Amy Scott's Thoughts

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

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

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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!

Wrapping up our homeschool co-op with a presentation on the redwoods.

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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!

Celebrating Owen’s 1st goal with Happy Meals last week.

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.

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Spring Breaks: Part 2 May 12, 2025

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels,Women in Ministry — Amy Scott @ 3:17 pm

The last two weeks have been a break from the our usual routine. We’re coming off of back-to-back travels which led to an extra long “spring break” in our school calendar. I love that homeschooling gives us the flexibility to travel during the school year (yay for avoiding crowds). Our first adventure was a work trip for Jeremy and I while the boys stayed with Nana and Papa. The second trip was a family vacation which was packed with educational experiences. I can list it a field trip in our school records. I love experiential, hands-on learning. The great outdoors and the real world make a wonderful classroom! It’s also a nice break from learning at the dining room table.

The work trip was a conference in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Every spring we attend Network Conference with the Northwest Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God. Our church pastoral team and spouses come together to enjoy this conference together. It’s full of good conversations, many laughs, and lots of food. I love the time away with Jeremy. We talk a lot about ministry due to the nature of the conference, but we also talk a lot of life, parenting, goals, and dreams. It’s a great getaway for us. The boys always have a blast with Nana and Papa. It’s so nice to know they are good hands and having a great time.

Our family vacation was a trip to Redwoods National and State Parks surrounding Crescent City, California. We used Crescent City as our jumping off point to explore both Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. We also spent a decent amount of time at the California coast exploring tide pools and bird watching. We took a tour of Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City. We did Tour Thru Tree and Trees of Mystery in Klamath. Tour Thru Tree is a big tree you can drive through. It’s a quick stop, but a big hit for the kids. Trees of Mystery was a first time experience for us. The Canopy Trail, which was a series of high ropes suspension bridges, and the Sky Trail, a gondola ride, were the highlights of our visit and worth the admission cost. We definitely tested our comfort zones when it came to heights. Overall, our boys loved the majesty of the redwoods. They felt so much wonder as we wandered the forest. The redwoods are a beautiful example of creation declaring the glory of God. Jeremy did a wonderful job researching which trees to see. He made it feel like a scavenger hunt adventure!

The second half of our vacation was driving up Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast. We stopped at West Coast Game Park Safari for a truly unique experience. The park itself is small, but has a large selection of exotic animals. The big cats were a family favorite, but it was also neat to feed the free roaming goats, sheep, deer, donkey, and peacocks. The highlight of the trip was getting to pet Lyla the lynx. It’s not everyday you get to pet a lynx! We also stopped at the Sea Lion Caves before making it to our destination of Newport, Oregon for the night. On our final travel day, we visited the Yaquina Head Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area. We saw so many seals and even some pups with mamas. There was more birding and tide pool exploration. We’ve investigated this spot numerous times and it has yet to disappoint. We also made a stop at the Tillamook Creamery. Yes, we were there a month ago, but we couldn’t pass up cheese and ice cream for brunch! Our final adventure was a walk in Cannon Beach to look for puffins nesting on Haystack Rock. The puffins were sighted and we ended our vacation happily exhausted!

Now we’re home and back to the real world. We enjoyed celebrating Mother’s Day with family yesterday and we got back to school (around the dining room) today. We are in the final weeks of our school year. The end is in sight! Hooray! We also have a couple more homeschool co-op commitments this month and we are starting a month of homeschool soccer tomorrow. Lots of a good stuff going on. We are happy to be home!

We enjoy watching travel videos before we visit a new place. Jeremy and the boys thought it would be fun to make one of our adventure to Redwood National and State Parks. Hike along with us and explore some big trees with our family!

Enjoying time away with Jeremy in CDA. Love visiting this area each spring!

We spent so much time at the beach while visiting Crescent City.

Tree huggers! Howland Hill Road in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

Searching for all the big trees! Here is Screaming Titan in Grove of Titans.

The Wonder of Creation. Boy Scout Trail in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

Junior Rangers for yet another National Park!

Taking advantage of the city pool since our hotel pool was gross.

Sir Isaac Newton (the name of the tree) in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. It’s hard to tell with the lighting, but the base of this tree fills up the end picture.

The Tillamook Creamery is always worth a stop.

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

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 2:00 pm

Bookish Thoughts for April

April has been full of travels, holidays, and field trips. I’ve found time to fill in the margins of my life with books, but you’ll notice my book total this month is a bit down. It’s been a good reading month, nonetheless, and I’m happy to share my bookish thoughts with you!

First, The Only Magic in the Building series has been keeping me entertained! For the last two months, I’ve had new releases in Kindle Unlimited on Wednesdays. My favorite rom-com authors teamed up to write about a whimsical, matchmaking apartment building. Each author had a different take on how the building was magical and it was neat to see how each story was unique and yet unified in the series. Kindle Unlimited also had new releases by Kate Wilson, Kasey Stockton, and Gabrielle Meyers. It’s been a happy month of new books. Yay!

Speaking of Gabrielle Meyers, the next book in the Timeless series is coming out in May, so I’m slowly reading the first four books again as a refresh. I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy them as much now that I know the ending, but thankfully they are rereading well. I love them just as much the second time around. I also read The Fur Trader’s Lady this month. This is the first book that I’ve read by Meyer that isn’t apart of the Timeless series and, let’s be honest, the title sounds a bit cheesy… But I really enjoyed it!

I also did some recon reading this month. I don’t always pre-read books to share with Owen, but this month I did. I picked up both Hoot and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle while thrifting recently. Hoot was about saving burrowing owls and I remember reading The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle as a kid. Overall, I decided that I might wait a year to recommend them, but I think they’ll be good reads down the road for my young bookworm.

Surprise! I didn’t realize this Goodwill find was signed by the author!

**The Scott Boys’ April Picks:**
Graham: *Peril at Granite Peak* (Hardy Boys Adventures)
Owen: *Winter of the Ice Wizard* (Magic Tree House Merlin Mission)

Top Picks for April

**Non-Fiction:** *Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day* was a part of my daily quiet time for the last few months. I appreciate Kate’s authenticity and how her prayers feel like poetry. **Fiction:** *When the Day Comes* was my top pick for October 2024. I wondered if knowing how the story ended would shortchange my reading experience, but it was still excellent and a highlight of my month!

**Honorable Mention:** I had so many good conversations after reading this book. It gave me so much to process as a parent. I highly recommend it!

The Book List for April

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

Non-Fiction:

Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day: Daily Mediations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens by Kate Bowler – 4 stars
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt – 4 stars

Fiction:

Misfortune and Mr. Right by Savannah Scott – 4 stars
Clean Out of Luck by Carina Taylor – 3 stars
Off the Wall by Julie Christianson – 3 stars
Signed, Sealed, and Smitten by Melanie Jacobson – 4 stars
The Escape Plan by Katie Bailey – 3 stars
When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
The Fur Trader’s Lady by Gabrielle Meyer – 4 stars
Truly Medley Deeply by Kate Wilson – 3 stars
The Rules of Courtship by Kasey Stockton – 3 stars
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen – 3 stars
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi – 3 stars

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The Many Adventures of April April 23, 2025

Filed under: Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 2:29 pm

Between our homeschool co-op, family travels, and Easter celebrations, April has been one fun month! As we move toward the end of our homeschool year, April has it’s own unique vibe. We are counting down the last of our co-op commitments, we are wrapping up schoolbooks, and we are making plans for next year. Last week, I typed up most of the end-of-the-year paperwork I need for our school records. I created our summer school calendar for June and July. I also figured out our first day of school for the fall and counted out our 36 weeks for the next school year. I thrive on sorting details and making plans! YAY!

Our homeschool co-op adventures for April included a first-aid presentation and a field trip to the Ohop Indian Village in Eatonville, WA. The first aid class was both informative and hands-on. The teacher covered choking, cuts, and burns. My boys loved bandaging themselves and their friends. Our field trip to the Ohop Indian Village was also very hands-on. Our guide shared how our local Native American tribes prepared for each season. The kids were allowed to touch and play with all the items they learned about. It was a beautiful day to be outside in nature enjoying the history of our local area.

Easter is a whole weekend of celebrating for our family, not just a day. We had multiple meals with family and multiple egg hunts. The boys enjoyed playing video games with Auntie April and running amuck with their cousins. There was lots of good food, special desserts, family time, and games. Easter Sunday is always a big one for our family with my hubby being a children’s pastor. The boys and I enjoyed a joyful worship time with our church congregation before joining the elementary students for children’s church. It’s such a blessing to spend this special weekend with our church and our family. All these activities are exciting, but they are meaningless without the hope we have in Jesus and his resurrection!

Our latest family adventure was a visit to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. We took a few new paths and Owen saw three new birds to add to his bird-spotting list. It was a lovely, sunny PNW day. It was perfect for being outside in the fresh air. I love that our homeschool schedule allows us to take so many field trips. Learning outside and in hand-on ways is truly a benefit to both my kiddos and myself. The fact that we can tailor these field trips to align with Jeremy’s days off makes the adventures that much sweeter. We get to experience them as a family! I’m positive these will be some of my favorite memories from the elementary school years.

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Spring Breaks: Part 1 April 7, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Children's Ministry,Family Time,Homeschool Adventures,Travels — Amy Scott @ 1:54 pm

The bonus of being a homeschool family is we have lots of flexibility with our calendar. We don’t take a traditional week long “spring break” like most schools. Before you feel too sorry for my kiddos, we do take breaks throughout the spring season. It’s fun to add some extra adventures in alongside our normal schooling schedule.

The first mini-break we took was for Jeremy’s birthday. He took the day off of work so we could celebrate the day with him as a family. Our adventure day found us down south in Oregon. Our morning was spent at the Woodburn Premium Outlets shopping for a few clothing items. Shopping can be an educational experience if you make it so. We talked with the kids about what makes factory outlets cheaper than other shopping options. We also talked about the math involved with sales and discounts. I love highlighting these economic elements while our kiddos tagalong on errands. After a tasty lunch at Red Robin (where Graham ate his weight in bottomless fries), we took off for Bullwinkle’s Family Fun Center for a round of mini-golf (which the birthday boy was the winner). We took a drive to admire Willamette Falls, Multnomah Falls, and Horsetail Falls. The weather was in the 80’s and beautifully sunny. It felt like a summer day, not spring! We couldn’t have asked for a better day to celebrate Jeremy!

Our second spring break was with the whole Scott family. All 16 of us Scotts met up at the beach for a vacation together. The house was the perfect size for our large family. The boys loved the game room and the media room. The house was also right on the beach! The view was stunning and you can’t beat a minute walk to the ocean! Family games, beach adventures, and chilling around the house were all highlights of our time together. Again, the weather was beautiful for this adventure – dry and sunny! You couldn’t have asked for better beach weather at the beginning April! Our family came down through Tillamook so we could stop at our favorite place – the Tillamook Creamery! It was a great way to kick-off our vacation time. We also stopped at another favorite, Pig’N Pancake, on the way home. The boys are definitely going through cousin withdrawals now that we’re home. We are so blessed for the genuine friendships with our family. We packed this beach vacation with family memories that our kiddos will take into adulthood. I can’t what to hear what they remember of these wacky and wonderful times we spent together!

We have more spring “breaks” planned in the coming month! Yay! I look forward to sharing these adventures with you soon.

What happens when the parents go out for dinner… Papa and Nana said they could handle all the kids… that seems debatable!

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

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 8:15 am

Bookish Thoughts for March

My bookish thoughts continue to center around adding books to our home library! I promise the monthly book hauls will come to a close soon, but… This month featured some fantastic book purchases! Let’s start with the “pretty” books I used to decorate our new fireplace mantel. I started out with Puffin in Bloom versions of Anne of Green Gables and a boxed set of Jane Austen books. I quickly realized those books were a little too girly for our very boy dominated house. This led to me adding Wordsworth Collector’s Editions of The Railway Children, The Wind in the Willows, and The Jungle Book. They perfectly balance with the Puffin in Bloom books both in color and content. I love how they look on the fireplace!

I was thrilled to receive my pre-ordered copy of Sunrise on the Reaping on it’s release day. As a Hunger Games fanatic, I’ve been waiting for what feels like forever for this book. It was bittersweet and oh-so-good! It definitely won it’s place as my top pick this month! Other home library additions include all of Melissa Ferguson’s books (I was given a gift to use alongside a free book reward on ThriftBooks.com). We added another used Audubon Field Guide (rocks and minerals) to our resource shelf. We love collecting these field guides. I was also invited to go thrift shopping with a friend. I got 6 books for $5, so I felt good about that! This month has been a good mix of pretty, new books and thrifty, used books!

**The March Book Haul**
(Minus the Audubon field guide…I forgot it! Oops! Just imagine a extra field guide by the National Parks guide.)

I’ve had books on the brain a lot this month! Aside from my own personal reading, I’ve been preparing for our upcoming homeschool year. Our school year is June-May, which means we are about to wrap up one year and begin a new one! I made my curriculum plan at the beginning of March (which is the earliest I’ve ever done that). Now I plan to spread out my purchases over the next few months, so we’re ready to start summer school in June. I love selecting my kiddos curriculum and it’s so fun to pour over the new school books once they arrive! I can’t wait!

**Owen’s March Pick:** *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*
**Graham’s March Pick:** *The Mystery of the Missing Pop Idol* (The Boxcar Children)

Top Picks for March

**Non-Fiction:** *A Million Little Miracles* captured my attention and held it! Mark’s focus on how awe-inspiring our world is definitely hit home with me. The focus on science, nature, and wonder clicked with the joy I get homeschooling my boys. I love that I get to share a million little miracles with them that point to an amazing Creator!
**Fiction:** *Sunrise on the Reaping* was a long awaited new release for me. I knew Haymitch’s story wouldn’t have a happy ending, but I greatly enjoyed revisiting recognizable characters and seeing a depth to Haymitch’s games that was previously unknown. This book did a great job of connecting *The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes* to the rest of of the Hunger Games series.

The Book List for March

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

Non-Fiction:

Lasting Ever: Faith, Music, Family, and Being Found by True Love by Rebecca St. James and Cubbie Fink – 4 stars
A Million Little Miracles: Rediscover the God Who Is Bigger Than Big, Closer Than Close, and Gooder Than Good by Mark Batterson – 4 stars
Everybody, Always for Kids by Bob Goff & Lindsey Goff Viducich – 4 stars

Fiction:

Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss – 3 stars
The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson – 4 stars
Snowy Serendipity by Melissa Ferguson – 3 stars
The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair – 3 stars
The Cupid Chronicles by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh – 4 stars
Petals and Plot Twists by Jenny Proctor – 3 stars
Driving Maisie Crazy by Deborah M. Hathaway – 4 stars
All Over the Map by Lanie Jacobs – 3 stars
Secret or Shutout by Leah Brunner – 3 stars
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – 4.5 stars
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey – 3 stars
The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey – 3 stars
The Last Star by Rick Yancey – 3 stars

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Marching into Spring! March 20, 2025

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 1:00 pm

Spring is officially here! Hooray! The weather in the PNW has definitely been on the spring-y side the last few weeks. It seems like the days are a mix of sun, rain, hail, and clouds. Very interesting weather, especially if I chance a walk to the mailbox. Will it stay dry for 10 whole minutes? Will it hail? Will it snow? I don’t know! The boys current favorite pastime is scootering. They’ll run outside when the suns out and then run inside as it start to shower. Back and forth they go!

There are quite a few signs of season in March. The lead up to spring isn’t subtle. Apart from the wild weather, there is springing forward with daylight savings time. Blah! This is one of my least favorite days of the year. It leaves me feeling crummy for days afterward. I’m not a fan… On the bright side, there is Pi Day – a favorite “holiday” of mine – on March 14th! For Pi Day (which I read as Pi(e) Day), Jeremy and I got key lime pies from Crumbl Cookies. Yum! Then there is St. Patrick’s Day… Jeremy decided to make bangers and mash for the first time. Not my favorite meal, but it was exciting to try something new. I personally celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by dying food green. It’s not St. Patty’s Day without food coloring in my book. This year I dyed a vanilla cake green… because… it was festive! If Chicago can dye a river green, I can dye a cake green! Same concept. And finally, March Madness has hit our household. Brackets have been made, printed, and displayed on the fridge. Wins and losses have already been recorded! It’s a whole thing.

A big highlight of March for me was going to see Hamilton in Portland, OR with my sisters-in-law. I’ve always dreamed of seeing Hamilton live, but it felt out of reach, so I let the idea go. This fall my sister-in-law started to put the wheels in motion for a girls outing and unexpectedly Hamilton became feasible! Yay! We met up for lunch before attending the Sunday afternoon matinee on the 16th. The experience of seeing Hamilton in-person was amazing!!! The whole day was such a special treat. I appreciated not only the outing, but the company I got to spend the day with. I’m so grateful for the opportunity!

My next favorite highlight of March is right around the corner – Jeremy’s birthday! We make birthdays a big deal in our family. It’s such a joy to celebrate birthdays together. Jeremy has been formulating his plan for the day. He’s taking the day off from work and we’ll skip a day of school! It will be a fun family day. Adventure awaits!

**March Moments:** Key lime pie for Pi Day, March Madness brackets on the fridge, bangers and mash, and green cake for St. Patrick’s Day!

Hamilton with the Scott Sisters! Definitely an unforgettable experience!

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Making Changes Around the House March 8, 2025

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time,Getting Creative,Home Improvement,Homeschool Adventures — Amy Scott @ 12:49 pm

We’ve been making some changes around our house this last month. I don’t claim to have home design skills. Jeremy jokes that my décor style is “library” – just add a bookcase (or bookcases) to any open wall and fill with books. It’s worked well for me so far. We did veer off the bookcase plan a bit this last month, though. Here’s how…

At the beginning of the year, Jeremy and I started researching living room furniture. We thought about adding a few new pieces to our space. We can be picky and furniture is expensive. We won’t buy something that we don’t love just to fill a space. We patiently waited and our plans finally came together. I mentioned a few posts ago that we purchased a new IKEA bookcase in February. It matched the bookcase we already had in our living room. We set these two bookcases up on either side of our television. I’ve been loving this change to our space. We have more room for board games and puzzles. I love displaying our everyday values like reading and playing together. The living room has a much more homey vibe now.

By moving the bookcase to a new spot, we created a very empty wall. It was a blank slate for a new project. Originally, we planned to put an IKEA cabinet on the wall, but the cabinet we liked (that matched our living room furniture) was out of stock. This allowed us to daydream about what other options might fit on the wall. One of our brainstorming sessions led to the idea of an electric fireplace. I’m drawn to practicality, so it was hard to give up the cabinet idea (since a cabinet meant storage and storage is practical). Once the fireplace idea took hold of our boys, it was hard to let go of the idea. It would offer another cozy element to our space. Also, we covered up our Christmas stocking wall with a bookcase, so I loved the idea of the Christmas stockings being by a fireplace in the future… In the end, I came around to the idea of a fireplace.

Once we decided on the fireplace, we had to find one that was the right color, the right size, and the right price. It took a little while for “that” fireplace to be found. We also decided to paint three of the smaller walls in our living room a shade darker than the rest of the space. This new accent color made the fireplace stand out more. After the walls were painted and the fireplace was put into place, I had the project of styling the mantel. The first item to move over was a house plant that was too tall for our living room space. Then, I added some framed school picture of the boys (which I paired with their preschool graduation pictures to showcase their growth). After pictures, I added some pretty books because I can’t not decorate with books. To finish off the look, I added a couple of fake greens from Hobby Lobby and my signature pinecones (I have pinecones all over the house, for some reason they make me happy and they are one of my favorite ways to bring nature inside). We had a mirror in a closest from our last home that finally found a spot in this house over the fireplace (it only took 7 years of waiting for the right place). Now that the look is complete, I’m thrilled with how it turned out!

The final big project took place in our backyard. Jeremy decided it was time to tear down our rickety play structure. The kids will miss the swings, but the whole structure felt like it might collapse with enough force. Our boys have outgrown the slide and play area. It was time to see it go, but it was still bittersweet – a sign that our boys aren’t tiny anymore. The boys even helped with the deconstruction project. Now Jeremy has plans for a firepit to take over that portion of the yard. His grand vision includes red Adirondack chairs surrounding a fire structure of some sort. While red is not a color we decorate with, the chairs are a nod to our travels to many Canadian national parks. In the parks, they have red Adirondack chairs set up in scenic locations. We made it our goal to find as many as we could when we visited Canada in 2023. It’s a sweet way to honor our family memories and to make some new memories in our own backyard. I can’t wait to see what he creates in this new space.

When we haven’t been in project mode, we’ve been keeping up with our normal life stuff – book club, school, piano practice, chess club, well check doctor appointments… The nice weather has meant walks, bike rides, and plenty of time on the trampoline for the boys. We had a field trip to the Oregon Zoo yesterday. It was so sweet to see their new baby elephant, Tula-Tu. The animals were active and the weather was prefect. It was great to get outside and adventure together as a family!