Amy Scott's Thoughts

Green Light June 1, 2017

Filed under: Parenthood,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me,Usborne Books & More — Amy Scott @ 1:58 pm

The boys are both napping. It’s been a productive morning of multi-tasking. I spent about two hours trying to “get things done” mixed with a lots of hugs, kisses and snuggles so my children won’t have childhood memories of a distant, working mother. This is the tension of working from home – in any capacity – whether its a work from home business or just keeping up with the household chores and duties. I don’t want to be too busy for my kids, but I also have to be an adult. I think it’s okay for my kids to see me working. I want them to know that things are getting taken care and that is a part of the tangible way that I love them and provide for them. Between my various commitments, I’m finding it’s hard to do things that fill me up. Things like reading a novel or journaling or blogging. Sometimes I just don’t have the time or the brain power to invest in myself. So today, even though Graham was cranky, I kept him up so boys could go down for a nap at the same time. Once they were down, I ate a bowl of ice cream in silence and then moved to my room to read my devotional, write in my journal and now blog. This is a once in a blue moon kind of afternoon. The kids will wake up all too soon and then I will be off a vendor event this afternoon/evening. The stillness doesn’t last long.

The big news that I want to share with you all today is we officially signed our construction loan paper yesterday! We have the green light to move forward with building! The funds are available to us and green means go! (Get the pun, we have money to build, money is green, green means go). I am beyond thrilled to think that our building season will now begin in earnest now. Oh how I long for my house. My lovely new house. I can see it in my mind and I wish I could do an “I dream of Jeannie” nod and just make it appear. Jeremy spent Memorial day weekend up at the property digging a trench for power. We have plans to assemble a well house in a week and half. Jeremy has people primed and ready to come in and get the site prep going. Once the site is officially prepped, Adair will take over the process. I just can’t wait. The hope, the joy, the excitement is welling up within me. Let’s build a house!

Obviously, the other big area of my life right now is my new Usborne business. I’m still a newbie so I’m trying to not make any rash decisions on if I love or hate this business. In a lot of ways, it’s been a very positive experience and at this point, I’ve achieved about what I expected when I signed up. However, I’ve had some rocky moments. I’ve had three parties in a row postpone on me and that has gotten me down. I also have two parties coming up that don’t look like they are doing so good and might not pan out. I have a very full month of June booked, so these set backs aren’t the end all of my business, but they are hard. I find myself often disappointed. I knew that the direct sales business wasn’t going to be easy. I wasn’t ready for the emotional roller coaster though. I’m not making any decisions yet on if this for me – long term and what not. I think I would like to continue into the fall/winter. Hopefully by then I will be in my own home where I could set up a permanent office space away from the kids. I will have Owen in preschool three days a week so our family schedule will be different at that point. It might be easier then.

Now that June is here, I’m thinking about building, I’m thinking about books, I’m thinking about MOPS, but I’m also thinking about how these are the last few months without daily commitments outside of the house. Preschool is a going to be a game changer for our family dynamic. I’m excited for Owen. I know he will love it. I also know that I want to be present at home while he is here. It’s really hard to stay present with an at home business. There is always something to do, someone to contact, a message to respond to. My phone can help me be productive, but it can also be destructive. I am wrestling with all of this and trying to find healthy boundaries in my life. I’m believing good things for the month of June as we move forward with the many exciting adventures before us. Prayer appreciated!

Graham is now up, so I’ll post a picture only blog maybe tonight or tomorrow! Because, let’s be real. Most of you only read this for the pictures and updates on the kids.

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Life as a Book Lady May 25, 2017

Filed under: Selling, Building, Moving,Usborne Books & More — Amy Scott @ 9:11 pm

Okay, so my computer freaked out on me and lost the first couple paragraphs of this blog. That makes me sad. I can sum it up quickly by saying that my first 30 days with Usborne are almost up. I’ve done more than I’ve expected and it’s been a good experience so far. I’ve reached all the goals I set for myself. I’m bummed because I’m close to a goal I never thought I would reach and I’m $400 in sales short. I had two parties this week that had to postpone and if I would have had those parties, I would have reached the next reward level and gotten a full refund on my consultant kit. As it is, I will get half my kit refunded and that was my original goal. I’ve had 5 parties in May and I have 10 already booked for June! I’m giving it my all!

Usborne encourages you to go all in for the first 12 weeks. It’s the period of time where I can give out double host rewards. The rewards that my hosts are getting are amazing. I love being a part of such a generous company. Because I reached $1000 in sales, I will be getting a gift from the home office and a success kit with more books and office supplies. Those arrive on Tuesday and I am so jazzed.

My reward books from launch party arrived this last week and I am in love with them. I bought myself a book (because I’m a kid at heart). I got Peek Inside Cinderalla and the illustrations are beautiful. I love it and it will be a nice addition to my display table of a girl item! I’m so excited for all the free books our family will get with the awesome rewards that Usborne has to offer.

My schedule for June is going to hopping. I’m doing best to challenge myself and do all that I can. I have two vendor events that I will be a part of as well as home parties and Facebook parties. I’m managing my VIP group on Facebook and doing follow-up from parties. I send guests a message when their books ship and then I do a 2 week follow up after parties and a 2 month follow up as well.

Jeremy has been super supportive and celebrates each time I book a party. I will admit that my emotions have been on a roller coaster through this whole process. I get nervous before each party. The Facebook parties keep me on my toes because I have to keep up with all the comments. I’m love sharing these books with others. I just have to keep up and multi-task! It’s using a lot of brain space! After every party so far, I’ve felt disappointed. I’m learning that most parties take a few days to be successful. The results of a good party aren’t instant. Overall I’ve been very pleased with my parties, but I’m learning to manage my expectations.

My team leaders have been super encouraging and they give me ton of shout outs as I reach goals and get rewards. This process of becoming a book lady has been a growing one for me and I am grateful for the opportunity to try something new and learn. It truly has been a rewarding season for me in more than one way – even if a bunch of brain cells have died in the process!

My life hasn’t been totally swallowed up by book commitments! We had two play dates with MOPS friends this week and we went to the zoo today. The weather has been warm so we’ve had a lot of outside time. I think my whole summer will be spent pushing Graham in a baby swing while I coordinate my book business on my phone. I’m doing better at putting my phone away and saving work for nap time or bed time. It’s going to take effort and for the most part most things I respond to are quick replies that don’t take up too much time. It just always seems like there is something I could be doing.

Jeremy was gone over the weekend at a conference. The boys I spent Friday at a park play date with Auntie and Grandma and then on Saturday we went to a local home and garden show with Grandpa and Grandma. It was fun to see family and enjoy the nice weather.

In other news, I finished “Anne with an E” on Netflix. I’m not sure I liked it. I thought they did a great job casting Anne, but I didn’t like the additions they made to the plot. It was certainly had an edge to it that seemed less like a family show. One of my favorite shows growing up was “Road to Avonlea” and I love the 1980s Anne movies. This series had a totally different feel to it. As someone who has also read the books, I am a bit of an Anne snob. While I wouldn’t say that I loved “Anne with an E”, I would be willing to watch the second season if they make one. I guess I’ll take Anne almost anyway I can get her! After watching the show, I’m fairly convinced I will buy myself Usborne’s Anne of Green Gables picture book. What can I say? I’m an Anne fan.

Our construction loan is set to close next week and Jeremy starts work on prepping the property this weekend. We also have plans to build the well house in June. Hopefully lots will be going on up a the property soon and we’ll have exciting house updates to add to the crazy that is our lives! I CAN’T WAIT!!! EEEKKK!

Book Party & Play Date

Feels like summer!

Park Date with Auntie & Grandma

Giant Slide at the Home & Garden Show

Lunch at the grandparent’s house!

Impromptu play date on a sunny day

We went to the spray park, but Graham had no interest in the water!

32 books! Rewards from Usborne parties rock!

MOPS outing at the church

Helping Papa plant corn

I wonder what Graham wants for breakfast?

Putting our new fingerprint activity book to good use!

Zoo trip with Auntie & Grandma

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Off to the Races May 17, 2017

Filed under: Selling, Building, Moving,Usborne Books & More,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 10:48 am

I’ve been dying to post an update. I’m finding that now that I’m managing a business in my spare time, it might mean that blogging can’t be a top priority. This is hard because blogging is my therapy. I need to write things down. It helps me process life. Just like all things, balance is important. There will probably be days, even like today, where I could be doing stuff for my book business, but I will choose to blog. Because I need to blog. I just can’t stop.

As you can imagine, learning a new business is taking up some serious brain space. This month has gone better than I expected and my calendar has booked fairly solid. I have two openings left in May. Not too shabby. I think I can fill at least one of those openings at my next few parties. I’m already booking into June and July.

I am enjoying my experience so far as an Usborne book lady. I have a big box full of reward books and prize books coming on Monday and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. I’m super close to winning my first success kit (more free books) and getting my consultant kit partially refunded. Jeremy even encouraged me to have a display table at a big garage sale our church has last weekend. I sold a book, booked a party and gave out a ton of business cards. I was able to talk with a lot of people and share my passion for books and why I think Usborne books are great. It stretched me because I was running a table for MOPS at the garage sale as well, but overall, it was positive experience and I’m glad I did it.

The theme of my life right now is the tension between Usborne and MOPS. So far I’m surviving it and I don’t think one is suffering because of the other. I just always have something to do for both groups. Keeps my to-do list long and tension in my soul. And you know, I have kids, laundry, cleaning, friends, family, a husband who all deserve my time and attention. I’m learning a lot about being “present” in my life right now. When I’m working, I’m working. When I’m with my kids, I’m giving them my full attention. When I’m in a meeting, I’m not looking at my phone or going over my mental to-do lists. My relationships are important. My commitments are important. No one wants half of me or my scattered mind. I want to be all in where I am, in whatever I am doing. I don’t always succeed at this, but I am learning and growing. My prayer is that the Lord is building character in me through all these things.

The house is moving along slowly. Not a ton to report. We did hear back on the appraisal and the numbers were great. We are waiting to close on our construction loan. This will give us the funds to begin the great building season. It’s so close! Prayers for patience would be appreciated. One of the upsides to being out of my mind busy is that I have less brain space to be impatient with the house.

I’m sure there is plenty more I could mention, but we will leave it at that for now. My time allotted for blogging is now up! Thank you all for hanging on with me during this wild ride.

Trains don’t need to run on the track, right?

Graham could live all day in a swing…

Owen and his best friend, Maci, at a play date in the park. Here they are off to go look at trains!

Books on one side, MOPS on the other. Kids watching trains. Miss Elena cheering me!

Painted the night with my MOPS friends. This was so stressful for me, but I’m so glad I pushed myself to try something out of my comfort zone!

Owen was in a burrito, so Graham took the opportunity to attack Owen’s head.

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Here We Go! May 7, 2017

Filed under: Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me,Usborne Books & More — Amy Scott @ 9:50 pm

Well, I’m officially official in the world of selling books. Almost. I had my launch party on Thursday and it went great. I am thankful for the positive experience. I am also thankful for all the help that my forever friend, Maggie, has offered me as I figure it out. I think I have things mostly figured out, but we’ll find out for sure on Thursday when I run my first party on my own. Eek!!! This is where it gets real! I’ve learned how to schedule my posts in the party. They are created in advance and then appear at a set time without me. All I have to do is keep up with the comments. My launch party had a lot of comments so this could prove to be a daunting task. I will do my best! I’m extremely surprised at the number of parties that I have booked and then hopefully I’ll get more parties from those parties. I could be very busy! I’m thinking it might slow down, but maybe not. Usborne has awesome incentives in the first 12 weeks so I’m trying hard to get all I can out of this period of time with extra rewards. We’ll see how the summer shakes out in the book biz. I’ll keep you posted as I work through my first parties! I’m learning so much and stretching myself. It’s been good. I’m thankful for what I have accomplished thus far. God is good!

Things with MOPS are improving! I’m only one team member away from my goal. I think ideally I could use three more ladies, but we will be good if we get one more. I’m excited to see the team come together and I am thrilled to start planning next year with them. I’m praying that as we close this chapter of MOPS, the last few meetings will be sweet and hope filled. I’m doing my best to connect and share with other moms so they keep the vision for MOPS alive and hope to join us in the fall. My coordinator kit came in the mail this week (the same day as my Usborne Consultant kit – talk about a conflict of interest). I had a chance to look the kit this weekend and my passion for next year continues to grow!

Let’s see… what else… I’m still “momming” as my main gig. We’ve spent lots of time outside thanks to the weather improving. The boys are loving that. We went to Home Depot on Saturday and did the kid craft for the first time. Owen really enjoyed it. Graham wasn’t quite old enough but he still had his time with the hammer to “create.” It was fun to do the craft as a family and then Jeremy wondered around the store doing research for building a well house later this month.

When it comes to house stuff, we are still waiting. Haha! Surprised? We haven’t heard back for the appraisal yet. That means we haven’t closed in the construction loan. So we can’t get started… Jeremy has plans for the well house and digging some trenches. He hopes to do this in the next month.

Something will happen, soonish.

I hope. With my new business and MOPS commitments, I’ve been slacking on my Pinterest day dreaming. It’s probably a good thing I’m distracted these days. Too much day dreaming isn’t good. You can only look at so many blue doors before it’s no longer productive.

And that’s the update for now! Can’t wait to share with you the steps in my grand adventure! This life is a rollercoaster!

Graham would swing all day long if you let him!

Graham’s creation

A little dude and a hammer!

Focus

He took his job seriously!

Reading “Nibbles” for the first time! The books in my consultant kit aren’t for my boys exactly, but I had to test out my new material and they loved it!

Meeting “Nibbles” for the first time!

The contents of my Usborne consultant kit! I’m in love!

Relaxing!

Hello Sunshine!

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Spinning Around May 1, 2017

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood,Usborne Books & More,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 6:49 pm

I might not be in the best place to be blogging at the moment. My mind is spinning. Totally swimming through a sea of 90 million thoughts and responsibilities. I feel a bit loopy and dizzy. But the kids are on a walk with Nana and Papa. Jeremy is running a quick errand. And I am sitting in silence, alone in the house (a truly rare experience). I process my world by writing things down. Welcome to my therapy session.

The last week has been spent out of town. I was at conference from Monday through Wednesday. I was home Thursday and Graham was a sick mess. I had planned to be very productive with my one at home in between trips, but Graham’s illness made that complicated. Friday through Sunday I was at our church ladies retreat.

This was the first trip for me to leave Graham at home and my first time being truly kid free in two years. I had a dumb grin on my face the whole time. During the first trip I got lots of good time with my hubby and it was a blessing. I am amazed how much easier traveling is when I’m not pregnant or taking care of a baby. It was bliss to feel good and be able to focus.

The only slight stress factor was being away for a week while trying to launch a new business. I worked on some Usborne stuff while I was away. I ordered my kit and went through as much of the official training information as I could on Thursday (but remember Graham was sick and this was difficult because I also needed to do laundry and repack for my next adventure). Things with Usborne are going well and I am excited for my launch this Thursday. It has taken some time to go through the welcome and training information. I’m learning a lot and processing a lot. I know things will get easier with time but right now it’s a whole new world I’m trying to master.

Part of my stress comes from MOPS, I’m still seeking team members for next year. I’m working on planning and preparing for next year. In a lot of ways even though I’m coordinating next year, I’ve taken on more leadership at the end of this year than I expected. Especially in the form of two fundraisers that surprisingly have landed on my shoulders. I’m discouraged by the lack of participation in the fundraisers, leaving me to carry the weight.

My hope is that by the time I’m actively leading MOPS over the summer, I will have enough Usborne experience to feel confident with these two big commitments. I am the type of person who believes in doing one thing well instead of multiple things only okay. For me this has looked like a scaled back schedule so I could make motherhood my top priority. I created a relatively simple life so I could give my best effort, energy and focus to mothering. Now I’m responding to texts, sending messages, learning new programs, recruiting leaders, asking questions, planning meetings… I would love to say this all happens when my kids are napping or sleeping at night, but it doesn’t. My focus is split. I am distracted. Even if I’m not actively working on Usborne or MOPS, I’m thinking about them.

I realize this is a season of growth for me. I am learning. Things are changing. But I also know that I will get into a routine and a flow with these new commitments. They won’t always be new. They won’t always take the same level of interest or intensity. At least, I hope not. I’m praying for firm footing and confidence as a I move forward. I definitely want to be present with my kids. Especially with Owen as we move toward summer. These next few months will be the last I have with him home all day, every day. I want to make those moments matter. Owen has appreciated that I am home from my many travels. When he got up from his nap today, he asked me for the all hugs and kisses I could give him. It was a super sweet moment as I showered him with goofy hugs and kisses. I listened those giggles and smelled his little boy smell and just loved on him. He was happy I was home and I was happy to be there with him too. Bliss!

Now Graham on the other hand has been super cranky lately. He is unhappy soul at the moment. I think the main issue is teething, but he is no fun to hang out with. I love him dearly, but he makes my days complicated. It’s hard to multi-task when he is crying at my feet. I often think I can accomplish a list of little things to do through out the day, but that list turns out to be way more challenging than I expect because Graham just isn’t happy. Poor kid. Poor me. Here’s hoping he grows out of this stage soon. He is the cutest thing and he loves his Mama, but he isn’t all that sweet at the moment. I’m a part of a moms’ group that calls kids like him “Sour Patch Kids”. I think that sums Graham up quite well.

Anyway, all that to say, I am spinning around in circles. Trying to keep it all straight. Trying to do the best that I can with what I’ve got. I’m really pushing myself to connect with others on a lot of different fronts. Conferences were about connecting with people, starting a business means I need people to get it off the ground, MOPS needs people to lead and attend. I have greatly valued pouring into my family and having my connection energy spent on a smaller circle. I am having some growing pains as my world expands. Life will just keep spinning. What overwhelms me today, hopefully won’t be as overwhelming tomorrow. Prayers appreciated!

Kid free time with my sweetheart!

Working while away

When we have free time, we look at appliances

Enjoying a movie

Look how happy I am without children!

Had a quick dinner on the ride home with the E-burg crew! Love them!

My book model! Helping Mommy get her business off the ground.

Retreat weekend!

The Three “A”-migas! Haha! Love my sis and mom!

Home with my cuddly, cranky pants.

Out for a one on one walk with Owen.

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Jumping into Usborne and Keeping Up with Life April 23, 2017

Filed under: Usborne Books & More — Amy Scott @ 3:34 pm

I’ve semi-officially started my Usborne Books and More business. Because of how the rewards and incentives work, you don’t want to sign up too soon before your launch party because you lose time waiting for things to kick off. I will officially sign up and order my consultant kit this week. I can hardly wait! The beginning of your Usborne business starts with a launch party. I get to be the “host” for this party. I get the host rewards and the consultant sales. Then from there I am responsible for any parties that get booked from my party. My forever friend, Maggie, is my team leader and she will attend my first few parties to assist if I need her. It’s like starting with training wheels, once I’ve done it a few times, I will be off on my own. My two friends who sell Usborne books have gotten to the point where they have two parties a night usually about 2-3 nights a week, so about 4-6 parties a week. My starting goal is to have one party a week. Once I get more familiar with the process, I will try two parties a week. I’m not sure I’ll ever push for 4 parties a week, but I know that diligence leads to good money and more connections.

Because the beginning of Usborne starts with me hosting a party, it means that I was responsible for inviting as many people as I possibly could to my Facebook launch party. As an introvert, messaging 80 people and responding to about half of them in less than 12 hours was a bit draining. Luckily, in the future, I will be working one on one with the host and then interacting with the host’s friends at the party, I won’t have to message my Facebook friends continually asking them to come to my party. That is a relief. In a perfect world, I will book parties from parties. I’ve been told it takes about 3-4 parties to get out of your social circle. I think selling to strangers will be easier than selling to people I know. I’ll be less nervous about what people think of me.

I’m very excited about my launch party. If you would like an invite, just let me know! It’s going to be on Thursday, May 4th at 8:00pm. You watch short videos about what Usborne has to offer, I answer questions and make suggestions and then you shop! It’s easy, quick and addicting. I want ALL the books!

I’ve also been working diligently on MOPS. Getting the new team in place for next year remains my top priority. Just like Usborne, I’m making a lot of asks and connecting with people. It’s good, but stretching. My other top priority is getting information out to the community about the changes to our group. I was so blessed to find out that there is a local baby fair coming up this weekend and our handouts will be placed in each grab bag they give out. This means everyone who attends the fair will get our information! We also have local doctor’s offices that are letting us display handouts. It’s thrilling to see the word getting out beyond our current MOPS circle. I’m hoping this is the promise of good things in store for next year.

This next week I will be traveling quite a bit. I’m off to Network Conference with the Bethel staff and then off to Ladies Retreat with our Bethel ladies. I will admit that I super excited to have a few nights away from the kids. I love them dearly, but Mama needs some space! Truthfully, I just want to wake up because a) I slept long enough or b) I set my own alarm and choose to wake up when I did. The freedom of not sleeping with a monitor by my bed and being woken up by tiny human alarm clocks is exciting!!!

We had a fun time at the zoo on Friday. It was a sunny day and it seems like all of Portland decided to go to the zoo. When we arrived in the morning, the parking lot was full. We had this happen last month too, but we thought that was because of spring break. I have no idea why it was busy this week. We didn’t want to break Owen’s heart by not going as promised. We left for a few hours and came back in the afternoon. Luckily the zoo had cleared out a bit and we were able to park. We enjoyed our time. Owen got to do his first zoo train ride, so that was a highlight. We even stopped by a park on the way home from the zoo. A very good day, indeed. And then it rained all weekend… You have to take advantage of the sun while it shines!

That’s the update for now! I’ll have more to share about my travels and my Usborne journey after next week. I can see how God is stretching me and growing me through these new commitments with Usborne and MOPS. I’m pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I feel brave. This takes courage. I won’t lie, I am also super nervous. New adventures could lead to failure, but I am choosing to believe with hope that good things are in store. I am constantly reminded just how much I need God through this whole process. When things seem beyond me, I rely on my faith to pull through. I know that God is meeting me beyond my comfort zone. This is scary and good all at the same time!

Shoe shopping with Daddy. Life is better with popcorn.

Graham is trying to figure out the bubble gun. Can you tell he is having fun?

Nana & Papa took a trip to Alaska this last week. We pulled out our Usborne atlas and explored where Alaska was and how far away it is from Washington.

Owen went to the airport for the first time to pick up Nana & Papa. Jeremy kept sending me pictures of the fun!

Gotta love Target!

Train ride at the zoo

Inches away from the sleeping cougars

Park time

Park time

Getting ready to start my Usborne invites! I love my new journal and planner! Feeling on top of things for the moment!

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New Adventures & Easter Weekend April 18, 2017

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Parenthood,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 5:15 pm

Keeping up with the Scott family is a wild ride these days. My brain is on serious overload right. All good things, but life feels likes it’s exploding. I’ve mentioned MOPS and I’ve talked about our preschool research. Both are taking up brain space. We took a tour of the local Christian school yesterday and it’s given us food for thought as we research where Owen will attend preschool. This is a totally new season of life for me. With that comes many questions as I try to wrap my mind around how our family schedule will change this fall.

Next week, I’ll be at a conference Monday through Wednesday and a retreat Friday through Sunday. These will be my first nights away from Graham because he is finally 100% weaned. It’s wonderful to have some freedom but I’m also a bit nervous leaving him for the first time. He can be a sensitive kid. I’m grateful that I’ll have a day at home in-between my travels to re-calibrate.

When I get back from my week of travels, I will be launching a new business venture. I’ve been pondering selling Usborne books for a while and I finally decided to go for it. I love these books and making money to supplement our income is an nice possibility. Even if the business totally fails, I will get 20 books out of the deal and who doesn’t love more books, right? I’m slightly concerned about joining the direct sales biz since I’m not a natural sales person. We’ll see how it goes. I’m jumping out in faith. Eek!!! My launch party is Thursday, May 4th at 8:30pm. Let me know if you want an invite! These books are so educational and an amazing quality. We have been very impressed with them and our kids love them. What I love about books is they make great presents for all the kiddos in my life. Books inspire creativity and reading grows with your child so families are always looking for new material. I think my dreams of having a home library might be starting to come true.

When you add MOPS, preschool research, upcoming travels, a new business and then daydreaming about building our new home, my brain is ping ponging all over the place. I love my quiet life and my intentionally slow pace. I know that things are changing and I have to assess how I plan to keep boundaries, order and balance. Life is always changing and I’m not the best at keeping up sometimes. This why I believe it’s important to give a good amount of thought and prayer before moving forward with new opportunities. So yes, lots to think and pray about these days.

Going backwards now, this last weekend was a fun one. Now that Easter Eggstravanganza is the week before Easter, I feel like I enjoy Easter weekend a lot more. It’s less stressful and more chill. On Saturday we did egg coloring and gave the boys their baskets. Our Easter Sunday is so full that we give them the baskets early so the kids actually have time to enjoy their new items. The baskets were smaller this year but the contents were very appreciated! The boys each got a small toy, a shirt, a book (from Usborne, of course) and a chocolate bunny. We went to lunch and then a local garden/nursery. After nap time, we did an egg hunt. Because the weather was so nice, we did our first BBQ of the year. It’s was a wonderful day. Sunday was our Easter celebration at church and off to spend the days with family. The whole weekend was full of family time and it made my heart happy. Easter is such a special time. I am thankful for the power of the cross in my life. Jesus is everything. I am thankful to share that love with my kids. I know they are young but I hope they catch the joy and celebration that comes with Easter Sunday (and truly everyday with Jesus).

As I look to the future, I am excited for the potential that I see before me. All these things line up with my goals and dreams. I am hopeful they will all be positive experiences for our family. And if things don’t work out or if things need to adjust, I’m okay with that. I am looking forward to the adventure. I’m definitely living outside of my comfort zone, but I know that God is good and he is in control. I am trusting him and leaning into him as I bravely walk into the unknown. Prayers appreciated!

On an adventure with my little man.

Graham woke up happy. Owen did not.

Owen finally got his hair cut at the salon again! Praise the Lord. Graham screamed the whole time and had to be bear hugged, so no pictures of him.

Watering their Easter apple trees from Grandpa & Grandma.

Egg coloring

Loving their new Usborne books!

Saturday’s egg hunt

How Graham hunts… then he started to collect gravel.

Enjoying a dry day!

My two little love bunnies!

Easter at GG’s house

Expressive!

Adding Peeps bunnies to the zoo that is Owen’s bed. Thanks, Grandma!

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MOPS, Eggstravaganza and Half Birthdays April 12, 2017

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Parenthood,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 2:43 pm

I would love to figure out a way to start this blog by saying something other than “the last two weeks have been busy.” I hate starting things off by saying that we are busy. I’m not a fan of the word busy. I don’t wear it as a badge of honor to show you how awesome I am. We’ve had lots going on and busy just seems to be the only way I can explain it…

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been diving deeper into the world of MOPS leadership. We had a member of our group lose her brother tragically and I coordinator an effort to assemble and deliver a gift basket to her. It was great to be part of a group of ladies that came to together to love on someone in their time of need. Our MOPS group also participated in a bake sale this weekend at Easter Eggstravaganaza. I made, decorated and individually packaged 7 dozen cupcakes. The bake sale was a huge success. I helped them set up the table and then I worked the booth from noon to 4pm. It was nice to chat with ladies I worked with as well as connect with moms in the community and let them know about the changes we’re making to MOPS next year. I’ve been meeting with ladies to recruit our leadership team for next year. I’ve been learning all I can from our current coordinator and I’m trying to wrap my head around all the things that will land on my shoulders in June. I am excited. I have tons of ideas, hopes and dreams. I’m still searching for about 5 more ladies to join my team and then I’ll be super jazzed moving forward.

As I mentioned, this weekend was Easter Eggstravaganza. Anyone who knows our family, knows that this event is the biggest event of the year for Jeremy. It’s huge. And true to tradition, each year seems to get bigger and better. I am so proud of the energy and effort my husband and his team give to making this community event such a blessing to families. Our boys participated in the morning hunts. Graham wasn’t too into it, but Owen was a pro. I tried to give Graham a trial hunt on Friday night to prepare him, but he was more interested in the buckets than the eggs. Nothing wrong with that. It’s nice that EE is now the weekend before Easter. It’s takes the level of busy down for Easter weekend and give us the chance to enjoy Easter on a smaller scale with our family. On Saturday the boys will get their baskets from Jeremy and I. We will do a small egg hunt with them and then dye eggs together. Sunday will be a celebration at church with our Bethel family and then off to spend the afternoon and evening with loved ones. I’ve been trying to share the true meaning of Easter with Owen this year. It’s challenging because I don’t think he fully grasps the concept of death (I’m okay with that). More than anything, I want Owen to know that we celebrate Jesus at Easter and his great love for us.

April is half birthday month for the boys. Owen was officially 3.5 on the 8th and Graham will be 18 months on the 19th, less than a week away. Because I’m a dork and didn’t call in time, Graham’s 18 month well check really be a 19 month well check in May. Oops. You’ll have to wait another month for Graham stats. Graham is a climber these days with no fear. I’m worried that he will need to start wearing a helmet 24/7 to protect his head from his daredevil ways. He can now climb the play structure in the backyard all on his own and that terrifies me. He needs to be watched like a hawk when he is outside. Nothing stops him. Graham loves to dance and listen to nursery rhyme songs. It’s what he is currently doing some I can blog. Graham just learned how to blow kisses this last week and it’s adorable. I feel guilty because I have more photos of Owen to share than of Graham. It’s not me playing favorites, trust me. If Graham knows you are taking his photo, he tries to grab the phone and turn it to selfie mode. Selfie mode equals pictures of the ceiling or Graham’s forehead. He is a tricky kid to get pictures of right now.

Owen continues to amaze me. He is such a smart kid. We just finished his alphabet sticker book today and continue to work on his tracing skills with his wipe clean books. We’ve been in massive preschool research mode. Owen will most likely attend the preschool that will be apart of the new learning center going in at Bethel this fall but we are looking into the local Christian school as well. We have a tour of the Christian school next week to check it out. Since Bethel Kids Learning Center is still in the development stages, I am anxiously waiting for more details so I can make a firm decision between the two preschools. It blows my mind that Owen will be gone a couple mornings a week next year. I realize for the first time now how quickly the years of just being us at home go by. I’m not used to having commitments multiple days of the week that need us to get out of the house by a certain time. I’m used to slow morning and days spent in our pajamas and sweats. Owen is so friendly. He makes friends wherever he goes and I know that preschool will be a joy for him. I can see how he is learning and growing daily. He is ready for structure and to be challenged. Because of his birthday being at the beginning of the school calendar, Owen will have 2 years of preschool before kindergarten. I have time to adjust to a few days a week schedule before all day, every day school happens.

There isn’t too much new news to share about the house. The nice thing is we get emails every other day or so with updates on where things are at. Things are moving along even if we haven’t broken ground yet at the property. I am thankful for a process where I can mark progress and I know that things are moving forward daily. It gives me hope. I have spent way too much time on Pinterest looking at bedroom decor for the boys and paint colors. One of the big things I’m researching right now is exterior paint colors. I like the idea of having a painted door that is a pop of color. In Winlock we had a white door, but I’m thinking I would like to have a blue door in our next house. Daydreaming is so much fun and now that things are moving along, day dreaming doesn’t seem painful anymore. Patience is hard, but I am thankful for where we are at and I am excited for future!

Time at the park on a sunny day

Sweetness

Trying to get them to come inside after church. It wasn’t happening easily.

Spring time

Waving at a train in Napavine

Another day, another park

Helping do the dishes

Peeps cake for my Wednesday night class. Thank you, Pinterest!

So many cupcakes for the MOPS bake sale

Thanks to Friday’s windstorm, our trampoline was relocated.

Graham’s practice hunt

Owen got all the eggs in the practice hunt

Easter Eggstravaganza 2017

Learning about Palm Sunday

Ready to ride

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It’s Such a Good Feeling! March 29, 2017

Filed under: Family Time,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 2:36 pm

It’s such a good feeling to have our house sold! It’s exciting to see the online status listed as SOLD! I am thankful and grateful that we are one step closer to being in our own home again. Yesterday, we visited the Adair office. We went over all the paperwork and signed on officially with them to build our house. It was the first step of the building process! Now I realize that building itself probably won’t happen for at least two months, but there are things to look forward as we move toward building. Building a house doesn’t happen overnight and there are lots of prep steps. Hopefully, once we start building, it will be in the summer months and things can move quickly because of the improved weather. There is lots of hope in my heart right now. I keep looking over my floor plan and daydreaming. This is were Pinterest now becomes a useful and dangerous tool in my hands!

Over the weekend, we celebrated Jeremy’s birthday. We had a busy day full of family visits and good food. Even though Jeremy had to work on his birthday for part of the day, I think the afternoon/evening of celebrating made up for it.

On Sunday, we went over to my parent’s house at the property. It was fun to explore their house now that their are exterior walls are up. We walked over to our property and talked about moving our house a little closer to the road. We are trying to save some extra dollars and being closer to the power will help with that. We are also reversing the floor plan to save money. The boys roamed around and enjoyed a break in the rain. Graham plopped down in a giant mud puddle. He was a mess and left a nice little impression in the puddle of his bottom. We had to load up the little dirt ball and take him home for a bath.

Monday, I had friend over to talk about MOPS leadership for next year. I am in the recruiting phase for the MOPS team. It was a great discussion and I am thrilled for this mom to be apart of the team next year. Please be praying for me and the whole team. We have more roles to fill and I am praying God brings the right ladies to the table. There are so many possibilities for next year. It’s been an exciting journey so far and I’m hopeful that it will continue to be a fun and positive experience as we move forward.

After signing the paperwork with Adair yesterday, I came home and had a long phone date with my forever friend, Maggie. Now that she lives in California we talk more than ever. It’s funny because we have grown closer with the distance. I do miss our in person lunch dates but I am really enjoying our frequent phone calls. We went from talking every other month or so to now talking about twice a month. I’m always blessed by time with Maggie even if it is on the phone.

My evening yesterday was spent at the movies with my mom and sister! My mom heard that I enjoyed Beauty and the Beast and suggested we do a girls’ movie night with April! I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see the movie again and spend time with my mom and sister! It was a win-win!

I’m sure there will be lots of things to check off the list as we move toward building. I’ll keep you informed through each stage! As the month of April is right around the corner, our family focus will be on Easter. Jeremy’s big egg hunt will take place on April 8th. I plan to attend with the boys at the first hunt and then work at a bake sale for MOPS. We hope to get the word out about the big changes to MOPS at this huge community event. This is the demographic that MOPS ministers to and we hope to get the information out so ladies can plan to join us next year.

Birthday morning picture! Happy birthday, Jeremy!

Owen and Nolan decorating Jeremy’s birthday cake. Owen had been waiting a long time to put those deer and trees on a cake!

A fun family day spent celebrating Jeremy!

Status: Sold

Exploring Grandpa & Grandma’s new house!

We’ve been very into blanket forts this week.

Reading the fort

Movie night with my mom and sister

The future is looking bright!

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The House is Officially Sold!!!!!!!!!!! March 25, 2017

Filed under: Family Time,Selling, Building, Moving,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 11:47 am

There is no need for a witty title to this blog! Let’s just tell it as it is! Our house is officially sold! We got a call on Wednesday evening saying that we would need to sign papers on Thursday morning. We went over to the house after church that night and picked up a few of the things we had left for showings like floor mats, hand soap, hand towels, etc. We got one last chance to say good bye. This time for good. I remember heading over on a Sunday in October to clean the house and say good bye. Little did I know at that time that I would be back to the house many times, re-cleaning it and checking on it. What an unexpected ride. The process with the final buyer has gone smoothly. The inspection was waived, the appraisal came in right at our agreed upon price and we closed early. Praise the Lord!!! Such goodness and blessing! Thursday morning we signed our papers and dropped the keys off at the real estate office. Friday, we got the call the buyer had signed his documents and our check was ready to pick up. The transaction was complete! We are thankful, so thankful to have this part of the process of behind us. Now will be contacting Adair on Monday to get the ball rolling with them. These are exciting times!

Other than house news…

We were supposed to take an Amtrak ride from Centralia to Olympia yesterday as a fun family outing, but a mudslide cancelled the trains for the day. It was a bummer because Owen knew about the planned trip and was super sad when we told him we couldn’t go. We did visit the train station and exchanged our tickets for next week.

We got to see Aunt Andrea and cousins, Brinley and Colton the last couple of days. Owen got to stay up late two nights in a row watching Brinley’s favorite movies. They all played so sweet together and Graham loves hugs from Brinley. They are truly buddies!

Today is my amazing husband’s birthday! He has to work this morning and early afternoon, but I am looking forward to a family celebration with him this evening. Owen has big plans to help me decorate a cake. I’m sure that will be a great photo opportunity. Stay tuned!

And there you have it folks! I’m so happy to share this fantastic news with you! I’ll keep you posted as the property morphs from a wide open piece of land to our new home!