Happy New Year, friends! This year felt like it went by abnormally fast. I much prefer it that way, which is probably why I try to keep us busy with fields trips, parties, and travel. :P I love making memories with my family and am thankful for the many opportunities we had to do just that in 2025.
JANUARY
Chris had to work on New Year's Day, so the kids and I did our First Day Hike at Paris Mountain State Park by ourselves. We were thrilled to get some snow! Chris's sister and her family came down from MN for a long visit. The kids were excited to see their cousins. Peter went to a science class where he got to hold and diagram a sheep brain. Went hiking with my mom and our IL friends who moved down not too many years ago.
FEBRUARY
The kids took two art classes, one at our local art museum and one at Bob Jones University. The kids participated in an Around the World fair with our homeschool group. They chose to share about India, and their grandpa who has been to India many times got to come see their display. I got to see Riverdance with my sister-in-law - an unbelievably special experience. We went on a field trip to watch Charlotte perform with the Greenville Symphony.
MARCH
I was SO excited that both my aunts were able to come for a visit! We took them all over the place - Easley, Greenville, even Sassafras Mountain! I went to the homeschool convention again and got lots of good curriculum ideas. I enjoyed having a St. Patrick's Day party with a random group of friends.
APRIL
Another art class at BJU. We went to the annual Easley Spring Fling with my dad. Peter and I went on a little date to a falconry class at the library and got to see many beautiful birds that we'd only heard of. Easter was amazing as usual. Went to a service at my church in the morning and then one at my parents' that night. I got to represent our orchestra at a festival by playing some duets with a friend. The kids ran their first lemonade stand. We hiked the Crack in the Rock trail as a family.
MAY
Mom, the kids, and I had a wonderful time exploring the NC Arboretum. The kids took a field trip through BJU Press and I thought the entire printing process was incredible. I turned 32. Got all our school books ordered for the new year. Celebrated Memorial Day together with matching shirts this year!
JUNE
Summer was in full swing, and we enjoyed many days at the lake with family. Charlotte and I spent several evenings listening to live music and eating donuts at a local hangout called The Silos. Matthew turned 6! The kids spent a morning helping out at a farm owned by a lady in our homeschool group. Charlotte and I had a lovely belated birthday trip in Hilton Head.
JULY
We started our new school year, with Matthew in 1st grade and Peter in 5th. The kids took a comic-drawing class with friends. The kids enjoyed the Roper Mountain Science Center. I had to play a solo in our summer concert. I was shaking and felt sick but hey, I didn't die, and Char got to play with me. :)
AUGUST
August was interesting. Chris's shoulder pain had finally reached an excruciating level so he began a 3-month chiropractic treatment plan. Meanwhile, I began what has become an annual battle with poison ivy, but this was the worst yet. After many days of steroids, it finally cleared up and I could sleep again, but I still have scars which is wild. Charlotte graciously accompanied me to cross something off my bucket list: seeing Mumford & Sons live. We sat in steady rain for 4ish hours. WORTH IT, right, Char? :P I made a skyr tarte for the first time. We took my mom to Long Shoals Roadside Park where Matthew slipped on the algae-covered rocks and started going down the river. I jumped in and pulled him onto my lap in the hopes of only one of our heads (mine) smashing into rocks. There was no way to slow down or stop except by jamming my foot into a crack in a boulder. (RIP my ankle). By God's grace, a man who had been swimming alone just below us rushed up and helped pull us out. It was very scary and we cried when we got back to the van. :(
SEPTEMBER
We celebrated Chris's birthday, and participated in the start of a new year of two homeschool groups. Chris and I had fun going to some local places for our 13th anniversary. We attended a candlelight vigil in memory of Charlie Kirk. We finally hiked to Yellow Branch Falls. Took the obligatory trip to Sky Top Orchard.
OCTOBER
The kids and I enjoyed seeing Charlotte perform with the Greenville Symphony! They studied Beatrix Potter at yet another art class. We took an AMAZING trip to IL. We hadn't been back for three years, I think. We saw so many friends and family, visited Chicago, and went to the special-to-us Cottages in the Woods event. As soon as we got home, we went with Chris to the gem/mineral/fossil show. :) Our church hiked the Pickens Glassy trail and that was fun, although I got a little weird about heights for the first time.
NOVEMBER
While Peter ended up being sick for Thanksgiving so he and I stayed home, there was lots to be thankful for! We loved seeing lots of cool animals (mostly snakes) at a serpentarium not far from us. Charlotte and I finally went to a hockey game, and we had a BLASTTTTT. Can't wait to go again. Peter turned 11. Charlotte and I went to see Wicked: For Good. Our church had a fall party and it felt good to be helpful there. We went to a potluck hosted by our town. It was so cozy and really focused on the blessings God's given us.
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I'm pretty sure this is the busiest Christmas season we've ever had. It was so fun! We rode Santa's Sleigh with my family and in-laws, went caroling at a nursing home, went to two Christmas parties, went to a play and a parade, I played a concert and went to three more, we drove through two light shows and went to Tiny Town, I delivered cookies to 12 homes, we went to a live nativity, I completed several Dashing Through the Parks missions, and Mom and I did a 1-day trip to Charleston where we did everything from touring the dungeon at the Old Exchange building to eating ice cream at Folly Beach. We spent the evening of Christmas Day sharing testimonies and singing hymns with Chris's and my family - 32 people now! What nourishment for our souls and spirits as we head into the new year.
I played seven concerts this year, the highlight of which was the summer one with Charlotte as my stand partner. I read 94 books which you can see here. I didn't watch many movies, but that list is here.
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Notice the slight but noticeable facial expressions. The one gazing on the past is more relaxed. He's definitely been through some stuff, but it's over. It's done. The young face looking towards the future is a bit apprehensive. Who knows what's to come? How can one prepare for an unknown future?
I am someone who makes lists, stresses, accomplishes, worries, is organized and still freaks out. The second one thing is done, I'm thinking about what's coming next and what I need to do about it and how it could go wrong. This is my natural state when I am not grounded in the truth that God is my constant. To quote our pastor, "In Christ, our future ends in glory!" There is no future I will live through apart from the Lord. Exactly zero of the scary days ahead I will face alone. Surprises to me, plans upended, major frustrations are not catching God off-guard. The same unchanging character that people we reverently read about (David, Moses, etc.) relied on is mine to lean against! This is stabilizing in my soul even if my mind starts to crawl into a dark cave sometimes. Another quote from Sunday's sermon is, "Our maturity cannot grow beyond our knowledge of the Scripture." With that in mind, one of my goals is to make sure I'm faithful to read a passage of the Bible each day. Some days I'll be able to read more than others, but even just a little at the beginning of the day is helpful to start with the right mindset.
I was talking yesterday with a friend with whom I've had a weekly prayer time for several years. I was sharing how I was a little sad that some friends and social gatherings I had come to love fell away this year, without explanation or replacement. She made a beautiful comparison between Christ feeding the multitudes and our being used to bless others. She said who knows how exactly the miracle worked, but perhaps instead of there being more and more loaves, the bread continued being broken over and over again until all had been fed. She said we might not know how many times our relationships will be split up, but God uses these things to bring others into our circles that might need encouragement and new friendships. To widen our influence, maybe. It encouraged me to not be selfish with friendship (who's pouring into me? who's reaching out to me?) and instead look for those that *I* can reach out to and bless through fellowship. Another goal this year. ;)
I pray this upcoming year holds more connection, joy, and peace for you. That you don't just hope but you *know* people are so glad you exist. I hope you're able to take deep breaths in nature. I hope good books, music, and films find you right when you need them. Thanks for being here. Happy 2026!
