Amy Scott's Thoughts

Sharing the thoughts that bounce around in my brain!

Roots January 25, 2013

Filed under: Children's Ministry,Recollections — Amy Scott @ 9:02 pm

I was having coffee with a good friend last week and she was telling me all about the exciting new things going on her life. Her family recently accepted a senior/lead pastor position and this if the first time for them in this kind of a role. I was so curious to hear what it was like to transition from a youth pastor’s wife to a lead pastor’s wife. It was a fun conversation and at the end of it she started talking about how excited she is for Jeremy and I and that we could something like this as well. I have to be honest, it’s always flattering when people think that you’d be a good lead pastor. However, Jeremy and I have never been called to move up the ladder. Some people take children’s pastor roles as a starting point – kind of a like the bottom rung of pastoral ministry, but we’ve never looked at it that way. As flattering as these suggestions are, unless God something says something different, it’s children’s ministry all the way for Jeremy and myself.

It’s always tempting to dream of living in an area where there is a Starbucks, Costco, Target, Panda Express, etc. near by. Lewis County is still pretty rural and let’s face it, Walmart can only be so exciting… But I don’t want to trade it! I was voted most likely to leave and never come back in high school. I would frequently rant about Lewis Country and how I couldn’t wait to get out of here. God has a sense of humor though…. I’ve now lived here going on 15 years (I included my college years because even though I was in Portland, OR, I came home a lot – I couldn’t pass up free laundry, good food and my boyfriend). Moving back after college was a bit of transition. When Jeremy and I were first married I would want to go to Walmart at 11:00pm because it was the only place open 24 hours and I was used to more places being open late in Portland. I’m positive that Jeremy thought I was crazy. But I’ve adapted to this being home. I love the fact that first class of girls I taught will be graduating this year and that I’ve been a part of their lives for so long. I love the history I have with them. I love the fact that post-it notes I wrote in high school are still taped under one of the teacher’s desk. I love that my name is on a Les Mis poster in the local theater and students have pointed it out to me. There is something about being in one place for a while. You really get to see the growth over time and be part of many exciting phases for both the area and the people.

Ministry can be very transitional and I’m not saying that Jeremy and I will be here forever. I don’t make assumptions or play guessing games with my future. All I know is I’m not planning on going anywhere. In the 8 years that Jeremy has been children’s pastor at Bethel, we’ve known multiple pastors who have transitioned to at least 3 different churches in that time. I feel so blessed in a job that can be so transitional that we’ve had  longevity in a place we love. Our family is here and even though a lot of our high school friends have moved away to the big cities, we still get to see them and hang out. Lewis County might be rural, but I don’t feel isolated here. I feel blessed. I am thankful for a place to work and serve. Being at my home church for so many years has allowed me a depth of relationship and history that I am grateful for. I thankful for my home and for my quiet days and my little dog. I’m thankful for the students who have colored my world and made children’s ministry the place to be.  I would have never guessed that putting down roots here would be so good!

 

Changed My Mind… January 23, 2013

Filed under: One Thousand Gifts Challenge — Amy Scott @ 4:16 pm

As a girl it’s my right to change my mind… Isn’t that how the saying goes? Today I reached 4,000 gifts and I had planned to stop counting for a while and it a break. Sometimes you need space, even from good things. The first 1,000 I counted to I did in about 2 months. Each time it has taken me a bit longer. This time it took me 3 months. I thought that if I couldn’t keep up with the project, why do it?

But… I changed my mind. As I was writing my 4,000th gift I felt sad because I still had more gifts to write down. I wasn’t done for the day and really I wasn’t done with this challenged. So I flipped the page and started 1,000 Gifts Take 5. I’m again on my way – this time 5,000 is the goal. Surprisingly, I only have about a quarter of my journal left and I’m thinking it’s actually possible to fill it completely. I’m not sure I believe it was going happen, but now I think it just might.

Like all good projects there are guidelines and stipulations. Each time they get more relaxed. This time I’m not putting pressure on myself for time. It’s not a competition. I learned from this last season that when I need to count gifts my journal is there and waiting for me. On some of my darkest days it was gift counting that pulled me out of myself and gave me hope and a feeling of life. It seems like when things are going good it would be the best time to count, but I have learned its the opposite. When things are hard, I need to count. When I’m having a bad day, I need to count. When life makes no sense, I need to count.

I’m sure you might be tired of how one book and one challenge has impacted me so much. I just can’t help but share. It’s been too good to keep quiet. I just wanted you to know that I thought I was done for a while, but maybe I’m addicted to gift counting. It doesn’t seem I can give it up. I changed my mind and I’m still counting.

 

Still Counting January 21, 2013

Filed under: One Thousand Gifts Challenge — Amy Scott @ 5:42 pm

I know it’s been a while since I’ve mentioned where I am with counting gifts. It seems like the first 1000 is so exciting and because of that I never want to stop after it. My need for a gift journal break usually comes after counting to 2000. I’m now 30 gifts away from reaching 4000 and just like 2000, I think I might need a change of pace afterwards. It’s still so good for me. On my darkest days writing down gifts ministers to my soul. It pulls me out of those dark places and gives me a new perspective. It’s been so desperately good. Counting gifts has been a worthwhile habit for me to build into my life. I will admit that my writing down of gifts has started to go into spurts – a little here and a little there. I’m actually okay with the inconsistency. Gifts counting isn’t a science and it isn’t formula. The discipline of gift counting has awoken my soul to seeing things in the moment and saying thanks for them right away. I think because of counting, I am more thankful. I am able to the positive side of things again. Being a natural pessimistic, counting gifts is like rewiring my brain.

I start a Growth Group for church in February and the topic will be One Thousand Gifts. Even now I’m not sure how to communicate just how much this challenged has changed me. I guess people like before and afters – like before this project I was “fill in the blank here”, but now I am “…” I’m not even sure how to put it all. Possibly because I am in ministry and I’m not sure what to say because I don’t want to seem unholy or ungrateful or unhappy. I don’t want that to be my “before”.  I’m not sure how to word it all. Being in leadership sometimes feels like you need a course in strategic phrasing – how to tell the truth without telling the whole story.

So here is my best testimony without all the details – Before I started counting gifts, I was close minded and inward focused. I let my story become the only thing that mattered and all I saw was my pain. When that is all you are looking at things get bleak and hopeless. Counting gifts has opened my eyes to God’s blessings in such an intimate way. Now I know that it’s not the big things that matter but the small. I also know that God is good no matter what my circumstances. There are always good gifts around if I am willing to look for them and see them. It’s about changing my position – instead of looking inward, it’s about looking outward. Instead of looking down, it’s about looking up.

I’m not really sure where this gift counting, thanksgiving lifestyle will lead me. It’s already helped me cope with more than I can possibly imagine. Now that doesn’t mean I float around in some form of holy happiness all the time. I still really struggle. In fact, this whole last week has been rather up and down for me. My emotions have been all over in a roller-coaster kind of a way. I think without counting gifts and building in new habits, I might not have had the ups I had this week. The downs might have out weighted it all. Gifts give hope and hope drives me to keep looking up even when things feel down.

I’m not sure how great I will be at leading others through this experience. It really is just pop in a DVD and discuss, but I don’t want that to be all that it is. I’ve learned so much and I don’t just want to sit on those lessons and keep them to myself. I want to share. I want encourage and inspire. I’m still counting and I hope that I can help others to start. It’s worth it in the long run. So worth it!

 

A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans January 18, 2013

Filed under: Amy's Bookshelf — Amy Scott @ 3:44 pm

This week I finished A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans. Can I just tell you I’ve learned a new pet peeve? Nothing irritates me more than people who make a big deal of nothing. I’ve been anticipating this book for months. Pretty much from the moment I heard about this project. I also heard a lot of negative things about it. Mostly from men. Things that sounded like, “She’s mocking biblical womanhood” or “she’s trying to overthrow men”. Oh my, why create drama when there isn’t any need. Some people…

Anyway, I was very proud of how respectful Rachel was in this book. She stretched herself and tried things that weren’t “her” things. She got a different perspective and while I doubt she still wears head coverings or camps out in the front yard when she’s on her period, she did learn and grow through all these experiences. You don’t have to follow different walks of a life to the word in order to have respect from them and learn from them.

My personal take on the Bible verses most used to keep women silent and in the home happens to be that they were for a specific group of people in a specific time and place. Paul wrote letters to specific churches. He never said these words are scripture for all people and all time. We can learn from the them and I especially think he was getting at order in the church and dealing with a group of difficult woman who were misrepresenting what this movement was about. I look at Jesus and how he said nothing about women in a negative way. In fact, he went out of his way to value women. He was counter-cultural in his approach to women and he never put them in a box. In fact, I think Paul was the same way. He had women who he worked with in the early church that he valued. I don’t think this should be overlooked. I don’t believe in this idea that all women are good for is being a wife and making babies. I don’t believe women should be silent and have no authority over men. With that being said, I don’t look down on stay at home moms or women who have taken on more traditional gender roles. I believe that you should do what God has called you to do and use your talents to serve – your family, your church, your community, your work place. Serve and love wherever you are at and in whatever you are doing.  The where doesn’t make a difference to me.

The thing I love about Rachel in this book is she tried so many things that were out of her comfort zone. From making dinner and housekeeping to renting a computer baby (the ones they pass out to teenagers to discourage them unsafe sex) to dressing plain and modest, she really put herself out there. She called her husband “master” and celebrated Jewish holidays and Jewish laws. She studied women in the Bible to see if there was a mold, a pattern, something that applied to all women. It turns out the Bible is full of many women with different backgrounds and different talents. God used them in different ways to bring glory to himself. There isn’t a mold. In fact, Jewish tradition doesn’t expect all women to be the Proverbs 31 women. Isn’t that a relief? The Proverbs 31 is a woman of valor to exemplifies women who are active in their own lives. They don’t passively sit by and let life happen to them. Bake bread for your family? You’re a woman of valor. Bring home the bacon? Woman of Valor! Clean the house? Woman of Valor! It’s like a “You go girl” encouragement. This makes me very happy because I will never be ALL the things mention in Proverbs 31.

While there are many things that I loved about this book, I think the best part of me was her reflection on submission. Rachel’s Jewish source explained that the term in Genesis that we translate as “helpmeet” really signifies two pillars leaning on each other with equal weight. Rachel explains that it has always been “Team Dan and Rachel”. She and her husband have never assigned specific roles to their marriage. Whoever does it best gets the job done. Even for a year of submitting, her husband found it uncomfortable that she suddenly acted like less of a person because was a woman. He went through the craziness of this project so that she could succeed. Even in having the “master” card for a year, he only went a long with it so his wife would have  the opportunity to write this book. Their marriage in a partnership and “Team Dan and Rachel” really got this project done together. This really struck a cord for me because I view my marriage as a partnership. Jeremy has always treated me as an equal. Even in his job, he shares fully with me. There is no pulling rank and me being put in my place as the little woman. In every way we are Team Jeremy and Amy. If he succeeds, I succeed and visa versa. This is so stabling and so beautiful. Rachel ends the books by sharing that Dan doesn’t need to make her “respect” him because she already does – just for being himself. It’s a natural respect, not something that is demanded. I feel the same way when it comes to Jeremy. Why would I not respect him? Why should I be made to? I respect him for who he already his – for his character, for all the things that make him unique and so special.

This book made me laugh as Rachel did things in the name of Biblical Womanhood that I have never done. She addressed fears that all women face and the tensions we live in. It was tastefully written and I appreciate how she grew through this process. It wasn’t a joke or a mockery. It was an investigation and I like where she ended up. It’s a book worth reading – both men and women. I am thankful for voices like Rachel’s who bold speak truth. She is a woman of valor and I deeply respect her.

 

Birthday Week Complete January 16, 2013

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 10:10 am

The much anticipated birthday has come and gone. I’m officially 27 and so far it hasn’t been that bad despite my issue with the number 27 – it’s main offense is being an odd number. I hate odd numbers. Oh well. Good thing it changes every year so it won’t be odd forever. I got to spend lots of time with family celebrating my birthday and I would love to get you the highlights!

Pina Colada Cake

Pina Colada Cake

On Friday, Jeremy and I went to the grocery store because we literally had close to no food. I was living off of a cereal as long as the milk held out. I also needed supplies because this year I planned on making my own birthday cake. Food Network Magazine had a whole section on birthday cakes this month and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make a Pina Colada cake – part of the reasoning with show up later in this post. The downside of shopping at Walmart in Lewis County is that it doesn’t have the same supplies I’m guessing the average high end grocery store in New York City has (the home of Food Network). I had to do some substituting and because this cake to feed more than myself I went a bit on the safe side to make sure it was edible. I did use Betty Crocker mix and frosting, but I made the pineapple filling on my own. The cake gets brushed with pineapple juice and I added coconut extract to the frosting, so even Betty got improved upon and not left in her natural form. Like all good baking projects, I know what I do differently next time, but overall the result was a success – even if it wasn’t identical to the cake in the magazine.

27 Candles

27 Candles

Saturday was my birthday celebration with my side of the family. Jeremy and I drove up to hang out with my sister, brother-in-law and parents. We played a board game in which my dad who never plays games thoroughly beat us all. The meal was Pizza Hut carryout. I really indulged and got cheese pizza with cheese stuffed crust and cheese sticks. Everything is better with more cheese! The activity during dinner was 27 things our family loves about Amy. My poor brother-in-law – this was not his game and I totally understand because I was made to play as well. Each family member took a turn until 27 things had been said. Funny, but awkward in a loving family kind of way. Once the meal was over it was on to presents! April and Andrew got me A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans. I’ve already finished it and can’t wait to blog about my thoughts! After I opened my gifts, it was time to give a gift to my mother. Just after Christmas, our family started scheming to form a family vacation to Hawaii for her 50th birthday. My dad had been planning the trip for a while and was gracious enough to let the rest of us join in. It was so exciting to finally tell mom about the trip! The last three week I’ve been bursting with Hawaii joy and having to keep it contained!  The evening concluded with 2 hours of Downton Abbey! A great birth day celebration!

Make a Wish!

Make a Wish!

Sunday was a different day by all accounts. Our church had decided to change our schedule and show the Seahawks game. Since I’m not a football fan, I stayed home. It was great to have some quiet time at home on Sunday. Opportunities like that are rare. Once the game was over and Jeremy was home from the hoopla, we traveled over to his parents house to celebrate with them and Jeremy’s brother and sister-in-law. It was a fun day full of table games and good food. As the birthday girl, I got to request the menu so we enjoyed Piggies-in-a-Blanket which for the Scott family resembles Biscuits and Gravy with sausage in the biscuits. Very tasty! Dessert was red velvet cake from Costco which I adore. I love birthdays because the food is always sooo good! I appreciated all the love and laughter that I get to share with my family. Because of icy roads, the evening ended in time for me to get home to watch Once Upon a Time and Downton Abbey. Sunday night is a wonderful night of television! It was the perfect way to wrap up the day!

Puppy.Blanket.Book.Snow

Puppy.Blanket.Book.Snow

Monday was my actually birthday! I had doughnuts for breakfast and worked on the big girls sleepover coming up in a month. It was fun to spend the morning working on a creative project that I love so much. I met up with my mom & sister for lunch. Jeremy joined us and it was lovely time. I enjoyed warm soup and bread before heading off to Starbucks for a hot chocolate. During the lunch hour it started to snow, so my afternoon at home involved watching snowflakes and reading my new book. A great way to spend the day! My mom had gotten me birthday balloons, so they festively bobbed around while I watched the snow come down. The snow and wet roads did freeze over so our plans to go out to dinner were postponed. I was fine with that. A quiet evening at home is never something to complain about in my book. Last night we made our way to Red Robin where I used my free birthday burger to end the birthday celebrating!

It was a great week full of family time, good food and celebrating! Thank you to all the loving family members and friends who blessed me and made my birthday special! I am so thankful!

 

Why Blog? January 10, 2013

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 4:49 pm

I’ve been thinking about the purpose of my blog. Why do I do it? What am I trying to convey? I realize that the topics in my blog are very diverse and sometimes random. I admire those that have “family” blogs and keep people updated on the happening of their family. I would not say this is a family blog because Jeremy has little to no input on what I write here. In fact, he reads all my blogs at the same time you do – when I’ve published them for the world to see.  Yes, I do like to write about what activities I’ve been up to and that involves Jeremy and even my Toby dog, so I understand in a way this blog touches on the family blog theme. But just look at the title this webpage – you’ll see that I’m a bit to selfish to share this blog with my family… Maybe someday I’ll grow up and share the limelight.

There are many writers who blog on a consistent basis and they are a voice speaking out with a purpose. They are passionate about this topic and that topic. You’ll find them brilliantly sharing their thoughts on Christianity, being a woman in ministry, specific causes or their most recent book release. While I envy these great thinkers, my blog isn’t about a cause. I thought it would be when I started it. I thought this would be a place where I would write about what it is like to be a woman in ministry. I quickly learned that there is only so much I can publicly write about ministry. I love serving God’s people and it certainly has it’s ups and downs. I’m not brave enough to write about what might upset me, where I see or feel injustice, all the nitty-gritty details of ministry.  At least not a blog with my name on it. I don’t want you to get me wrong, there are lots of great and glorious things about serving in church. I’m not downing my position or my community of believers. It’s just without stepping over a line, I can never be completely honest here.

This is not a baking blog or a craft blog. I’ve visited those and wow, do they make me jealous! I’m always floored at what people create. Beautiful cakes, lovely meals, amazing artwork. I would love to be crafty. I mean truly crafty – like sell my wares on etsy crafty. While I do crafts, I wouldn’t say I have a great talent for it. Yes, I like to bake. Yes, from time to time I make a homemade card, but this really isn’t a crafty, homey, cooking,  baking blog.

I realize that I’ve dabbled in all forms of blogging. I don’t really stick to one theme or category. I’m sure that might annoy some of you. And I’m sorry if it is does. I’m just not good at putting myself in a box and sticking with one theme. I’m still exploring all those options of who I am and what I want to write about.

I do know this – I want to write about life -my real, everyday life. I want to write about the things that fill my day, the people I love and the food I eat. I want to write about the shows that make me laugh and the books that make me cry. I want to write about the kids that I teach and the teenagers that hang out in my office. I want to write about sharing ministry and life with my hubby. I want to write about housekeeping and how my little dog is cute and annoying. I want to write about the things that keep me up at night and the thoughts that won’t leave me alone. I want to write about the victories in my life – big or small. I want to write about the hard times and what God shows me through them.

This blog is therapy for me and you are a part of my sanity. I would write this blog regardless of it got daily hits. I’m not here to grow my numbers or reach a target audience. I’m here because I need to write. I need to get words out of my head so I can understand them and grasp them and come to grips with what they mean. I don’t think I’m brilliant and I’m not sure I impart much wisdom here, but I do hope that someone reads this blog and relates. I pray that someone reads this blog and thinks “I understand, I totally get it”. Maybe that doesn’t happen, but that is my wish and my purpose. I want to write about life – in all it’s forms – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Why blog? Because I love to write and my world makes the most sense through words.

 

Pre-Birthday Contemplations January 8, 2013

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 4:56 pm

I don’t know if you ever have this inner tension when your birthday comes around. I feel torn in two directions. Part of me is like a little school kid. I want to have a giant party and invite the whole class. I want the whole day to be a celebration of me. The other part of me (probably the adult side) wants to just forget about the whole date. I don’t want attention or fanfare. No big deal. Fly under the radar. I guess I’m young enough to want the big hoopla and old enough to understand why adults are less excited to celebrate birthdays.

I think 25 was the last birthday I was really excited to celebrate. It meant I was in my mid-twenties. I was still young, but I was old enough to have some since of authority (or so I assumed). 25 felt like a right of passage, like I was really an adult. However that glory didn’t last long. I still don’t feel like an adult. I’m learning that there are no magic numbers where everything clicks.

I always thought that I would want to celebrate my birthdays in a big, fun loving way. I didn’t think I was going to be the person that freaks out the closer I get to 30. While I’m not too concerned about 30 (yet), turning 27 next week hasn’t sat well with me. I wish it wasn’t the case. But I figure I should be honest. Birthdays can remind you have how far you’ve come and where you’re going – much like a new year. It’s a time to reflect and it’s time to hope and dream for the future.

I want to preface that I love my life and I am very blessed. I remind myself of that when my mind wonders and it has been wondering a bit lately. I keep comparing myself to who I thought I would be at 27 and what I thought my life would look like. In so many ways the plans I made when I was younger have not panned out the way I expected and that is not a bad thing. God has been so good. He is redirected and steered me in ways I never expected and for that I am grateful. The trouble is in comparing. Nothing good comes from comparing.

For some reason this upcoming birthday has tried to derail me a bit and I’ve decided to not let it. I’ve decided to let my birthday off the hook. I’m not going to give it the power it seems to want to have my life. While there will be no big party like the kindergarten days, I will also not pretend like it’s  just another day. I will celebrate with family. Even though my plans will not be glamorous, they will be homey and cozy and fun. I realize that the older I get I will have to intentionally make birthdays special and keep them in perspective. I don’t want to be the kind of a adult that hides from aging. I don’t want to stay forever at a certain age. I want to embrace each new year that the Lord gives me. I don’t want to compare it with old hopes and dreams and plans. They are shadows and assumptions and hold no place in my current life.

So yes, in away turning 27 is no big deal. Nothing to be upset about and nothing to bring on worry or even sadness. I will keep walking forward knowing that God holds the pen and I am excited to see what Chapter 27 holds. It’s his story, not mine. I don’t want to help him “edit” it. I just want to be along for the journey – fully invested in every twist and turn. After too much thinking on the topic, I’ve decided at that age only has so much power over my life. It has as much power as I give it. And I’ve decided that age doesn’t really matter. Not when I’ve been following in the footsteps of the Lord. This a good place. I might have to remind myself of this from time to time, but that’s okay. I’m only human. Good thing the author is supernatural and so much more creative than me. I can trust him.

 

New Year’s Cleaning & Organizing! January 7, 2013

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 4:39 pm

This last week has been a good one as I get the house in shape for the new year. Last Wednesday I did a deep clean since our house was really lived in from vacation. I did tidy things from time to time over our break, but not like I usually do. It was vacation after all. On Friday I used my new steam vacuum for the first time. I love pouring out brown water and knowing that dirt in no longer in my carpet. It’s one of the most satisfying feelings on this planet, I’m sure of it. Today I went through the house did some organizing. Jeremy and I have been making some extra “fun” money by selling things we no longer use or need on eBay. While our home office really looks like we’re running a business due to large piles sitting here and there, the absence of those items in our house led me to do some rearranging. Our bookshelves were the most obviously hit. I spent some time sorting books and evening the two shelves out. I even divided my personal bookshelf into fiction and non-fiction – like the library. For some reason that fact makes me chuckle and feel happy. The only instance where this does pan out is with C.S. Lewis. His books fall under both categories and I just couldn’t separate them Weird, I know.

After the bookshelves, I attacked the pantry, fridge and freezer! I don’t do it very often, but from time to time it’s good to go over everything and throw away expired food. I usually do this task when my hubby isn’t home since he can argue any expired food should have the right to live just a little while longer. Me, on the other hand, I take those numbers seriously. A day over the expiration date and I’m pretty sure food poisoning is a possibility. With the food items taken care of – I moved on to Jeremy’s junk drawer. I didn’t really throw anything away from this drawer, but I did reorganize it and put a few things away that don’t really belong in there.

Another fun activity I did today was replace some of the photos around my house. It seems every 3-6 months I want to update the photos with our recent travels and gatherings. I like looking at something new when I walk around my house. The only problem is there are so many good pictures to choose from and many of the ones I take down I still dearly enjoy. I try to keep it all in balance though. I can only afford so many picture frames and really I only have so much space for them.

I enjoy this time of deep cleaning and organizing. It makes my house feel fresh. I would say I clean like this with the seasons. Spring cleaning one time a year is just not enough. I know I’m a bit OCD, but even I have the habit of letting things slide and soon before you know it a well organized space is sloppy. Because of eBay, we’re going through our stuff and that is a good thing. I love sorting through my stuff and getting rid of things. I’m not sure why I’m wired this way, but I enjoy it!

However, I did move one or two things today that I probably shouldn’t have… and my back is a tiny bit sore. I think the couch and I will become good friends this evening! I need to balance all this productivity with some rest!

 

Adventures with Cake Pops January 3, 2013

Filed under: Cooking Experiments — Amy Scott @ 4:43 pm

I find that baking reminds me that I am human. The kitchen seems to bring out my flaws like no other. I mentioned yesterday that I was going to experiment with cake pops today, but I guess you should have the whole story. It only seems fair. Tuesday night had the brilliant idea to make red velvet mini bundt cakes with cream cheese frosting glaze. I’ve used my mini bundt pan a couple of times with no incident so I didn’t expect what happened. Despite my best efforts, the red velvet cake mix wanted to stick to the pan. Once I was finish with this baking project, I decided that they weren’t fit for serving my girls on Wednesday night.

The reason I decided to make cake pops was I had saved the remains of the red velvet cake. It was in the perfect condition to be turned into a cake pops. Everything started off great today. I added my cream cheese frosting to the cake crumbles and it combined well. The next step is where my problem lies… I used too big of a baking scoop to form my cake balls. It’s so hard to judge in my hand if they were too big, but yes, they were. Probably two sizes too big. In the end I ended up making giant cake pops. This choice was no without its cake pop tragedy.  About 8 of them didn’t make it. They fell a part while dipping. The ones that did survive turned out well. I think that if I did it again, I would know what to do and what not to do. So yes, I will admit that these aren’t perfect… but neither am I! And that’s okay!

Giant Red Velvet Cake Pops

Giant Red Velvet Cake Pops

 

Kicking Off 2013 January 2, 2013

Filed under: Simply Me — Amy Scott @ 3:24 pm
Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

It’s here! 2013! So far it’s been a good year despite the fact that it is an odd number and I’m not fond of odd numbers. December 31st 2012 left us with a blanket of white snow and due to temperatures staying below freezing we still  have some on the ground. Snow always changes the lighting and makes my house feel different. It’s not often that we see a White Christmas and White New Year.

One of my highlights of New Year’s Day is watching the HGTV Dream House. Anyone else planning on winning it this year? I do too. Every year. Each house seems amazing and perfect and every year I dare to dream that I might someday be it’s owner. Of course, I don’t have plans to move to South Carolina, but if I won this stunning dream home, I would for sure take a nice long vacation there!

It’s time to get back to routine. I’ve been on a long vacation and today I’m trying to get back on track with what a normal Wednesday in the day in the life of Amy Scott would look like. This means cleaning the entire house, doing all the household laundry and baking for my class tonight at church.

I also had enough time to get in a quick workout on Just Dance. I feel so silly while I dance, but it gets my heart rate up and it sure makes me sweat. I figure that is a sign of a good workout. I need to burn those calories to get off those extra holiday goodies that left me a few pounds heavier over the last month. While I’m not the type who usually makes resolutions, but I do hope to get my eating back on track now that the celebration season is behind me. I also hope to do this dance workout at least 2-3 times a week. Here’s hoping!

I finished my whole Bible reading plan for 2012 on December 24th, so yesterday I kicked off the new plan for 2013. I’m really enjoying it so far and I’ve even gotten a bit ahead already. I like creating buffers in my reading so if I miss a day it’s not a big deal. The great thing about this plan is it is set up to be a 6 day plan, so there is already a built in day off. Along with Bible reading, I’ve took a break from Christmas to New Year’s with my regular reading. I have many books that I plan on getting in January and I can’t wait to crack their covers and see what they have for me! (Check out the 2013 Bible Reading Plan here)

Wednesday is a great day to “officially” get back on track. It’s an at home day for me, so it’s not like jumping right into the craziness of life. I do have church tonight, but after a nice break, I’m ready to be back in the classroom and with my girls again. I always appreciate how much this break around Christmas gives me space to breathe. It was the perfect combination of going out and doing things and seeing people mixed with down time at home. Now that I’ve had this space, I’m ready to head back to my routine, to my classroom and even the office tomorrow.

The rest of this week holds making cake pops for the first time. I can’t wait to tell you how it goes – good or bad! I think I will also start 2013 off with clean carpets. I’m excited to pull out my new steam vacuum that I got for Christmas and give it a test run on my floors. Lots of fun stuff to do! 2013 is off a great start! I hope it for you as well!