Amy Scott's Thoughts

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

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 2:12 pm

Bookish Thoughts for January

January was another good month for adding to my home library! It’s always an exciting project going over my book lists and deciding what books will win a place on my bookshelves. I’m still vacillating on how to spend my last few birthday dollars. You might see yet another book haul next month. Possibly… We’ll see. Book shopping is one of my favorite things and curating my home library is a delight!

With the addition of a new bookcase after Christmas, the boys have wiggle room to add more books to their personal libraries again. We’ve restarted having them add a book a month to their collection. Graham is into The Boxcar Children at the moment, especially the mysteries involving food. The Doughnut Whodunit was Graham’s choice for January and I have feeling The Pizza Mystery might his selection for February. Stay tuned! Owen is in a massive Harry Potter phase at the moment. He has read the entire series and he continues to re-read his favorites over and over again. He discovered the Minalima editions with their illustrated and interactive pages and he now owns books 1-3 in this fancy edition. He loves that he has “pretty” books on his shelf. My love of pretty books has spread to the next generation. I’ll take that as a parenting win!

When it comes to my actual reading, January has been a diverse month! I’ve continue to binge read Kasey Stockton and her regency romances. Many of my favorite Kindle Unlimited authors had new releases this month. I enjoyed Marie Soleil’s retelling of Beauty and the Beast and Kasey Stockton’s newest rom-com. Carina Taylor and Jenny Proctor also had new releases. Angela Ruth Strong’s Fiancé Finale was a well written ending to her three book series. Robin Jones Gunn is one of my favorite authors and it was thrilling to read a new release from her. It’s been a while since she’s released a book. I’ve missed her! Authors definitely feel like friends to me.

When it comes to non-fiction, I’m reading Mom Heart Moments: Daily Devotions for Lifegiving Motherhood by Sally Clarkson and Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!: Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens by Kate Bowler during my quiet time. I finished reading the New Testament this week and I started Psalms for this coming month. I read Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis and I hope to start Life Without Lack by Dallas Willard (a book about Psalm 23) soon. Add in the beauty of Fields of Joy and the suspense of God’s Smuggler and I’ve had a good non-fiction month. I’m so thankful for books that encourage my faith and spiritual growth.

**January’s Book** **Haul:** Audubon Society Field Guides, New Testament Filament Bible Journals, Madeline Martin’s WWII novels, Angela Ruth Strong’s Resorting to Love series, Ann Voskamp’s devotional journals, and Bob Goff’s new devotional.

**Boys’ January Picks:** Graham selected *The Doughnut Whodunit* and Owen chose *Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone* (Minalima Edition)

Top Picks for January

The Book List for January
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing

Non-Fiction:

Fields of Joy by Ruth Chou Simons – 4 stars
God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew with John & Elizabeth Sherrill – 4 stars
Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis – 4 stars

Fiction:

The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin – 4 stars
Fiancé Finale by Angela Ruth Strong – 4 stars
Tea with Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn – 4 stars
Winning Winnie’s Hand by Deborah M. Hathaway – 3 stars
Isebelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil – 3 stars
Hail Marry by Martha Keyes – 3 stars
When Alec Met Evie by Jenny Proctor – 4 stars
Charlie Takes a Chance by Carina Taylor – 3 stars
Recipe for Rivals by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars
The Jewels of Halstead Manor by Kasey Stockton – 4 stars
The Lady of Larkspur Vale by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
The Widow of Falbrooke Court by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
The Recluse of Wolfeton House by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
The Smuggler of Camden Cove by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
A Forgiving Heart by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon – 3 stars
The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan – 3 stars

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January Adventures January 25, 2025

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:04 pm

January in the PNW tends to be wet and I often find myself indoors wondering when I’ll be inspired to go outside again. January 2025 has been surprisingly dry and as a result, our family has been a little more adventurous. Outings are much more enjoyable when it’s dry… However, the trade off for dry is the cold… I guess I’ll take freezing sunshine over rain. At least for now. You know I appreciate a good rainy day as well.

This last weekend was filled with activity. I met with my monthly book club on Friday night. Book time with mom friends is a winning combination. Even though book club keeps me out past my bedtime, I look forward to it every month. We had dinner/game night fun with friends and family. We’ve enjoyed teaching Organ Attack to anyone interested. We even had a blast from the past moment this weekend when we took the boys to The Great Train Show in Puyallup. Owen went when he was tiny and Graham was too young, so we decided to go again with our older kiddos. The LEGO train layout was the highlight, but all the model train layouts were appreciated. We haven’t dabbled in model trains for years now, but they still hold a soft spot in our hearts. We also did a little more window shopping for potential living room furniture at the Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse. It’s a quirky place and the boys were thrilled to have free popcorn while we looked around.

This week, our adventures included the start of chess club with our homeschool co-op. The boys learned chess at co-op a few years ago. It was fun to brush up on their chess skills and compete with friends again. After a couple rounds of chess, the boys and their friends switched to a game of Organ Attack (I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear that). It’s been sunny the last few Tuesdays which means playground time after co-op to run out extra energy. The boys also worked on a project for church this week. Our lead pastor requested that kids make a recap video for the book of Genesis. Our boys selected the creation story. They worked together to create a picture depicting the seven days of creation and they explained the picture on camera Wednesday night. I’m looking forward to seeing how the video turns out in a week!

The final adventure I have to share is our family trip to the beach yesterday. We had errands to run and the weather was so nice, we thought why not run our errands out at the ocean! It was a beautiful day for a drive out to the coast. We had breakfast our favorite spot, Pig ‘N Pancake. We took a chilly walk on the beach at Cannon Beach and then explored a few spots in town (the toy store, candy store, and bakery). We hit Costco and Walmart before having “linner” at Mo’s (Yay! Clam chowder in a bread bowl!). We were home in time for sunset which was very important to Owen. With all these clear nights, Owen’s hobby of stargazing has picked up again. He is quite passionate about searching the skies in the evenings.

We’ve had a bit more activity this January then previous years, but it’s been balanced with time at home. Today as been an around-the-house day and it’s been a good balance of productivity and downtime. The sunshine coming through the window certainly inspires me to be more active. My family jokes that I’m solar powered. When the sun goes down, I’m ready for bed! I have take advantage of all this sunshine-inspired energy while I have it. On that note, I’m off for a walk!

Furniture shopping is more fun with free popcorn!

The hardest part of visiting the coast in the winter is keeping the kids out of the water! So cold!!!

When walking back with the wind in your face… these kids are creative problem solvers! Ha!

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Happy New Year & Happy Birthday! January 15, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 2:12 pm

Not only am I welcoming 2025, but also 39. January is a month for change! It also tends to be a quieter month after the hubbub of the fall and the holiday seasons. The second half of our Christmas holiday was spent at home with Graham feeling under the weather. The first week back to school was intentionally mellow as we adjusted back to our normal schedule. Quietly welcoming the New Year has some merit. We had lots of time together a family. Jeremy and I took care of projects around the house. The boys watched some new movies while being restful. We played new games and read new books. Now that Graham is feeling better and we are back to the school groove, we’ve had a few more outings and celebrations.

To wrap up our Christmas break, we took the kids to see Sonic 3. The boys watched Sonic 1 & 2 after Christmas while resting. The boys jump at the chance for ICEEs and a movie on the big screen. We promised the kids we would go ice skating in January, so we made that happen last Friday. I haven’t ice skated in years. I was super nervous how it would go and how sore we would all be afterwards. I was positive I would hold on to the wall the entire time. I’m thankful to report that by the end of our skate, we were all skating independently without the wall!! We weren’t graceful or stylish skaters, but we did better than I expected and we had fun. It was definitely a family adventure!

The other highlight of the month so far has been celebrating my 39th birthday (last year in my 30s, wow). I love the excuse to gather with friends and family and eat all sorts of yummy treats. In fact, birthdays are often about the food for me! I enjoyed some of my favorite meals and favorite desserts. Lots of cake, donuts, and cookies! I took advantage of birthday freebies at Starbucks, Chipotle, and Crumbl Cookies. My family humored me and let me explore IKEA as my birthday outing. We didn’t purchase anything. It was more of a daydreaming visit, but still super fun. I love that place!

Now that January is here, we are back to school, church, co-op, piano lessons, play dates, and family dinners. Our monthly calendar has more margin and I’m enjoying the extra wiggle room to rest and recover from the holidays. I love making a big deal out of birthdays, but I’m also okay that the celebrations are in the rearview mirror. Time to settle into the cozy, winter, stay-at-home vibes that call to me in January.

Organ Attack – Owen’s new game he got at Christmas. We’ve been playing it often!

Lewis County finally has a Panda Express!!!

My greatest accomplishment of the month: staying upright on ice skates!

Celebrating my birthday is a sweet time!

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

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 9:00 am

Bookish Thoughts for December

December and January are two of my favorite book months of the year. Christmas and my birthday allow me to splurge and add to my home library in a massive haul that I don’t have funds for any other time of the year! Thank you to the kind family members who gifted me the joy of books this Christmas. Not only did I put my Christmas cash toward books, I was also able to add another bookcase to our playroom. The one bookcase was completely full and since we have years of book collecting ahead of us, we needed more space for our growing home library. I also had to do some rearranging of my own bookcases to make room for this month’s acquisitions. Making space for books makes me very merry, indeed. It also tickles my nose. It’s good thing I rearrange my books almost annually, because the amount of dust that collects behind them is astonishing. I love making things neat, tidy, and organized. Projects like this are the perfect way to wrap up the year and tie a bow on the holiday season!

The freshly rearranged playroom with a new bookcase so we can continue to grow our home library!

The first thing the boys bought on our day after Christmas shopping outing was books. They didn’t want to leave the van after that. Raising readers!

My first book haul was the Timeless series! These books were my binge read series this fall. I loved each one and I’m looking forward to the next installment in May!

My second book haul! A mix of books I’ve enjoyed in the past and unread new releases. Not all my books arrived in time for this post, so I’ll share more in January.

Top Picks for December

I enjoyed a year with Bob Goff in 2024. He is such an encouraging author. My kids fell in love with Bob while we read *Love Does for Kids* this fall. They are excited to start *Everybody, Always for Kids* in 2025.
It’s was a very 3 star Christmas reading season, but *The Holiday Cottage* stood out as a 4 star read. It was a good recommendation from a friend.

The Book List for December
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing

Non-Fiction:

Until Unity by Francis Chan – 4 stars
Live in Grace, Walk in Love: A 365-Day Journey by Bob Goff – 4 stars

Fiction:

Christmas with the Queen by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb – 3 stars
Holiday Hostilities by Katie Bailey – 3 stars
Five Stolen Rings by Gracie Ruth Mitchell – 3 stars
Izzy and Her Off-Limits Love by Emma St. Clair and Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens – 3 stars
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens – 3 stars
Catch Yourself a Snowmance by Savannah Scott – 3 stars
Since We’ve No Place to Go by Kate Watson – 4 stars
The Holiday Husband by Jenny B. Jones – 4 stars
Yuletide Bride by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
All is Mary and Bright by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
A Duke for Lady Eve by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
An Agreeable Alliance by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan – 4 stars
The Run Option by Annah Conwell – 3 stars
Dropping the Ball by Melanie Jacobson – 3 stars

Always fun to see to see my year in review on Goodreads. I read two more books than last year and was up about 700 pages!

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Christmas 2024: All The Festive Fun December 27, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:19 pm

So much Christmas magic has happened since my last post! It’s almost too much to recap in words so you’ll notice a LOT of photo collages to share the last two weeks. We’ve had church Christmas gatherings, Christmas lights galore, Christmas baking, Christmas movie watching (we introduced the boys to Home Alone 1 & 2 and Journey to Bethlehem), Christmas family celebrations, Christmas shopping, and Christmas gift wrapping. So. Much. Christmas. This time of year is truly magical. The sights, the sounds, the flavors… They bring out child-like wonder in all of us. It’s a joy to celebrate together as a family. All the Christmas festivities are a chance to remember the true reason for Christmas – Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. Emmanuel, God with us! I hope and pray that your Christmas season was filled with light, joy, and peace. Merry Christmas from our family to ours!

Jeremy turned our family into cartoons! The kids had a blast helping Jeremy make our Scott extended family into cartoons for Christmas as well.

A weekend filled with Christmas shopping and wrapping, our church float in the Lighted Tractor Parade, and Advent after multiple church Christmas parties.

Christmas Baking: I made molasses softies and sugar cookies. I used Starbucks holiday cups as my color inspiration this year.

Enchant Christmas Light Maze in Seattle, WA

Christmas Day: Stockings and gifts at GG’s house

Day After Christmas: Woke up to no power due to a wind storm, so LEGO building happened by lantern light. We still did our Day After Christmas shopping – books and Pokémon card were a highlight.

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A Musical Christmas Weekend December 12, 2024

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 2:22 pm

This last week has a been very musical one for our family. Every year our children’s ministry takes over the main gatherings for a weekend and performs a Christmas musical. It’s a full theatrical performance with drama, songs with motions, props, sets, costume changes… the works! It’s a huge endeavor and one that takes many months of preparation. We’ve been working on this production since September! Last week, we had extra practices and rehearsals leading up to the Sundays big performance! I’m always super nervous about how it will all come together, but each year the kids pull it off! The kids showed up ready on Sunday and everything went great! Praise Jesus! It’s such a joy to watch the kids share the true meaning of Christmas with friends and family. Owen had a solo again this year and he did wonderful. Graham prefers to blend in with the choir. He performs with focus and determination. I’m proud of both them (as well as all the kids and the team who helped pulled this off)!

In keeping with the musical theme of the weekend, we went to see A Drummer Boy Christmas Live in the theaters on Friday as a part of our family day. Jeremy and I saw this Christmas concert by for KING + COUNTRY last December in Portland, OR and loved it! We were so excited to see that the band was offering a theatrical version this year. A Drummer Boy Christmas is our family’s favorite Christmas album and it’s one we listen to on repeat throughout the holiday season. It was neat to show the kids what the concert we went to last year looked it. Also, we had nose bleed seats last year, so seeing the concert in the local theater meant we got a closer view as well. My family went to lots of concerts while I was growing up and this felt like a fun introduction to the concert scene for the boys. I look forward to more concert experiences as they grow older.

This month, we’ve also enjoyed Advent moments together as a family. We are counting down to Christmas in many ways! We have an Advent wreath with candles, an Advent wreath with daily candies, and an Advent sticker activity. We are still watching the Holiday Baking Championship (even though – spoiler alert – our friend is no longer on the show). We find out who wins next week. Christmas vacation is right around the corner. I have a list of Christmas movies to watch and plenty of holiday baking to do. We have some Christmas light adventures awaiting us next week as well. I got a decent start on my Christmas wrapping last night. I’m just waiting for the last of the Amazon packages to trickle in… It’s a busy time of year, but it’s full of festive fun. I love all the traditions and it’s a sweet time to share these moments together as family. It’s hard to believe that Christmas in less than two weeks. The countdown is on! Merry Almost Christmas!

I look forward to our Advent devotional time each year! Love counting down to Christmas this way!

We got a new Casper mattress as an early Christmas present to ourselves. These bed bugs were testing it out as we waited for it fully rise.

*A Drummer Boy Christmas Live* in the theaters. Our kids jump at any chance for an ICEE.

*We Three Spies* was a big hit! These kids worked so hard and did so well. Very proud of them!

Another fantastic Christmas musical is in the books! It’s always a blast to see the kids take over the adult gathering. They did a great job sharing the true meaning of Christmas!

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Happy Holiday Season! December 1, 2024

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats — Amy Scott @ 12:56 pm

The holidays are officially here! Once the calendar reaches November, everything holiday related is fair game. Christmas music is a must. Christmas books fill my TBR list. Mid-November the fall décor gets swapped for Christmas. But don’t think that Thanksgiving gets forgotten! We’re coming off of three days of gatherings with family and friends. My fridge is full of leftovers and pie is on the menu morning, noon, and night. We are definitely grateful for the joy this season brings!

A highlight of November was the Operation Christmas Child shoebox assembly party we had with our homeschool co-op. Our group donned a mix of Christmas sweaters, Christmas pajamas, and comfy clothes and we blasted Christmas tunes. Instead of doing our own gift exchange, we opted to make filling shoeboxes the main focus of our Christmas party this year. We played a few Christmas games and nibbled on yummy treats. The boys love Operation Christmas Child. It’s always exciting to see where our box ends up each year. The kids prayed over their boxes as they selected what they hoped would be the perfect gift for a child across the world. It’s such a joy to share this experience with my kids and to do it as a part of our co-op.

We decorated for Christmas the weekend before Thanksgiving. Some people have strong feelings about when Christmas décor should come out… but I am not one of them… I love getting a full month of Christmas cheer out of our decorations. Every year the boys put up little trees in their bedrooms. These trees are filled with their annual ornaments. Opening each ornament box is like a walk down memory lane. It’s sweet to see the things they’ve loved over the years. Mickey Mouse, Daniel Tiger, Thomas the Tank Engine, Super Mario, Buzz and Woody, LEGO creations – they all have a space on the trees. This year the ornaments were Minecraft themed which fits with their birthday celebrations and Halloween costumes. I love the extra light the Christmas tree gives our living room during this dark time of year. The house always feels so cozy once Christmas is in place.

Our family has been watching our friend, Megan, compete on the Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network. Megan won week two with a peanut butter honey cinnamon pie and Jeremy declared this was the pie he was going to make for Thanksgiving this year. The boys were equally excited to create Megan’s winning pie so it became a team effort. I documented because there can only be so many bakers in the kitchen. Jeremy was committed to following the recipe precisely and the results were spectacular! It’s no wonder Megan won with this beauty. It was neat to connect with Megan and the show by recreating this recipe at home. It was also special to share the pie with family and friends who are also watching the show and cheering for Megan. This pie certainly evaluated our Thanksgiving dessert table this year!

It’s hard to believe that December is here! Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror and Christmas is full steam ahead. We have a month full of Christmas commitments. For church, we have a Christmas musical weekend and a float in the local lighted tractor parade. We also have a couple of church Christmas parties in the mix. We only have a small amount of Christmas shopping done as we prepare for family celebrations at the end of the month. We have a few family adventures planned as well. We’re going to be hopping through all the holiday festivities! I’m looking forward to all the ways we get to celebrate this Christmas (especially if we can be healthy and have dry weather – fingers crossed and prayers appreciated)!

Assembling their shoebox for Operation Christmas Child

Graham’s Minecraft Warden Ornament for 2024

Owen’s Minecraft Ender Dragon Ornament for 2024

Success! This pie was stunning and tasty!

This peanut better honey cinnamon pie was truly a winner!

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What I’ve Been Reading – November 2024 November 30, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 9:22 am

Bookish Thoughts for November

So many bookish thoughts for November! Where to begin? Let’s go for the highlight of the month – Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyers. I love the Timeless series! Across the Ages is the fourth book and it did not disappoint. I purchased it on my Kindle for a day when I knew I would be waiting a lot and would need a book to fill the time. It was the perfect companion! I love the time-crossing, dual historical timelines in this series. This latest installment gave me Pirates of the Caribbean vibes which made me chuckle. Also in historical-fiction new releases, I enjoyed An Honorable Deception by Roseanna M. White. This book concluded her Imposters series and I felt like it was a great conclusion. White brought in characters from her other works which I adore when an author does that. It’s like bumping into an old friend unexpectedly. Makes me happy!

Christmas reading makes this time of year even more magical!

Shall we move on to Christmas books? Since it’s November, I dove into Christmas books like an Olympic swimmer! I started the month with The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox. It features twin sisters who are both bakers. This vibe fit perfect with cheering on our friend, Megan, on the Holiday Baking Championship. Give me all the holiday baking goodness!!! I read new Christmas releases by Kortney Keisel (this one was sad, but good) and Courtney Walsh (gotta love the save-the-family-Christmas-tree-farm plot). I’ve also been re-reading the Christmas Escape series. I’m waiting for December to renew my Kindle Unlimited subscription. I have a list of Christmas books TBR in December. Seasonal reading is the best!

I completed The Tenet of Windfell Hall at the start of November. I can now claim I’ve read a book by each Bronte sister. I’ll take that as my literary gold star for the month. I also ended my non-fiction dry spell. I did a book swap with a friend a couple weeks ago and she supplied with me a stack of non-fiction books. Borrowing books is very motivating. I try to return books relatively quickly, so it means I’m likely to prioritize them on my TBR list. I have a couple of her books left to read in December. Non-fiction often gets lost in my busy autumn season and then is eclipsed by Christmas reading. As someone who “tries” to diversify my reading, I’m glad I could end the fiction-only phase.

Top Pick for November

*Across the Ages* (Timeless Series: Book 4) by Gabrielle Meyer – I would have included *The Holiday Swap* by Maggie Knox, but I’m currently loaning my copy to friend.

The Book List for November
1 Star = I did not like it. 2 stars = It was okay. 3 stars = I liked it. 4 stars = I really liked it. 5 stars = It was amazing

Non-Fiction:

Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better by Brant Hansen – 3 stars
You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity by Francis and Lisa Chan – 3 stars
Psalms: The Prayer Book Of The Bible by Dietrich Bonhoeffer – 3 stars

Fiction:

The Tenet of Windfell Hall by Anne Bronte – 3 stars
The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain – 4 stars
Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
An Honorable Deception by Roseanna M. White – 4 stars
Before I Do by Sophie Cousens – 3 stars
The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox – 4 stars
The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler – 4 stars
One Foggy Christmas by Kortney Keisel – 3 stars
Later on We’ll Conspire by Kortney Keisel – 4 stars
Christmas with a Crank by Courtney Walsh – 3 stars
The Holiday Mix-Up by Ginny Baird – 3 stars
Christmas Baggage by Deborah Hathaway – 4 stars
Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel – 4 stars
Host for the Holidays by Martha Keyes – 4 stars
A Newport Christmess by Jess Heileman – 4 stars

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November So Far… November 18, 2024

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Tasty Treats,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:23 pm

November hasn’t turned out to be a hibernation month like I originally thought it would. I assumed we would slide into a quieter schedule after all the hubbub of birthday month in October. But… November had other plans. I’m thankful to say we’ve found a good groove now that we’re in the latter half of the month, but I’m still waiting for my hibernation feels. I doubt I’ll find it with the holidays right around the corner… Maybe January will have the quiet, chill vibes I’ve been longing for?

Our first weekend of the month was a restful one. It was nice to recover from Fall Fest with a puzzle, cider in the crockpot, breakfast out at a local favorite (Berry Field’s pumpkin pancakes – yum!), lots of fall baking, and some LEGO building. The first full week of the month was filled with a co-op field trip and an out of town conference leading into multiple family birthday celebrations. After that, I moved into friendship focused week. Lots of good stuff happening here!

Our family enjoyed our visit to a hands-on pioneer farm with our homeschool co-op. We learned about pioneer school rules and pioneer chores and housekeeping. I’m so grateful for modern conveniences. I’m not cut out for farm chores and pioneer housekeeping. The kids loved getting a wagon ride and testing out many of the farm chores for themselves. Owen really enjoyed his time at the blacksmith forge. Graham liked fiddling with the tools. The farm animals were super friendly and the boys made good friends with Bacon Bits, the pig.

A highlight of our weekly family calendar right now is watching our good friend, Megan, compete on the Holiday Baking Championship on Food Network. It’s such a neat experience to personally know someone on television. We watch Megan bake on the edge of seats each week! Our family is a whole cheer squad. It’s a big deal and we take watching Megan very seriously. Can’t wait for week three to air tonight!

While the calendar has been full these last few weeks, it’s been filled to the brim with the people we love. We’ve celebrated three family birthdays this month. We had pizza and cake with Nana, we went to a trampoline birthday party for my nephew, and we had a surprise party for Jeremy’s aunt. I’ve also been thankful for time with forever friends. I got a red cup and talked books with Christy last Monday, I had a phone date the next day with my out-of-state friend, Maggie, and then dinner with Christa on Wednesday. I’m extra thankful this month for the friends and family I get to do life with!

November is over halfway over, but there is still so much fun ahead this month. It’s crazy to think we are breezing through November and while it hasn’t been the quiet month I expected, it’s been a good month. As we focus on gratitude this month, I am thankful for the people who color our days with love, joy, support, and a bit of excitement! We certainly keep things interesting around here!

Snickerdoodles were giving me all the fall baking feels.

Visiting a pioneer farm with our homeschool co-op

Nana & Papa had the boys overnight so Jeremy & I could attend a conference. The kids had a great time!

Wishing Nana a very happy birthday with her favorite dessert, German chocolate cake!

Piano lessons with Nana just got better! Nana gifted us a hand-me-down piano so the boys have a bigger keyboard to practice with. They get to bond with Nana over a shared love of piano!

A beautiful sight! Peppermint hot chocolate, Christmas books, and time with a beloved friend.

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Concluding October November 1, 2024

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 10:20 am

October came and went with a flurry of activity! What a fun month! The final week of the month was just as exciting as the rest of the month. We wrapped up homeschool soccer on the 24th. The boys enjoyed getting a better handle on the sport and playing with friends. Their coach was patient and kind. The overall experience was perfect for our family. It was low-key and the once-a-week time commitment was just right for our calendar. I’m actually a little sad that the season is over, but I’m also thankful to have our Thursdays back to normal. Owen is already talking about spring soccer!

Last Friday, we visited the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, WA. Originally, we planned to go on Graham’s birthday, but the weather was wet. I love the zoo, but I don’t enjoy it in the rain. We postponed to a dry day and it was worth the wait. We saw animals that weren’t out when we visited last year for Graham’s 8th birthday. It was to nice to feel like we’ve seen all that zoo has to offer now. We loved the snow leopard cubs and getting to see the maned wolf. We found a free-roaming peacock and got to watch zookeepers take a parade of flamingos on a walk through the zoo. The brown bears came right up to the glass and the elk were out this time. I keep waiting for our family to outgrow the zoo, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. We love animals!

Saturday was a full day at home and it was delightful! It was the perfect balance of productive home projects and restful downtime. We went all out with a full turkey dinner. We even had a Costco pumpkin pie that we had picked up the day before. It was like Thanksgiving! Yum! We also carved pumpkins on Saturday. Graham made a monster that looked like his Boo Bucket from McDonalds. Owen made a Minecraft wolf which he named Pupkin. Jeremy surprised us all and made Bluey. We’ve used homegrown pumpkins for carving the past few years and I actually appreciate skipping the pumpkin patch. I love pumpkin patches, don’t get me wrong. October is such a full month that it’s okay with me to skip one of the traditional outings so we can make space for something else on the calendar.

A surprise highlight of the week was Jeremy shooting a buck in our backyard. I’ve shared that Jeremy does archery in past posts. He didn’t get an elk this September, but he had a deer tag that was good through October. This buck had been near our house the entire day and Jeremy took advantage of the opportunity! We got home from a playdate right was Jeremy found his downed deer. Owen helped Jeremy gut the deer and was very interested in the whole process. It was a fantastic science lesson – one that will end in pepperoni sticks!

Yesterday was the final day of this special month and what better way to celebrate than as Ender Dragons from Minecraft. The Ender Dragon appears at the end of the game which fit perfectly with the end of a very Minecraft-themed month. Fall Fest is a community event that our church hosts and Jeremy is responsible for each year. We went down to the church yesterday to bring Jeremy lunch and to help with the final preparations. We came back down fully in costume to enjoy the event with our community. Because it was a rainy Halloween, the event was a big. Gotta love being inside on a wet Halloween! Jeremy and the team added a maze this year that was a hit and the kids came home with a ton of candy which is fitting since dragons love to hoard treasure!

To recover from the big event last night, we have a puzzle on the table and spiced cider warming in the crockpot today. It’s nice to be snuggled warm inside while it’s dark and wet outside. I’m thankful it’s a quiet day to rest. I’m a little sad to see October in the rearview mirror, but… I’m also ready for November. In fact, I just might go put on some Christmas music to welcome the new month! : )