Amy Scott's Thoughts

Happy 2nd Birthday, Owen!!! October 8, 2015

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 8:39 pm

It’s hard to believe that our little guy turned two today! Okay, maybe it’s not… It seems like once he hit the “terrible two” phase, I just sort of aged him up in my head. He has been two for at least a couple of months in my mind. Today it is official though. Owen is two! I was so excited that he survived us his first year. When Owen turned one, it was a big victory for me. I did it! One year! Woo hoo! Two is different. More than survival, I feel like this year has been all about getting to know Owen and who he is becoming. He is a sweet and crazy kid. He is unpredictable and keeps me on my toes. He loves so many thing. His current favorite things are vehicles (such as trucks, trains, buses), Winnie the Pooh, and animals. He is Daddy’s helper and loves being outside roaming the garage or yard with Jeremy. He amazes me with the words that he knows and the logic that he understands. He is way smarter than I realize and he surprises me often. While parenting any kiddo has it’s challenges, being Owen’s mom has been one of the greatest adventures of my life. I have loved watching him grow and become this fascinating little boy. He is a joy (most of the time). I am excited to see him take on the role of big brother soon. I’m hoping and praying this new job description will be one that he enjoys.

Today was a massively fun day. I didn’t want for this to happen, but I had to schedule a doctor’s appointment today. Since Jeremy and I didn’t want to be away from Owen too long on his birthday, we made plans for a grand adventure. The day started at Lattin’s Cider Mill & Farm. It’s a place that we’ve been to often, but it opened early enough for us to stop and play before our doctor’s appointment. Owen got to feed the animals on the farm and he even got to walk around and admire the Tumwater School District bus in the parking lot. He tried to feed the bus the animal feed we bought! My mom came along so she could watch Owen while we had our appointment. Owen and Grandma shopped at Target and played at the mall play area. After our appointment, we met up for lunch at Chipotle. For the first time, Owen got his own bowl and he didn’t have to share with Jeremy. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal and ended it with a few of his favorite sweet treats – M&Ms. We took off to get my mom home and Jeremy back to work. On the way, we stopped by a local tent sale and Owen ran around the tent like it was a part of the party day. It was crazy how much he loved running around the tent. And when I say running, I mean running!!! I could barely keep up. While dropping Jeremy off at work, Owen got to say to hi to Nana and Papa and get his birthday hugs.

All the activity tired Owen and I out. It was quickly nap time upon arriving home. Owen got a great nap in and woke up in time for pizza! Yum! After pizza, we did cake and presents. I tried to get creative yesterday and I made Owen a brownie cake. He loves brownies, but I wanted something a little more impressive looking. Making a brownie cake was tricky. The cake ended up being held together by a lot of frosting, but it turned out better than I expected and Owen loved it! A total win! Owen also liked the wrapping paper I selected for his gifts. It was from The Container Store, so it wasn’t the cheapest wrapping paper, but it was cute and had cars and trucks all over it (Jeremy thought this was a silly purchase, but I am sucker for a theme and I couldn’t help it)! I think Owen liked all his gifts and we ended the night with play time and then bath time. Owen is really digging bubble baths right now so it was the perfect way to finish up the evening before heading to bed to read new birthday books.

Owen had a very happy birthday, indeed. Birthdays are very special and I can’t wait to celebrate many more with him! Below are a few highlights from our day in pictures. It was hard to pick just a few since I took over 400 today (yes, I am that parent). Happy 2nd birthday, Owen! We love you!

Enjoying a “pony ride” at the farm

Feeding and petting the goats

Feeding the bus

Big boy with his own meal at Chipotle

Finishing up with some M&Ms

Make a wish!

YUM!

Present time

Loving his new books!

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Birthday Party Weekend October 5, 2015

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 6:34 pm

I love the month of October. It has always been my favorite month. The month has only gotten better for me now that I can add celebrating my son to list of things to do in October! Owen’s birthday adds to the joy of the month and makes a great kick off to my favorite time of the year. And soon we will add another October birthday to the calendar! While it might be a lot of birthdays in one month, I happen to be a big fan of cake, so bring on the parties!

This weekend we celebrated Owen’s 2nd birthday with two family birthday parties. I am so thankful to all the family members that came out to help Owen feel special and loved. He is truly a blessed boy. This year I was able to host both parties away from my own house. Both set of grandparents agreed to let us take over their homes and create a heap of chaos for a few hours of their weekend. I will admit that I loved this set up! I didn’t have to clean the house before having company over and I didn’t have to clean up after they left. It was perfect! Thank you so much to my parents and Jeremy’s parents for opening your homes to us. We appreciated it so much!

Last year I didn’t do a theme for Owen’s 1st birthday. I kept things very generic in the birthday decorations. I figured Owen didn’t care. He barely understood what was happening. This year I decided we would do a construction vehicle theme since Owen loves dump trucks, diggers and bulldozers. He can even say “backhoe” now which totally took me by surprise the other day. I had vision of how this theme would pan out, but my dream took a step back when I realized the party theme I picked was “online only” and not sold in our local party store like I had thought. Of course, I didn’t have enough time to order the supplies online. Even with paying extra for rush shipping, the supplies might not have arrived on time. This lead to us purchasing solid color plates, napkins and cups in orange, yellow and red. Jeremy kept reminding me that Owen wouldn’t care, but I felt bad that I dropped the ball on the theme tableware. We did get a happy birthday banner with a bulldozer on it, a cake with a dump truck on it, and a birthday shirt with a dump truck on it. We purchased little mini machine toys to use as decor and then gave them away to the kids who attended the parties since Owen already had the same set at home. We used construction cones and caution tape that Jeremy had from work. While it felt a bit pieced together, it all worked out. Owen had a good time at the parties and I very much doubt he missed the plates and napkins that I mourned.

It was a fantastic weekend and Owen is now happily enjoying the new goodies that he received. We still have his actual birthday to celebrate on Thursday. I feel bad because we had to schedule a doctor’s appointment for me on his birthday, but we are going to do our best to make the day as special as possible. Currently we plan to go to a local farm and maybe even out to lunch at one of his favorite spots – Chipotle. I’m still debating what his special birthday dessert will be. Its a toss up between M&Ms or a brownie. This little boy loves his chocolate. I am excited to do one more day of birthday joy. He’ll have his gifts from Jeremy and I to open and hopefully a whole lot of fun throughout the day. I can’t wait!

Party Day #1

Party Day #2

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Closing September and Kicking Off October October 1, 2015

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 8:05 pm

It’s the first day of October! My favorite month of the year! The trees outside are looking beautiful and I’ve been enjoying the last few adventures that I will have with Owen before his little brother arrives. I know I’ve said it many times, but slowing down is really hard for this little family calendar. There are just too many good and fun things to do.

Last week I got to visit my friend, Christa, while she was recovering from her kidney donation surgery. It was great to see her doing so well after such a big surgery. I am so proud of her strength and I truly admire how awesome she is. It was fun to see her a few times while she was in the northwest. She is back in California now and I miss her being just down the freeway.

Another highlight of September was my forever friend, Maggie, welcoming her little Luke into their family. It’s been fun having Maggie as a pregnancy buddy. I can’t wait for our kiddos to meet each other and hopefully be buddies. On Tuesday, my mom, Owen and I went up to visit Maggie and her little family. Our moms got a chance to talk, Owen got to play with Summer and Maggie and I got to talk about the joys of labor while I snuggled Luke. It’s so fun to watch my friends as parents and be able to bond with them on an even deeper level as we grow our families.

Jeremy was out of town a good part of the week at our annual staff retreat for church/work. Usually, I would attend this event, but it was 4 hours away and that long of a ride in the car would be very uncomfortable at this point. Also, I’m far enough along in my pregnancy that I feel more comfortable staying close to home and my doctor. My mom came to spend the days with us as extra help with Owen. It was greatly appreciated. I do an okay job keeping up with Owen during the day, but the evening can be rough for me. I am worn down and just low on oomph. My mom did an awesome job keeping up with our household chaos.

Today, Owen and I ventured down south to go a farm and pumpkin patch. My sister-in-law invited us to join her mom’s group for the outing and I’m glad she did. My MOPS group will be doing the pumpkin patch scene right after our little guy arrives, so this was really Owen’s one chance to experience the pumpkin patch this season. Owen loved almost all the elements of our outing. He had a blast keeping up with his cousin, Nolan, and meeting Nolan’s friends. He enjoyed the hay bale maze (until he had leave the really cool tunnel and actually complete the maze). He got to pet and fed various farm animals. The highlight for Owen was the hay ride out to the pumpkin patch. He was so obsessed with the tractor that was pulling us. Once we arrived at the pumpkin patch all he wanted to do was get back on the hay wagon. He had no interest in picking a pumpkin. After a bit of struggle, I gave up. I snapped a little pumpkin off the vine and we went to sit in the wagon and wait for the tractor ride back. It was really sweet of Beckie to invite us and I know that Owen really loved the time with Nolan and the farm visit. Since I didn’t want to use the portable potties that they had available at the farm, Owen and I made a quick stop at Wendy’s before leaving the area. This was my first time going into a restaurant with just Owen. We used the bathroom and had a quick meal. Owen ate 3 fries and drank a milk while I ate a burger. It was a fun little lunch date before we loaded back up to head home.

I thought that my month of October would be a slow and restful one. I pictured myself with next to no commitments and being a total bum. But I don’t think that is going to pan out. This weekend is Owen’s big birthday party weekend. We will get to celebrate Owen turning two with our families. All of our October weekends hold plans and I still have weekly commitments with church and MOPS. I’m trying to not pack the days, but the weeks are turning out to be fuller than I expected. I guess if life gets to be too much for me, I can just start declining my plans. I’m sure people will understand that the pregnant lady needs to slow down and rest. Hopefully! I struggle with wanting to everything and wanting to do nothing… Oh well. I’ll only be in the waiting season for a few more weeks before the next phase of life arrives. I’m trying to enjoy each day for what it is. Especially these times with just Owen and I.

Jeremy and Owen supporting the Seahawks for a few minutes before Jeremy went out of town

Meeting Baby Luke

Snuggling with Grandma before bed

Visiting the farm with cousin Nolan

Tractor love

A quick lunch date after a fun outing

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Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey September 27, 2015

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 9:15 pm

I was thrilled when I was selected to be a part of Sarah Bessey’s launch team for her new book, Out of Sorts. I got an email telling me about the opportunity and I quickly applied. She had 100 spots to fill and I thought for sure that I was going to miss out. Turns out 300 applied within the first 24 hours. Sarah went to her publisher and said she wanted all of us. There was no way she could pare it down to 100. All 300 of us were her people. Since there were only 100 hard copies of the book to give away, we were all given a link to download a digital copy of the book. That was quite the process. I thought I would never find a compatible way to get the book on my Kindle app, but finally I was met with success and I happily dove into the new book of one of my favorite authors! It was certainly a treat. Later I found out that I was randomly selected as one of the 100 people who will get a hard copy of the book as well. I was over the moon. It felt like winning the lottery (because I am weird and bit overly dramatic these days).

Let me start off by saying that I discovered Sarah Bessy’s blog at the perfect season in my life. I was feeling out of sorts in a lot of ways. I was contemplating ministry and what place it would have in my life. I was also thinking about entering motherhood and that thought completely scared me and yet I was drawn to the idea of being a mom and investing in my own kiddos. Sarah’s writing validated a lot of what I was feeling. It helped me work through my thoughts on vocational ministry. Her writing also made me want to be a mother. Sarah wrote about motherhood in a way that made me want to experience it. She was real and honest. It wasn’t sugar coated, but the fact that she found such joy in motherhood really inspired me. She has a beautiful writing style and her words spoke life to me in a very important crossroad of my life. I will forever be grateful for the kindred spirit I have found in her. She is a treasure!

Out of Sorts is about Sarah’s faith journey and how she has arrived at the place she is today. She has seen many different sides of the church and different ways of life. She has used all her experiences to help sift her worldview down to Jesus and what he means in her life. I love the freedom that Sarah brings to her writing. She calls her self a recovering know-it-all and that she has spent time getting over her evangelical-hero-complex. She gives you space to ask questions and to have doubts. Sarah had to look at her past and decide what part of her faith she was going take with her and what parts were just baggage that Jesus never asked her carry. There is a time when we think we have it all figured out in a simple, childlike way and then we realize that things are bit more complicated than we would like. Not everything has an answer this side of heaven. It’s okay to wrestle and grow and let your faith develop with you. This is healthy.

Each chapter is full of good stuff and I honestly want to reread it so I can absorb it all. Being pregnant and super tired doesn’t make me the most critical thinker right now, but I will say that many points really touched me. I love Sarah’s stance on being “used” by God. I won’t do the chapter justice, but I so often we think it’s all about what we can do for God, how he wants big things from us. So often we think we need to measure up and that if we work hard enough or be something than God will be pleased and love us or bless us. The truth is God just wants us. He wants a relationship. He wants to be close to us. There is something about being loved just as you are that can be missed in our can-do, will-do culture. I’ve always been good at making lists, checking off boxes and living up to a certain standard. In my life I can see how I thought that the more I did for God, the more he would love me and bless me. This is craziness. I will never be good enough. That is why I need Jesus to be my savior. I can’t do it on my own. No matter what I think. Sarah’s encouragement to set aside the “used” mentality is what I needed to hear. I just want to be with Jesus. I want to love Jesus and receive his love. I want to be confident in my relationship with God and that it has nothing to do with how awesome I am or what I can do. I think our best life work comes out of that loving relationship. Not trying to keep up with others or be something I am not.

Another part of the book that really spoke to me was Sarah’s chapter on vocational ministry. Once upon a time I was on the church payroll and that really defined me. I thought I was doing “ministry” full time and I was really living my calling. True, I loved my season of full time ministry right alongside my husband. It was great time to grow and develop with Jeremy as a leader and a Christ-follower. Then I decided to become a stay at home mom. It seemed less glamorous… However, I can’t think of anything more important than influencing my young family to know and love Jesus. Investing in my kiddos is best work I can possibly do and I am grateful for the chance to do it. Sarah discusses how there is no line between sacred and secular work. All work can be done to the glory of God and all work is important. What a pastor does isn’t more important than a carpenter or a doctor or a janitor or a stay at home mom. We all get the chance to love Jesus and minister where we are at. All work is holy work when done with the right attitude and intention. I love being a part of the church. I love that my husband is a pastor. I am still very involved with ministry, but the pedestal of the “ministry lifestyle” broke for me a long time again. It’s always reassuring to hear that I am not the only one.

Sarah writes about her family, her faith journey, her kids, her church, her husband. She writes about wilderness seasons. I love to hear other people’s faith stories. I love to see where they have been and how they arrived at who they are now. I know that I am not the same Amy as 10 years ago. I have grown and changed. Sarah’s honesty gives us permission to be honest with our own faith journeys. Her writing is empowering and passionate and tender. She cares for her reader and really wants them to find the same freedom she has found. The thing that I love the most about Sarah is that Jesus is at the center of it all. You might see the subtitle of this book and think something about evolving faith is weird or new age-ish. But it’s not. It’s all about Jesus. It’s about loving him and loving his people and making a difference in the world where you are at and with what you have. What a sweet message and one that I hope to embody.

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Operation Better September 26, 2015

Filed under: Parenthood,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 5:56 pm

Friday’s Instagram Post

I posted yesterday to Instagram the countdown on my period tracker app. It stated that I was 30 days to my due date. Tomorrow I’ll be officially 36 weeks. Yesterday morning when I made that post, I was thinking it’s 30 days plus or minus. Who knows when babies decide to come, right? I went to my doctor’s appointment that afternoon and explained to her the new symptoms I’ve been experiencing. Let’s just say that I’ve had about every awkward, annoying and uncomfortable pregnancy symptom there could be. I would list them all for sympathy, but that might be an overshare and gross out some of my readers. I guess being very honest with my doctor paid off, because she offered to induce me at 39 weeks. I had no clue that was an option. Jeremy and I told her we would talk about it and think on it. We’ve pondered it and I think we are going to accept the offer. Having a plan and knowing ahead lets us be prepared as best as possible. Especially when it comes to making plans for Owen and Toby. Also it will allow me to have my ducks in a row before heading to the hospital and my personality really likes that. If for some reason, the induction doesn’t pan out, it won’t be the end of the world, but right now it’s an nice sounding option.

A quick stop by Grandpa’s office before Mommy and Daddy head to the doctor

If we induce at 39 weeks, I’m looking at three weeks of pregnancy left. For some reason that makes this all more real. I’m filling out hospital pre-registration paperwork. I’m making plans to be gone from my Wednesday night class. I’m thinking through what all still needs to be done before our little guy arrives. This has led me to “Operation Better”. It was already on my to do list to clean the house today. Jeremy is going out of town for part of the week and my mom is planning on staying with Owen and I. Whenever someone plans to come over to my house for more than a couple hour visit, I usually try to clean. I’m scared that if they spend too much time here, they we’ll see how truly messy the house is. We are spending more time at home these days and we actually LIVE here. It’s a used house. I have a toddler and an indoor dog. Things get messy. I have decided that over the next few weeks I’ll add one or two small things to my cleaning to do list that I wouldn’t normally do in my weekly cleaning routine. I got a jump start on things today and it feels good. I know that the house will instantly be dirty again after I clean it, but hopefully it will be better than it was. I’m not looking for spotless, just better. Just an improvement on what was there. I clean my house on a weekly basis, but somethings very rarely get deep cleaned. I’m talking some things don’t get wiped down for months or years… So I guess my version of nesting is attacking the grime in my house (real or imagined). My sweet friend, Maggie, kept posting all these interior decorating things she was doing while she was nesting. I decide to wipe down all the doors in my house and clean the windows. I wish I decorated instead of cleaned. Oh well. It’s how I’m wired.

I have mapped out a few projects that I want to complete for Operation Better. They are spread out over the month of October so I don’t over do it. It’s hard to balance my desire to be on top of things with my inability to move and keep up with life. I know that this pregnant body can’t do everything I want it to right now and that’s okay. I will attempt to give my house a jump start on cleaning since chances are I’ll slack a bit once our little guy arrives. While I “nest”, I will accept better and not perfection. Spotless is not an option.

We are in the final countdown and we are mostly prepared. I’ve learned a lot about life with a newborn. Owen was good training. This go around we are stocking the fridge and pantry more. I’m making sure that I duplicates of most of my household products. We ran out for so many little things when Owen was first born. I’m sure that will happen again to some extent, but I feel like I know what we need to have on hand this go around. I know I can feel as prepared as possible and I’ll still forgot something. That is okay. We are doing the best we can and being very proactive. It feels good. I know that real life is messy and plans don’t always pan out. It’s best to hold things loosely. So with roughly three weeks left to go in this pregnancy, we will see where life takes us!

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More September Fun September 22, 2015

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 7:34 pm

I’m really lacking in creativity when it comes to giving my September posts a good title. My days are such a hodge podge. It’s really hard to pick a theme and then come up with a snappy title. Please forgive me for the lame blog titles. Maybe my brain will start working again soon, but I doubt it!

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, September is hunting season. This last week has afforded Owen and I a lot one on one time as Jeremy treks out into the woods – this time in hopes of killing an elk. At first, I was doing okay with being on kid duty and then by Thursday, things started to fall apart. Last Thursday was a rough day. By the time Owen got to bed, I was totally spent and I was unsure that I could keep him alive another day. I texted my reinforcements and we ended up spending Friday evening at my parent’s house. I figured more adult hands would help me out and Owen would appreciate the change of scenery from our usual evenings at home together. Jeremy has yet to get his elk, but he is out for one last attempt tonight before early season ends. However, he took Owen with him tonight. If he does get it an elk, I am sure it will be interesting experience for both him and Owen.

I’m still trying to “slow down”, but that is easier said than done. I’ve been trying to squeeze in a few more social gatherings before the month of September ends. October will be busy, but I’m hoping that it will be busy with family outings. The goal is to have Jeremy along for most of our October adventures since getting out and about with just Owen and I is becoming less appealing. I’ve been dealing with a certain back pain that sends pain down my lower back and into my legs. I kept telling myself it wasn’t sciatic nerve pain, but then I googled what sciatic nerve pain is and it turns out that it is exactly what I am dealing with… It seems to be getting worse and at times it effects my ability to walk or stand. Today I almost fell over because I couldn’t put any weight on my right leg. I joked with Jeremy that if I am down on the floor unable to get up, I will text him code word “life alert” and he’ll know to come home and help me. Right now, my goal is to do as much as I physically can in September and then hopefully be more of a bum come the month of October. We’ll see how that pans out.

Owen and I enjoyed a visit down to Auntie April’s house this last week. We ran some errands together and Owen got to run around April’s house which is always an adventure. We had a blast playing with my friend, Kaly, and her two boys yesterday. Because my dog is a biter, I have started doing play dates at Mom’s house as a dog-free space. It works out great because my mom has awesome toys and the kiddos have a great time. My mom is very generous for letting me host people in her home and letting little boys destroy her living room! Today, Owen and I joined our MOPS group for our monthly outing. This month was making apple cider using an apple press. It was interesting to watch the process. Owen, however, was completely unaware that apple cider was the purpose of the outing. He found trucks, rocks, water and mud to play in. He was a very happy camper and was truly sad when I had to take his wet and muddy little self home for lunch and nap. Overall, the outing was lots of fun. I got to talk with other moms while Owen ran amok and we have a big jar of apple cider in the fridge to show for our efforts.

Well, that’s the update for now! The end of September and the beginning of October promise to hold some good times ahead (as long as my body doesn’t give out on me). We are officially at 33 days until my due date. It was super funny because at the MOPS outing today someone told me that I was really starting to show. I laughed and told them I better be showing since I could have a baby in the next month! I’m still praying that #2 comes early. I’m perfectly fine with anytime after Owen’s big birthday weekend (coming up in just a week and a half, yikes)! I’m happy to be arriving at the “go zone”. Little brother can feel free to join us sooner rather than later!

My office assistant helping me get ready for MOPS

My boys just relaxing

Watching Winnie the Pooh with Auntie April

What happens at Grandma’s house… But it’s okay because it’s Grandma’s house!

Play date with good friends

An apple cider outing for MOPS

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The Fun of September September 14, 2015

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 8:21 pm

September is always a unique month in the Scott household. It’s a big transition season with the school year starting. MOPS has started up again. I have a new class of girls at church. Pumpkin goodies are again being stocked in stores. It’s also hunting season which is a major priority to one particular family member. Since I’ve been feeling pretty crummy, I’ve been slightly more motivated to get the last of the baby preparations done. I have the diaper bag fully packed, I have my hospital bag started and I have a to-do list of last minute items that I hope to purchase this week (the main item we still need is diapers since I’m guessing Owen’s size 4 diapers won’t fit his little brother). My hope is that by the end of September, I’ll be completely ready to go for Baby #2. This will allow me to sit on my bum through all of October and not feel the pressure to finish things up.

I’m trying to balance my life right now. Which is pretty impossible. It’s hard to cut down on my activity level when my daily life includes so many weekly commitments like MOPS and church. This week was a bit on the busier side, but for a very worthwhile cause. I got to spend some girl time with one of my forever friends, Christa, on Friday. I realized that it has been months since I sat in a coffee shop and just talked with a friend. It was so refreshing. On Saturday I drove down to Portland to spend time with Christa and some of her close friends. Not only is Christa getting married in the next month, but she donated her kidney today to save the life of a friend. It was a night to celebrate Christa as a bride, but also to honor the sacrifice that she was about to make. Since Saturday was her last day before the pre-op instructions set in, we lived it up. We got pedicures and then went to dinner a local place in downtown Portland. Christa is truly an amazing and selfless individual and I know my life is forever better for her influence and friendship. From the updates I’ve been receiving, it sounds like her surgery went well today. I am praying for her as she enters recovery and adapts to life with only one kidney.

Saturday was also the beginning of elk season so Jeremy had plans to be out in nature most of the day. His mom agreed to watch Owen so Jeremy could hunt and I could go to my ladies night in Portland. The original plan was for Jeremy to pick up Owen and get him to bed. We knew that it would be a later bedtime than usual, but my hope was that Owen would be down around 9pm. It figures on the day that I plan for my husband to put Owen to bed is the day that Jeremy gets a deer. It’s been a few years since my hunter has actually brought home fresh meat so this was big news in our household. Because Jeremy had to come back in and skin the deer and I was driving from Portland, Owen’s bed time ended up being a lot later than I expected on Saturday. On Sunday morning, we ended up leaving church early because Owen was just too tired to be there. He had woken up with enough time for us to get to church, but once I arrived on site, I realized that he wasn’t in the right mood to be there. Oh well. I tried.

Other fun highlights of the month include being a part of Sarah Bessey’s launch team for her new book, Out of Sorts. Sarah Bessey is my favorite blogger so getting to read an advanced copy of her book feels like heaven. Part of being on the launch team involves promoting her book via social media. Don’t be surprised to see a full length blog totally devoted to my thoughts on the book. I’m only able to read a chapter or so a day due to being tired and trying to keep up with a toddler. So far, I’m loving each chapter. Sarah is honest and brave as she shares her faith story and how it has evolved over the years. She has walked some hard roads and grown so much through her experiences. I am thankful that she is willing to share her journey and that I am able to grow through her honesty. She is truly one of my favorite people on the planet. Read her books, read her blogs. She is amazing!

Owen continues to become more and more of a big boy each day. He has completely entered the terrible twos. The level of drama has certainly escalated in our house. The nice part is that even though he has monumental meltdowns, they don’t seem to last too long before he moves on. However, they are extremely annoying in the moment. He has also become clingy on a crazy level. At almost two (and with me being very pregnant), I’m trying to get him to walk on his own more. He doesn’t seem to like this new trend and demands to be held more than ever. Part of me wants to keep him my baby boy forever and the other part of wants him to use his own two legs. My joke is once little brother arrives I’ll need to carry Owen in the baby carrier since he seems bent on being held. Such a dork. I feel a bit sorry for him that his world is about to be turned upside down, but he’ll adapt.

The rest of the month will be filled with mentor hang outs, a few play dates and hopefully a lot of rest. I’m trying to slow down and keep my schedule low-key. It’s hard to do because I feel like I owe the world 150% and I only have like 25% to give… It’s frustrating, but I know it’s only for a season. With less than a month and a half left, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I won’t always be sharing my body with a little human. So until then, I’ll just take deep breaths and do the best that I can. Sorry if that means I’m a bum. I have officially quit trying to keep up with life. I’ll just do what I can.

Owen woke up ready to read

Such a big boy – taking the dog for a walk!

So excited to be a part of the launch team for this book

All dressed up in camo and ready to head out into nature with Jeremy. These boys love going on adventures together!

Celebrating my awesome friend, Christa!

Owen was way too tired to be at church on Sunday. He ended up snuggling with me for most of the time he was in service with me.

This is what happens when the high chair tray of cereal gets flipped over. Owen and Toby are racing to eat all the pieces off the floor. Gotta love my little vacuum cleaners.

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50 Days and Counting September 5, 2015

Filed under: Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 10:00 am

It’s been 50 days since I last posted anything “mostly” about my second pregnancy… Blogging about this second pregnancy hasn’t been easy for me. When I was pregnant with Owen, everything was new and around every corner was a “what if” to ponder. My life was going to drastically change and it was all I could think about. This go around, I still think about pregnancy a lot, but in a totally different way. Keeping up with a toddler while growing a little human inside me has been quite the life experience. I try to post mainly positive things on this blog. I don’t want to be a downer and a whiny pregnant lady doesn’t sound like an interesting read. A lot of people love being pregnant and I don’t want to offend them by saying that I don’t love it. I don’t like it at all. Very little of this process is my idea of a good time. I view it as something to endure for the end result. I also have a fear that if I mention some of my aches and pains then people will freak out and treat me like I am about to explode (which is semi true, but annoying nonetheless). Anyway, I walk on egg shells with what to say about being pregnant and how I am doing. I just don’t like to be too honest because often I don’t think it’s the answer that people want to hear. So for those of you want to think of pregnancy in the same light as fluffy puppies, bunnies, unicorns and rainbows – maybe you should stop reading this post, like right now.

Okay, this pregnancy has been hard. I’ve been trying to compare this pregnancy to my one with Owen and I think this one wins for being harder. I have been sicker this go around and I have felt worse overall. This could be thanks to keeping up with a toddler, but for some reason it is just more icky in lots of ways. I hurt a lot. From back pain to headaches to the force of my little one kicking me in random places, I am not comfortable a good portion of the day. It’s all about living with and through the pain. I often hear “have you talked to your doctor about that?” And yes, I have. It’s, sadly, normal stuff, that I just need to deal with. The last month has been one where I went from “Wow, we’re in the third trimester” to “Are we done yet?” I am over feeling this way.

Apart of physically feeling bad, I feel like I am not doing a great job at keeping up with life. There are days where staying home with Owen is too much for me and I am spent by the time Jeremy gets home from work. When I add outings or commitments outside of the house to my calendar, they are almost too much for me and I question almost every time I walk out the door if I have the “umph” to do what I have planned. I have joked with various family members that I feel like dropping out of the human society for a couple of months. Going into hiding is a tempting option. However, I know that things that I do and the people that I see are worthwhile and then I feel really guilty about wanting to hide from the outside world.

While I was getting ready one morning this week, I was thinking about all the things that I am not doing well at right now. The list is long. I started to go down the road of beating myself up for not being more awesome and then I remembered that my goal in life isn’t to be awesome. I just read about this in Jen Hatmaker’s new book For the Love, which I highly recommend. I can’t be all things. I can’t do all things. I can be awesome at all things. I want to love Jesus and love others, but even that looks different in each season of life. Right now it’s a slower season. Having little ones makes you slow down to their pace and it’s a good reminder to go easy on myself. I doubt that Jesus would give me the same verbal smack down I was giving myself. I have a feeling his words to me would be much more grace-filled. Giving grace to others seems to be easier than giving grace to myself. The truth is I need it more than ever these days. I am not a superstar. I am not getting everything done. I do not have the energy or stamina to socialize with every person that I genuinely like or enjoy. Some seasons are scaled back and some seasons of life are not awesome. Being pregnant falls under the “not awesome” category of my life.

I’m sure kid #2 will be worth it. Once he arrives on the scene and I see him growing and developing, I will willingly put aside the memories of being pregnant so I can focus on the present joys and frustrations of parenting. It took me a while to get into the swing of things with Owen and I assume that it will be the same kind of adjustment period with #2. I am not fooling myself into thinking that having a toddler and a newborn will be easy. But it will be a new adventure and it will be progress and it will move quickly because it’s shocking how fast newborns aren’t newborns and how fast infants become toddlers. Pregnancy is one uncomfortable wait game that is worth the end goal. I’m so glad that there is an end in sight and that it is coming in roughly 7 weeks. Less than two months. Less than 50 days. I can do this. I will make it. I might have to repeat that often. The most amazing part of this journey is that for as awful as I feel, it causes to me to turn to God and rely on him for strength. Pain has a way of bringing us closer to God and I truly feel like pregnancy and parenting has drawn me closer to my Savior because I have needed him like never before. Even the tough stuff of life can be used for good when given to God. I am thankful for that and optimistic for the future.

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Random Snapshots of Life September 3, 2015

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf,Family Time — Amy Scott @ 8:43 pm

I love to blog. Writing is something I enjoy and it keeps me sane… Or maybe it helps me get out my insanity? I don’t know. I love it. I’ve been itching to blog this week, but haven’t had the energy to do so. Plus, I don’t really have a cohesive theme of which to write on. This leads me to the post that you are about to read. Random. It will be very random. A little of this and a little of that. I used a lot of brain cells to write a post all about my second pregnancy, but I won’t be sharing that post until this weekend, so until then let me tide you over with the random musings of Amy Scott.

Fall is here in the PNW. We went from hot, hot, hot to cloudy, rainy and cool. Can I say, praise the Lord! I was over the heat. I know it might come back, but I am grateful for the break from hot weather. Tuesday was the first day of September and I woke up to clouds and the school bus driving past my house. I went to church and worked on my classroom bulletin board and then went to our MOPS registration social. It really felt like the first day of school (waking up with a new pimple really added to that feeling as well). MOPS is now back in full swing and I had my first class of the 2015-2016 school year last night at church. I love the transition of September. Mostly because I love the fall and in just a few weeks the calendar will officially concur that autumn is here!

Note the pumpkins from Jeremy’s garden!

This last month was a good month for book releases. I discovered that the parent’s of Jon & Tim Foreman (members of my favorite band, Switchfoot) released a book on parenting. I was so intrigued to see what the parents of these rock’n’roll stars had to say about raising their boys. I also knew that their dad was a pastor, so I assumed that part of it would include raising your kids in the context of ministry. The book is called Never Say No by Mark & Jan Foreman. The title had me a bit worried because I say no a lot and honestly, I believe that your kids can’t do whatever they want – like walking off a cliff. Sometimes no is an important word – for safety purposes and what not. However, the book is much more about saying yes to your kids and raising big picture kids. It’s about creativity and letting your kids discover who they are and who God is and helping them transition through each season so they can be healthy adults. It’s a very good read and it was fun for me as Switchfoot fan to picture little Jon and Tim as I read about them from their parent’s perspective.

The other book that I read this last month was For the Love by Jen Hatmaker. I love Jen Hatmaker. Her book 7 changed my perspective in a ton of ways. I follow her on Facebook where she regularly makes me laugh out loud. Her new book is a combination of so many things. It’s thought provoking, encouraging, inspirational and down right funny. I frequently laugh out loud while reading her work which is silly because I am often alone in a room just laughing to myself. One night this last week, I was reading in bed with Jeremy beside me and the chapter was so hilarious that I was unable to talk and share what was funny with Jeremy. I was crying and trying to talk and I couldn’t catch my breath. I felt like a total dork, but a good laugh is important every now and again. Plus I provided my husband with some great entertainment.

Enjoying the plastic “neigh neigh” at Lattin’s Cider Mill & Farm

Last Friday, we went on a family outing to local farm. Owen enjoyed all the fake animals at the farm more than the real animals. He kept saying “neigh neigh” and I thought he was looking for horse because he assumed that a farm would have horses. It turns out that the farm had a collection of mechanical horse that he had seen and he wanted to ride those. We picked up some yummy baked goods and then let Owen play on the rides. Of course, we had a no quarters so none of the rides actually did anything, but he enjoyed sitting them. One of them was a rocking horse and Jeremy was able to give Owen a decent ride on that one since it moved without money being required. After our morning at the farm, we went to get Owen a haircut. Owen seems to dislike getting his hair cut more and more each time we go. This resulted in Jeremy having to hold Owen in his lap like a human straight jacket. It might be time that we watch some YouTube videos and learn to cut Owen’s hair at home – for the sake of the poor lady that has to cut our toddler’s hair and for all the people in the salon with us. It was quite the experience (interchange with the word exhausting). However, now our little boy has big boy clothes and another big boy haircut. He is looking so old these days. It’s mind boggling.

Below are photos that depict the end of August and beginning of September in the Scott house. Nothing too epic, but this is our everyday, real life. It’s good and fun and crazy.

Owen is obsessed with this shark shirt from our vacation. He requests to wear it and cries when we take it off. He has the same reaction to any clothes that have trucks on them.

Owen has been sleeping in this week and Toby doesn’t seem to mind the extra down time. This was Sunday morning while I was waiting for Owen to get up.

My new class bulletin has a travel theme. I may have started singing " Come Fly with Me" while putting it together.

My new class bulletin board has a travel theme. I may have started singing ” Come Fly with Me” while putting it together.

At the MOPS social, Owen put Harper’s name tag on his forehed and would not let it be taken off. Not a great pic for smiling, but the silly memory was documented!

Helping Daddy shop for stuff to make freezer meals. Another highlight of our weekend was getting a chest freezer for the garage! Now to fill it up!

Hanging with my class on Wednesday night. This yarn game is a September tradition!

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2T August 27, 2015

Filed under: Family Time,Parenthood,Recollections — Amy Scott @ 9:56 pm

Kissing his reflection in the shoe department of the Columbia Outlet

A week ago we took Owen shopping at the Lincoln City Outlets. It could have been a disaster since he hadn’t napped in hours and had already spent the morning running around the Oregon Coast Aquarium. I was very concerned about his energy storehouse. Plus, shopping with Owen is always a gamble. He seems to be on his best behavior when shopping with just Jeremy, but add me to the mix and we have a crazy child on our hands. I wish I knew why. Oh the mind of a toddler. I’m happy to report that our shopping experience with Owen was delightful. Minus a tragic fall in the Old Navy Outlet that caused his mouth to bleed and Owen to wail loudly for some time… That was the low point, but it happened early on in the outing and Owen moved on from the whole ordeal fairly well.

It was hard to get a good picture, but here is Owen walking around with his very own shopping bag. He really got into the shopping experience!

I decided that Owen’s next wardrobe would be made up of clothes sized 2T. I compared and contrasted 24 months to 2T and decided that we would make the plunge into 2T. This meant shopping in a whole new section of most stores. My little boy’s clothes are now defined by years, not months. It really feels like he is no longer a baby even though he has been very a much a toddler for sometime. Transitions always have a way of reminding me how quickly time is flying by and how fast this little human is growing. Shopping with an almost 2 year old could have been a nightmare. Instead, Owen was quite helpful and carried items around the store for us. We would pick something like a jacket, pair of jeans, or pajamas and he would proudly walk around the items in hand. Just another reminder that he is big boy. Cashiers gave Owen small little bags that he could carry out of the store himself and he was as pleased as punch. It was the cutest sight.

Now I fully I expected all these 2T clothes to be HUGE on Owen, but for fun we tried a few on this week. They fit fairly normally which breaks my heart in a strange way. He is bigger than I expected. Owen also loves his new clothes (many of them have bulldozers and dump trucks on them). He begs to wear them and cries when we try to take them off. Since when did this kid ever care about fashion? He has suddenly developed an opinion on what he wears. I knew this was coming, but it’s a small thing like 2T clothes that make me realize we have a big boy on our hands.

This last week I’ve read a couple of sappy parenting articles on Facebook. Lord, help me. I am pregnant and hormonal and I should not be reading these. The water works have been insane. One article was about how older siblings might never remember a time without their younger sibling, especially if they are born close enough together. My sister and I are just a few weeks shy of two years apart and I don’t remember life before April. My memories have always included in her. I suspect that Owen will be the same way. He is will always remember his little brother. He won’t remember these days as a family of three. He won’t remember my transition to being a stay at home mom. He won’t remember the long days spent in our pajamas or the diaper time struggles. He won’t remember my joy over watching him learn words, shapes, sounds, colors and animals. In a lot of ways, I have begun to mourn the fact that it won’t always just be Owen and Mommy at home. I’m sure little brother will bring a whole new dynamic of fun and love, but things will never be the same. It was a good reminder for me to cherish in my heart the time that I have had with just Owen. I have grown and changed so much in the last two years. I guess I’m trying to keep up with Owen in more than one way. He is changing me as he changes and grows and develops. What a sweet period of time. I will remember it even though he won’t.

The other article was about how someday you will realize that your kid has passed a series of “lasts” and you might have missed it – last time building a fort with blankets, last time needing your help washing their hair. While Owen is still very much young and dependent on me, I am reminded that he won’t always be. He will continue to grow and mature through the different stages of childhood and into adulthood. I want to make the most of these moments and not let them slip by. I’m so amazed at how it’s the small things that seem to make the most impact in the long run. I am blessed that I can be present in these moments and enjoy them for their simple pleasure. I certainly have my days when this parenting gig seems like no fun and I wonder what I signed up for. It’s no walk in the park and my kid is hitting the terrible twos. But it won’t be this way forever. Someday I will have a quiet house and it will probably be clean and I will be an empty-nester. The family years will go fast. As the quote goes, the days are long but the years are short.

I think being pregnant around Owen’s 2nd birthday (about a month away from that milestone) has made me even more sentimental and emotional (aka hormonal). Maybe I would feel the same way about things if I wasn’t pregnant. All I know is that I want to remember this time. I want to remember shopping for 2T clothes at the outlets with my proud, big boy. I want to remember the family of three days with fondness. They have been so good and so hard and so worth it. I know that being a family of four will be awesome in a new way and I am excited to discover that. I am also excited to see the little person that Owen is becoming. He is funny, smart and creative. While I mourn the fact that he is no longer a baby, I wouldn’t want him to stay a baby forever. He just keeps getting more amazing with time. I love watching him become more and more himself as he discovers the world. It’s been an incredible journey and I am blessed that we get to start the process all over again with kiddo #2. However, I am not excited about the newborn sleep schedule that is right around the corner. I guess Owen has been a good guinea pig kid, because now I can remind myself that this to shall pass. I have survived life with Owen thus far and I am sure I’ll make through all the ups and downs with #2 as well. Plus, hopefully, I’ll have a little helper and Owen can show his little brother the ropes. I’m sure he’ll have some good brotherly insight into surviving life with their crazy parents!