Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

The Summer Rundown August 4, 2025

July tends to be a super social month of us. Somehow most of our social engagements landed in a two week span of July. It was a bit of a whirlwind, but also incredibly fun! Jeremy had jury duty in July which added a unique vibe to the month. He never had to report, but he did have to check often. We didn’t make any out of town plans, due to jury duty, so our days were spent locally. We often hosted company at our house or met up with friends at parks. We also had some extra time with family this month while Jeremy’s aunt visited from out of state. Our big outing was a trip to the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. It was a cool and cloudy morning which made for great animal viewing. The red wolves are our favorites! Our library summer reading program provided tickets for both kids and adults this year. What a treat!

True to life, not all summer moments are fun and games. The boys had their first dental work this month (beside their biannual cleanings). Graham had a tiny cavity that needed a small filling. No numbing was necessary and the entire appointment took about 20 minutes. Easy peasy! Owen had two baby teeth that were getting in the way. Despite a month of wiggling, they didn’t come loose so the dentist had to assist. This was Owen’s first time getting numb at the dentist. He was nervous, but handled it like a champ. A few days after the dental work, Graham had his first consultation with the orthodontist. It looks like a palette expander and braces are in his future! Oh goody! I’m glad those appointments are behind us. We can give thoughts about teeth a short break.

August comes with it’s own set of adventures! On Sundays, our church runs our Vacation Bible Adventure program for the month. We kicked off True North VBA this Sunday. Week one was a hit! Our kids love VBA! Jeremy and his team do a great job of decorating and making the theme come to life each year. We can’t wait to for the next four Sundays!

An annual August tradition is summer camp. Jeremy co-directs two camps for our Assemblies of God network. The first camp started yesterday so the boys and I are on our own for a few days. We taught the kids Boggle on Saturday before Jeremy left for camp and they loved it! We played again yesterday and another game has been requested for today. I picked up a few Dominos pizzas yesterday as a treat and we’ll live off the leftovers for a few days. My meal planning skills are strong when I’m the only adult in the house. Haha! Graham baked himself cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning. Our days are filled with games, books, baking, playing outside, and yes, some screen time, too. I try to keep the boys and myself busy while Jeremy is away. We sure do miss him!

I’ve been using the quieter days to work on some projects. My biggest project has been back-to-school planning. I have our first homeschool semester all planned and written down in my official planner. I even have first-day-of-school signs ready to go. It feels good to have the fall prepped. It will allow me to truly savor this final month of summer. We are starting a new state history curriculum this year and I need to pick up to two binders for it. Then I’ll be officially, officially ready for school to start! We usually start school the last week of August, but we’re waiting until after Labor Day this year. It feels nice to know we the full month of August to enjoy the last days of summer break. We making the most of our summer days before they disappear!

Red wolves at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Puffins!
Playful sea otter!
Sharks!
Lunch out with family! The boys love cousin time.
So grateful for lots of time with Aunt Sandy!
The current summer obsession
True North VBA
True North VBA
Living off of pizza while Jeremy is away
So excited for the fall!
My cinnamon kid! Have to pass along the skills to pop a Pillsbury can on to the next generation!
 

What I’ve Been Reading – July 2025 July 31, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 9:02 am

Bookish Thoughts for July

I’ve let myself have a fictional July (aka a month of fiction-only reading)! Summer feels like the perfect time to dive into fiction and to leave the non-fiction on the shelf for a while. I promise I will return to non-fiction reading in August, but July was the mental break I needed. I had so much fun this month discovering new authors. Angela Bell, Becky Wade, and Denise Hunter were all new authors for me. Pepper Basham was also a new author from last month that I read more of in July. Essentially, my July reading was mostly Hallmark movies, but in book form. It was perfect!

Highlights of the month were A Novel Proposal, The Island Bookshop, and The Collector of Burned Books. I love books about books and the first two I mentioned also had summer, beachy vibes. The Island Bookshop was the first time I’d read contemporary fiction from Roseanna M. White. The Collector of Burned Book was WWII historical fiction, which isn’t her usual time period. Roseanna M. White also released a fantasy novel recently and I read it last month. I’ve been impressed with her ability to write across genres and challenge herself with new things.

Another fun treat this month was listening to the audiobook version of The Host by Stephanie Meyer. I’ve read the book twice and watched the movie. I was told the audiobook was well done and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see (well, listen) for myself. The Host is a thick book – over 600 pages. It made the audiobook 23 hours along. It was a commitment! It was neat to hear the story in a new way and it’s a book that I will definitely re-read again (but maybe not listen to… that might have been a one and done experience due to the length). I read much faster than I listen!

I have a stack of library books to work through in August as well was some annual re-reads I want to revisit. I’m watching new releases by some of my favorite Indie authors stack up in Kindle Unlimited. I’ll have a long TBR when I subscribe again (probably this fall). Thankfully, my local library, the Libby app, and my home library have kept me plenty busy this summer and they will continue to do so. I’m a happy bookworm!

Signed books from RMW make my heart happy!
Perfect summer, beachy reads for booklovers!

Top Picks for July

Owen’s July Pick: Birds of Washington
Graham’s July Pick: The Gray Hunter’s Revenge (The Hardy Boys Adventures)

The Book List for July
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.

  • Memory Lane by Becky Wade – 4 stars
  • Rocky Road by Becky Wade – 4 stars
  • Uneasy Street by Becky Wade – 4 stars
  • Positively, Penelope by Pepper Basham – 3 stars
  • Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham – 3 stars
  • Some Like It Scot by Pepper Basham – 4 stars
  • A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell – 3 stars
  • Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
  • A Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
  • Riverbend Gap by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
  • Mulberry Hollow by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
  • Harvest Moon by Denise Hunter – 4 stars
  • Sweetbriar Cottage by Denise Hunter – 3 stars
  • The Island Bookshop by Roseanna M. White – 4 stars
  • The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White – 4 stars
  • The Host by Stephanie Meyers – 5 stars
 

Swimming Through Summer July 21, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 11:31 am

We are swimming through summer here in the PNW. Our days have been filled with so many good things – family, friends, pool time, park dates, barbeque, pizza, and ice cream treats. These summer days are flying by in a blur! We have been blessed to share our home with family and friends. We love watching kiddos run amok in the yard or splash around in the pool. We’ve played board games, enjoyed tasty food, and have had wonderful conversations. We’ve been thankful for air-conditioning and ice cream on 90 degree days. We’ve also reveled in cool, cloudy days that hint at the coming fall. It’s been a good mix! We’ll just keep swimming and see where the summer adventures take us!

Scootering and biking with friends at a new park
Scootering and biking with friends at a new park
Making a splash! We had to add water to the pool after this swimming adventure!
It has been a while since I’d made sugar cookies and I was feeling inspired by the thriving bunny community in my yard this summer!
My summer happy place!
Just out for a float! The pool can be chill!
Playing around before outdoor church
Family BBQ to celebrate of Aunt Sandy’s visit
Papa’s Golf Competition
The Triplets! These cousins are just a few months apart. The left is before they started kindergarten. The right is before they start middle school. We’ll need to snap another picture in three years to document high school!
 

So Much to Celebrate! July 9, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 11:46 am

Hold on tight! We’ve had so many summer celebrations over the last few weeks. I’ll do my best to highlight them all. I’ll have to back track to June for a little bit to get you all caught up. Here we go!

We welcomed the first day of summer with a visit to GG and a baby shower! It was a week before GG’s 92nd birthday so we showed up with flowers and a birthday card. I figured a week was in the acceptable window of time to celebrate with the birthday girl. Visits to GG are always a precious time! I’m so glad we got to celebrate with her.

The baby shower was for a friend who grew up locally in Lewis County. Aimee was my faithful, right-hand women when I taught my Wednesday night girls class. Once she graduated from kids ministry, she volunteered all the way through high school. She now lives out of state, but she was home for a family baby shower and I was honored to join. I’m so excited for her and her husband to become parents!

We completed some major projects in June. We made Jeremy’s vision of a National Park travel wall become a reality in his office! I loved sorting through the maps and pictures to create something special. It definitely highlights our family’s love for exploring new places. Jeremy has one more wall to complete before his new office is finalized. He is so close to being fully settled in his new space!

The other big project in June was a family garage sale. Jeremy’s parents hosted a multi-family sale and Jeremy and the boys went all in to assist. This was an excellent opportunity for the boys to practice hands-on math and people skills. They learned so much and were so helpful! After cleaning out Jeremy’s office and going through the house, we had quite a bit to contribute to the sale. It always feels good to clear things out, make space, and tidy up!

Now for July! We were able to celebrate the 4th of July and my dad’s birthday at the Washington coast. My parents recently purchased a beach house and this was the first time our whole family spent a few nights there together. We took a few walks, introduced the boys to the National Treasure movies, made smores around the fire pit, and watched the free fireworks show from the deck. It was great to celebrate both America’s birthday and Grandpa’s birthday with a family weekend away!

To keep the holiday weekend vibes going, Jeremy had Monday and Tuesday off this week. On Monday, we went for a birding walk at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. We got out early to beat the heat and Owen was rewarded with spotting two new birds to add to his birding list. This is one of favorite local nature walks!

Yesterday, Jeremy and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary! Jeremy took the day off. I love that we got to spend the whole day together. We took the kids to see How to Train Your Dragon. They love the animated movies, so this movie was highly anticipated. They both enjoyed the live action version and now have been singing the theme music to themselves as they go about their day. While the boys did piano lessons with Nana, Jeremy and I went to dinner and got ice cream together. It was a simple day, but very sweet. I love adventuring through life alongside Jeremy. I’m so grateful to celebrate another year together!

Visiting GG to celebrate her 92nd birthday!
A sweet way to celebrate Aimee’s baby boy!
Getting Jeremy’s new office put together has been such a fun family project!
The National Parks Gallery Wall
4th of July Weekend
4th of July Weekend
4th of July Weekend
4th of July Weekend
4th of July Weekend
4th of July Weekend
Birding adventure at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
Birding adventure at the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
How to Train Your Dragon
Celebrating 19 years together!
 

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

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 11:13 am

Bookish Thoughts for June

June continues the trend of a slower reading life. However, as long as I have a good book to read close at hand, all is well! Showing up for my real-life people in June has been a priority over making fictional friends. Even with my relaxed pace, I’ve still managed a fairly diverse reading month!

After a long hold at the library, I was able to pick up The Pharisee’s Wife by Jannette Oke. I’m used to Oke’s books featuring the prairies and the Rockies, but this Biblical historical fiction was a breakaway from her usual genre. I was certainly intrigued. While I enjoyed the story, it was not what I’ve come to know and love in Oke’s books. It was still a good book, but I wanted a different ending.

Roseanna M. White released her first fantasy novel this month. She almost exclusively writes historical fiction. Again, I was intrigued by an author trying something new. I don’t spend much time in the fantasy genre, but I did enjoy her book, Awakened. It’s the first in a four book series. I’m looking forward to seeing how White expands her fantasy world in the next book. I’m also looking forward to more new releases from White next month. She’s been busy!

My favorite new release of the month was Everything’s Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh. Rosie is a struggling actress who unintentionally accepts a position directing a musical in a retirement community. It was a sweet and quirky tale. I love Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, so it was neat to envision it being performed by seniors in my mind. The book takes place over the course of the summer, so it had great summer reading vibes!

Last, but not least, non-fiction! I read The Liturgy of the Ordinary right after it’s release in 2016. I remember liking it, but I feel like I appreciated it even more now (almost a decade later). The focus on being with God in all the daily moments and how the mundane can be sacred is a message I can’t get enough of. As a stay-at-home, homeschool mom, I know the liturgy of ordinary days very well. There is such sweetness and goodness in these experiences, especially when you are a looking for God in them. Tish Harrison Warren does an excellent job of exploring God’s presence in our entire day, from sun up to sun down. Finally, Rich Villodas was a new author for me, but his book was recommended by John Mark Comer (another favorite author), so I decided to check it out. The Deeply Formed Life paired so well with The Liturgy of the Ordinary. I hope to read more from Villodas in the future!

My reading was all over the place this month! It was fun to pop in and out of all kinds of genres. Diversity keeps life interesting. About a week ago, I went on a spree of placing holds at the local library (since I don’t have Kindle Unlimited at the moment). I am looking forward to exploring some new authors and new stories this summer!

Summer book-troverting at it’s finest!
Owen’s June Pick: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Graham’s June Pick: The Great Greenfield Bake-Off

Top Picks for June

Non-Fiction: Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren
Fiction: Everything’s Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh

The Book List for June
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:

  • Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren – 4 stars
  • The Deeply Formed Life: Five Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus by Rich Villodas – 4 stars

Fiction:

  • The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery – 5 stars
  • The Pharisee’s Wife by Janette Oke – 3 stars
  • Awakened by Roseanna M. White – 4 stars
  • Everything’s Coming Up Rosie by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
  • Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet – 3 stars
  • Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet – 4 stars
  • Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham – 3 stars
  • My Friends by Fredrik Backman – 3 stars
  • Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – 3 stars
 

The June Jumble June 18, 2025

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 2:00 pm

June has held a variety of activities for our family. We certainly haven’t had a quiet start to our summer vacation, but it’s been good, fun, and productive. We’ve been busy, which isn’t my favorite speed, but I’m hopeful that some slower summer days might be around the corner for us… I need to go back to putting a non-negotiable “X” on at least one of the week. Turns out God had the right idea when he created the Sabbath. My body, mind, and soul crave a day off after a period of “go, go, go!” I could wax poetic about the intentionally slow life, but let’s move on to the assortment of experiences we’ve had recently.

The backyard pool is up and running! Or swimming… Anyway, the warm weather last week super heated the pool and made for some delightful June swims. It’s been a bit of a project to re-inflate all the pool toys and to sort out which ones had leaks. We replaced a couple floaties and got the kiddos new googles. We are ready for the summer swim season! We’ve already had one pool playdate with friends. We also had our first park play date with friends and we have another on the books for next week. Pools, parks, and pals are a great way to spend our summer days!

Our family project has been moving Jeremy into a new office at work. We have new staff members joining our church team at the end of June/beginning of July. In order to make space for their arrival, a new office hub was built and Jeremy relocated to this space. We’ve been working in phases to make this transition happen. It’s been quite the project!

First, we spent an afternoon sorting his old office. We decided what would move to his new office, what needed to find a new home in the church, and what needed to be donated. Let’s just say a children’s pastor can collect some wacky stuff over 20 years of ministry! The second phase was moving the remaining items from Jeremy’s old office into his new office. After that, we did a shopping day to gather new organization and décor items for his new space.

Just yesterday, we put the organizational items into place and started arranging all his things. Today, he got a loveseat for additional seating. The final phase will be getting wall art up. It hasn’t been a speedy process, but it’s nice to see it all slowly coming together. Interior design isn’t my strongest skill, but I love organization and making things tidy. It’s been fun to work together on this project as a family. The boys have even lent a hand. It’s been a team effort!

Father’s Day was in the June mix. We celebrated a different dad each day. Friday was Jeremy’s day. He opted to head to Portland for an office shopping day. We treated Jeremy’s to Chick-Fil-A and Salt & Straw while we were in the big city. Saturday, we had pizza and cake with my parents and sister. We celebrated both my mom’s birthday and Father’s Day. Sunday, we had bomb pops after church as a way to honor all the “pops” in our congregation. We did a fun bomb pop themed craft with the kids and had a bomb pop photo op in our lobby. It was a super “sweet” way to celebrate! We had dinner at Nana and Papa’s house with family to celebrate another birthday and Father’s Day. So many festivities!

Add in an orthodontist check-in for Owen, dental cleanings for both boys, sorting/pricing items for an upcoming family garage sale… June has felt a bit like a jumble! Friends, family, celebrations, changes, projects, appointments on top of the everyday stuff like chores and summer school. It’s been a lot! We are tackling our to-do list while making time for family and friends. Now to just balance a little more rest into the mix. We’ll get there!

First official swim of the season!
My ideal way to spend a summer afternoon!
It’s been a few years since I updated my profile picture. Plus, I needed a new photo for an event this fall, so this is what I came up with. Natural Amy – curly hair, sweatshirt, books. That’s as authentic as it gets!
Jeremy’s new office as a blank slate
Jeremy’s old office in the sorting process
Taco Bell lunch with the Birthday Girl!
Salt & Straw
You’re the bomb, Pop!
True love is resurrecting all the floaties and finding the sinkies before a pool playdate.
Officially moved in to his new space! Jeremy still has more to do, but it’s a workable office.
Officially moved out! Kind of sad, but we are excited for a new team member to settle in here. It’s a good space!

P.S. Stephanie from Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase tagged me in a fun summer blog tag. I had hoped to participate this week, but I’m running low on time. In case I don’t get to it, I wanted to highlight her post here. It’s such a fun idea and I’m honored that she thought of me. Thanks, Stephanie!

 

Summer Has Begun! June 9, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:14 pm

With May endings comes summer beginnings! While the first day of summer isn’t officially until June 20th, we are officially in summer mode now that our regular school year wrapped up in May. Switching to our summer school schedule is a little bit of an adjustment period. I’m actually grateful for a lighter school load this month. June has filled in with all sorts of extra commitments. I’m glad that summer mode has given us the margin to show up in other ways this month.

Our first official day of summer vacation was spent visiting friends at the beach. My forever friend, Maggie, was staying at the Washington coast after the passing of her mother. It was a sad reason to be reunited, but time with Maggie’s family is always a blessing to our family. It’s so sweet that our families are friends. We visited the local bakery, got crafty making centerpieces for Jayne’s memorial, let the kids play at the McDonald’s play place, and then spent hours at the beach. Such a good way to jump into summer.

We wrapped up our final week of soccer last Tuesday. It was a beautiful sunny day and the boys played so well. It’s been neat to see their improvement from fall to spring. They’ve really advanced in their soccer skills. I’m proud of them. Graham wasn’t so sure about spring soccer, but he ended up enjoying much more than expected. I’m glad it was a win for our family!

Tuesday was also the beginning of the summer reading program at our local library. After soccer, we went to the library to pick up our free tote bag, books, and fair tickets. We picked up the paperwork for the program as well. We’ll be back in a couple weeks for another round of free books and coupons. The summer reading program is always a highlight of our summer.

We’re coming off of a few full days. Thursday, we met Maggie’s family in town at their hotel for a swim. We enjoyed pool time, pizza in the hotel lobby, and then play time at a local park. We just kept the fun going until it was time to wind down and prepare for Friday. Friday was Jayne’s graveside service and celebration of life. We got to the local grange early to help decorate. This was our kids first graveside experience. I’m thankful they were there to support Maggie’s kids and be pals on a difficult day. The graveside and celebration of life were a lovely testimony to Jayne’s well lived life. The grange was decorated in vibrant colors, beautiful flowers, and cute knickknacks. It felt like Jayne. All the treats were Oreo themed to honor her love of Oreos. It was such a cheerful celebration of Jayne’s life. Saying good to Maggie’s family on Friday was hard. We loved having them nearby, but we hope to see them again soon.

The pace of the weekend continued with a trip to the beach on Saturday. My parents recently acquired a beach house on the Washington coast. We spent Saturday doing projects around the house. The boys have loved exploring this new location and can’t wait for our first overnight stay later this summer. Sunday was church in the morning and a family birthday party in the afternoon. Unfornately, Graham ran out of steam before the weekend was over, so we sent Jeremy and Owen to the party as the family representatives. Graham and I rested and kept cool with AC and slushies from Grandpa’s new slushy maker (thanks for sharing, Grandpa)! We are in the middle of a heat wave at the moment and 90+ degree days call for cool treats.

The summer adventures have only just begun. We’ll see what the rest of June has in store for us!

Forever friends through all the ups and downs of life!
So thankful for family friendships!
The beach and friends! Best way to kick off our summer vacation.
Wrapping up spring soccer! Thankful to Nana & Papa (and Grandma & Jeremy) for cheering the boys on this season!
Final soccer Squishmallow celebration
Kicking off the summer reading program at the library
Hotel pool time!
Such a beautiful day to celebrate and honor Jayne.
Another weekend, another visit to the beach!
Grandpa’s new garage is super fun!
Making friends wherever he goes!
90+ degree days call for super cool treats!
 

What I’ve Been Reading – May 2025 May 31, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 10:00 am

Bookish Thoughts for May

May has been a wild month for me! Between our family road trip to Northern California and then coming home to tackle our last few weeks of school, we’ve been busy! Much busier than I expected. I keep track of my reading year to year and I have a general idea of how many books I usually average in a month. 2025 will not be a year that I set any new reading records. At least, that is what the first half of the year is implying. The good news is I’m not in competition with myself. If I read less this year, I read less this year. I still read a lot. Re-reading favorites, celebrating new releases, library pick-ups, and popping on and off of Kindle Unlimited, I love these things. As long as I have a good book and margin to read, I’m a happy camper!

For non-fiction this month, I reread Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did. by John Mark Comer over the course of a month. When it was released in 2024, I devoured it. I read it so fast. I wanted to read it again and savor it this time. It was the perfect book to go through slowly. It’s so substantial and deeply foundational. You can read a couple pages and pause to dwell on the topic addressed. As I finished it, I wanted to start it again. I believe this could be a yearly read for me. Such a good book!

My fiction highlight would be the Timeless series. I read books one and two last month and books three and four this month to prepare for the release of book five, Every Hour Until Then. This series was such a great reread. I loved them just as much the second time around. Also, Every Hour Until Then did not disappoint! I like that it felt different than the other books in the series while keeping the integrity of the series intact. The Jack the Ripper plotline was a little intense. I had moments where I felt like maybe I shouldn’t be reading it so close to bedtime, but it wasn’t graphic. It was just a bit more of a suspense/thriller than I’m used to. The next book in the series comes out in November and I’m already counting down to the next installment!

The Scott Boys’ May Picks:
Graham: Secret on the Thirteenth Floor (Boxcar Children), A Perfect Time for Pandas (Magic Tree House: Merlin Missions)
Owen: Windy Night with Wild Horse (Magic Tree House), The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America: Second Edition

Top Picks for May

Non-fiction: Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did. by John Mark Comer
Fiction: Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer

The Book List for May
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:

  • Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come: One Introvert’s Year of Saying Yes by Jessica Pan – 3 stars
  • Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did. by John Mark Comer – 5 stars

Fiction:

  • Never With You by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
  • As You Ice It by Emma St. Clair – 3 stars
  • The Double Play by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
  • Welcome to the Honey B&B by Melody Carlson – 3 stars
  • For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
  • Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
  • Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
  • The American Brides Collection by Gabrielle Meyers (Eight Novellas) – 3 stars
    • Virginia Company Bride
    • Love’s Undoing
    • Four Brides and a Bachelor
    • A Groom for Josette
    • First Comes Love
    • The Ranger’s Reward
    • A Tale of Two Hearts
    • Bride of Basswood Hill
 

May Endings May 29, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 2:24 pm

May has been a month of full of endings… Actually, specifically this last week. Each ending has been bittersweet and has been accompanied by many emotions. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster around here! Let’s dive into it… Going in reverse order!

Today was the last day of school for my homeschooling boys! They completed their 3rd and 5th grade curriculum as well as their end-of-the-year assessment testing. This year the race to the finish line felt more like a sprint or a mad dash. My goal was to finish before June and we succeeded! Praise the Lord! Usually the end of the year is all sweet with no bitter, but this year… This year is a bit different. Owen wrapped up elementary school today. It’s a big milestone. Because we homeschool, the transition to middle school won’t be quite as big as a jump as it is for other students. It’s still hitting me a kind of hard. I’ve loved the elementary school years with my boys. They’ve been such a fun adventure. Middle school kind of intimidates me, but I have to believe that God is faithful. Good times still await us! I can trust the Lord with the future and with my kiddos. I’m so proud of Owen and Graham for all they’ve accomplished this year. Graham specifically made some big leaps in his education this school year. We will celebrate with pizza and chocolate cake this evening!

Our homeschool co-op came to end this week. We had a final meeting on Tuesday and held a presentation fair. Each family set up a display and then gave a presentation on their project. It ended up being a science fair (even though any topic was acceptable). Our boys gave a report on our adventures in Redwoods National and State Parks. One family did science experiments to show the difference between physical and chemical changes, another talked about teeth, another shared their rock collection, and one brought their household pets (including a hissing cockroach). It was a sweet time and the kids got to play on the playground in the sunshine afterwards. The bittersweet part of this ending is our co-op has decided to disband at the conclusion of this year. Many of our core families are moving on to new opportunities. It felt like time to be done with so many members leaving. This change will open up some time in our weekly schedule. I’m researching and noodling on what new extracurriculars will take the place of co-op. We’ve been a part of this co-op for four years and it was such a blessing to our homeschooling journey. We’ve learned a lot of great subjects and made many friendships that will carry on outside of co-op now.

The final ending I have to share is the passing of a sweet friend. My forever friend, Maggie, lost her mother to cancer early Saturday morning. Maggie’s mother, Jayne, has been in my life since I was 16. When I think back on all the big moments of my life like graduations, weddings, and babies, Jayne is attached to those memories and those seasons. It’s not just the big moments either. There were countless small moments as well… seeing her at church, high school sleepovers, making brownies in her kitchen, saying hi when we visited the beach. Jayne had an eye for design and a talent for making things beautiful. She loved her family and showed up for them in big and small ways. She was a light in any space she entered. She will be dearly missed. Walking along side my friend through this loss has been hard, but my comfort is in knowing that Jayne is healed and whole with her Creator. That is truly a better existence and I know I will see her again someday.

Okay… heavy stuff today… But that’s life. It certainly has it’s ups and downs. They often happen simultaneously. I’m trusting the Lord with these many endings. I might not know all the next steps or what the next season will hold, but that’s okay. God sees the big picture. I just need to focus on doing the next right thing in front of me. God’s got this and he’s got me. Amen!

I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies for a play date, but I didn’t want to take the time to scoop them. Cookie bars for the win!
A sign that summer is coming! Time to get the backyard pool set up!
So fun to swim with our homeschool sports group. Super handy since our pool is still freezing!
A sunny day for soccer
Wrapping up our homeschool co-op with a presentation on the redwoods.
Last Day of School!
Last Day of 3rd Grade for Graham
Last Day of 5th Grade for Owen
 

The Final Stretch May 21, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:20 pm

I thought about calling this blog post “The End is Near!” But that seemed a bit too dramatic! All I mean to say is that our school year is about to wrap up. We are about a week away from being finished! Woo hoo! Coming off of two weeks of travel, it’s been a bit of a mad dash to get back to school and then race to the finish line. It’s so close! I’m ready to tie a bow on the school year and call it done!

We started homeschool soccer again last week for the spring season. It’s a short season – only 4 weeks. Owen got his first goal the first week and Graham got his first goal yesterday. This season the teams are smaller so the boys are seeing a lot more action on the field. I’m so proud of them for running hard and engaging with their team. We’ve gone to McDonald’s each week to celebrate the goals with Happy Meals. Soccer makes for big, but exciting Tuesdays.

Last week, we had our final field trip with our homeschool co-op. We visited a local dairy farm to see the day-to-day operations of running a farm. The boys got to pet, feed, and milk the cows. They also got to climb all over a bunch of hay bales like they were a jungle gym. We ended our outing with a hay ride through the pasture. The funny thing about our hay ride was the cows following in a parade behind us trying to munch on the hay we were using as seating. It was quite the sight!

The boys and I were finished with our travels after our Redwoods trip, but Jeremy still had one more traveling adventure on his calendar. He attended a men’s conference with our church on the other side of the state. His brothers and father also come and they golf as much as they can while away. It’s a time that Jeremy looks forward to every year. I held the fort down at home while he was away. Thursday was a normal school day. Friday, the boys and I went to lunch at Panda Express and ran errands in town. I hosted book club Friday night and the boys got some extra video game time with friends who came over to play. Saturday, we had a Portland adventure day with my parents. We roamed IKEA, Barnes & Noble, Petsmart, Target, Powell’s Books, and the LEGO Store. We had a yummy lunch at Red Robin and ice cream at Salt & Straw for dessert. It was a fabulous day exploring our favorite stores and spending time with family.

I look forward to updating you again when we have officially finished the school year. There is definitely a since of accomplishment as we complete our current curriculum. It’s been a good year and I’m proud of the growth I’ve seen in the boys. They are such diligent students and it’s a joy to be their teacher. While we still do school in June and July, it’s a lighter schedule for summer. I enjoy the change of pace and it’s also interesting to start new curriculum. Here’s to wrapping up the final stretch soon and moving on to new adventures!

Spring Soccer
Celebrating Owen’s 1st goal with Happy Meals last week.
Dairy Farm Field Trip
Dairy Farm Field Trip
Dairy Farm Field Trip
Dairy Farm Field Trip
My lunch dates while Jeremy was away
Bonding with birds at Petsmart
A sweet treat at Salt & Straw
One of our favorite places! Gotta love bird books and Boxcar Children!
Stretch break on the way home to look at chicks. So cute!
Meet Leafy (also known as Leaf). Turbo is feeling under the weather so Leafy became Turbo’s replacement on the mantel. Here’s hoping Leafy can survive this spot.
Our indoor plants might not thrive, but we are trying! Turbo and his single leaf are now blending in with Jolt. Also, how cool is that nest? My dad’s co-worker passed it along so Owen could identify it. He is such a bird nerd!
Soccer was chilly and damp this week, but worth to watch Graham score his 1st goal!
Celebrating Graham’s 1st goal with Happy Meals yesterday.