Amy Scott's Thoughts

What I’ve Been Reading – February 2024 February 29, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 2:00 pm

First off, Happy Leap Day! Or Happy Leap Year Day!? I’m not sure what the proper title for this extra day is, but I hope you’re enjoying a little extra time this month. February was an exciting book month for me, so let’s dive right in!

I mentioned in a previous blog that I got to visit Powell’s (a Portland, OR bookstore chain) on February 1st. This visit was the catalyst for spending the last of my Christmas/Birthday gift funds on books. I was so happy to pick up a few titles in-person and then I hopped online to finish my shopping expedition. I was able to add a grand total of 12 books to my home library this month. Combine that with January’s 14 books and Decemeber’s 7, my shelves have seen quite a bit of rearranging to make space for new books. The joy of having a birthday so near to Christmas is that I get a lot of goodies all at one time… The downside of having a birthday so near to Christmas is I get a lot of goodies all at one time… and then nothing for a long time. Haha! It’s all good. I won’t be bragging about my book haul next month, but that’s okay. It was fun while it lasted!

My Kindle Unlimited subscription is finished for the time being. Some KU favorites this month were Heidi Lucy Loses Her Mind and Wish You Weren’t Here by Gracie Ruth Mitchell. Both were rom-coms, but with a twist that made them unique. I enjoyed Country Walsh’s new release, My Lucky Charm. Her Holidays with Hart series has been a fun one with more sister to go in the saga. Cinder Luna by Marie Soleil was a creative fairy tale retelling of Cinderella. I’m a sucker for fairy tale retellings and can’t wait to read the rest of this new series as it’s released. Waiting for the next book is always so hard!

I finished the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson this month. I really enjoyed how the novella series with Janci Patterson gave a look at what was happening “back home” while Spensa was off on her own intergalactic adventures. The novellas also deepened the side characters stories so you felt more connected with them in the final book, Defiant. I was gifted the first book of the series and decided to buy the rest of the series this month. This YA Sci-Fi series is one I could see my boys enjoying down the road. I love sharing books with them when the time is right!

A few other honorable mentions… I finally read Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis. I picked up a used copy at Powell’s years ago and I’ve felt bad about how long it’s sat on my shelf. There were parts of his story that I didn’t love (boarding school sounded awful!), but parts I really enjoyed. While I am nowhere near as well read as Lewis (understatement), I appreciated how books featured so prominently in his life story. I re-read A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White to refresh myself before her new release, A Noble Scheme, is out. My copy of the book is in the mail and I can’t wait to read it before it’s actual release date. I did a little book scouting and read Adventures with Waffles and Lena, the Sea, and Me by Maria Parr. I enjoyed the tales of childhood in Norway and could see my boys reading them when they are ready for new books. Right now Owen is in a Hardy Boys phase and Graham is obsessed with Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins. We are a household of happy readers!

Top Picks for February

The Book List for February
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:

Intentional Parenting: Autopilot Is for Planes by Sissy Goff, David Thomas, & Melissa Trevathan – 4
Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Lewis – 3 stars

Fiction:

Skyward Flight: Sunreach, ReDawn, Evershore by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson – 4 stars
Defiant by Brandon Sanderson – 4 stars
Adventures with Waffles by Maria Parr – 3 stars
Lena, the Sea, and Me by Maria Parr – 4 stars
But He’s My One Regret by Annah Conwell – 4 stars
The Love Audit by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
One More Song by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
Out of Office by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
The Last Taste by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
One Last Play by Annah Conwell – 4 stars
The Golden Goal by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
Heidi Lucy Loses Her Mind by Gracie Ruth Mitchell – 3 stars
Wish You Weren’t Here by Gracie Ruth Mitchell – 3 stars
Cinder Luna by Marie Soleil – 3 stars
My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh – 3.75 stars
A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White – 4 stars
Yesterday’s Tides by Roseanna M. White – 5 stars

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February Field Trips February 21, 2024

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 12:37 pm

February has been a full month. After a super quiet January, our pace of life has picked up! Our calendar this month is a mix of playdates, family dinners, church commitments, dental appointments, well checks, and my personal favorite – field trips! Oh, also add in low-key celebrations like the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day. It seems there has been something going on every day!!!

Let’s chat about our field trips! I love field trips. They are one of my favorite parts of homeschooling. Life is a full of learning opportunities and so many adventures can be classified as a field trip. On Friday, we took off for the Tillamook Creamery. This is an annual adventure for us! We love watching the cheese being packaged and processed. We tried the cheese samples, had lunch, and got ice cream. The boys enjoyed racing to see how fast they can milk a cow (a display cow, not a real cow). The Tillamook Creamery is always a good time!

After Tillamook, we made our way up the Oregon Coast. We stopped in Cannon Beach to visit Haystack Rock. The tide was out so the tide pools around the rock were exposed. We saw some small fish and sea anemones. It was a cold and windy walk to Haystack Rock, but our kids come alive at the beach. They didn’t mind the chilly weather and had fun exploring around the tide pools.

Our last stop on the way home was to see a dead fin whale that washed up on Sunset Beach. I didn’t know much about fin whales until this last week. They are the second largest whale and they rarely wash ashore because they stay out in deeper waters. Owen recently wrapped up a whale unit in science, so this seemed like a good chance to see a whale up close. The boys got to see the baleen and see the size of the large whale. The sight was a bit more gruesome than I expected as the whale had been cut open and certain parts had been harvested. It was kind of gross, but still educational!

Yesterday, we joined our homeschool co-op for a field trip to the Washington State Capitol. Jeremy took the day off to join us. His presence was so appreciated! It was our family’s first visit to the Capitol and it didn’t disappoint. Through a co-op connection, we were able to explore parts of the building that usually aren’t open to the public. We even got to go on to the senate floor and take a picture (the senate obviously wasn’t in session at the moment). We had a short class on what is a bill and the process of getting a bill to become a law. After our time with the senate staff, we went on a guided tour which showed us the rest of the building. One of the highlights of our visit was the fact that it was Potato Day. Washington potato farmers set up a baked potato bar and offer baked potatoes to anyone who would like one. They also gave away reusable bags and potato recipe cards. Jeremy did a little research and they say about 1,600 potatoes are given out on Potato Day. It made for a crowded visit, but it was also a fun bonus to the experience!

We have some more field trips planned this spring and I am so excited for them! Getting to experience learning outside in the world is so valuable. We are making memories as a family and I love that we get to explore the world alongside our kids. We’ve had so many conversations as a family about what we learned this last week, what we enjoyed the most, and clarifying what we experienced. I’m so thankful for these opportunities. Field trips are one of the best parts of homeschooling!

Co-Op Book Club: Making Christmas snow globes for the chapter in *The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe* where Father Christmas visits.

Co-Op Book Club: Christmas one week and Easter the next! Talking about how Aslan’s sacrifice on the Stone Table is an allegory for Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Heart-shaped mini-waffles for Valentine’s Day!

Mini-tulips and more mini-waffles! Loving the spring vibes!

Washington State Capitol Field Trip – the WA State Seal

Washington State Capitol Field Trip – learning about the doors and the history on them

Washington State Capitol Field Trip – the Senate Reception Room which is original to it’s 1928 completion

Washington State Capitol Field Trip – Potato Day!

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Books, Board Games, and Life at Home February 5, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 11:33 am

January turned out to be a much quieter month than we anticipated. Between the winter weather and Graham coming down with a cold, we had a lot of time at home in January. As a homebody, the extra time at home was no hardship. A majority of our free time in January was spent playing board games and reading books (well, books for Owen and I – he is flying through The Hardy Boys right now and I’m making the most of Kindle Unlimited and the Skyward series). Our family has an obsession with The Quest for Eldorado board game at the moment. The game says it’s 10+, but our 8 year-old, Graham, has picked it up fairly easily. I would even say that Graham has probably won more times than me at this point. And yes, I am a little bitter about that. Just kidding, but kind of, not really. Ha!

Life has picked up with the calendar turning to February. On February 1st, Jeremy took the day off as comp-time for working at a conference in January. We wrapped up our school day quickly while Jeremy was at a morning dentist appointment. When Jeremy arrived home, we set off for a spur-of-the-moment trip to Portland, OR. (Yay for a flexible homeschool schedule!) We planned 3 different visits to Portland in January, but each time we had to cancel (twice due to weather, once for illness). The original Portland plan was to visit OMSI – Oregon Museum of Science and Industry – but we are now waiting for March when their next exhibit opens. The other part of our Portland plan was to visit a few bookstores and we were able to make that happen on Thursday! I loved wondering Powell’s Books and spent the last of my Birthday money. I’m already looking forward to my February book blog. So many new books to share!

This weekend, I was able to reconnect with a friend over coffee. Our family was also able to have dinner with friends we haven’t seen in a while. It was a good weekend to catch up with friends! Our February calendar is filled with dinners, playdates, field trips, and a marriage conference. The month is booked with just enough margin to hopefully stay sane. I would like to believe that March will be the month it all balances out, but Easter is in March this year. Between Easter prep, making sure Jeremy’s birthday doesn’t get lost in the Easter prep, and Easter itself, I have a feeling March might be a bit full as well. But since March is still a ways away, I will choose to focus in on this month, this week, this day. When I look at the big picture, the calendar can seem daunting, but then I remind myself that I can only in live in this moment. One day at a time!

These guys found Squishmallows on sale while we were running errands. They couldn’t resist! The love of Squishmallows is strong in our house.

Attempting to make a beaver dam out of pretzel sticks and chocolate frosting for co-op book club.

Jeremy and Owen picked up my free birthday Crumbl cookie for me while I stayed home with a sick Graham.

Tillamook frozen pizza taste test! It was a hit with 3/4 Scotts. Our family is very fond of Tillamook!

A lovely way to start the day last Monday!

After years of talking about it, I got Corelle Winter Frost White dishes. I love that they are a simple white and thin for easy storage.

We got the pasta bowls in addition to the regular set. Our snowflake dishes have pasta bowls that we now can’t live without, so I needed to make sure we had a non-seasonal version.

Adding a little sabotage to Eldorado. Jeremy wins too often! The boys and I made these joke cards for a good laugh.

One of my favorite places with my favorite people!

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What I’ve Been Reading – January 2024 January 31, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 1:00 pm

Bookish Thoughts for January

The biggest highlight of January was adding to my home library thanks to many thoughtful birthday gifts. Through a combination of birthday money, gift cards, and gifting, I added 14 books to my collection this month. I also pre-ordered a March new release. Woo hoo! When I realized that my birthday was going to be very quiet, I went to the internet started my online book shopping. I had hoped to visit a couple of bookstores in-person, but the weather didn’t accommodate. Oh well! I got my books, one way or another!

When adding to my home library this month, I went back through my Goodreads ratings for the last few years. If a book rated 4 or 5 stars, I added to my wish list. I also went through my Kindle and selected books that I’ve re-read digitally more than once. Since you can’t let friends borrow Kindle books, I wanted to add physical copies to my shelves so can share my favorites with others. Adding to my home library isn’t just about me. I love sharing books amongst family and friends.

Also this month, I did a little research reading for Owen. I remember reading Hatchet and The Twenty-One Balloons in elementary school and I wanted to refresh my memory on the stories. I believe Owen will enjoy these stories in the next few years, so I’ll look to add them to our home library in the near future. I’m also currently reading the Skyward series by Brandon Sanderson. I was gifted the first book and there is a good chance I will pick up the complete series at some point. It’s been a solid 3 star series for me, but I could see my boys enjoying this YA Sci-Fi series in the future as well. Because a friend gave me the first book and is now letting me borrow the rest of the series, it’s been fun to connect with her and her daughter over this shared reading experience. I love when books bring people closer together!

I’m still enjoying my discounted subscription to Kindle Unlimited thanks to a Black Friday deal in November. The price will increase later in February, so I’m doing my best to get as my KU books read as possible in the next few weeks. I’m “on again, off again” with KU. I can’t justify the price monthly, but I enjoy the strategy of waiting for a decent about of new books to become available and then I re-subscribe for a short period of time. For the times when I don’t have KU, I’m thankful for the library, the Libby app, reading from my home library, and borrowing from friends. I’m never without access to a good book! What a wonderful thing!

A few new-to-me books! Yay birthday month!

Top Picks for January

*Practicing the Way* – John Mark Comer is one of my favorite authors and his new release didn’t disappoint! *Tuesdays Like That* -This one has scheming grandmas and a fake marriage that turns out to be real! So much fun!

The Book List for January
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:

Modern Miss Mason: Discover How Charlotte Mason’s Revolutionary Ideas on Home Education Can Change How You and Your Children Learn and Grow Together by Leah Boden – 4 stars
Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did. by John Mark Comer – 5 stars

Fiction:

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen – 3 stars
The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois – 3 stars
Starsight by Brandon Sanderson – 3 stars
Cytonic by Brandon Sanderson – 3 stars
The Good Part by Sophie Cousens – 3 stars
Landin’ in Trouble by Brittany Larson – 3 stars
Just One Look (novella) by Brittany Larson – 3 stars
That Fine Line by Cindy Steel – 3 stars
Double or Nothing by Cindy Steel – 3 stars
Stranded Ranch (novella) by Cindy Steel – 3 stars
Falling in Line by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
Sadie and the Bad Boy Billionaire by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
Play Me Once by Carina Taylor – 4 stars
Tuesdays Like That by Carina Taylor – 4 stars
A Fish Out of Water by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
He is So Not My Valentine (novella) by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor by Annah Conwell – 4 stars
Selling Out by Martha Keyes – 4 stars

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A Chill(y) Birthday January 18, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 2:07 pm

Well, we didn’t get as much snow as I had hoped for this last weekend, but we did experience quite the deep freeze. Our snow from last week stuck around thanks to the cold temps, but we only had a few inches. Those inches just camped out for the weekend since it was too cold for them to melt off. It was a wild weather week, but thankfully, yesterday was the end of our wintery conditions.

This last weekend was my birthday weekend. My actual birthday was Sunday, but I’m all about making birthdays bigger than a single day. We had a family outing planned on Friday and a family meal planned on Saturday. Both were cancelled due to the weather. It’s good thing I’m an introverted homebody. While I was sad to see those plans go, I was also very okay with a quiet weekend at home.

Things really started to freeze on Friday, so Jeremy pulled the boys on sleds up and down the driveway behind our minivan (until the sleds cracked due to too much gravel poking through – oops!). Saturday, we took a freezing walk to our local beaver dam only to come home to no power! With the high that day being 21F, we were a little nervous about being without power. Jeremy fired up our generator and we were able to make a hot dinner using our Instant Pot and electric kettle. After we got dinner cleaned up as best we could, the power came back on! Thankfully, it was only out for a couple hours so the house didn’t have time to get too cold.

I’m not a confident winter weather driver. The little bit of snow that came in on Saturday evening was enough for me to stay put come Sunday morning. I didn’t want a white-knuckle drive to church on my birthday. Instead, I had a lovely day around the house. I made snowflake waffles in our mini-waffle maker. I enjoyed plenty of time to read and walk. We played multiple board games together as a family. Our newest board game is The Quest for Eldorado and it’s the current family favorite. Jeremy picked up a Costco mac and cheese and chocolate cake before the weather moved in on Thursday. I was able to have my favorite foods for dinner on my birthday! Food is always a big highlight of my celebrating process! It was a pretty chill way to kick off being 38, but that’s okay. It was cozy and wonderful!

On Monday, we were able to get out of the house for a little bit. We had dinner with Jeremy’s parents and introduced them The Quest for Eldorado. We improvised to make the game work for 5 players. It was a little silly with Jeremy’s token being a giant hiker from our national park board game, but it worked! The big conversation on Monday was the freezing rain coming in on Tuesday. With most of our homeschool co-op being concerned about freezing temps and road conditions, we ended up cancelling co-op this week. The freezing rain did come in Tuesday evening, so Jeremy had a late start to work yesterday while we waited for the ice on the roads to melt.

What wild, winter weather we’ve had this last week! Even now, we still have snow on the ground. The rain is doing it’s best to make it disappear and I’m feeling torn. I’m always sad to see the snow go. I’m also ready for things to warm up. It’s been so cold!!! We even reached a new record low for our house on the hill – 12F! It was a very chill(y) birthday weekend, but it was perfect for me! Now I look forward to rejoining the world this coming weekend!

Always following these guys down trails! Friday’s adventure was looking for animal tracks and identifying birds.

Warming up after a walk with our new game.

While we didn’t get a lot of snow, I am thankful it lasted so long!

No power! As you can see, Graham was in shorts, so we didn’t freeze!

Such pretty birthday waffles! They fit the theme of the weekend so well!

It’s not truly a birthday celebration without chocolate cake!

I introduced Jeremy to *The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes* after the boys went to bed on my birthday. Now we’re re-watching the whole *Hunger Games* saga.

One of these things is not like the other! Haha! We had to improvise to make *The Quest for Eldorado* a 5 player game!

Even though we didn’t have book club with our co-op yesterday, we still read the chapter and sampled Turkish Delight!

Graham is studying the solar system in his science right now. Love being alongside him for these hands-on activities.

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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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Wrapping Up Christmas December 29, 2023

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 3:40 pm

Christmas has come and gone! Time moves oddly during the holiday season. In many ways, it moves quickly and slowly, all at the same time. It seems that we are racing toward Christmas and staring down a nice, long vacation. What day it is and what time it is seem less relevant. And then suddenly, Christmas has passed and real life is right around the corner. Eek! Our family has a way of making Christmas into a multi-day event. Our Christmas vacation has been filled with friends, family, fun, and food (so many favorites). Thankfully, our holiday break isn’t quite over yet!

The Friday before Christmas, our family took off for the coast. My forever friend, Maggie, was staying at the beach and we scheduled one more get-together to say good-bye. Maggie and I met for lunch at Pig’N Pancake (an Oregon Coast favorite). While Maggie and I ate lunch, ran errands, and grabbed one last Starbucks red cup together, Jeremy took the boys on their own adventures which included climbing the Astoria Column and flying gliders off the top. When our families met up, we took a walk to the beach and then watched the kiddos swim in the condo pool. It was a lovely day, even thought it meant good-bye for awhile. We love this family and we are excited for their new season in a new state.

Christmas was spread out over three days! Christmas Eve Eve (or Christmas Adam, if you prefer), was spent with the Scott family. We enjoyed good food, gifts, and games together. A family Bunco tournament and Christmas Plinko were just some of the shenanigans. The Scott family excels at games. Christmas Eve was a meal and gifts with my parents and sister. Christmas Eve evening, the boys opened their gifts from us and each other. Christmas morning, the boys opened stockings and then we took off for GG’s house where we had another gift exchange and meal. We sure do pack a lot into three days! We are so blessed by our families and the memories we’re able to make together at Christmastime.

We have a Day-After-Christmas tradition of shopping in Portland, OR. We often receive gift cards/cash at Christmas and we’re obviously eager to spend it. I enjoy the family outing and the time together as much as I enjoy the actual shopping. While there was plenty of frivolous shopping (mostly done by the kids), we also snagged sales on jeans, water bottles, and hand soap. I know, I know! We know how to have a good time in the big city. Ha!

Now that Christmas has wrapped up, the rest of our break is continued time with family and friends. Yesterday, my forever friend, Christa, and I got together for lunch while she’s on her holiday school break. After lunch, Jeremy and I took the boys to see Migration in theaters. We don’t go to the movies very often, so this was quite the treat for the boys. Owen got an ICEE since chewy candy is a no-go with him metal mouth and Graham ate through a whole bag of Sour Patch Kids. A movie about birds seemed perfect for our young ornithologists. Based on all the giggles I heard, the move was a hit.

Today, Jeremy spent the day with his family on a golf outing and the boys and I have enjoyed a much needed, restful day around the house. As an introvert, I needed some recharge time after going here and there and everywhere! Now, I’ll be ready and rested fore more good times this weekend. There are a few more festivities before we return to routine. Happy Almost New Year to you all!

One last lunch date while Maggie was a Washingtonian!

So fun to swim with friends in December! I’m so glad these kiddos will have childhood memories together!

Christmas break building – lots of Pokémon sets and LEGOS to put together!

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Merry & Bright Moments December 21, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 2:55 pm

We officially made it to Christmas vacation! Woo hoo! We wrapped up school on Thursday and celebrated with treats from Starbucks. On Friday, I hosted book club at my house. I made gingerbread cookies and had all the fixings for hot cider and hot cocoa. We do a Christmas book exchange each year at book club. This year, I walked away with Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. He’s been super popular with my friends, so I’m excited to read a new author and see what the hype is about.

Over the weekend, I was able to wrap most of our Christmas presents and I officially finished the project yesterday! It feels good to have all the gifts ready to go and under the tree. To kick-off Jeremy’s Christmas vacation, we went out for Chinese food and then drove around locally to look at Christmas lights on Sunday evening.

Monday, I had a Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate and a catch-up with a friend. Jeremy’s parents invited us over for dinner and a game that evening. Tuesday, we visited the Oregon Zoo for Zoolights. It’s been years since we’ve been so it was neat to see the changes they’ve made. Wednesday, we wrapped up our Christmas shopping and I did some Christmas cookie baking. Today was the big cookie decorating day! It’s just not Christmas without cookies!

We’ve watched some Christmas movies (A Muppet’s Christmas Carol and Journey to Bethlehem) and we’ve been listening to A Drummer Boy Christmas by For King + Country on repeat. These merry and bright moments have been the perfect lead up to a festive and fun weekend ahead. Christmas is always a marathon of celebrating for our family. Why celebrate only one day when you can celebrate over three? Ha! We’ve been having a Christmas-y good time this week and the main event(s) are still yet to come. Happy first day of winter and merry Christmas to all! May many merry and bright moments find you this Christmas season!

Gingerbread cookies, cider with whip cream and caramel sauce, hot cocoa with peppermint and marshmallows. Yum!

Driving through Borst Park Lights in Centralia

Christmas cookies are always so fun to decorate. The trees are my favorite. I think next year I should just make a forest of festive firs as my Christmas cookie contribution.

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A Musical Weekend December 13, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry — Amy Scott @ 2:55 pm

I could have entitled this blog a musical week, but the main musical highlights happened over the weekend. Our children’s ministry started practicing in September for our annual Christmas musical. This year the musical was Jingle Bell Beach which featured three singing groups competing for top spot in a singing competition. Owen and Graham were both a part of the “Electrons” – the pop/techno group. Performances were this weekend and they went so well! Owen did a great job with his two solos. Both boys were fabulous at memorizing the words and motions. It was so fun to watch the whole production come together.

Jeremy spent quite a bit of time preparing for the musical this last week. From picking up additional microphones and choir risers to shopping for t-shirts and snacks, he was a busy guy! On Wednesday, Owen attended an extra drama/solo practice and I joined Jeremy and Graham to help with our Wednesday evening children’s program. It was an all-hands-on-deck kind of a week. On Sunday morning, I was backstage for the first performance and then I switched places with another mom. I got to watch the second gathering while she took my spot backstage. It’s always a wild morning and it’s never perfect, but it was great nonetheless. I love watching the boys (and all the kids, really) get up on stage and share the Christmas message with our church. Jeremy also has extra platform time on this special Sunday, so he leaned into the beach theme. It’s not often he can be on stage in a Hawaiian print shirt and shorts on a Sunday morning.

The musical was obviously the main event this last week, but the main event around our house was Jeremy building the new bookcases we picked up at Ikea when we were in Portland for the For King + Country concert. Jeremy built them Thursday after work and I dove into book rearranging right away. I started with the new bookcase we added to the playroom. Our playroom books along with some books from the boys’ room went onto the new bookcase. I moved the board games out of the playroom closet and into the open space made my the moved books. I’m hoping with the games being visible, they will be played more often. Moving some books from the boys’ rooms created space to add to their room collections this coming year.

On Friday, with the playroom complete, I moved on to rearranging the books in our bedroom now that we added an additional bookcase there. Our count is up to four bookcases in our room. Jeremy has mentioned I’m turning our room into a library. My real dream is to turn the playroom into a library, but that’s probably a decade out, so it’s our room until then! I was able to move some décor items from the top of the bookcases on to the top shelves. The Billy bookcases from Ikea are so tall. I like having décor on the top shelf so that the top row of books isn’t too hard to reach (I’m short). I was able to move the Bibles and commentaries to their own section (yay) and now we have space on the non-fiction bookcase. We now have two fiction bookcases with plenty of room to add to our home library as well.

Before adding two more bookcases, things were getting tight and adding new books was becoming like a Tetris puzzle. Now there is breathing room again on our shelves. I can add books without messing up the categories and order in place. It feels good. Seeing the blank space on the shelves is a bit of a siren song. Growing a home library is a slow and deliberate process (for me, anyway). I might want to fill in all the gaps right now, but I realize this project set us up for growth in the future. I can live with the open space and dream about the new books that will someday fill those gaps.

Here we are less than two weeks until Christmas!!! The Christmas musical is behind us and we have only two more days until we are on Christmas vacation. I am very much ready to wrap up the school year for 2023 and enjoy the change of pace that comes with the holidays. Wishing you all well as you celebrate this season!