Amy Scott's Thoughts

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

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 3:54 pm

Bookish Thoughts for April

We are a third of the way through 2023! I haven’t shared my page stats with you and I thought this month would be a good time to dive into some book math. I started keeping track of my pages read in January. It’s been interesting to see how my reading life has shifted month to month. Each month, I’ve read less pages, which on paper looks so depressing to me! Instead of looking at this month and being sad that my page total and book total are the lowest to date, I’m deciding to be pleased that I got as much reading into my month while juggling so many other things (holidays, illness, conferences, travel). Here are the stats so far in 2023:

January: 6,484 pages read, 21 books (308 average pages per book)
February: 5,400 pages read, 21 books (257 average)
March: 4,045 pages read, 13 books (311 average)
April: 3,574 pages read, 12 books (297 average)

I took a break from Kindle Unlimited this month. I plan on re-subscribing in May. I have my eye on half a dozen books in KU. I use KU to read my beloved sweet rom-coms, which usually ups my page and book total. I can fly through those books. After a month without them, I’m excited to have them back in my reading mix. This month was an equal mix of non-fiction and fiction, which doesn’t happen every often. I love non-fiction, but fiction truly has my heart. I’m looking forward to a few good stories coming my way soon. I also hope to work on my To-Be-Read list and finally read a few books that have been sitting on my bookshelf for months. I’m contemplating taking a break from new-to-me books this summer and doing a dive back into The Hunger Games or The Lunar Chronicles. I might give myself a summer vacation with some favorites from the past. We shall see!

In case you’re wondering what my kids are reading right now – it’s all about birds! We’ve stocked up on bird books and flashcards over the last month. Two of the books in the photo below are their books for May. They got them a few days early. It’s fun to see bird books scattered around the house, usually with binoculars and a check list nearby.

We are learning all the bird facts over here! Thankful for books that not only educate, but inspire my boys!

Top Picks for April

Non-Fiction: God has a name by John Mark Comer. I’m enjoying reading through the works of John Mark Comer. God has a name is a deep look into Exodus where God shares His name with Moses. Comer unpacks the attributes God uses to describe himself and what that meant not only for Israel, but also us. My minor in college was Biblical Studies, so books like this take me back to the good old days in a classroom studying God’s Word. Knowing what God says about Himself is powerful and it bears reminding that our God has a name. He is a personal God. He is clear on who He is and what He is about!

Fiction: Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland by Roseanna M. White. I’m not 100% sure, but I think this has been my book of the month before. I’m 100% positive I’ve mentioned it before. I’ve read it numerous times. This month it was my “sick” read. When I was down with strep throat, I needed a story I knew and loved to keep me company while I rested. This was the first book I read by Roseanna M. White and it’s still one of my favorites by her. I love Lark’s spirit and the determination of Emerson (the main characters, I’m also a big fan of Lark’s brother, Wiley, as a side character – good side characters make a good book). It’s also historical fiction, which is my next favorite genre after sweet rom-coms. This book was originally published in a series that highlighted stories all over the US (and parts of Canada), but its been republished as A Heart’s Revolution. I know the titles and cover are cheesy, but trust me, it’s a good read!

The Book List for April
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.

Fiction:

Start with Hello: (And Other Simple Ways to Live as Neighbors) by Shannan Martin – 4 stars
God has a name by John Mark Comer – 4 stars
Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May – 3 stars
Eat More Dessert: More than 100 Simple-to-Make & Fun-to-Eat Baked Goods From the Baker to the Stars by Jenny Keller – 4 stars
Parenting: Getting It Right by Andy & Sandra Stanley – 4 stars
The God of the Garden: Thoughts on Creation, Culture, and the Kingdom by Andrew Peterson – 4 stars

Non-Fiction:

The Railway Children by E. Nesbit – 3 stars
Ember Falls by S.D. Smith – 3 stars
Still Alice by Lisa Genova – 4 stars
Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland by Roseanna M. White – 5 stars
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – 3 stars
Sheltering Rain by Jojo Moyes – 3 stars

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Conferencing April 22, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Travels,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 3:36 pm

The antibiotics I mentioned last Friday kicked in and did the trick! I was well enough on Saturday to start a full week of conferencing. Last Saturday, our church offered an all-day parenting conference. I wasn’t sure if my throat would heal in time for me to attend, but it did! Being a homeschool mom has scaled back my ministry participation, so it was nice to jump into a one day event and be a support to our pastoral team. The conference was a full day with breaks for parents to discuss what they heard and make intentional plans forward. We received many positive comments from those who attended. It’s always a joy to equip and encourage parents. This is where world changers are formed – in our homes, with our parenting! The investment in our families has an astounding ripple affect. It’s neat to be a part of something much bigger than I can see and understand in this moment.

After the full day at the parenting conference, our family packed up on Sunday and took off for another conference. The boys got a “spring break” with Nana and Papa while Jeremy and I attended a ministry conference with our Assemblies of God network of ministers in Idaho. We are so thankful for Nana and Papa! They gave our boys an awesome experience while we were at both the parenting conference and Network Conference. We couldn’t have achieved all this conferencing without their support! Coeur d’Alene, ID is a beautiful location for a conference. We enjoyed eating out with our pastoral team, connecting with other children’s pastors, and learning from engaging and challenging speakers. My favorite moments of the conference were slipping away for time with just Jeremy. We don’t get a lot of kid-free time, so it was a treat to have a few “date” like moments for ourselves in the midst of the conference. My favorite times were walking around the park near our hotel and taking a hike along the lake. It was so nice to get out of our seats and stretch our legs. The hike along the lake was delightful and the fresh air (though chilly) was invigorating!

Now our family is back together and settled at home. I had book club last night, which is always a highlight of my month. I’ve had plenty of laundry to tackle and just general resettling to do around the house. The boys purchased Uno Attack and Uno All Wilds yesterday, so we’ve been alternating between variations of Uno and Wingspan at the dining room table. It feels good to be home! The margin for rest is appreciated. Between holidays, illness, and travels, all our social plans have landed in this coming week. I, personally, need to recharge before we tackle the week ahead. I’m thankful for the buffer this weekend offers before we dive into more good stuff!

I packed 5 books with me on this trip! Good thing we didn’t fly. I would have been over the weight limit, for sure!

This chilly hike might have been my favorite part of the week! It started to snow on us at the end, but worth it!

Jeremy and I each got a personal sized “Gooey” at the hotel restaurant. They are known from their over the top ice cream desserts!

Home time = Game time! The boys are loving the cardholders they made with Nana.

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Easter Week April 14, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The boys helping move Easter baskets into the Children’s Church classroom for Sunday.

Happy Easter! He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!

The boys did an egg hunt with the cousins and then the adults got to do an egg hunt as well.

Ready for *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*!

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A Spring Celebration & Other Joyful Moments April 3, 2023

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 1:44 pm

The beginning of spring always comes with a special celebration right around the corner. Jeremy’s birthday!!! His spring season is often filled to the brim with Easter preparation, but our family likes to make sure that he gets his time to shine. He’s the best and we can’t help but make a big deal of his day. He is worth the honor and extra attention. The boys and I kicked off Jeremy’s birthday weekend on Thursday evening when he got home from work. We greeted him with cake, cards, presents, balloons, and the happy birthday banner up declaring it was time to party. Technically, his birthday wasn’t until Saturday, but we are firm believers in celebrating over many days. Friday, we had a family outing to Top Golf. This is our third year in a row visiting for Jeremy’s birthday. Apparently, it’s become tradition! For Jeremy’s actual birthday, we started the morning with a family game of Wingspan. The birthday boy won, of course. My parents brought take-out over for a birthday lunch, we took a walk in the sunshine afterward, and then went to Jeremy’s parent’s house for dinner. It was a fun and festive day filled with family!

Other highlights of the week included a playdate with friends. It was a dry afternoon and the kids spent the whole time in the woods building a fort. My mom-friend and I got uninterrupted conversation while our kids were busy building. It was a win-win for all! We’ve certainly been social this spring, especially this last weekend. We had friends over for dinner on Friday. Jeremy and Owen helped with our church work party on Saturday morning. Then we all met at Nana & Papa’s for pizza and games with some visiting family. Yesterday, I was able to catch up with my forever friend, Maggie, over a linner of pizza and pizookies at BJ’s Brewhouse. I love when family, friends, and food all combine for a good time!

Now it’s Easter week! It’s always a big one on the church calendar. We are looking forward to this coming weekend with great anticipation. We have special goodies to giveaway at church. We have multiple family meals and Easter egg hunts. I have all the elements of our Easter baskets assembled and ready to go! I still need to fill eggs for our family egg hunt on Saturday. There will also be some tasty treats to prepare and silly pictures with bunny ears to take. New polos are washed and ready for the boys to wear on Easter Sunday. All the fuss cannot eclipse the true reason we celebrate – which is our Risen Savior, Jesus! The greatest celebration is for our redemption made complete on the cross! So thankful for all the joyful moments this season provides. It’s a sweet spring season!

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

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 3:58 pm

Bookish Thoughts for March

My pace of life changed in March and my reading life reflects that. While I was still able to read quite a bit, my total books read is lower than previous months. It doesn’t matter to me how many books I read as much as it does what books I read. Were they good books? Did I learn something? Did I support a favorite author or add to my home library? The answer to those questions was a resounding yes. And so, it was a good reading month, indeed.

I started the month with Royal Gone Rogue by Emma St. Clair. The release of this book had been delayed for months and I was thrilled to finally read it. I was nervous the wait would heighten my anticipation and then it would let me down – but it did not! It had Prince & Me, Return to Me, and Cinderella vibes. All of which I loved! The side characters were fantastic and it left me anxious for the next installment in the series. If I had a choice for runner up on top fiction pick, this book would be it.

I read All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr after having so many friends read it. I’ll often select a book just to see what the hype is about. I liked it, but true to most wartime historical fiction I read, it wasn’t quite the ending I hoped for. Modern Parens, Vintage Values was a wonderful parenting resource. I love these authors out of Daystar Counseling Ministries. They give parents such practical tools with heart and wisdom behind them. My mom let me borrow her copy of Beth Moore’s memoir, All My Knotted-Up Life, and I dove into it quickly. This is my third memoir this year and I’m finding this genre so fascinating. People are so layered and their life experiences so much deeper than the surface we often see. Even though I knew pieces of Beth’s story, it was so much more than I expected.

Jeremy offered to take the boys to Powell’s Books so they could select their April books in-person instead of online. Our family has come to love the Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing. It’s not the iconic downtown location, but we enjoy the store layout and selection. We comb the store and always come away with treasures. For me, it was God Has a Name by John Mark Comer. For Owen, a Boxcar Children book and the first book in The Hardy Boys series. Graham, an Animal Crossing guidebook and a collection of Frog and Toad stories. Jeremy found a Hidden Pictures book to use at church for the kids who arrive early. ThriftBooks also surprised me with a free book so I selected Loveology by John Mark Comer and Eat More Dessert by Jenny Keller (two books, so I could get free shipping… the slippery slope… one free books leads to buying another).

I sat down this week and made a list of new releases coming out between April and September. I have 8 books that I’m looking forward to and only July is missing a new release. I’m sure many happy reading days are ahead and I’m positive I’ll find something to look forward to reading in July. I’ve got time to stumble on a good a read!

We love our local library! It’s helping me research summer vacation plans!

The book haul from Powells! So many thoughts about this photo… First Graham wouldn’t stand up straight so he looks extra short… Don’t judge our mismatch pajama lifestyle. Sometimes Mama just wants a quick photo and this is as good as it gets. Ha!

Top Picks for March

Non-Fiction: Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. by Bob Goff. The title of the book sums it up well. Undistracted is about living your life on purpose, finding joy and meaning in everyday. Bob Goff has a very signature style of writing. There is no one quite like him on this earth. While Bob and I might quite different personalities, he never fails to inspire me and make me laugh out loud. His real life examples make me marvel at the life he leads. Bob Goff is one of my go-to author. If he writes it, I will read it.
Fiction: The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin. This is the second WWII book I’ve read by this author. The other was The Last Bookshop in London. While I enjoyed the first book, this second one moved me in a deeper way. The story focuses on two brave women. One an American librarian in Lisbon and the other operates a Resistance printing press in Lyon. Their stories overlap over the course of the book. I found myself thinking of both women long after I finished the book. The American librarian was particularly interesting to me because of her role in cataloging important information was new to me. Learning something new is a sign of a good book.

Book List for March
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 Parents, Vintage Values, Revised and Updated: Instilling Character in Today’s Kids by Sissy Goff and Melissa Trevathan – 4 stars
Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. by Bob Goff – 4 stars
All My Knotted-Up Life: A Memoir by Beth Moore – 4 stars

Fiction:

Royal Gone Rogue by Emma St. Clair – 4 stars
Cruise(shipped) by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin – 4 stars
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – 4 stars
Betting on the Boy Next Door by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
Second Time Around by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
The Winter Princess by Keira Dominguez – 3 stars
Love at First Note by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars

Novellas:

That Time I Kissed My Brother’s Best Friend by Julie Christianson – 3 stars
A Little in Love with You by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars

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A Little March Madness… March 23, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Travels,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 2:48 pm

The title of this blog has a double meaning. Yes, we do the whole March Madness thing around here. Jeremy and I select our own brackets. This year the boys are sharing a bracket. Owen, especially, takes the brackets seriously. We have them printed on the counter with a yellow and red highlighter to mark wins and losses. As someone who doesn’t follow basketball at all, it never shocks me when my bracket is a bust. But it’s fun to guess and see how the cookie crumbles…

The other madness of March is not sports related. St. Patrick’s Day is a holiday my kids love to celebrate. I’ve tried to make it less of a “thing” this year, but some traditions have taken deep root. Leprechaun traps were made. Some minor mystical shenanigans ensued… Owen tried a Shamrock Shake from McDonald’s for the first time. He is my mint kid so I wanted to see his thoughts. He didn’t love it but he was fascinated with the color. I, on the other hand, had no problem sucking my green drink down in a matter of minutes. (Side note: Shamrock Shakes are as close as you’ll get me to a “green drink.” Don’t follow my blog for nutritional value.)

St. Patrick’s Day also coincided with a women’s conference I was invited to attend in Tacoma. I spent Friday morning with my family before adventuring off with my forever friend, Christa. We checked into our hotel, grabbed an early dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, and took a walk around a lake at a local park. It was a beautiful day in the PNW and it was lovely to be outside. It was a treat to find little piece of nature in the city to take a walk. The food, walking, and talking are some of my highlights of our time together. It’s a trifecta when you get a good friend, tasty food, and a beautiful day all at the same time! Another dear friend of mine was the conference organizer so part of attending the conference was to cheer her on and see the fruit of her labor. The sessions we attended were fantastic and I’m so proud of my friend for pouring her heart into so many women. Watching her shine (and seeing shine Jesus through her) was a joy!

An unforeseen thing happened Friday evening which changed my conference plans. Jeremy texted saying that my uncle was bringing my grandma down to visit on Saturday (technically, to visit my dad, but since we’re neighbors, it pretty much the same thing). It had been too long since I seen my sweet grandma. In fact, Friday morning I told my mom I was trying find a time to visit her soon. The chance to see GG in my neck of the woods was good to pass up. Christa completely understood and graciously allowed me to cut our conference time short so I could get home to my family. I arrived home with enough time to tidy up after my bachelor boys and then invite my family over a visit. My aunt and cousin joined the road trip as well and it was my first time for my aunt to visit our house. We love giving the house tour and sharing our space with others. It was a fun surprise! My only sadness was missing part of the conference. Maybe next year I’ll shoot for perfect attendance. You never know with life, though. Plans find a way of changing. Am, I right? Overall it was a great mix of friendship and family with a dash of holiday cheer all in one weekend.

Then things went a little haywire… Last week, after Graham’s weekend flu, Jeremy went down with the same bug. After 5+ days of being symptom-free, I thought Owen and I were in the clear. Apparently, we came into contact with something similar at church on Sunday, because on Monday evening, it was Owen and I’s turn to go down with the flu. Now all four of us have had it. Such a bummer! The good news is, apart from missing co-op, we’ve had a quiet week to rest and recover. It was no problem to catch up on up on the missed day of school. Our fun weekend plans are still on because we are back to our normal selves. It’s sad that it happened, but it happened at the “best” time possible.

Now that we’ve said good-bye to the March flu, we are excited to dive into Jeremy’s birthday weekend! Lots of fun plans and celebrations are ahead of us. We are excited to honor our favorite guy and give him the attention he deserves. Birthdays are a big deal in our household, so we can’t wait for birthday weekend to officially begin. Time to party!

Played a game of Wingspan before leaving on St. Patrick’s Day. I used only green eggs to be on theme.

So fun to getaway with my forever friend, Christa!

Loving a bit of nature on a beautiful PNW day

Christa’s friendship is such a treasure! She was a fabulous conference buddy!

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March Moments March 13, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 2:53 pm

It seems like a lot has happened since I last sat down to blog. Nothing major, but all the ups and downs of everyday life. Let’s dive into the all little moments that have made up the last week and a half. I have so many things to share!

On Friday, March 3rd, Jeremy decided to clean up a hand-me-down fish tank in hopes of upgrading our kitchen counter fish experience. Owen’s betta, Sunny, relocated to Owen’s room to make space for the larger fish tank. On Saturday, Jeremy and the boys went on a fish finding quest. They each came home with a fish and the grand fish adventure began. We prepared the boys for the fish might not to survive the experience. We knew acclimating to a new tank can be difficult. This was true for Sunset, the fish Owen picked. (Did his name possibly lead to his demise?!)

On Friday, March 10th, we went on another fish finding outing and came home with four elephant ear guppies (which I wanted to name after the sugary fair treat). It turns out Barry, Graham’s fish from the week before, thought the guppies were a tasty snack. (Could it be their name, like Sunset, got them in trouble? Elephant Ear – seems possible). Since Barry was too aggressive, we had to let him go. At this point, two of the four guppies have passed. We blame Barry-related trauma. This leaves us now with three fish in the tank – Jeremy’s fish (Sharky) and two guppies (Cinnamon & Sugar). We knew acclimating fish to a new tank and finding good tankmates was a challenging process. Our losses haven’t been a surprise. Our hope is slowly to get our tank to around 7-10 happy fish. I wonder how long that will take at the rate we’re going?

The fish situation has had it’s highs and lows. Co-op was a bright spot last week with a pajama movie party. We also enjoyed a playdate with co-op friends and a dinner/game time with family. This weekend was a mix of moments. Some good, some not so good. On Friday, we postponed plans with friends because they were a little under the weather. Turns out, Graham would have had us canceling those plans anyway. By Friday evening, it was clear that Graham had a tummy bug. Usually, he sleeps off tummy troubles and they last less than 24 hours, but this flu held on! On top of that, Thursday into Friday we had a windstorm that knocked out power in the night and disruppted our sleep… Then Graham’s tummy troubles had us up in the night multiple nights in a row… And then add daylight savings! Our sleep has been so off!!! Thankfully, Graham perked up yesterday afternoon and is now 24 hour symptom free and back to his normal self.

Even with an unexpected illness this weekend, Jeremy and I tag-teammed some fun into Saturday. I got up early on Saturday to meet a friend for a cookie adventure. There is a local cookie shop only open on Saturdays and it’s hugely poplar – like long lines outside the shop until they sell out for the day. A friend and I have both been waiting for the hype to quiet down before trying Sweet Dough Cookie Co. It seems that isn’t happening so we decided to brave the line together. We got warm drinks and chatted while waiting. Our diligence paid off and we were fourth into the building! I was able to get seven delicious cookies that were a bright spot in a rougher-than-expected weekend. When I got home from my morning cookie adventure, Jeremy took off for an afternoon of golf with his family. We certainly felt bad for Graham, but we were glad that our weekend plans didn’t completely change. Mom and Dad need to have fun with friends/family every now and again!

Okay, that was a lot! So many little moments to share, but when added together make for an adventurous March! We are staring down the second half of the month and it promises to be full of epic moments. I have a conference coming up this weekend and then the following weekend is Jeremy’s birthday. The next few weeks will be our normal, somewhat quiet weekday routine so that way we can spend our energy on big weekends. I’m always trying to find a strike a balance with good margin. Calm weeks is a good trade off crazy weekends!

Acclimating the guppies while Barry lurks below waiting for a snack!

Visiting Sweet Dough Cookie Co. with a sweet friend!

These cookies were a bright spot and special treat this weekend!

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A Few Snowy Days March 3, 2023

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 10:00 am

The last week or so has been filled with snowflakes. Some stick, some don’t. Sometimes we get a dusting. Sometimes we get a few inches. While I always welcome snow, I wish these brushes with snow could have consolidated into one good dump of snow. We have yet to reach my desired depth – the grass completely covered! Jeremy joked he should have mowed the grass so it was short and my dream would have come true. Ha! It probably would have worked. There is just something about little pieces of grass poking out that ruin the visual effect for me. Despite it not being blizzard conditions here, the snow has been fun. I love snow on trees and in February we made three snowman. Jeremy helped with the last one. It’s a giant snowman and even though it was made on Monday, it’s still standing today (Friday).

Other than snow days, we’ve been out and about with church, co-op, dinners with friends, and playdates. March will be a social month with more playdates and dinners on the calendar. I’m attending a conference with a friend this month and it’s also Jeremy’s birthday month. The winter hibernation is coming to an end. Spring is near! As much as I’ve enjoyed the cozy, inside vibes, I’m also ready for more time outside. Walks in the sunshine. Kids catching tadpoles. Longer days. Each season has it’s simple pleasures. I chuckle as I type this because there is a dusting of snow outside my window. I might be getting ahead of myself!

Below is a collection of our snowy day pictures and a few others from around the house. In my last post, I mentioned that February had Groundhog’s Day vibes. A lot of the same over and over again. It seems fitting that most of my photos from February are snow days with just a couple inches of snow… on repeat. Enjoy!

Our February 22nd Snow – the boys got some “sledding” in before church!

When Daddy helps make a snowman with day old snow!

Owen’s Savannah Grasslands Biome Project

Our backyard on Wednesday. The shade really keeps the snow!

Our backyard this morning! The snowy days keep on coming…

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What I’ve Been Reading – February 2023 February 28, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 8:00 am

Bookish Thoughts for February

I thought I would take some time this month to talk about my obsession with the sweet romantic comedy genre. I often give them 3 star ratings, so why do I keep binge reading them? So many reasons! A friend once said, “Don’t underestimate a 3 star book.” When she wrote those words, I wasn’t actively keeping track of star ratings and I didn’t quite understand. Now, I do. 3 star books are good books. I enjoy them. They are not life-changing (for me, personally), but they are good. Nothing wrong with a good book.

I’m a sucker for a series (which most of these books come in). Give me multiple books set in the same town with the same group of friends/family and I will read them all. I love getting to know a place and becoming deeper friends with characters over the course of multiple books. I also love binging by author. You’ll see certain names on repeat in my book list. Once I’ve read one book by an author, I’m curious about their others.

In the sweet romcom world, most of these authors are independently published. I’ve seen behind the curtain, through their Instagram feeds and email newsletters, how much work they do themselves to get their books published. It’s admirable. They also advocate for each other. They are always sharing new releases and recommendations of each other’s books. You sense they are a community and they have each other’s backs. I love that!

Another reason I love sweet romcoms is they are great escape fiction. I can walk a mile in some else’s shoes. I can explore a new city – fictional or not – doesn’t matter. I love getting swept away in a story, especially a love story. Happily ever afters make my heart happy. These stories are “sweet” which means they are closed door. I don’t want to read about spicy bedroom scenes. When it comes to romance, I want to keep things PG. When I see the words “sweet romcom” and “closed door” I know what kind of book I’m starting.

My standard 3 star rating also follows me into quite a few of my historical fiction reads – however, I am more apt to give 4 stars to historical fiction if I feel it does a moving job of illuminating history. I’m more likely to give 4 or 5 stars to non-fiction because of the author’s vulnerability or knowledge of the content.

When I first got Goodreads in 2012, I entered as many book as I could and gave them star ratings (and then I walked away from my account for almost a decade). I’m realizing I was much freer with 4 and 5 star ratings in the past. My reading has diversified and my volume of reading has increased with time. It’s changed how I feel about books. It’s harder for me to fall in love with a book, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the many books that cross my path. So, don’t look down on 3 star books. They are good books and I’m glad I’ve read them!

Top Picks for February

Non-Fiction: Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human. by John Mark Comer. This is the third book I’ve read by John Mark Comer. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is still my favorite, but Garden City is second now! By focusing on Genesis 1-3 and Revelation 21-22, this book shares the goodness of work, the blessing of rest, and humanities purpose. While the content wasn’t new to me, this book was so encouraging! The scriptural truths shared in these pages were empowering and impactful, not only for day-to-day life, but also eternity. I highly recommend this read!
Fiction: My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh. I love seasonal books! The Valentine vibes added a fun and lighthearted touch to this story. I liked that this book didn’t have some great miscommunication or falling out of the main characters toward the end of the book. It kept the angst of the story minimal. Both main characters have difficult pasts they’ve overcome and have to decide to be vulnerable about. There is also the small-town girl and big-city boy tension. Every story needs some struggle or it would be dull. The struggle in this book was just enough to not overpower the plot. It was sweet, joyful, and a seasonal treat.

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:

Find Your People: Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World by Jennie Allen – 4 stars
Garden City: Work, Rest, and the Art of Being Human. by John Mark Comer – 5 stars
Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith from Fear by Jinger Duggar Vuolo – 4 stars
Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are by Lysa TerKeurst – 4 stars

Fiction:

First to Fall by Jenny B. Jones – 3 stars
Merritt and Her Childhood Crush by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare – 3 stars
Censor(shipped) by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
Doctor(shipped) by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
The Paper Girl of Paris by Jordan Taylor – 3 stars
I’m Not Charlotte Lucas by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio – 3 stars
So Not My Thing by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
Here For It by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
Maybe I Will by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars
Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry – 3 stars

Novellas:

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan – 3 stars
Jill Came Tumbling by Julie Christianson – 3 stars
His Third Second Chance by Julie Christianson (short story) – 3 stars
Court(shipped) by Savannah Scott – 4 stars
Passion or Penalty by Leah Brunner – 3 stars
Love Beginning by Jenny Proctor – 4 stars

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The Quiet of Winter February 22, 2023

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Bible,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 3:28 pm

At the risk of sounding like a hermit, I’ve felt the pull toward hibernation in these winter months. Let’s just say, the damp weather and lack of daylight make outdoor adventures less appealing this time of year… Thanks to inflation, indoor adventures are also less enticing. Gas prices mixed with raised admission costs have kept me from pursuing new experiences. Instead, I’ve felt a strong desire to snuggle in and be cozy at home. We’ve kept soup stocked in our fridge and baked goods on the countertop. I’ve struggled with “blog-able” content because I usually share what neat things we’ve been up to over the course of a week. It would seem that our whole month has felt a bit like Groundhog’s Day. A lot of the same, over and over and over again. I’m not complaining about it! I’m a big fan of routine and margin on the calendar, but it’s not glamorous, that’s for sure.

When thinking about what to share with you, I decided to write about some of my daily things. My ordinary, day-in-and-out moments. My personality is all about self-discipline and I find that I quietly slip into certain tasks everyday, almost as if on auto-pilot. I’m always intrigued to hear what are the non-negotiables on other people’s calendars. What do they prioritize? It’s the little and sometimes mundane moments that snowball into how we live our lives. If you were to study a day in the life of Amy Scott, here are a few things you would see on repeat.

Making the bed – It’s how I start everyday. The science of starting your day with a productive win works for me.
Getting 10,000 steps – in the warmer months, I strive for 13,000+ steps, but walking the extra 3,000 steps is harder in the colder, darker months. If it’s dry, you’ll find me walking up and down my driveway – often talking with my mom or boys. If it’s wet, you’ll see me walking laps around my kitchen/dining/living room as my family plays or watches TV. If I need space or quiet, you might find me on the treadmill in the garage. How I walk is optional, but walking is not! If I’m walking alone, For King & Country, Switchfoot, or the Hamilton soundtrack are often playing (and I’m singing along). I also use walking time to listen to friends and respond on Marco Polo.
Reading my Bible – I’m not a morning person, so this doesn’t happen in the wee, dark hours of the morning before my family wakes up. It often happens at the dining room table while I sit by a boy working on a homeschool assignment or during quiet time or after the kids have gone to bed. For the last decade, I’ve used the YouVersion app on my phone for their Bible reading plans. I’m about a month away from finishing a Whole Bible in Two Years plan and then I’m going to switch back to reading a physical, print Bible. My sons might read their Bibles on devices as technology advances, but I want them to have childhood memories of their mom with her Bible open.
Journaling – I might not write in my journal every day, but I would say I do most days. My journaling has taken on a variety of forms over the years. I started actively journaling as a middle schooler and it’s a habit that stuck. Not only that, I’ve kept all of those journals. They are in a box in my garage. I thought I would share them with my future daughters, which I did not end up with… so what to do with them… Maybe my future granddaughters will read them. Honestly, they aren’t brilliant – especially the middle school years where I gushed about my crush on JT from N’SYNC. Nowadays, I write about what we’ve been up and how I’m feeling about things. Sometimes it’s just facts, sometimes it’s emotions. I process my world best through the written word. It’s why I love this blog. It’s like therapy for me.
Chores – I’m a tidy person by nature. I do at least one load of laundry a day. I’ll run the Roomba during quiet time or when we are out of the house. You’ll often find me indulging my OCD by wiping down the counters 4 times a day, if not more. I also compulsively fluff pillows. Once I week I have a “house cleaning” day, but I clean as a go throughout the week. I’m not a fan of clutter and I’m a huge believer in every item having a home it returns to after use.
The Fun Stuff – Reading, baking, playing games, soaking in the hot tub! Reading is my favorite hobby and I make time for it daily. Baking happens at least once a week, if not more. Board games on free evenings are a family favorite (right now Wingspan is the game of choice). Also on free evenings, you’ll find our family soaking in our inflatable hot tub before bedtime. Oh! Jeremy and I are re-watching an episode of Once Upon a Time each evening after the kids go to bed. It’s been fun to revisit our favorite show.

Not every day is same old, same old. We love getting out of the house for church and co-op. This last week was book club for me. It’s a highlight of my month. These women have become my village and I love bonding over a shared love of books. We had a snowy start to Valentine’s Day and the kids had a blast at their co-op party. Jeremy and Owen picked up a Heartbreaker pizza and tulips for our family to celebrate. We had a windstorm this week that knocked out our power for four hours in the middle of the night. Some adventures find you even when you aren’t looking for them.

Our calendar has been a bit on the quieter side, but I’m savoring the slow before we head into a busy spring. March will shift our pace of life so don’t be surprised if I cozy on in and enjoy the winter hibernation vibes just a little bit longer. The quiet, slow, and ordinary days can be a beautiful masterpiece. They showcase faithfulness – faithfulness to family, home, community, education, and faith. As my favorite Eugene Peterson quote says, “A long obedience in the same direction.” Oh, how that resonates with me!