Amy Scott's Thoughts

Hello Holidays! December 5, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:19 pm

We are in full swing with the holiday season! So much goodness to share! My last update was right before Thanksgiving, so I’ll pick up there… even though Thanksgiving feels like forever ago now. Can anyone else relate? Our Thanksgiving was quieter than years past. Between illness and multiple family members recovering from surgery, our gatherings were small. We got together with Jeremy’s parents and aunt and uncle on Thanksgiving day. The day after Thanksgiving, we had another meal with my parents and sister. Since my dad wasn’t cleared for turkey lifting this year, Jeremy had the honor of making the turkey. He did a fantastic job! Jeremy was super domestic this Thanksgiving. He made multiple pies, side dishes, and a turkey. Jeremy is a great cook and he was the MVP (or MVC – most valuable cook) this Thanksgiving!

Last week, we had our first Christmas party – even though it wasn’t December yet! We wrapped up our homeschool co-op for 2023 and we see our group again in 2024. For our Christmas party, we did a potluck and had various Christmas activities for the kids. There were activity pages, coloring sheets, and a paper snowflake station. We had classic Christmas music in the background while we played, munched, and chatted. The kids brought small gifts for a group gift exchange. I read a version of T’was the Night Before Christmas that was formatted for a left-right game. Each kid started with their own gift and then had to pass accordingly when they heard the words left and right in the story. Our co-op is such a blessing to our family. It was fun to kick off the Christmas season with them.

To kick off December, we joined my forever friend, Maggie, and her family for Snowflake Lane in Bellevue, WA. Snowflake Lane is a parade they put on nightly from the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve. My favorite part is they make it snow as a part of the experience. The snow is really bubbles, but it’s still magical! This was probably our wettest experience at Snowflake Lane, but the rain didn’t spoil the affect. We met up early for Starbuck treats and hung out inside before claiming our spot on the parade route. With Maggie’s family moving across the country soon, it was fun to do one more Snowflake Lane with them before they go.

December has certainly been a merry and bright month and we’re not even a full week into it. On Saturday, we decorated our annual gingerbread house! It’s always a mess, but so much fun. We are no way professional with our decorating skills, but the quirkiness adds to the charm. We also started our Advent season on Saturday, instead of Sunday. Lighting a candle and taking a few minutes to focus on Jesus as the center of the Christmas season is always a special moment each week. Owen read the devotional for us as we talked about hope and Emmanuel – God with us!

Sunday evening, Jeremy and I saw For King + Country in concert at Moda Center in Portland, OR. A Drummer Boy Christmas is by far my most listened Christmas album. I’m a huge fan of all their music, but I loved that it was a Christmas concert. For King + Country sang a mix of their Christmas music, but also popular hits and songs from their new album. Our seats were in the nose bleed section, but that didn’t diminish the experience. It was a super fun date night. We were also able to leave a bit early for the city and do some Christmas shopping before the show. A major highlight of the day was picking up two more Billy bookcases from IKEA. Book reorganization is right around the corner. I’m excited to see if my vision can come together like I hope!

That’s all for now! We have a big week ahead as we prepare of our Christmas musical at church this weekend. Lots of Christmas memories to make still ahead!

Jeremy and his tasty Thanksgiving turkey!

Making one last set of Snowflake Lane memories with our friends before they move.

Starting the Advent season with the hope of Emmanuel

Quite the view at Moda Center – For King + Country – A Drummer Boy Christmas Concert

For King + Country – A Drummer Boy Christmas Concert

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What I’ve Been Reading – November 2023 November 30, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 1:14 pm

Bookish Thoughts for November

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… in all the bookish things! This time of year, I try to get my hands on as much Christmas content as I can. I’ve re-read Christmas books that I own. I snagged a couple Christmas novellas on sale. I’ve used the Libby app and our local library. I also got a Black Friday deal and re-subscribed to Kindle Unlimited. Give me all the Christmas books! While my fiction reading list looks long, about half are novellas, so I fly through those in a blink. I plan to keep all the Christmas cheer coming in December as well! It’s the happiest reading time of the year!

When I re-read The Hunger Games this summer, I mentioned waiting to re-read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes until November. It was my least favorite of the series and the snake content gave me the heebie-jeebies. While I found the history of Panem and Snow’s backstory interesting, I don’t love stories that don’t have a happily ever after. Snow is the villain of the series, but I couldn’t help rooting for him in Ballad, only to watch him fall. Not my favorite, but definitely informative for the series as a whole. I had a greater appreciation for the book after a second reading. I enjoyed reading it again before seeing the movie. No surprise, I liked the book better, but it was super fun to watch the movie with my forever friend and book buddy, Christa.

I’m making book lists and checking them twice. Between Christmas and my January birthday, this is the best season for adding to my home library. All I want for Christmas is books… you can substitute Christmas for my birthday, Groundhog’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, etc. You get the idea. All the books, all the time. After the holidays, I hope to pour over my 2023 book list and add some favorites from the year to my bookshelves. Because I’m an avid reader, I sometimes forget a good book I read in February by the end of the year. Thankfully, keeping track of my reading on Goodreads and on my phone gives me a great snapshot of what I’ve enjoyed most this last year.

Top Picks for November

Non Fiction: Honey for a Child’s Heart Updated and Expanded: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life by Gladys Hunt and Mark Hunt. I read an older copy of this book a few years ago. While I enjoyed it the first time, I really appreciated this updated edition. I found myself stuck wondering what my oldest son should read next and a book about good books for kids was the perfect place for inspiration. Not only is this book packed full of recommendations, but the message is convicting! Good books offer kids so much. As parents, we get the great honor of sharing a world beyond our homes with our children. There are so many good books that will not only spark imagination, but help children gain wisdom, understanding, courage, and many more admirable attributes. Books are one of the greatest tools for shaping the next generation.
Non-Fiction: The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer. This book was recommended by multiple sources, so I decided to give it a go. It had been a while since I’d read WWII historical fiction and I think that made the experience extra emotional for me. I was a blubbering mess by the end! I enjoyed the dual timeline between the grandmother as a teen in Poland during the WWII and her granddaughter in present times. The story is a mystery that unfolds and the title was so fitting. So many things go unsaid, for so many reasons. You see layer after layer throughout the whole story. It was well done and very moving (thus the puddle of tears I created)!

The Book List for November
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:

At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor by Carey Nieuwhof – 5 Stars
Honey for a Child’s Heart Updated and Expanded: The Imaginative Use of Books in Family Life by Gladys Hunt and Mark Hunt – 4 stars

Fiction:

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer – 4 stars
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins – 4 stars
The Other Side of Darkness by Melody Carlson – 2 stars
Christmas at Harrington’s (novella) by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
The Christmas Bus (novella) by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
The Gift of Christmas Present (novella) by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
Angels in the Snow (novella) by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel – 4 stars
A Christmas Spark (novella) by Cindy Steel – 4 stars
Christmas Baggage by Deborah M. Hathaway – 4 stars
Host for the Holidays by Martha Keyes – 4 stars
Solo for the Season (novella) by Martha Keyes – 3 stars
A Newport Christmess by Jess Heileman – 4 stars
Later On We’ll Conspire by Kortney Keisel – 4 stars
The Holiday Stand-In By Kortney Keisel – 4 stars
Cotswold Holiday by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars
Cabin Crush (novella) by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
Christmas Like This (novella) by Carina Taylor – 3 stars
Cocoa Kisses (novella) by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
Christmas Ella (novella) by Angela Ruth Strong – 3 stars

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Happy Thanksgiving Eve November 22, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 12:14 pm

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! We wrapped up school for the week just a few moments ago. As I sit down to update you on the last couple weeks, I can say I’m feeling the thankful vibes. There have certainly been some highs and lows over the last two weeks. Life is never perfect, but there is still space for gratitude even in the imperfect moments. God is good!

I last updated you on Owen’s ortho “install” day… He was a trooper when it came to getting a mouth full of metal. What followed installation day was a long weekend. Owen essentially went on hunger strike because eating was painful. Not only did his mouth hurt, but he was getting dizzy from lack of nutrition. It was hard to watch him feel crummy. We intentionally planned a low-key weekend and it was very necessary. After four rough days, Owen reached a turning a point and we were so thankful! At his first ortho check, they were please with his progress and he might be finished turning his palate expanders sooner than I expected. You can also see how his teeth have moved already. No wonder his mouth hurt!

After a quiet, recovery weekend, Owen felt well enough to join our co-op for an Operation Christmas Child packing party. We’ve done OCC boxes for years as a family, but this is the first time we’ve done one as a group with a packing party. Members of our co-op all brought items and we combined them to fill 10 boxes. Owen and Graham filled one box together and we paid the tracking fee so we can see where our shoebox ends up. It was a neat experience to do this with our co-op and the boys took to heart the activity. They were so intentional about the items they placed in the box. It was sweet to watch.

On Thursday, my dad had pacemaker surgery. I accompanied my parents so I could wait with my mom and be a support however necessary. A special part of the day was that one of the prep nurses attends our church and was able to pray with our family before surgery. It was such a comforting moment. Thankfully, the surgery went well. The day was mostly defined by waiting – waiting for the surgery to start, waiting for it to end, waiting for Dad to be released. We are so grateful that it was as uneventful as possible. Jeremy and the boys brought my mom and I lunch at the hospital. Jeremy also picked up my favorite mac and cheese from Costco and had dinner waiting for me when I got home. It was reusable red cup day at Starbucks, so the boys got our annual red cup and a cranberry bliss bar for me. I felt very loved!

Our weekend plans were again fairly low-key. With my dad recovering from surgery, we didn’t want to wander too far from home. On Friday, I went to my book club, which is always a highlight of my month. I missed last month, so it was top priority to make it to this one. Saturday, our dinner plans with friends were canceled due to illness in their family. We opted to decorate our house for Christmas since we had a full free day suddenly. Our family is very okay with Christmas in November. We often decorate based on what works best with our free time and not the actual calendar date. Within a week of Thanksgiving feels acceptable to me. I chuckle when I think of all the different “acceptable” timelines my friends and family have. Some have very strong feelings about when it’s appropriate to deck the halls. Sunday was church with kid’s choir practice. We only have a few weeks until our performance, so it’s crunch time! Owen is doing well with his solos, even with a mouth full of metal.

My final highlight was going to see The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes with my forever friend, Christa, last night. I don’t often go to the movies on a “school night” (or ever… I make it only once or twice a year). I felt a little wild and crazy. That’s silly, I know. Christa and I read the book together when it first came out during the early COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. We zoomed to discuss our thoughts on the book because we couldn’t see each other in-person. Since we read the book together, it only made sense that we would see the movie together, too! Christa’s son works for the movie theater and he came with us so we could an awesome deal on tickets – free! I felt so special! It was a fun outing and worth the weekday late night.

As you prepare for Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wish you all an amazing day – no matter how great or small your celebration. There is always something to be thankful for even in the highs and lows. This month has had it’s intense moments, but through it all God has been faithful to me (and my loved ones). I’m full of gratitude for the how this month has gone, including the things that haven’t quite gone as planned. Nothing is wasted and I can see God’s goodness as I reflect this Thanksgiving Eve.

A third round of forest animal sugar cookies. This time for a family baby shower. I wasn’t able to attend, but it was so sweet to visit with my aunt and grandma when they came to pick them up from my house.

A quiet weekend means time to bake. Pumpkin scones sounded comforting!

Packing an Operation Christmas Child box at co-op.

Decorating their mini trees for their rooms. Each year they get a special ornament and this year it was Pokémon themed. Pikachu for Graham and Eevee for Owen.

Graham had another visit from the tooth fairy! Since he isn’t into “help” pulling his teeth, this last tooth hung on by a thread for days!

Loving all the festive vibes! Garland, plaid tablecloth, green velvet pillow covers, wooden block messages, and the Fisher Price nativity set (you can just barely spy it on the bookshelf).

Owen created this cool tide pool in science this week!

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November News November 9, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 1:35 pm

The big news of the week is orthodontia is officially a thing in our household. Owen got his metal-mouth “installation” today. He has braces on his top teeth and both an upper and lower palate expander. The process for orthodontia has changed since I had braces as a teen. They start so much younger these days. While I understand the reasons, I can’t help feeling like Owen is too young for all this. Poor kiddo (and poor empathic mama – apparently, I’m super tender when it comes to my kiddos being uncomfortable). I’m doing my best to reconcile that Owen is now in the double digits and has a mouth full of metal. Suddenly, he seems way more like a tween! Thankfully, he’s not acting like a tween yet! Praise the Lord!

I could ramble on about all the feelings ortho triggers for me, but my family and friends have listened to me lament for months now, so I’ll spare them hearing it again. Let’s focus on happier things. Last Friday was our first family home day in what felt like forever – well, it wasn’t forever, but our last home day was a sick day, so it was nice to be home and healthy. I declared it “Cider Day” since we had a full day to enjoy a crockpot warming with apple cider. Home days make the best cider days! Jeremy was able to do some yard projects. I did a few chores. It was a good day to wash the sheets, take a walk, read a book, and play a game. Owen and Jeremy made homemade bread. The combo of the bread baking with the simmering cider smelled amazing!!! I realize that most people don’t celebrate a day fully spent at home like it was a holiday, but it certainly felt like that to me. As introvert who needs plenty of margin in my calendar, Cider Day definitely filled up my cup in more than one way!

Saturday, I met up with my forever friend, Maggie, for a red cup at Starbucks and then an early dinner. As kindred spirits, Maggie and I take red cups at Starbucks quite seriously (I say “seriously” because I am an Enneagram 1, but my dear Enneagram 7 friend would probably have found a more festive word). Red cups are a celebration in a cup and the kick off to the holiday season. It’s always a special treat to get red cups together. With a major move in Maggie’s future, I’m soaking up our time together. It’s always sweet!

Sunday, as you all know, was daylight savings. Falling back used to be my favorite day ever. It was right up there with Christmas. The older I get, the harder time changes are on my body. I just don’t adjust well. And as a parent, retraining my family schedule twice a year is no fun. I’m all for getting rid of daylight savings! But I digress… Sunday was still an enjoyable day even though I was a bit off. We had family come over for a game day and tacos. It was a great way to wrap up an awesome weekend.

The last adventure of our week was a field trip to our local veterans museum with our homeschool co-op. We got an educational guided tour by a museum volunteer. At first, I wasn’t sure how my kiddos would handle the content – war isn’t an easy topic. We had some good and thoughtful conversations on our drive home. I realize that our country isn’t perfect, but this field trip gave us an opportunity to discuss our history and why we honor veterans. Homeschooling is a blessing in moments like these because I get to walk alongside my kiddos as they process heavy stuff. On a bright note, they loved getting to take pictures in the museum’s collection of vehicles. It was the highlight of the field trip.

Okay, that’s the November news… thus far! Each month is always an adventure. Each month certainly has it’s highs and lows and November is no exception. We’ll see how things unfold in the coming weeks.

A red cup with Maggie May is always a special treat!

Before and After – this kid is a trooper!

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Falling Further into Autumn November 2, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 1:48 pm

November is here! October is bright red and orange leaves with mostly blue skies. November is evergreen trees and the brown of branches exposed with gray skies. There is a definite shift. October is a super fun month for our family (birthday month!!!), but the pace isn’t sustainable beyond October. November feels like the time to slow down, be cozy at home, and watch the rain pitter-patter on the window. The change of pace is welcome.

Let’s jump into the autumn adventures we’ve had in the last week. The first being our visit to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Graham had been planning this zoo day as his birthday outing for months. Unfornately, his birthday tummy bug meant we had to postpone. Thankfully, the weather held and we were able to enjoy a sunny, but cold day at the zoo. Since we often go to the Oregon Zoo or Point Defiance Zoo, it was neat to visit a new zoo. We went to Wild Lanterns there a few years ago, but you don’t see the animals at that event. We also took the kids to visit this zoo when they were one and three, so they had no memory of that trip. It was very much a new experience for them and a great way to celebrate Graham’s birthday!

My forever friend, Christa, invited me to join her for a book folding craft at her local library. I had some reservations about my crafting skills, but a book related day out with my friend sounded enjoyable. The group that assembled to craft was diverse and the instructor was full of personality. To finish the craft in the two hour window of time was a bit of a task. We really had to hustle. We made lanterns out of folded books and battery-powered candles. When I got home, I added a bit of ribbon and found a home for my lantern. I wasn’t sure if I would create something worth displaying, but I’m happy with how it turned out!

Tuesday was Fall Fest – our church’s annual Halloween event. The boys went as the Kratt brothers, Martin and Chris, from Wild Kratts. I wore a Canada hoodie, a beanie, and took my Tim Hortons reusable cup as a prop. I was going for “tourist in Canada”, which is my very real self! We got to the church early to deliver Jeremy dinner. The boys were able to test out the games before things got busy. We had friends arrive at the start of the event, so we went around with them and did all the games again. We ended the night at our new church playground in the front of the building. It was chilly, but the kids had a blast running off all the sugar energy! Also, a big shoutout to my hubby and his team for once again hosting a stellar event! A lot of hard work went into making that night a success!

A few quick highlights… We dedicated the new playground on Sunday at church. It was freezing and definitely a memorable moment. Jeremy put red ribbon all around the playground and he let all the kids cut the ribbon together. The cold weather didn’t keep the kids from playing after the ribbon was cut. On Sundays, we’ve been working on our Christmas musical. Parts were given out in October and Owen has two singing solos this year. He is happy with the solos he was given. I’m sort of thankful he didn’t get a speaking part. It was great last year, but it means less pressure on me to help him run his lines at home. I’m good with that. We’ve completed our 1st quarter of school! All is well on the homeschool front. We are in a good groove.

And finally, today is Red Cup Day, which is a holiday in this household. Jeremy came home at lunch with Starbucks treats! I had my first peppermint hot chocolate and cranberry bliss bar of the season! Jeremy got a gingerbread latte and Graham got a snowman cookie. We love these seasonal treats! Jeremy also surprised me with a super pretty reusable cup. Happy Red Cup Day!

Visiting the Woodland Park Zoo in honor of Graham’s birthday

The final result! And yes, I have a fondness for decorating with pinecones.

Monday was pumpkin day! We made pumpkin waffles in our new mini-waffle maker and then we carved pumpkins.

Activating their creature powers and going wild as Martin and Chris Kratt from Wild Kratts.

November 1st calls for new Christmas pajamas.

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

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 11:30 am

Bookish Thoughts for October

I have so many bookish thoughts for October! It was a month full of fun and interesting reading!

I had Kindle Unlimited for part of the month, so I focused my reading heavily that direction at the start of the month. I finished the Sweater Weather series and then jumped into bingeing Kortney Keisel’s books. Her new release, How Jenna Became My Dilemma, featured the main characters as actors making Keisel’s YA dystopian series into a television show. Keisel made her Desolate World series available on KU as a result and I was curious. It had been a while since I read anything dystopian. It was fun to add some diversity to my reading (but I will say the books are super light on the dystopian vibes).

It was a big month for series reading. I finished The Chronicles of Narnia, which I had started in September. It’s always a joy revisiting these favorite books of mine. It was a special treat to share them with Owen this fall as well. I will fondly remember introducing Owen to Narnia and then camping out there for a while myself.

I had a surprise book discovery this month – Hero Debut. I don’t always keep on top of new releases for my favorite authors – it could be a full time job if I let it. I was surprised to see that Angela Ruth Strong’s August new release was a follow-up to her book Husband Auditions. I love it when a novel turns into a series. This series – Love Off Script – takes place in the PNW so I enjoy the familiar setting. I’m now very excited that there will be a third book in the series at some point!

To wrap up my bookish thoughts for October… A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber. So much to say about this one! This book follows The Ballad of Never After which ended with quite the cliff hanger. I’ve been waiting in suspense and anticipation for over a year to see how this story concludes. I devoured this book because I just had to know how it ended. Unfortunately, anything that is highly anticipated rarely meets up to the hype and I felt that way about this book. I like how it ended… but I felt like a lot of questions from the overall series went unanswered. It’s killing me to have so many questions at the end of a series. I ordered the Barnes and Noble exclusive edition which features an alternative ending as the bonus content. This bonus content improved the ending in my opinion. While I enjoyed this series, I’m disappointed with all the loose ends that didn’t get tied up by the finale.

Recent additions to our home library! Yay for new books!

Top Picks for October

Non-Fiction: The Worry-Free Parent: Living in Confidence So Your Kids Can Too by Sissy Goff. I’ve read many books by Sissy Goff and other counselors out of Daystar Counseling. Their parenting tools and wisdom are top-notch. I highly recommend them. This book was focused on “you” as a parent because who you are affects how you parent. As someone who is prone to worry and anxiety, I was drawn in by the title. I could see the same tools that Sissy Goff and David Thomas use for the kids they counsel also being useful for parents. I recognized quite a few of the tools mentioned in the book. Sissy Goff is an encourager and champion of parents (and she’s a fellow Enneagram 1). Her purpose is to help parents be healthy so they can raise healthy kids. It was an excellent read.
Fiction: The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis. Opinions vary on which book in The Chronicles of Narnia is the best. Many say it’s the original story, the one that started it all – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Many love Caspian and would say that Prince Caspian or The Voyage of the Dawn Treader are top. As an adult, I would say my top three are The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, and The Magician’s Nephew. I really can’t pick a favorite out of the bunch, but I did want to highlight The Horse and His Boy. As a child this was my least favorite of the books and now as an adult it’s one of my most favorite. It’s strange how opinions change with age. As a young reader, I didn’t feel that The Horse and His Boy moved the plot of the overall series along. As an adult, I feel it’s one of the best stories in the series. It truly is an epic adventure and C.S. Lewis is one to the best storytellers ever!

The Book List for October
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:

Hard is Not the Same Thing as Bad: The Perspective Shift That Could Completely Change the Way You Mother by Abbie Halberstadt – 3 stars
The Worry-Free Parent: Living in Confidence So Your Kids Can Too by Sissy Goff – 4 stars

Fiction:

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis – 5 stars
The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis – 5 stars
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis – 5 stars
The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis – 5 stars
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis – 5 stars
Easy as Pie by Carina Taylor – 3 stars
A Not So Fictional Fall by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
How Jenna Became My Dilemma by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
The Rejected King by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
The Promised Prince by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
The Stolen Princess by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
The Forgotten Queen by Kortney Keisel – 4 stars
The Desolate World (novella) by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber – 3 stars
The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber – 4 stars
A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber – 3 stars
The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman – 3 stars
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne – 3 stars
Hero Debut by Angela Ruth Strong – 4 stars

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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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The Many Adventures of October October 18, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 6:13 pm

The good times keep on coming! Our days have been spent with family, friends, and on a wet and wild adventure. These days have been full, but its been worth it! Relationships and celebrating loved ones are top priority. As an introverted, homebody, I’ve learned the value of margin. We’re balancing the good times with pockets of rest and I’m thankful for that!

Last Friday, we went up to visit our sweet GG! I will forever be grateful the boys have a special relationship with her. My grandma is kind, encouraging, and supportive. The boys love giving GG the update on what they’ve been up to at school and in life. When I was little I called her Grandma Delicious – possibly because I couldn’t get Dolores correct, but also because she always had sweet treats on hand. I come by sweet tooth genetically! For this visit, she shared donuts with us and we enjoyed watching the boys play in her yard while we chatted. It was wonderful visit!

My forever friend, Maggie, and her family came down for a game day on Saturday. The kids happily played and traded Pokémon cards for hours. The adults ate fall treats, played table games, and chatted about life – especially the next adventure for Maggie’s family. They have a move across the country coming up soon. It was great to chat about their new home and new season. It was special to have this time together before they move. Maggie and I have been buddies since high school and it’s a joy to watch our families be friends now. It’s a little bittersweet knowing things are about to change, but I am confident our friendship will remain strong no matter the distance.

As our birthday present to the boys, Jeremy and I took them to the Great Wolf Lodge. It’s been 4.5 years since we last visited this water park resort. It was amazing how different our experience was now! Both boys are swimmers and they’re tall enough to do all the water slides. Nothing was off-limits! They enjoyed the entire water park immensely, but when it came to favorites – Owen was always begging to body surf in the wave pool and Graham was always ready for another water slide. It was a wet and wild time! So many good family memories were made together!

As crazy as it seems, more birthday happenings are on the horizon. I wasn’t kidding when I said we take birthday month seriously. With just one more week of birthday celebrations left, I will admit that I’m looking forward to a small, quiet break before Halloween. A little bit of rest and recovery will feel good after all this partying!

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Happy 10th Birthday, Owen! October 12, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:44 pm

Be prepared! Almost all my posts will be birthday themed this month. You’ve been warned! Like I mentioned in my last post, we take birthday month very seriously in this household. October is so much fun!

A week ago we had a playdate with friends who also have quite a few October birthdays in their family. We used the playdate as a mini-birthday party between our families. Gifts were exchanged, candles were placed in donuts, the birthday song was sung. The kids had a great time celebrating together.

Since Owen’s birthday was on a Sunday this year, we selected Friday as his birthday outing day. Owen requested a visit to Mt. Rainier. It was a beautiful day and the fall color on the mountain was stunning! We took our biggest hike on the mountain to date. We made it Panorama Point (we made it there three years ago) and instead of turning back the way we came, we took a new trail and did a loop back to Paradise. The kids had a blast and I was impressed that I could keep up (even though I was sore for days afterward). We saw a mountain goat, plenty of ground squirrels and chipmunks, flocks of finches, and a hawk. Animal sighting are always a highlight of any hike. We also made it to the snow and many small snowmen were created along the trail. Our first snowman, Crusher, was photographed by many hikers as they passed him. We got a huge kick out of making a photo op! It was a fantastic outing and Owen enjoyed the day immensely (we all did)! It was also neat to claim Owen’s free 4th Grade National Parks Pass. We buy this pass every year so it was a blessing to have this year covered this year. We will put it to good use, for sure!

For Owen’s actual birthday, we asked my mom if she could run into down and pick up donuts for us to take to church. I have a hard time getting out the door on-time on Sundays so I didn’t trust myself to make a run into town before church and be on-time. Luckily, my parents are up much earlier than me and my mom was happy to help! (Thank you again, Grandma!) Owen was given happy birthday wishes by the kids in children’s church and he shared donuts with the class. It was a fun way to celebrate being at church on his birthday. After church, we went to a local park to watch for trains – we saw two BNSFs. Yep, trains are a still a thing in our world. The boys played at the park for awhile before heading home for lunch and some Pokémon time. Owen selected Chinese food dinner and brownies for his birthday dessert.

This week so far has featured a playdate with friends who live down the street, co-op (where Owen was sung happy birthday by the group), and for me, dinner out with my forever friend, Christa! It’s been a very social week with more good times coming up this weekend. We are very thankful for the time we get to spend with friends and family. Especially time spent celebrating and letting our birthday boys know how special they are!

Following these boys on grand adventures is my favorite thing!

Flashback to when Owen turned 4 and we visited this same park to watch for trains!

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It’s Officially Birthday Month! October 4, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood,Tasty Treats,Travels,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:38 pm

Happy October aka Birthday Month! Both my boys have October birthdays, so the entire month is spent celebrating. I tend to make a big deal of birthdays. I’m all for the birthday month concept and my kiddos don’t seem to mind the endless party vibes during our favorite season of the year. Fall + Birthdays = Best Month Ever! Now I realize that we are only a few days in October and no official birthdays have actually happened yet, but that didn’t stop us from partying this weekend.

We kicked off birthday month with a family dinner on Sunday. My parents and sister joined us for pizza and dessert. This year’s birthday theme is Wild Kratts. Our kids have been obsessed with the Kratt brothers for the last few months, so it seemed appropriate for their party theme. I keep telling Owen and Graham they could be the next Kratt brothers someday. Wild Kratts has definitely sparked a love of animals in our boys. It’s been fun to watch them learn so much. I picked up some party supplies on Amazon. To keep the creature theme going, I baked woodland animal frosted sugar cookies (for Graham) as well as a chocolate cake (for Owen). The cake was decorated with a Wild Kratts topper included in the party supplies and then I placed animal cookies around the side of the cake. Owen found some forest animal décor at Hobby Lobby and I added that as the centerpiece to tie in the Wild Kratts and the forest animals. The boys had a fantastic time and they felt very loved! We’re so blessed to have a family that supports and cheers on our kiddos.

What else have we been up to (other than birthday partying)? Last week, Jeremy and I went out of town for a few days to participate in a staff retreat with our church team. As a homeschool mom, I’m not around the table very often for staff discussions. Staff retreat is an opportunity to support Jeremy and my local church. I packed way too many books, played games and ate ice cream with my condo-mates, took lovely walks, and processed a lot of thoughts about ministry. While we were away, the boys had an adventurous time with Nana and Papa. I’m so thankful for my in-laws and how they love our family. The boys felt like our time away was an endless sleepover for them and it was nice for me to slip out mom-mode for a few days (however, I did talk about them a lot, so I guess mom-mode isn’t something you just click off).

We came home from staff retreat and jumped into all sorts of projects. We had an ortho evaluation for Owen. It was a process we started over a year ago, but didn’t pursue at the time. Now we’re making it happen. Owen will become a metal mouth in more than one way at the start of November. Thankfully, he’ll have time to eat all the birthday goodies, clear the popcorn out of the pantry, and nibble on Halloween candy before his food choices diminish. We hosted a play date with friends we haven’t seen since summer. Jeremy took down our backyard pool and packed it up. I went into party baking/decorating mode. I got a chance to have lunch with my forever friend, Maggie, on a sunny Saturday. BJ’s has become our “spot” – can’t beat pizza and a pizookie while chatting with a good friend.

That’s all for now, but prepare yourself for many more birthday shenanigans right around the corner! We can’t wait. Birthday month is the best!