pumpkin cookie for a special birthday dessert. Then it was back to the hotel for bed time. It wasn’t a flashy birthday, but it was a lot of fun. Jeremy and I doted on him quite a bit through out the day. The ladies at the MRI office played a rapping birthday frog toy for him to help celebrate. Since he was wearing his first birthday shirt all day, he got lots of comments and well wishes from strangers. He is a loved and blessed little boy!

As I was unpacking today, I realized that I had forgotten to give Graham his birthday presents yesterday. Oops! Owen helped him open two new books this evening. One makes garden sounds and both boys love it! We left our MRI meeting today and went straight into Centralia for Graham’s one year well check. I have the official Graham stats to share with you. He is weighing in at 18lbs. 13oz. He didn’t break the 20lb. mark, but if I remember correctly, I don’t think Owen did either. However, Owen was a pound heavier by one year. Graham is 27.5in. tall which puts him below the charts for height. He is less than 1%. We know he is short and it was a conversation we had with the doctor. It’s too soon to tell, but we might have to keep an eye on his height in the future. He could have a growth hormone deficiency, but it’s too early to tell so nothing to be concerned about this moment. Graham’s head was 45.7cm at 39%. He is hitting all his developmental milestones spot on. His appetite in the last two weeks has taken off and he wants to eat everything! Hopefully that will help him grow!

Graham is a sweet kid. I am so glad God gave him to our family. This week has been a strange one, but it was fun to spend some one on one with Graham. He is a great little soul to have in counseling appointments. His smiles and hugs were very welcome. He is such a good walker and impressed so many people this week with how sturdy he is on his feet. He has also mastered the art of being able to stand up when he falls down. Before he would have to crawl over to something to get back up. Now that he can stand up on his own, he has officially master walking. He is now on to running and climbing and general toddler exploration and mischief. Other than his height, he is a big boy! He wants to keep up with the world. Nothing is slowing him down. He is a lovey and I’m so blessed to be his Mama. Happy 1st birthday,Graham! You are loved!

Playing with Daddy

Watching the wait staff sing him Happy Birthday!

Give me that!

Pool time

Stuffing his face with pumpkin cookie

Graham month by month!

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Family Pictures! October 17, 2016

Filed under: Family Time,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 6:47 pm

Thank you to Kelly Pea at Wildwood Photography for the wonderful family pictures!

I got the link today to download our family pictures. I love that we took the pictures in October because the fall landscape makes my heart happy. Little kids and leaves are a perfect combination for cute pictures. Below are a few pictures I wanted to share with you.

On a more personal note, tomorrow we start our first week of counseling. I’m nervous. About the actual counseling, about having Graham with us, about Owen being away from us. I know that God is in control and I can just respond the best I can to each moment as it comes. I think part of the reason I’m nervous is my emotions are bit on the heavy side right now. Today was been a full day of packing for both our trip and our house. We will come home Thursday evening and then we will spend the weekend moving. Today was the last day I’ll clean my house with furniture in it. So weird. When you add counseling, moving, health questions, a baby with a birthday in just a few days, you get an emotional Mama. I haven’t broken down yet. I guess I can save that for counselors office. Just a lot to process and a lot to prepare for in one week. As I type, I am taking a deep breath and trusting God to be in all it. Please say a prayer for us. The rest of October will be extremely busy. In fact, I’m not sure when I’ll get to blog again. Hopefully before we move I can post my 12 month Graham update. We’ll see. After that it might be November before you hear from me again. However, I always seem to make time for blogging therapy.