Amy Scott's Thoughts

June So Far… June 19, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 3:44 pm

We are over halfway through the month of June and wow, has a lot been going on. Lots of changes have happened this month. Some big, some small. The biggest change for us would be that I am stepping down from my job at the church. Things got complicated at the beginning of the month with family schedules and Jeremy and I decided we would simplify our lives. I’m looking forward to being a full-time stay-at-home mom. I don’t worry that Owen and I will have plenty to do, place to go and people to see. While I feel this is a good move for our family, I will admit that it’s strange to hand over the reigns to someone else. I’ve been working as Jeremy’s administrative assistant for the last 5 years and I’ve been working at Bethel Church for almost 8 years now (It would have been 8 full years in August). Change of any sort tends to throw me for a loop, so wrapping my mind around all this has been crazy. At the same time as I am untethering from a life of set office hours, Jeremy’s day off changed from Fridays to Mondays. So many of my usual markers during the week have disappeared and now I’m often left wondering what day it is! I guess it’s time to rebuild my routine.

Another big exciting change is that my sister and brother-in-law moved into a new place this last weekend. We spent Saturday moving them and helping them start the unpacking process. I love organizing so anytime I can help anyone settle into a new space, I enjoy the challenge. Owen was a pretty good little kid for the move. He alternated between playing/sleeping in his Pack’n’Play and running errands with family members. In true Amy fashion, to help the moving process, I bought ice cream treats and Hostess Sno-Balls to keep spirits high. It seemed to have a very positive effect on April and I! It will be fun to see April and Andrew settle in and make the place their own. They happen to be very close to a favored local coffee shop, so I see lots of hanging out in this new location in the future!

As I mentioned in my last blog, it was my mom’s birthday last week, so we spent the evening with my family having yummy Chinese food and playing a quick card game. June is a month where I have to keep a present to-do list in my mind. We have two family birthdays and now three dads to get gifts for in one month! Jeremy opened his Father’s Day present on Friday night since the weekend was packed full. Owen gave Jeremy cash, candy and a photo cube with his face all over it. My favorite part was the Super Dad card from Owen and I. So far Father’s Day has had a “super” theme the last two years. I wonder if I can keep it going over the years. Sunday was spent celebrating with our dads. We had burgers with the Scotts and tacos with the Vitzthums. It was a very good day and a lot of fun to spend the day with both our families.

There is much of June still left to be lived. I’ll keep you posted as our family continues to head into new and exciting territory. I’m sure the life of a stay- at-home mom will afford me plenty of writing material!

Yay! I get Mom all to myself!

Celebrating Grandma’s Birthday

Moving Day

Best Buds!

Love my dad!

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Throwback Thursday June 12, 2014

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 9:30 am

I don’t usually partake in Throwback Thursday, Flashback Friday or Man Crush Monday. If there are titles for the other days of the week, I don’t know them. But today seems like a good day to do a throwback. This day holds meaning for a lot of reasons! First, it’s my mom’s birthday! Happy Birthday, Mom! I’m so grateful to have a good relationship with my mom. I know that she put up with a lot from me while I was growing up. While I wasn’t a crazy, rebellious child, I think we all have our own ways of driving our parents nuts. Mine would have been singing too loud around the house and generally thinking the world revolved around me. I am so thankful for the wonderful influence and friendship my mom has given me over the years. Now that I’m an adult, I love our relationship even more. My mom loves her family in very tangible ways. She gives us her time and attention often. Owen thinks she makes a pretty good grandma, too!

Okay, getting back to the throwbacks! Today happens to be the day that I graduated from high school 10 years ago! I’ve officially been out of high school for a decade now and that seems so strange. Where did the time go? In a lot of ways I still feel like that 18 year old kid in a cap and gown, but really I know I’ve changed a lot. Looking back over the last decade, I am so blessed to see how the Lord has directed me. I had no clue when I graduated what was in store for me. My life hasn’t followed the timeline I thought it would, but God knows better than me and it’s been a blessed adventure. What I love about this picture is that I’m still friends with the ladies standing beside me. A lot of people told me that it wasn’t possible to stay close with your high school best friends, but we’ve proved them wrong. I’m so grateful to call Maggie and Kaly my forever friends.

W.F. West Class of 2004

Just for fun, I thought I would do one more throwback to last year on this day. I was in Hawaii for the first time vacationing with my family! This past year has gone by quickly, but the memory of the warm water and sandy beaches still remains. Our little family has a new appreciation for sea turtles after that trip. Now whenever I put Owen in something with a turtle on it, I am transported back to Hawaii. Good times!

Maui 2013

Each year and decade brings about change and opportunities. I have no clue what things will look like a year from now or a decade from now, but I know that God will still be good and there will be lots of fun to be had. I love that life is unpredictable. The Lord’s plans are better than my own, so I looking forward with great expectation all that still lies before me!

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I’ve Been Waiting… June 9, 2014

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 2:07 pm

Opening Day! Oh yes, we are hardcore!

Hanging with my mom and sister! We pretty much moved in and took over.

I moved to Lewis County during the summer of 1998. I remember my parent’s drove me past the “Lewis County Mall” and I cried. That was no mall. There was no food court or amazing shops. My life was changing and I thought for sure it was for the worst. I’ll be honest, Lewis County is a unique place. Just drive by Yard Birds and you’ll understand. For a long time I have waited for Lewis County to become “cool” and we are still far from it. But, this weekend we took a step forward! I used to have to drive into town to meet up with people at Starbucks. 20 minutes was the commute. This is the northwest and this is where people meet, so I just did it because that was normal. I am happy to announce that a Starbucks has now opened up 10 minutes from my house and right at the exit of our church. This could be dangerous. Before Starbucks was just a stop on the way out of town or a place to have a mentor meeting. Now I might actually have to set a budget. Imagine when the red cups come in… I might live there with all the festiveness. It has been brought up by many a person, “Why do you like Starbucks, Amy? You don’t drink coffee.” Good question. I like hot chocolate and passion tea lemonades and pastries (okay, I love pastries). I have learned to love Starbucks over the years and now I’m hooked. No going back. So anyway, this Starbucks so close to my house feels like a promise of things to come. Maybe a Target or a Chipotle. I would love a Costco, Olive Garden or Red Robin. I dream of civilization moving into my neck of the woods. Until then, I will sip on hot chocolate and patiently wait.

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8 months! June 8, 2014

Filed under: Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 3:44 pm

8 months!

It’s time for Owen’s 8 month blog! The months keep flying by and each one brings new adventures and experiences. The first year of a babies life can be so crazy and so amazing all at the same time. When Owen was first born and people commented on how quick the months ago, I was tempted not to believe them. Adapting to a major life change made the days feel long, but now that we’re getting more in sync as a family, the days speed by and so do the months.

This month Owen has officially mastered rolling over. He was late to the game when he came to rolling, but now he’s got it down. He also plays with the slats on his crib and moves around the crib during nap times. I never know what position I’m going to find him in. As of late, he likes to roll over on his side when I put him down for a nap. I have no clue if side sleeping is normal, but Owen seems to think so.

Owen and Toby have become better friends this month. Toby sniffs and licks Owen now. Owen loves watching Toby and talking with him. Toby usually responds to Owen’s calls by barking and this delights Owen. I wonder if the break through in their relationship happened through food. Owen has no interest in finger foods other than dropping over the side of his high chair. Of course, Toby loves this and runs over when ever he hears something fall to the ground. Owen might not like puffs and yogurt bites, but Toby sure does!

Crazy curl!

When we go out with Owen the first thing people always comment on is his hair. Owen’s hair is pretty crazy these days. It’s quite the mane. This baby has some serious length, volume and curl. Jeremy and I have talked about getting it cut, but I’m afraid it might only make it zanier. So for the time being he’ll just be the Fabio of babies. I always said I wanted a baby with hair. I had no idea what I was asking for!

Time for a walk!

The weather has warmed up and we’ve been talking lots of walks up and down our street. I love getting out into the sunshine! We have a new swing set thanks to Papa and Nana so now we’ve added swing time to our outside routine. Both Owen and Toby love being outside, so this time makes them happy. You can’t beat fresh air. When the days get hotter, Jeremy got a little kiddy pool to splash around in. Since Owen loves bath time so much, I’m assuming the pool will be a hit on a hot summer day.

Owen keeps getting bigger and bigger. He is now weighing in around 18.5lbs. He likes to stand using objects to support himself. If you give Owen something to hold, his first response will be to bang it on something. He likes to hit things together and make noise. Maybe a little drummer in our future? I better start stocking up on Advil now. However, Owen makes all sorts of fun noises and one of our friends suggested he might be a trumpet player. Jeremy played the trumpet so this suggestion really resonated with him. Either way, drums or trumpet, I have feeling Owen will loud no matter what. On a random note, Owen loves theme songs. If we’re watching a show on TV, Owen will stop everything he is doing and just stare the TV when a theme song comes on. Once it’s over, he goes back to his playing. It’s the craziest thing. He is really into music.

That about wraps up this monthly update! Of course, it wouldn’t be a good Owen blog without pictures! Enjoy!

Outside time

Reading the instructions for his new swing!

Fun times in the office! Biting Woody and passing out on the floor!

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Family Day at Northwest Trek June 2, 2014

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 4:25 pm

Yesterday our family traveled to a local animal park to celebrate my nephew’s 4th birthday! It seems to crazy to believe that Carson is now 4! Where did the time go? This was our first “zoo” type experience with Owen and I was interested to see what he would think. I was glad to see that Owen clued into some of the animals. He was especially interested in watching the bears and the racoons. Jeremy charged our video camera and was making movies throughout the day. I would almost say it was the “perfect” family day except… except for the tram ride. Part of the experience at NW Trek is that take a 50 minute tram ride through their protected wildlife habitat. It really is great as you drive through the fields and forest spotting animals left and right. Well, it would be a great experience if a baby doesn’t scream through the majority of the tram ride. When we got on the tram Owen was getting tired. He needed a nap. Instead of napping on the tram ride, he screamed. Most of the people on the tram were relatives, but not all. I felt like refunding people’s tickets because we ruined their ride. The hardest part of being on a 50 minute tram ride is that there is no way to get off. There was no sneaking away with the crazy kid. So I sat there and tried to help Owen fall asleep. He would nod off momentarily and then wake up screaming full throttle again. Happy family memories! Once we got off the tram, I was able to feed Owen and go for a stroller walk that sealed the deal in the nap department. After Owen’s nap, he was a relatively happy camper that was passed around amongst relatives. It was great to spend time with Jeremy’s family. I enjoyed catching up with my sister-in-laws and having moments here and there with my nephews and niece. Carson is certainly worth celebrating and a day at NW Trek was a fun way to ring in a 4th birthday! Happy Birthday, Carson!

Little Navigator

The beginning of the tram ride, hanging with my youngest nephew, Keegan!

Make a wish, Carson!

I felt like this blog should include an animal picture

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Girls Night at My Place May 31, 2014

Filed under: Children's Ministry — Amy Scott @ 11:46 am

Every year I invite my class of 5th/6th grade girls over to my house for a fun night. One of things I try to be intentional about as a teacher is inviting my girls into my home. I don’t want them to think that my interest in them only last for an hour and a half on Wednesday nights. I want them to feel invested in beyond the classroom.

The weather was perfect yesterday! It was beautifully sunny so we started the night outside with a round of croquet. For some of the girls this is their first time playing the game, so it’s always fun to see the reactions. Most girls really love the idea of hitting balls with mallets. It can get a little dangerous! Thankfully there were no injuries or accidents. My sister took 1st place, Ysabel took 2nd and I took 3rd. I usually land in the top 3 each year. I was happy to see my skills hadn’t worn off (since I only play once a year)! After croquet, we went over to the fire pit to roast hot dogs for dinner. It was a little too warm to be by the fire, but the girls seemed to enjoy roasting their meal and munching on chips.

At this point in the evening, we moved things inside. It was time for the feature film – Frozen! These girls are obsessed with this movie and I really like it too. You haven’t really experienced Frozen until you’ve watched it in a room of preteen girls singing along at the top of their lungs. There were moments where April and I had to hide our laughter. It was pretty incredible. We might be getting a noise compliant from our homeowner’s association.

The highlight of evening for many was our dessert. I promised the girls chocolate fondue and they were so excited for it. Fondue is one of those things I do about once a year and while I’m enjoying it, I always wonder why I don’t do it more. Large group events like this are perfect. I used melting chocolate that was formatted for fondue pots. This means I don’t need a recipe or any added ingredients. Just melt and enjoy! We had an assortment of goodies that included marshmallows, rice krispie treats, twinkies, brownies, strawberries, bananas, and oreos. All were excellent! I had one of each! Yum!

The evening came to a close with a game of Mafia. This game is always fun to play with 5th graders because they don’t always have the strategy down. Jeremy figured out I was in the mafia one game and tried to have me killed, but my loyal class wouldn’t believe him. Since he was the doctor, he kept saving himself. The only way I could have killed off was by having the townspeople vote to kill him. Again, my loyal class followed me and I got Jeremy in the end! *Insert evil laugh here* The girls were sad when our time ran out and we had to pack up and leave.

It was so much fun to have my class take over my house and just enjoy being silly girls. There was lots of good food and laughter which is a perfect combination in my book. It was a great way to spend a Friday evening! I love these girls a lot! They are amazing! And a special thanks to April and Jeremy for helping me keep them an eye on them! I seriously couldn’t have done it without them!

1st.2nd.3rd

The fondue station

The group!

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500 May 23, 2014

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 5:03 pm

First time riding up front! Shopping will never be the same!

Welcome to my 500th post! Wow! That’s crazy! I’ve loved blogging and I’m so glad that I took the leap and started doing it a few years ago. It’s become a great outlet for me to share what’s going on in my life and what’s going on in my head. Both seem to be very active. For today’s post, I honestly don’t know where to begin. May has been a trying month. Our family has battled illness on a lot of fronts and my hubby is currently in the process of trying to figure out if he has a broken heart. He has been dealing with an irregular heartbeat that has been causing him some discomfort. This has led to multiple doctors appointments and we are currently working with a cardiologist to make sure that there is nothing seriously wrong. All signs are coming back good, but there will be another test and another follow-up appointment to make sure. It’s been hard to watch my very active hubby be grounded by heart issues. He is 33. It seems a little too soon to be going to the cardiologist.

After Jeremy’s visit to the cardiologist on Wednesday, I got to visit my dad in the ER. This was his second ER visit in 24 hours. Yep. My loved ones have issues right now. I’m happy to say that my dad was released on Wednesday and has been doing a good job resting until we can figure out what’s up with him. Between my hubby and my dad, life has been “the not good kind” of exciting. In the midst of all this medical drama, I lost my wedding ring for over 4 days. I turned the house upside down trying to find it with no luck. Wednesday is our usual trash day, but Jeremy decided to not take the trash out until we could through it. Wednesday after the doctor’s appointment and visiting my dad in the hospital, I was super discouraged because I couldn’t find someone to cover my class at church that night. I was emotionally spent and didn’t have the energy to teach… However, I did go to church and I told the girls to be extra nice to me (and they were! Praise Jesus). I was pretty down but right before church started, I got an incoming FaceTime call from Jeremy. He had stayed home that evening and decided to go through the trash. He did find my ring in the first bag he went through. He said it was gross, but worth it! I’d been sick with worry over the ring, so it was a bright spot in a rough day!

This month sure has it’s ups and downs. Even though it seems like there have been more downs than ups, I know that God is in control. Without him, I would be lost. I know that he is in these crazy situations. I am reminded that he is trustworthy and good. I just keep praying and he keeps providing.

Hanging outside staring at a sea of scotch broom

Reading keeps me sane!

So does chocolate!

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Mommy Lit May 19, 2014

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 11:32 am

I’ve been reading a new genre these days – mommy lit. I’m not really interested in parenting how-to books because every kid is different. There are no formulas in relationships and that includes babies. Or so I have observed. I have a small group of authors that I love and trust. I found a new book this week through Sarah Bessey’s newsletter. The forward to the book was written by Ann Voskamp and the there was a short review in the first few pages by Shauna Niequist. If Sarah, Ann, and Shauna liked it, I assumed it must be a good read. The book that I am referring to is Found: Questions, Grace & Everyday Prayer by Micha Boyett. I love reading books like this because I am reminded that I am not alone and I am not the only person who thinks these things. Micha used to be in full-time ministry before she became a stay at home mom. Motherhood interrupted her flow of spirituality. Suddenly she wasn’t praying the way she used and she felt like it was her fault. She thought that the life of a stay at home mom wasn’t impressive enough to God. She felt like she was disappointing him by no longer doing the “holy” work of ministry. Micha wrestles with the holiness of mothering and the worthiness of this calling. She validates that eternal significance of investing in your family. She is honest about the raw, hard moments that motherhood can bring. Micha leans towards the liturgical church calendar and she loves the monastic order of Benedict. She likes the flow, the purpose and the stability of their prayer lifestyle. I have not been drawn this particular way, but I love getting the perspective of another frame work of faith. It was very calming and purposeful.

This book got me thinking about my prayer life and spiritual life. Motherhood has definitely changed how I do things. I used to keep a prayer journal. Writing my thoughts helped me get them out of my head. But now sitting down to journal isn’t as easy was a it once was. I find though that in each new season of my life I need Jesus just as much as before. There is no walking this life alone. My prayer life has changed and it has deepened as a mother. I talk to God a lot. Staying home with a baby takes prayer! I’ve never been a list person. I don’t go down a sheet paper with a list of requests that I daily take to the Lord. I do think about my friends and loved ones. In those moments when they come to my mind, I say a prayer for them. If I know someone has a job interview or a doctor’s appointment, I try to say a prayer for them. I know those things are important. Even if someone randomly comes to mind, I try to say a prayer of blessing over them. My prayer life feels like a relationship. I chat with God often. I tell him how I really feel. I ask that he act on behalf of others. It’s never been rigid thing. I love to pray. However, I would not label myself as great prayer warrior or an intercessor. I don’t spend hours on my knees petitioning heaven. I just don’t have hours at my disposal these days. I believe that you should the best you can with that you got. I believe that talking to God shouldn’t be formal and something you check off your list of things to do.

I’ve also been thinking about the discipline of Bible reading. I love reading my Bible. It’s a really good book! I don’t read my Bible everyday. I do use a Bible reading plan, but I’m the kind of person that gets ahead so I don’t fall behind. Right now I am one month ahead in my reading. If I miss a day or two, it’s no big deal. If I have time and I’m engaged then I will read more than one day at a time. I’m getting to that place where I’ve read the Bible in a year for a few years now and I think that it’s time to challenge myself in a new way. Once I finish this current plan, I think I’m going to camp out in a certain book of the Bible for a year. I’m not quite sure what book that will be yet. Instead of reading all of my Bible, I want to go deep with a part of it. I want to live in that book for a while and really get to know. I want to move into it and make it my neighborhood. I’ll keep you posted as I figure this out more. I’m ready for something different. I’m great at checking boxes and following plans. I’m curious to see how I do getting off the marked path. I think experimenting is always eye opening.

Sooo… Anyway, back to mommy literature, I’m grateful for the discovery of a new author and a book that made me think about my own mothering and my own faith. Motherhood and faith are so linked. It really is important work and my faith keeps me going through it. Next on my list of mommy books is Surprised by Motherhood by Lisa-Jo Baker. Can’t wait!

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Late to the Game May 17, 2014

Filed under: Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 4:12 pm

Owen has been late to the rolling game. I blame it on the fact that he hates tummy time. Anything having to do with his tummy usually leads to unhappiness. Owen has long been able to roll from side to side while laying on his back. Jeremy and I decided that he was intentionally not going all the way over because he knew he wouldn’t like the result. In the last week, he has decided to just go for it and roll over anyway. This does lead to some discontentment. The main reason is he can’t figure out what to do with his arm and is unable to roll back. Anyway, I’ve been frustrated for months because I had a kid that couldn’t roll over. It seemed so basic. All the other babies were doing it, but Owen wasn’t giving into peer pressure. This was a good experience for me because eventually I just let go of worrying about it. I couldn’t make him do anything and he if was late to the game, oh well. He might be this way with all forms of mobility. Maybe he’ll be late to crawl or walk… While I was concerned that Owen wasn’t “textbook”, the bright side is we haven’t had to worry about him getting places we didn’t want. As I speak he just rolled over on the floor beside me in an attempt to grab Toby. Now he is stuck. And… frustrated. Poor kid. Growing up can be trying!

How did I get here?

Scowling at his yogurt bites. He is still not a fan of texture!

Great parenting skills: Letting your kid play with your candy wrapper!

Breakfast with Daddy

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Mother’s Day & The Beach May 15, 2014

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 9:22 am

Our little family on Mother’s Day

Sunday was my first “real” Mother’s Day. Last year I got lots of well wishes on Mother’s Day and Jeremy even got me a gift, but I knew I wasn’t really parenting yet. I was making a baby and that takes effort, but this year was different. It felt like I could celebrate it this year, like I was officially a member of the mom club. I honestly didn’t have any plans that I wanted to do for the day. At this point, Owen is too young to understand it and I didn’t have any new traditions in mind. I’m sure has the years go by we’ll make some new traditions and memories for our family on these special holidays. Jeremy and I really wanted to see our own mothers this year and make the day special for them. Spending time with family is the perfect way to spend any holiday. My day started off quiet. Owen and I had a late start to the day which meant he could get a good nap in before we headed out to church. After church, we had lunch with Jeremy’s family. It was fun because Jeremy’s brother and sister-in-law came up with their little boy, so the cousins got to play. Any day I get to see my nephew is a good day! We headed up to my parent’s house for dinner and then came home to watch the Once Upon a Time season finale. I really love that show!!! I stayed up later than usual so I could finish it. It worth it!

Playing in the sand

Jeremy took Monday off since he has been working some of his normal Fridays off. In true Jeremy fashion, he asked me spur of the moment if we’d like to go to the beach. We’ve been talking about going to the beach for a while but just hadn’t set a date. Since Monday was a free day and the weather was amazing, it seemed like the perfect day to go. Owen was a super napper the entire way there and back. Once we arrived in Cannon Beach, we unloaded our crew from the car and Jeremy set about getting us lunch from our favorite restaurant. Toby was along for this adventure so we couldn’t eat inside any where. It was too warm of a day to leave a dog in the car. In fact, it was a lot warmer at the beach than we expected! It was in the 80’s and surprisingly not breezy. It was perfect weather from walking on the sand by the water. After our meal of Mo’s to-go, we loaded up Owen and Toby and hit the beach. I’m fairly positive we spent more time getting ready for the beach and cleaning up after the beach than we did at the beach, but oh well. That’s what happens when you have a baby and a dog covered in sand. Owen took in all the sights, sounds and smells. Jeremy set him down in the sand and Owen grabbed a fist full of it. Jeremy even buried Owen’s toes in the sand! It wouldn’t be a true first visit to ocean without touching the water, so we put Owen’s feet in the very shallow part where the waves just barely come in. This first trip to the beach was a big experiment. I learned a lot. I will pack differently next time and remember the sunscreen. Since all Owen had was a sun hat, I was super nervous about him getting sun burned. Because I thought it was going to be cooler, I packed a lot clothes that Owen didn’t need. Overall, it was a success and good learning experience. We ended our time at Cannon Beach with a stop by the bakery. We drove out of town munching on doughnuts! What a good day!