Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

Ready or Not… But Mostly Ready August 28, 2013

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 9:23 pm

It’s hard to believe that it’s the end of August already. This evening the weather was gray and dark as I was getting for church and I kind of felt like my mood reflected the weather. Tonight was my first night without my amazing co-teacher… Of course, she hasn’t made it to every Wednesday night over the last three years, so nights without her do happen, but in my heart I knew that after three years, her commitment was finished. I usually show up early to church and I chat with her for about a half hour before we head down to our classroom. There was no reason to get there early tonight, so I just showed up on time. It felt weird. As strange as it might sound, with the summer coming to a close, I’ve found myself in a season of almost mourning. I found myself thinking of all the things I “usually do” and know that in a lot of ways, things won’t be the same. Silly example, every year in September I got clothing shopping for the fall and winter. I stock up on sweaters and long sleeved shirts and this is my routine. I do it pretty much every year. However, there is no shopping for me in the future. It makes no sense right now. Tonight was my last night with my class of girls. Next week, I’ll have new girls. While, I am excited for the new class, I also know that in roughly a month and a half, I’ll be taking some time off and this fall is going to look a lot different than any fall that has come before it. I’ll have new co-teachers and that’s great, but things are changing. My commitment levels are changing, my properties are changing. It’s hard to explain, but I felt a bit sad about it all.

For the last seven years, my life has been on this cycle. It’s a cycle based around children’s ministry and church commitments and the school year calendar. It’s built around the things that we always do and the commitments that roll around at the same time each year. Tonight I was in Fusion (our youth ministry) with my girls for one last visit before they move up and I was contemplating all of these thoughts during worship. I love being able to have a chance to worship on Wednesday nights, even if those nights are rare. As I was thinking, singing, and praying, I realized that while I am a bit sad that things aren’t going to be the same, I can’t imagine that things would stay the same forever. I had the absurd thought of what if all these changes went away. Would I want to keep on doing things the way that I’ve always done them? Does that way of life even still fit? And I have to admit, I found myself realizing that I’m ready. I’m ready for this new season, for a new adventure. I’m ready for a “bend in the road” as Anne of Green Gables would say.  As much as I have loved the way things were, I’m ready to go forward. I’m ready for things to be different. After a while you realize the old ways don’t fit and that going back really won’t make things better. It was a shift in my way of thinking. Instead of sniffling over the past, I am ready to embrace the future. It’s hard for me. I’m a bit of a creature of habit and routine. I like knowing what lies ahead. However, all journeys have twists and turns. I don’t want my love for the way things have been to cloud my excitement for all that is going to come. I know that God is good and that God is in these life changes. I’m not going forward alone. So today, I am more ready than not. I have looked back at all the good that is in my past. I will remember these days fondly. Now, I set my eyes on what’s ahead. I am ready for the next big thing. Life is changing and that is good. I am ready.

 

Yodelayheehoo August 25, 2013

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 9:02 pm

Picture1This weekend we spent some quality family time in Leavenworth, WA. This city has been themed around a Bavarian village and is full of quaint shops and restaurants. I’ve only been there for day trips, so it was fun to stay for a couple of days. The first day we were there, we explored around downtown and ate dinner out. Jeremy had a traditional German meal while I went for the Fish and Chips. Not a traditional Bavarian meal, but it was still pretty good. On Friday, the Scotts all went golfing, which is not my pastime of choice, so I got a few quiet hours to myself about the house. It was a perfect morning to get ready slowly and read. Two of my favorite things! After the golfers returned, it was back to downtown for another meal and a stop by one of my favorite places – The Gingerbread Factory. The gingerbread cookie was just as good as I remembered it and it really hit the spot! Yum, yum! I’m highly motivated by cookies. There is a Christmas shop that Jeremy and I love to explore every time we’re in town. This year we got an ornament with three owls on it. It seemed to go with the woodland animal theme we’ve been going with for Baby Scott. We also found some more Christmas home decor. I know a lot of people think that it’s too soon to purchase anything related to Christmas, but honestly, after the gingerbread cookie, it seemed right to go Christmas shopping.  On our last day in town, the group went mini-golfing, which is more up my alley than real golf. I’m terrible at mini-golf, but I can usually make the most of it. I got a couple holes in two and for me, that is the same as a hole in one.  Plus, I got to play with a pretty pink ball, so it was a win. After mini-golf, we went out to lunch and stopped by another favorite bakery. I hadn’t really been living up to the German eats, so I figured cherry strudel was the way to finish up the trip. The weekend was a great way to spend time with Jeremy’s grandma and aunt while they are visiting from South Dakota. It was also fun to do a trip with Jeremy’s immediate family. Apart from camping trips, we haven’t really vacationed together in a large group like this. There was lot of good food to eat and games to play and the noise level definitely reflects a growing family. These are good times in the Scott clan.  This trip was kind of the lasat “big” thing of the summer and now it really feels like fall is right around the corner. With the beginning of September just a week away, it was a great to have one last hurrah of summer!

 

Saying Good-Bye August 22, 2013

Filed under: Children's Ministry — Amy Scott @ 8:06 am

Saying Good-Bye to AimeeI’ve written about many good-byes on this blog. Too many for my taste. One of the hardest things about staying in Lewis County is the fact that I am the one always sending people off and wishing them well on their new ventures. It’s not an easy job. It’s one of the hardest things. Yesterday was one of those good-bye days. I knew it was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier.

I’ve known all summer that my wonderful student helper of three years, Aimee, would be leaving for college at the end of the summer. Knowing it was coming didn’t keep me from denial. Somehow I was still caught off guard by Aimee’s last night! Oh, last night… Just writing that makes me sad. The last two weeks of August, my class visits our student ministry, Fusion, to see what their transition in the fall will be like. I, however, had us sneak out early so I could surprise Aimee with a cake in University of Washington colors. I even got UW plates and napkins! It was great to celebrate Aimee and her three years of influencing young lives. It was fun go with the UW theme and I think she appreciated it. She took the plates and napkins with home her! We took one last group picture as a class and the end of a season officially happened… Insert tears here! I got my own picture with her, I walked her to the front doors and hugged her at least 3 times in 15 minutes.

When I started teaching, I was aware that kids grow up. They become teenagers and then I build relationships with them grow deeper through the crazy stuff of life and then they graduate and they decided to go to college outside of the area and then they are gone. This is the first time this has happened but I know it’s not the last. Every year this will happen. My kids, the girls I love and taught as a 11 year-olds will grow up, become adults, and move away. I can’t go with them. I can’t look out for them. I have to trust that they have the foundation they need and that God is going with them. He will never leave them alone. Oh, trust, why is it such a hard lesson to learn? Anyway, it’s been hard, but I am trusting God for all the good things this next season will bring.  I am thankful for the time that I’ve had with my girls and I wouldn’t change this journey for anything, even though it does come with it’s own set of good-byes.

 

Family Fun: Reunion Luau Style August 21, 2013

Filed under: Family Time — Amy Scott @ 8:46 am
Waiting for the piggie to come out!

Waiting for the piggie to come out!

This last weekend, Jeremy’s parents opened their home to my mother-in-law’s extended family for a Reid Reunion. Big tents were put up in the backyard. Games like ping pong, horseshoes and the Xbox Kinect were pulled out to entertain. There was a lot of talking, a lot of playing and a lot of eating! It was fun to see Jeremy’s siblings since it’s been May since we were all together in the same place. Of course, there was a large Reid clan family photo in matching shirts. Then we got a Scott family photo and a photo all three expecting Scott ladies. Oh, the memories were documented well.

Saturday was the big day of the reunion and the meal centered around a pig that they had buried in the ground the day before. In Hawaii, I didn’t go over to watch the pig being unearthed because I wasn’t too keen on the crowds. This was a slightly smaller crowd so the viewing was better. We all marched over to Jeremy’s uncle’s house to watch them remove the piggie from his underground oven. It was really quite the sight. They had a chain on the pig, so he could be hoisted out by a tractor (yes, this is rural Lewis County). He was then transported via tractor to the table (one house over) where he was be released from his banana leaf prison and picked apart for the main meal of the day. It was an interesting process and fascinating to watch. 

Releasing the piggie!

Releasing the piggie!

At the tail end of the Reid Reunion, Jeremy’s grandma and aunt arrived from South Dakota, so now we’re hanging with the Scott side of the family tree this week. It’s been great to catch up with them. It’s so nice that we usually get a yearly visit from them. Again, there has been lots of good food and games. Today, Jeremy will take off and golf with the crew and this weekend we have more adventures planned. You’ll have to stayed tuned for an update on that.

Overall it’s been a fun weekend/week! It’s always a treat to have the whole family together and I love getting to spend with my niece and nephew (who seem to get bigger and cuter every time I see them). It’s not often that we get to see so many family members at one time, so it’s been a blessing to be with them.  The family gatherings, hanging outside and good food are a reminder to me that summer is still here. I’ve been so focused on fall and busy with work that I haven’t just “hung” out and enjoy the summer season all that much recently. I know that September is right around the corner, but I’m going to try to slow down and just enjoy things each day at a time! And right now, that means lots of family time!

 

 

Summer Movie Marathon August 19, 2013

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 10:00 pm

IMG_2848This afternoon and evening, my lovely friend, Jessica, and I sat down to watch the first two Anne of Green Gables movies. Yes, there is a third, but I honestly don’t like it. Now that I’ve read the books, the third movie is WAY off base with the timeline of the books and let’s just say they made the movies with too big of a gap between them… The actors are so not in there in twenties even though they try to sell it as that. Anyway, enough about my dislike of the third movie. I love the Anne movies and it brings back so many memories of being a kid and watching them on VHS. I very rarely watch both together because it’s a 7+ hour venture, but today was special. Jessica requested watching them and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a girl’s day of movie watching. Add cheese pizza, garlic bread sticks and S’more brownies and you have a dynamic combo! The S’more brownies were a first for me. We had a ton of S’more supplies around the house and I decided that I couldn’t just make “regular” brownies. You make the brownies just like you normally you would  and then you add the marshmallows and graham cracker chunks after the fact and broil them for a minute. Once you pull the hot brownies out of the oven, you add pieces of chocolate bar on the top. The chocolate bar melts a bit, but it still keeps it shape to really show off the whole S’more effect. I’. thinking that maybe S’more cookies might be next on my list of things to try. Anyway, a movie day is always better with pizza and chocolate! Perfect girl day! Love it!

 

The End is Near! August 14, 2013

Filed under: Children's Ministry — Amy Scott @ 9:43 pm
McFlurry Time

McFlurry Time

My guess is that August for me is what June feels like for most teachers. This month, I have taken down the bulletin board and posters in the my classroom on Wednesday nights. I have divided up all the stuff the girls have collected over the year and given it back to them as keepsakes and mementos. Tonight to celebrate our last “official” class together, we walked over to McDonald’s (in the rain, I might add… in August) and got special treats. Attendance is down in August with last minute vacations and end of summer stuff, so my group was pretty small. I let each girl order one item off the menu and they all went for McFlurries I, however, went with my standard soft serve cone. It’s a classic. We made a summer picture frame and put a class photo in it. We signed autograph books which are a lot like yearbooks. It’s a way for the girls to say something nice about each other. For me as a teacher, it’s one more opportunity to tell them how awesome they are, how much they are loved and how I’m always here for them no matter what. I closed the night by sharing what an honor it has been to be their teacher. I thanked them for making teaching so fun and I told them to come visit me often. I’m always down the hallway. They know were to find me.

Because my class is 5th and 6th grade girls, I’ve had many of my students for two years. Relationships grow deep in two years and it’s hard to let go and watch them grow up. Even my co-teacher, who has served by my side the last three years, is leaving for college in a week and a half. It really is the end. The end of a season. A good season. That doesn’t mean the next season won’t be good, it’s just hard for me. In a lot of ways, this was my last normal year of teaching. The last time to do things the way I have always done them. Next year I’ll have a new co-pilot in the classroom and I’m super excited about that, but it will also be my first year balancing teaching and parenting. I’m certainly curious how that will pan out. So far I’ve been able to pour 110% into other peoples kids because I haven’t had my own to worry about. The dynamic of life is going to change and change can be hard to adjust to even if it’s not bad.

Even though one season is ending, it does mean a new one is beginning. A new chance to build relationships with the upcoming class. We will redecorate the classroom and make it our own. The walls won’t stay bare for long. Right now it might seem sad, but the momentum of fall will soon be propelling us forward into another great adventure. Each year it’s hard to say good-bye and watch another class move out of children’s ministries, but I am always comforted to know that there is another group of students just waiting to enter my classroom. I have a fresh, new opportunity each year to invest in lives and make an impact with the 5th/6th grade girls at Bethel. It’s an opportunity that I don’t take lightly and one that is seriously way too much fun. So as one season is about to end, another one is just about to begin.

 

Ten Thousand Gifts August 13, 2013

Filed under: One Thousand Gifts Challenge — Amy Scott @ 7:40 pm
Flowers from my mom!

Flowers from my mom!

I’ve been blogging throughout my One Thousand Gifts Challenge. It has been quite the process. It all started two years ago and I’ve officially crossed the 7,000 gift threshold at the beginning of August. Originally, I thought counting to 1,000 would be hard and take a long time. I soon learned that counting gifts becomes a lifestyle and once you build the habit, you don’t want to stop. Usually I contemplate taking a break in between thousands, but not this time. This time I didn’t blink an eye. Just keep going. With 7,000 documented moments of grace and God’s blessing, I decided that 10,000 is well in sight and I’m going to go for it. Onward, I count!

I know it’s been said before and I’ll say it again, counting gifts has been a life saver for me. It has taken me from the brink of some pretty dark places in my life. It’s so silly that I should need to count. Is a habit really necessary for me to be remember that God is good and I am loved? It feels like I should just know this. But, I so easily forget. Naturally, I get caught up in my own worldview and my own drama. From my perspective, it’s all about me and that is in no way good. Gift counting reminds me to look on the bright side. It reminds me that my life has an overabundance in it. I am in no way lacking, so why not be content? Being content leads to joy and peace – two things I want to hold on to more desperately then I can express. Gift counting brings life and my own natural attitudes bring death, so yes, I will retrain my brain. I will push beyond my own tendencies and grab a hold of something good. Because good things really are around, if I choose to see them.

I seriously cannot recommend gift counting enough. It’s so simple! Thinking through this week I can list things like flowers from my mom, emails from friends, the smell of garlic breadsticks, dinner with my hubby, a walk to the mailbox in the sunshine, packages at the door, baby kicks, camping pop tarts and on it goes. I have a roof over my head, a good job, a family that loves me, friendships that enrich my life, ministry opportunities that bless my sock off. What is there to be glum about? Well, plenty… if I choose to think about it. However, I will choose to think differently. I will see the blessings and hopefully turn around and be a blessing to others. This is my prayer!

Have you started counting? I dare you to try! It’s addicting!

 

Camping! Or something like it… August 10, 2013

Filed under: Family Time,Travels — Amy Scott @ 10:20 am
Jeremy is ready for the bugs!

Jeremy is ready for the bugs!

Usually this weekend is reserved for a conference at work, but our group decided not to go this year which left an open weekend in August. Jeremy and I had been pondering camping this summer and I will admit that I was unsure how fun being pregnant and camping would be – mostly the sleeping on an air mattress and getting up throughout the night to pee. Yes, I had my doubts. But when this weekend opened up, my hubby got really excited about the possibility that a camping expedition would now fit in our calendar! I couldn’t say no, mostly because I do love camping, so I was willing to give it a go.

We arrived at Takhlakh Lake and found a camping site fairly easily. We got out of the truck and noticed how peaceful and quiet it was… except for… the hum of flies. The second I was out of the vehicle, I was swarmed by all kinds of flies and winged creatures. Jeremy didn’t seem to mind. I think they were all interested in me, not him. We started setting up the campsite and as we went we noticed just how much the bugs loved us. Once we were all set up, Jeremy pulled out the bug spray and we attempted to ward off our unwanted visitors. I pulled out a magazine and tried to distract myself as Jeremy attempted to kill anything that flew with his electric bug paddle. Toby made himself at home on a towel and used a lumbar support pillow from our new camp chair to rest his head on – it was too funny! It was obvious that sitting around the camp site was going to mean a lot of swatting so we took off for a walk around the lake. I thought that maybe if I kept moving the flies would leave me alone. WRONG! Jeremy and I made jokes about how I was like “Pig Pen” from The Peanuts who had a cloud of dust and flies around him at all times.

Takhlakh Lake

Takhlakh Lake

The walk was beautiful (minus the many flies that indeed kept after me). I love the view of Mt. Adams and the lake. It’s really quite a sight. The thing that I love about the walk around the lake is it’s not too long, but I always feel accomplished once I’ve done it. I don’t often get to say that I walked around a lake, so it feels good. Once we had made our way back to the camp site, Jeremy decided we needed to take a drive to find more bug spray and more citronella candles. This excursion took a couple hours since nothing is close by, but it was a nice drive to enjoy the scenery and hang out with Jeremy.  We got back to the campground in time for dinner which is usually a highlight of any camping trip for me. We make pizza pockets every year and they are beyond tasty! I love them. This year, we forgot to pack the cooking spray which meant that my pockets stuck to the roasters and came out charred. I normally have much pride in my pizza pocket skills, but this year I was humbled. I was still able to eat parts, so don’t worry,  I didn’t starve, but I wasn’t on my game. Sad story.

Sunset at Mt. Adams

Sunset at Mt. Adams

At this point, I should mention that the bug spray we got took care of the flies, but this led to a whole new problem – GNATS! Again, we were swarmed. This time by smaller bugs, but still, we were still surrounded. I’m fairly certain that I ate some gnats with my meal because they were so thick. Jeremy and I laughed and joked around and eventually took cover in our tent. The plan was stay in the tent until it got darker and hoped that maybe the gnats would clear out in time for us to do evening smores. We enjoyed the reprieve from the bugs, but when we got in the tent, we noticed our air mattress was deflating a little faster than it should have. While I was out on a bathroom break, I came back to Jeremy telling me we had a problem… what kind of problem? While I was gone, Jeremy had located the leak and then accidentally made it a lot bigger! With no air mattress to sleep on, we decided it was time to pack up and head home!  So no overnight camping actually occurred…

The next morning, Jeremy and I went out to breakfast at a local favorite and then we decided to head back out into nature because this was our camping weekend. We took off for the woods again to explore new roads and see the sights. We stopped at a snow park parking lot to make lunch since we had all our supplies still in the back of the truck. It was extremely classy! We drove up to Mt. St. Helens. It was a nice drive because we usually don’t approach the mountain from this angle. Day two of camping weekend was still spent in nature, seeing the sights, enjoying the drive and spending time together. It might not have been the camping weekend that we had envisioned, but it was still a lot of fun and a memory that we will laugh at now and in the future. Camping with us Scotts is always an adventure!

 

Dreaming of Autumn August 6, 2013

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Family Time,Parenthood,Recollections — Amy Scott @ 10:23 am
Autumn Colors from 2009

Autumn Colors from 2009

The itch has hit! I wish it were fall! Now most would assume that is because I’m anxious for our little man to get here (and I am), but autumn is my favorite season for so many reasons! I think that might be because my work at the church revolves around the school calendar. September for me is the kick-off of the year. It’s a new beginning. The kids all move up into their new classes and things reset for another year. Not to mention the flavors and smells of autumn are some of the best – pumpkin, apple, all the those spices! My favorite foods are fall foods! And the colors, the oranges and reds – so beautiful! I absolutely love it and I can’t wait for it to get here.

Because I’ve been a little impatient in my waiting, I’ve switched all my Scentsy scents over to cider smells! My house has that yummy apple and cinnamon smell that I adore! I also made pumpkin waffles and pumpkin bread last week. I couldn’t help myself! A lot of August is prepping for the fall season to start, so I guess that is why it is at the forefront of my mind. Hunting season starts in September which is a major autumn event in our family and there have already been many conversations from excited hunters about heading out into the woods in hopes of bringing home a deer or elk. All these things spur on my excitement (not exactly bringing down of Bambi) and have increased my level of anticipation.

Plus, it’s hard to not be excited for this next phase of life as Jeremy prepare to welcome a new member to our family. Now I know that babies are rarely born on their due date, but our due date – October 12th – just happens to be the day that Jeremy emailed me almost 9 years ago asking if we could get to know each other better. If you want to read our story, click this blog post – Small Beginnings. Since Jeremy and I started our dating adventures in the fall, that might also play into the romance of the season for me. We had no clue when we started those phone calls and emails in October of 2004 where we would be in October of 2013. Our journey together has been an amazing adventure and it’s only going to get better! I’m sure!

While I’ve had no major food cravings, now that it’s getting towards the end of summer and those back to school sales are going on and the world is preparing for another season, I’m right there too – ready for the next season. I’m ready for those autumn months with their amazing goodies, lovely scenery, cooler weather and special memories! I can’t wait for the new memories that we will create just around the corner!

 

Ducky Day August 5, 2013

Filed under: Parenthood — Amy Scott @ 10:01 am

Yesterday, my mom and sister hosted a lovely family shower for my extended from Puyallup. The theme was ducks with a blue, yellow and white color scheme. My little sister, who loves Pinterest, did a great job decorating and making the theme come to life. Even the snacks matched the theme. There were ducky cookies, blue and white checker cookies, blueberry cobbler and lemon bars! April even went to the trouble of making homemade lemonade (which included juicing 24 lemons without a juicer). She added some blueberries to the top of the lemonade just to keep the color scheme going! Plus, because it’s summer, she got a yummy ice cream cake from Dairy Queen which I loved, but also gave me a massive sugar high!

Since this was a smaller shower then my last one, we played a few games. There was the traditional “Don’t Say” game. The ladies couldn’t say the words boy, diaper or adorable. I was exempt from the game so it was fun to have no restrictions on me. However, I did hear people say the words often and it was hard for me not to steal their clothes pin! The second game was quite the challenge. My mom joked that because Jeremy and I don’t have a baby name settled yet, this game would be inspiration. All the ladies went around in a circle and added a name to the list. Each lady had to remember the whole list as it continued to grow. If you messed up the ordered or forgot a name, you were out of the game.  It turns out that my cousin, Charlotte, won both games and went home with a lot of goodies!

Another fun element April added was a bib decorating station. Throughout the shower, people took turns decorating white bibs with fabric markers and puffy paint! I think if there was a winner for bib decorating, it would be my Aunt Monica. The shower was a duck theme and my husband is a hunter, so she combined these two things to make a bib with a hunter shooting at a duck with the word “DUCK” on the bottom. I’m not sure if that was a warning for the duck to “duck” or just a label of the bird on the bib, but it was too funny! Jeremy really appreciated it when I showed him the creation.

Because most of my extended family lives up north, it’s hit or miss how often I get to see them. I try to make it to as many family events as possible, but it can be hard sometimes with the church calendar. I really appreciated a chance to hang out with ladies for the afternoon. They are so supportive and encouraging. It was also a lot of fun to catch up with my cousin who is due just a few weeks after me. There were a lot of questions we had for each other and since this is her second little boy, she shared a few tidbits of mommy knowledge with me. It was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I will admit that it seemed pretty fitting for April to throw a duck themed shower since one of my nicknames for her is “April Ducky” – this came from a strange hide and seek game where I was trying to make her laugh in order to find her. Ducks and April just go together now!

 

Ducky Day