Amy Scott's Thoughts

On Thursday, Chick-fil-A opened their first store in the Northwest up in Bellevue, WA. Jeremy had mentioned on Thursday night that we still had time to get up there if we wanted to go on opening day. While I love a good adventure, I had already eaten dinner and the thought of getting another meal just didn’t sound too good. After Jeremy was gone this weekend for a work related retreat, he decided to take today off as comp time for being away. It was great to have my hubby around today, but I will admit that I am now all thrown off on what day it is! It certainly doesn’t feel like a Monday. After our discussion on Thursday night, we put into action a plan to visit Bellevue today with our free day. Owen has reset to a new schedule that involves waking up at 7:00am, so we were up early and out the door first thing this morning. We hit Starbucks on our way to the Bellevue Collection – a group of stores that we only seem to hit during the Christmas shopping season. It was fun to wonder around the mall and have it be so calm and chill. We stopped by few of our favorite stores – The Container Store, The Disney Store, The Lego Store and Top Pot Doughnuts (where we wondered out with a half dozen hand-forged doughnuts)! Once we had roamed the mall, we set off to find the new Chick-fil-A. We honestly had no idea what to expect. I figured it would be busy since it’s still a really big deal and I was right. They had police officers in the parking lot helping to direct traffic. The drive-thru line was amazingly long. Lucky for us, there were plenty of parking spots since we had planned to go inside to eat. The line was at the door when we arrived, but it moved quickly. We didn’t wait long to order and our food was up almost instantly. All the indoor seating was full, so we headed outside to a covered eating area that was equipped with heaters. It was really nice. We enjoyed our meals and the the busy atmosphere as people bustled in and around us. It was a super fun and yummy activity. I glad we braved the crowds to get our first taste. Owen loved the waffle fries! Once all the waffle fries were gone, we headed back home. Owen was almost asleep instantly once he was loaded into his car seat. Now we’ve spent the afternoon taking naps and catching up on DVR’d television! Not a bad day if I say so myself!

Go down. Go up. Repeat.

Enjoying the view from the Skybridge

Getting a new water bottle at The Container Store

Owen loves water!

The main event – lunch at Chick-fil-A!

One of my favorite things to bring home from Bellevue

… Mom and Owen will play! This weekend Jeremy had an overnight retreat with some local children’s pastors. Owen and I had two days to fill with fun activities that would distract us from Jeremy’s absence. We really miss the guy when he is not around. I, of course, called in reinforcements, because other people are so much cooler than me to Owen. On Friday, my mom spent the afternoon with us. We went to lunch at Taco Bell, fed ducks in the park, went shopping at Safeway for survival food and Owen got a balloon from Grandma, then it was back to the house to take Toby for a walk. My mom was very helpful in tiring out both Owen and Toby. When my mom left, it was nap time and Owen took a good, long nap (the best kind)! Our evening looked liked frozen pizza, Disney movies, doughnuts for dessert and bath time. Not a bad way to fill a Friday! On Saturday, my sister came over to help Owen and I pass the time. More doughnuts were enjoyed, some Duggars were watched on TV, Owen avoided a nap and basically ran full steam ahead the whole time April was over. After April left, I thought for sure Owen would take an awesome nap since he missed his chance that morning. Owen fell asleep quickly and woke up not even an hour later… He must have known that Jeremy was close to home. Owen woke up and Jeremy got home within minutes of each other. Owen was glad to have his dad home and I was glad to have my hubby back. Owen and I had a good time while Jeremy was away, but life is truly better with him around. We love him!

Friday afternoon with Grandma. On a side note: the ducks weren’t all that interested in being fed. Kind of sad, but Owen didn’t seem to mind. He loves birds, so seeing them was enough for him.

Partying hard on a Friday night

Saturday adventures around the house

Happy to have Dad home! Both of them are a bit tired from the big weekend!

Tis the season to eat bunny shaped candy!

First off, I would like to say that Easter really has nothing to do with chocolate bunnies and plastic eggs. These things are fun and our weekend was full of great activities, but the truth of Easter weekend lies in the power of the cross and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, life itself would be meaningless. Everything fades in comparison to him. I love Easter Sunday morning. There is an energy to it. There is excitement, hope and celebration. Without fail, I usually cry at some point during the church services. I find the power of the resurrection so moving and the love of my Savior is hard to fathom. It’s just so amazing. We had a lot of kids in our ministry get baptized this Easter. I’m so proud of each of them and my heart soars at the decision they have decided to make. I pray that they continue to fall in love with Jesus while they are a young and that they develop a deep and rich relationship with the Lord that lasts a lifetime.

Opening his first Easter gifts at Grandpa & Grandma’s house

Now that has been said, our Easter weekend activities were so much fun! After being so sick, for so long, I was ready to have a good time and get out of the house a bit. On Friday night, my parent’s watched Owen so Jeremy and I could go see Cinderella in the theaters. It was a sweet movie and it was so nice to be out. As we were exiting the theater around 6:30pm, I was amazed at the amount of people coming in to the movies, especially teenagers. It just shows how often I go to the movies. My awe of the crowds made me feel like I’ve been a bit reclusive lately. I need to get out more!

Jeremy brought home tulips from town

Saturday was a family day that we packed in the Easter/Spring fun. Jeremy and Owen started the day off by running into town together. It was nice to have a bit of quiet time around the house.While Owen napped, Jeremy and I dyed Easter eggs. I haven’t done that in forever and it was a sure an experience with Jeremy! After Owen’s nap, we went out to look at some local tulip fields. Owen really enjoyed the tulip fields, but the whole outing itself was a bit hit or miss. Owen was happy or he was not happy… It went back and forth a lot. When we got home from the tulip fields, we did a small egg hunt for Owen in the front yard. Since Owen missed out on Easter Eggstravaganza last weekend, I was itching to see him do an egg hunt. Owen was interested in only about half the eggs we put out, but it was still fun to watch him. After the hunt, it was time for another nap. To wrap up our evening, we gave Owen his Easter basket. We knew that Easter Sunday was going to be packed full so we wanted him to enjoy some time with his basket items. It was fun to assemble a basket for Owen this year. He got a couple of small toys, some bubbles (which we had to go outside and use immediately), a mini flashlight, a small chocolate bunny, some crayons, a Mickey Mouse coloring book, and book about Spring. On an impulse, I bought Peeps to put in his basket. Now before the world gets horrified at my parenting skills, I’m just curious what he will think of Peeps. I plan on giving him a small, child safe piece. I want to see his reaction. I have no plans on him eating the whole package himself. In fact, apart from deforming them in the microwave, I have no purpose for Peeps in my own life. Owen got to play around with his new goodies for a while then it was bath time and bed time.

Our eggs creations! Some of Jeremy’s turned out pretty unique!

Sunday, we got ready for church and spent the morning at Bethel celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. My sister and brother-in-law made the drive up to go to church with us, so it was nice to see them before they jetted off to be with Andrew’s family for the rest of the day. Owen and I left church a little early so he could get a nap and Toby could have some time out of the crate before the long afternoon/evening of family gatherings. Our first stop was Jeremy’s aunt and uncle’s house to share a meal with the local clan. Owen enjoyed giving the dogs treats and getting lots of kisses from the puppies. Then we hit the road to head up my family gathering. Owen arrived just in time for the egg hunt. Each kid was allowed to pick up 24 eggs. Let’s just say Owen wasn’t as interested in collecting eggs this go around. He found a football in the yard and held it the whole time he was hunting. He also found a stick, an empty cup and a flower wind catcher… He was interested in everything but the eggs. Owen eventually got all the eggs he was supposed to, but he might have had some adult help with that. We enjoyed dessert with my family before heading back home to get Owen ready for bed. It was a FULL day. It’s always great to see our families. It’s not often that we all get together, so these times are important and special.

Well, that sums our Easter weekend! It was the best Easter weekend I’ve had in a long time. The change to having Easter Eggstravaganza the week before Easter meant that this weekend we had more energy than we usually do. It was a nice change to spread out the activities. I really enjoyed the Saturday before Easter. It was a great family day for us. I love starting our own little traditions and doing things with Owen that I did as a kid. It’s also fun that he isn’t at the candy eating stage quiet yet, so all his sugary spoils will be enjoyed by Jeremy and I!

Owen and the tulips!

All boy

Helping Dad find the perfect hanging basket

Egg hunt in our yard

Basket time

Thanks for the stuff. See ya!

Happy Easter!

Hunting for everything, but eggs!

Crazy to think that tomorrow is the halfway point for the month of February! We are flying through the month. Things have been good. Nothing too over the top crazy these days, just enjoying life. Owen’s nose stopped running for about a week and now the facet is back on. I know lots of kiddos have a off and on runny nose, but Owen hasn’t been that type of kid until now, so I’m adapting to this new snotty phase. Oh well. As long as he is well enough to go into the nursery at church, I’m cool. Here are some of the highlights of the month so far.

One of my favorite people in the world, Miss Jessica, came to visit for a few days after moving to Virginia this summer. I got to see her two nights in a row and I was in absolute heaven. However, I’ve been going through Jessica withdrawals ever since she left. I love this girl and it was fantastic to catch up with her in person about her very exciting life on the east coast.

Last weekend, we spent a day helping my sister and brother-in-law tidy up their new rental home. They will be moving tomorrow, but we wanted to make sure the house to was in tip-top shape before we got all their stuff inside. It was a fun day of being able to explore their new area and help set them up in their new space. Owen loved running around the empty rooms, especially the mud room.

One of my bigger projects this last week has been packing up Owen’s size 12 month clothes and pulling out the next sizes. Owen has been in 12 month clothes for over 5 months now. It’s exciting to have a change in the wardrobe especially as we move toward more spring type outfits, but at the same time, it’s always a little sad when I’m boxing up little shirts and pants. So many good memories in those clothes. He wore these through the holidays and through many adventures. It’s strange how attached to them I feel as I pack up the boxes. Yesterday, we went out and did some clothing shopping to fill in the gaps in his wardrobe. The best part was Owen joined us for the first store and then he spent the evening with Grandma & Grandpa. Jeremy and I shopped in Olympia with no kiddo. It was so much fun!!! Owen likes to roam the stores like a maniac or he wants to be held. Riding the cart isn’t his favorite thing (at least when I’m around, Jeremy says he does great in the cart if he and Owen are out on a daddy/son outing). Anyway, it was a fun treat to shop without Owen in the mix.

Tonight we have a Valentine’s Day dinner at church. Jeremy got roped into lip syncing and dancing to a Backstreet Boys song with the staff. I promise photos and videos of that to come! Tomorrow we move April and April into their new home so that will make for a big day and a not very romantic Valentine’s Day, but that is okay. We don’t usually make a fuss out Valentine’s Day anyway. Plus, spending Valentine’s Day with family, helping them move seems like a very loving thing to do.  That’s the new news for now! I’m sure I’ll have lots of fun to share after this big holiday weekend!

Jessica visited from Virginia

Helping clean Uncle & Auntie’s new house. We move them in tomorrow!

Toby finally got a haircut since he couldn’t see out of his eyes anymore. Now he looks like a rat dog!

Making forts and playing with a lantern

He has discovered the white board thanks to the kiddos at church

Owen got his first Valentine in the mail! Good thing it’s from his cousin, Carson, and not a girl!

While clothing shopping for some new size 18 month outfits, Jeremy felt that Owen needed a pair of sunglasses. Now they are a pair of cool dudes!

Lunch date with Maggie!

My last post talked about how we were finally coming out of the haze of sickness and my plan to end January was a busy one. Well… That didn’t pan like I thought. The weekend was fine. Last Friday, I drove up to Tukwila for a lunch date with two of my favorite ladies – Maggie and Summer. Jeremy had a busy weekend with a work party and a Frozen movie showing at our church. Monday, Jeremy and I had a ministers dinner for work, so we went to that while Owen hung out with Nana & Papa. I was super excited because the next morning, I was going to take Owen swimming with our MOPs group, but Owen woke up with a runny nose and a random cough. I would say that Owen was right on the fence of being sick and I didn’t want swimming to tip the scale to the side of sick. We ended up stayed home. Luckily, Owen doesn’t know all the fun he missed out on, but I know he loves to swim and play in the water. It was definitely a hard opportunity to pass up. Despite the snot, I had a student come over and hang out on Tuesday night for a few hours. It was great to catch up with her. She let Owen text on her phone and make phone calls to her friends. Owen that was a blast and has been disappointed that I won’t let him do the same thing on my phone now.

Enjoying the sunshine on Monday

Wednesday was supposed to be a lunch date with a good friend, but she came down with a bug, so those plans got postponed until this week. Owen’s nose was still running pretty good on Wednesday. Jeremy stayed home from church with Owen since we weren’t sure if he should be in the nursery. Wednesday night was pajama night with my class. We were going to watch a movie and have root beer floats. In the middle of pouring the root beer floats, the power went out to the two back classrooms that the girls use. My mom’s class next door was doing a pancake night and they had plugged in too many griddles thus blowing a fuse. I had to run out to the foyer to find someone who could help us. The security jumped right into helping us and soon the power was back on. Of course, I got comments from many adults on my pajamas. I was unfazed when I walked down there because I’m so used to wearing pajamas, I forgot that the rest of the world would find my outfit weird. I had to explain that our class was doing something special that night. When I finally got to playing the video I wanted on my laptop, I realized that my new laptop didn’t have the internet access code plugged into it. It’s a 40-key code with lots of letters and numbers. I had to call Jeremy for the 2nd time (after the fuse fiasco) and get the code. Once we got that to work, the internet signal wasn’t strong enough in our classroom so we had to relocate to another room closer to the router. As you can tell, it’s quite the night. Very crazy.

Texting with Lacey on Tuesday

Thursday and Friday, I had plans that also got canceled due to Owen’s nose and the illness of other kiddos he was going to hang out with. This week was supposed to be ultra busy, but the germs had other plans for my family and friends. It was still a fun week though. I don’t mind things being quieter than expected. Then Friday and Saturday were around the house days.

Sunday, of course, was the Super Bowl. My parents had invited us up to watch the Super Bowl at their house. My dad has a media room with a huge TV and a large sound system that makes watching the game up close and personal. My sister and brother-in-law came as well as two other families from our church. The parents all went upstairs to watch the game and that left my mom, sister and I down stairs with 7 kids ages ranging from 1 to almost 10. It was a bit chaotic to stay the least. I munched on way too much snack food and April and I kept up with the game on mute in the background. My dad had the game time-delayed upstairs so April and I always knew what was going on before the main group of football fans. While the Seahawks were winning this power felt awesome, but toward the end of the game, we were sad to know that they had lost before the group did. We heard them cheering upstairs and we knew it wasn’t going to end well. Then things got quiet upstairs… and we knew that they knew it too. Despite the sad and dramatic ending to the Super Bowl, we had a great time and a lot fun.

Now you are all caught up on the happenings of the Scott family. Apparently Owen will be sick about every two weeks and his runny nose runs our lives. I’ve talked to so many moms with older kids that say that they remember these always sick days. It’s good to know that this isn’t odd. Also, Owen wasn’t deathly ill, but I’m always cautious when it comes to sharing germs. I would hate for our germs to infect another family. Despite the change of plans and the slower pace, I would say that we had a fun and zany week.

New backpack! We are going to use this as his diaper bag now, so Owen can carry around his own stuff.

Goofing around with pillows and blankets

Helping Dad install more cabinet latches

Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday