Friday, January 2, 2026

Instagram Dump July - December 2025

Another six months have passed, and somehow we are already in the second half of 2025. I'm still documenting our day-to-day life with Instagram posts, and I'm still thankful for a quick way to preserve our memories and happenings. With that said, here are the posts I made to Instagram from July through December of 2025.


07/07 - That 🌞Summer🌞 Life

🌞 Brianna is officially a permitted driver . . . eeep!
🌞 Bri's cousin bestie is a licensed driver so they had to do some running around together . . . double eeep!
🌞 Amazing sunsets at VBS
🌞 Swimming hole with friends
🌞 Civic Band with my old man friends and Chloe
🌞 Enjoying Chloe's jazz concert
🌞 Trip to Natural Falls State Park with my oldest girl and her summer running club
🌞 Bren enjoying the RSU Nature Preserve with some of his running friends
🌞 Brooke and Brecks working hard at running club
🌞 July 4th festivities - youth devo, swimming, blowing things up, and family time!




















07/25 - A perfect night for some Tulsa Driller's baseball! ⚾









08/05 - Brenson recently went on his 13 year old trip with Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Shawna. They flew from Little Rock to Boston, then drove up to Maine, with lots of fun sites and experiences along the way. Bren had a great time!





















08/07 - I made a new shirt for a new season. Ready to cheer my babies on! πŸ’œπŸ’œπŸ’œπŸ’œ


08/09 - Our 7th annual Backyard Back-to-School Bash is in the books. It was a great night with friends, food, laughter, s'mores, and several exciting games of volleyball. What a blessing to share our home and evening with some of our favorite people! πŸ’™πŸ’šπŸ’›πŸ’œ






08/11 - Recently, we had the opportunity to participate in a door-knocking campaign and gospel meeting in Kearney, Nebraska. There were about 25 of us from Nebraska, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Georgia who worked together over several days to set up Bible studies and reach out to the community. We are thankful to God for the positive responses and for the good encouragement we gained from working together!
















08/14 - We said good-bye for now to a sweet, dear friend today. Ms. Lynn was a sister in Christ, a fellow twin mom, and a fellow homeschool mom. We shared many hugs, meals, stories, smiles, and laughs. She gave me much encouragement as a mom, a Christian, a homeschooler, and a Bible class teacher, and I hope and pray I encouraged her a little, too, along the way. 

My heart hurts so much thinking about not seeing her on earth again, but I'm grateful for the same hope she lived by. I can still hear her infectious laugh in my head, and I hope to hang on to that for a long, long, time. πŸ’—πŸ’—πŸ’—


08/25 - As of a few weeks ago, LIGHT Academy is back in session. It's going to be a great year!

Brianna - High School Sophomore
Brenson - 8th grade
Brooke - 5th grade
Brecklyn - 5th grade
Chelley - Year 6 as LIGHT Academy teacher







09/05 - Yesterday was our first race day of the 2025 XC season! Brooke and Brecklyn raced with our talented elementary girls team, Brenson ran with our junior high boys team who ALL placed in the top 20, and Brianna ran a 5K at a night meet for high schoolers and college students. It was an exciting day, and we love watching our kids run! πŸƒπŸƒπŸƒπŸƒ










09/09 - As part of an assignment for American History, Brianna and Brenson made us a meal like would have been served during WW II - including German potatoes and a bread called The National Loaf. They got the recipes from Max Miller's Tasting History program (very interesting if you like history + cooking). The potatoes had a distinct Eastern European taste, and I'm pretty sure I was the only one who finished my portion 😁. They definitely took me back to my days in Ukraine!


10/02 - It's a beautiful morning for XC practice at the park! I love getting some steps, sunshine, and fresh air while the kids run πŸ’œ.


10/4 - A while back, LIGHT Academy took a little field trip to Fort Smith National Historic Site. It was a super interesting historical outing, and we all learned a lot about some ugly history of our region and state. However, the grounds of the fort site were just beautiful. After lunch, we ended the visit to Fort Smith with the sobering experience of walking through Fort Smith National Cemetery. 











10/06 - We've been so blessed with lots of opportunities for spiritual growth lately. We are thankful Tami and Jesse Dickinson were with us for our gospel meeting in September, then we were able to spend a couple days at the Midwest Lectures in Missouri. Following that, we attended a lovely Ladies Day in Kansas, and finally a one day gospel meeting in Weleetka, Oklahoma. The relationships we have in the Lord are some of the most special to us!















10/07 - Recently, Brianna had the opportunity to race at OSU in Stillwater. Although it was a tough course, she ran strong and enjoyed it. I haven't been to Stillwater since I was pregnant with Bri, so it was fun (and a little surreal) to be there with her! After the race, the girls and I drove to the KC area. On our way, we took a slight detour so I could show them the town where my dad grew up and where my grandparents lived until they passed away. We even drove by their old house and stopped for a photo op. I love sharing bits of our family history with them!






10/20 - We survived the very wet and rainy Homeschool State XC Meet! The morning started out just beautiful, but the rain began just as Bri was completing her 5K race. Bren was completely warmed up and ready to race when the skies opened up. After an hour plus lightening delay, Bren, Brooke, and Brecklyn raced in the pouring rain. We were all soaked to the bone, but we'll always remember the adventure that was Homeschool XC State 2025!










10/23 - My child made this and sent it to me this morning. She knows her momma, for sure! πŸ˜œπŸ˜‚πŸ˜


10/27 - The kids' 2025 XC season officially ended this past Saturday at Homeschool XC Nationals in Springfield, Missouri. Sadly, Brianna wasn't able to compete as she was sick, but Brenson, Brooke, and Brecklyn all finished their season strong! Brenson brought home a big course PR and a medal, Brooke took 11th place (one spot away from a medal), and Brecklyn finished in 15th place.

Cross country kids practice and compete when it's hot, cold, sunny, rainy, windy, and everything in between. They push through sore muscles and fatigue with no breaks and no time-outs. They run on grass, mud, rocks, concrete, and when their shoes are soaked through with water and grime. The mental toughness it takes to keep running when your mind and body are telling you to just stop is incredible, and their determination and perseverance translate into many other areas of life. It's about so much more than just running!

We are so grateful for a great season with a wonderful team and an encouraging, intentional coach!










11/03 - Sometimes, we're all a little Clueless πŸ˜›


11/05 - Sometimes people ask me if my kids have many opportunities for extra-curriculars as homeschoolers, and the answer is YES! This semester, we've been trying out some new things and really enjoying them so far!

Beginning band for Brecklyn (who's playing the flute) and Brooke (who chose to play trombone) has been fun and something I am especially excited about!

Brecklyn also decided to play basketball this season for the very first time. She and Bren are both playing with Oklahoma Flame, and we're excited for the season. We have 5-6 practices a week between them, and Bri is my practice buddy πŸ’œ.

Brooke and Brecklyn are loving a space science we're doing at home, while Brianna and Brenson are enjoying a weekly physical science lab class they're taking with a few other students in someone's home. 

Brianna is also getting ready to start a winter conditioning running club called Falcon Freeze, and Brooke will be starting rec volleyball soon. Our schedule is crazy at times, but we are so thankful our kids have the opportunity to do things they enjoy!









12/01 - Don't Mess With Texas - Day 1

We've been anxious to explore more of Texas, so we decided to make it happen! We left a little before 7:00am the morning after Thanksgiving, and headed toward Austin. As we crossed from Oklahoma into Texas, the song God Blessed Texas was playing on the radio.

Buc-ee's was our first Texas stop (because of course). Our goal was to make it to the Texas State Capitol before dark, and despite the crazy traffic from Dallas alllll the way to Austin, we made it! Downtown Austin was bustling with University of Texas fans (for a football game), but we toured the Capitol and grounds despite the crowds. 

After dinner at a family favorite (Chuy's), we checked into our hotel for the night, anxiously looking forward to the rest of our trip!











12/02 - Don't Mess With Texas - Day 2

In our family, we joke that no one loves Texas as much as Texans do, so we had to laugh when we discovered the Texas shaped waffles at breakfast. As soon as we finished breakfast, we headed from Austin to San Antonio.

Our first stop in San Antonio was the Alamo, followed by a quick walk down a portion of The Riverwalk on our way to the Tower of Americas overlook tower. We saw incredible views of the city and watched a 4D movie called Skies Over Texas before walking back to The Riverwalk to take a river cruise. The cruise was beautiful and peaceful and full of interesting history of San Antonio. Before leaving The Riverwalk, Brooke and Brecklyn held a macaw, and we ate a late lunch. 

Since it had been a fairly early morning for us, we rested for a couple hours in our hotel before walking back to the Tower of Americas for a night view of the city. We also went back to The Riverwalk to see it lit up for Christmas, and I'm pretty sure there was more alcohol flowing that night than water in the river! We enjoyed the beautiful lights on The Riverwalk despite the crowds, but after a day full of fun and adventure (and about 16,000 steps), we were all ready for a good night's rest!















12/03 - Don't Mess With Texas - Day 3

We started out our day by worshipping with the Ft. Sam Houston church of Christ not far from downtown San Antonio. They were an encouraging and very welcoming group!

Following a quick lunch at McAlister's Deli (because it was close and open), we visited all four of the San Antonio Missions on Sunday afternoon. The Missions are a National Historic Site, but are also functioning community churches. We saw a portion of a mass service, a wedding, and a quinceanera during our visits.

We went back to Sunday evening worship at Ft. Sam, then grabbed a quick bite at Burger Boy for supper. While we were eating, multiple police vehicles pulled in the parking lot and three officers came in the restaurant with handcuffs looking to arrest one of the employees. The employee wasn't there, so the officers left. Our kids were pretty wide-eyed at this, but it just enhanced the big city experience, I guess!











12/04 - Don't Mess With Texas - Day 4

This day was all about exploring more of San Antonio, so we started the day at the famous Market Square. Since we visited in the morning, the crowd traffic was very low, but we enjoyed all the colors and browsing the many, many shops. 

Our next stop was the Japanese Tea Garden (formally known as the Chinese Tea Garden . . . it's a whole story). The weather was chilly and drizzly, so once again we pretty much had the place to ourselves. It is such a serene spot amid the bustle of the city. 

After the Tea Gardens, we headed back to Market Square for a fantastic lunch at Mi Tierra. It was decorated beautifully for Christmas, and we were even serenaded during our lunch! Then, we did a little more shopping before leaving Market Square. 

Our final attraction for the day was the San Antonio Zoo. We were able to enjoy many of the animals before the sun set, then we looped the entire zoo a second time to see the Christmas lights after dark! It was delightful and very well done!

By the time we made it back to the hotel, we were ready for good sleep. We had thoroughly enjoyed our few days in San Antonio!





















12/05 - Don't Mess With Texas - Day 5

We woke up this morning in San Antonio, but we were ready to begin phase two of our vacation - Big Bend National Park! 

As we began driving west out of San Antonio, the busy city scenery gave way to a sparse, desert landscape. It was kind of crazy to go from seemingly endless city to towns so few and far between that it felt desolate. 

Before the afternoon ended, we entered Big Bend National Park from the north and made a quick stop at the Persimmon Gap Visitor's Center. From there, we drove to the main and central visitor's center in the park, Panther Junction. We watched a short film about the park and took notice of all the snake warnings!

From there, we drove west out of the park to Terlingua where our VRBO was waiting for us. The kids got settled while Chris and I went grocery shopping at the tiny, local market. There wasn't much of a selection of groceries, but we did see a gray fox!

We cooked spaghetti for supper, then the kids watched Where the Red Fern Grows before bed. We were ready for some good hiking and exploring in the park!












12/06 - Don't Mess With Texas - Day 6

This was the perfect day for hiking and exploring in the park. We were so grateful for the amazing weather!

We began by driving about an hour from Terlingua to the Rio Grande Village in the southeast portion of the park. The morning sun on the Chisos Mountains had us in awe!

Our first trail of the day was Boquillas Canyon. The trail ended at the Rio Grade River where we had fun skipping rocks and listening to the echo from the massive canyon walls.

Following Boquillas Canyon, we headed to the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail. We saw lots of birds on the this trail, but not much else. However, we treated ourselves to ice cream sandwiches from the village store which was fun.

Chisos Basin was next on our agenda for the day. We stopped at the visitor's center and ate lunch in the parking lot before taking the short Window View Trail. From there, we set off on the Chisos Basin Loop Trail for incredible views of the Chisos Mountains and surrounding valleys.

For supper, we made taco salads at our little house, then we headed back into the park for the sunset. Sadly, it was too cloudy to see the stars like we had hoped. 

Being in the desert, the park is full of cacti and various pokey and thorny plants. By the end of the day, 3/4 of the children had to have a thorn or cactus needle of some sort pulled out of their skin. Don't worry, though, by the end of our second hiking day, ALL of us had experienced the pain of the cactus needle!





















12/07 - Don't Mess With Texas - Day 7

Today was another hiking day in Big Bend. We started the day by taking the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to the Santa Elena Canyon in the southwest portion of the park. The Canyon hike was very interesting . . . it began as a boardwalk to a dry water crossing. Then, we walked along a very lush and green trail to a set of switchbacks that took us up the canyon wall. After walking along the canyon wall above the river for a ways, we descended back down to water level and followed the Rio Grande for a short distance. It was amazing and somehow completely different from the Boquillas Canyon hike we had taken the day prior. 

After the Santa Elena Canyon Trail, we drove to the Castolon area of the park to explore a bit. Next, we went to the Mule Ears viewpoint where we hiked a short portion of the Mule Ears Springs Trail to see a spectacular view of Mule Ears. We also stopped at Sotol Vista for incredible 360 degree views of the park. 

Finally, we made one more stop at Panther Junction (for bathrooms and souvenirs) before leaving the park. There were still a few hours before dark, so we drove to Terlingua Ghost Town to see what the mining town of Terlingua looked like. We also did some shopping at a neat little souvenir shop.

Our supper menu was chili and biscuits, and it tasted so good after being on the trails for part of the day. We finished the evening by watching a movie and being thankful for another great day!





















12/08 - Don't Mess With Texas - Day 8

Today was another much anticipated day of our trip as we were crossing into Mexico from Big Bend!

The morning started with getting everything packed up into our van so we could check out of our VRBO. Then, we drove about an hour to the Rio Grade Village area of Big Bend which is where the Boquillas Port of Entry is located. We walked through the port of entry building and down a sandy path to the Rio Grande River. 

At the Rio Grande River, we paid a Mexican man $5 (per person) to take us across the river on his little boat. The river is shallow enough to wade across, but it was chilly and we didn't want to be wet. Once we were on the Mexico side of the river, we could walk 3/4 of a mile to the town of Boquillas del Carmen, or we could pay to ride burrows into town. We opted for the burrow experience!

Boquillas del Carmen is a town of only 250 people who make their living solely from tourism. It was so fun to walk along the dusty street shopping for souvenirs and visiting with Raul, our "tour guide".

Upon Raul's recommendation, we ate an early lunch at Boquillas Restaurant where we had delicious goat meat tacos, tamales, cheese enchiladas, chips and salsa, and freshly made guac. The people were very kind and hospitable to us!

Once we finished lunch, we took a few more photos and then rode our burrows back to the river bank. Brooke and Brecklyn decided they wanted to wade across the river this time stead of riding in the boat. A short walk up a sandy path led us right back to the port of entry building where a friendly border patrol officer scanned our passports and made sure we weren't sneaking in contraband from Mexico πŸ˜‰. The whole morning had been a fantastic experience!

We fueled up at one of the fuel pumps in the park before heading north out of the park and toward Midland. The afternoon of driving felt very long, but we arrived in Midland and checked into our hotel around 5:00pm. We ate a delicious supper at Clear Springs Restaurant before heading back to the hotel for the night. We were all dusty, dirty, and gritty from our adventures of the day, but we were still talking about the fun we'd had!





















12/09 - Don't Mess With Texas - Day 9

Our goal for this day was to be on the road heading out of Midland toward home by 7:00am. After already running 30 minutes later than we wanted, we discovered our van had a flat tire while driving it out of the hotel parking lot. 

We stopped at a gas station very near the hotel so Chris could put air in the tire. Then, we drove to a tire shop to have it checked out. We arrived at the tire shop right as they were opening for the morning and our van was the first job of the day. They patched our tire, and we were merging onto the interstate by 8:45am.

While it wasn't the most ideal way to begin the day, we are very thankful for how everything worked out. It would have been way more difficult to have had a flat tire the day before where there are 100 miles between towns!

The remainder of the day was spent driving home. It was very sunny until we hit Wichita Falls where the fog was suddenly thick and never let up the rest of the way. We stopped at Braum's as soon as we were back in Braum's country and pulled into our driveway just before 6:00pm. 

EVERYTHING was covered in dust and a little (or maybe a lot) smelly, but we are so thankful for a fantastic trip. Memories to last a lifetime!







12/15 - Tulsa Botanic Garden of Lights - a favorite tradition with some of our favorite people. Even if the temperature was only 20 degrees! πŸŽ„πŸ˜°πŸŽ„









12/19 - Last Saturday, Brianna participated in her very first indoor track meet at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Washburn is home of the Ichabods, named for their founder, Ichabod Washburn. I was so confused when I kept seeing things that said, "Go Bods!" before discovering that was their mascot πŸ˜‚.

The indoor track was a 200m track, so there was a bit of a mental adjustment for Bri. She competed in the 3000m and her usual 1600m and was happy with her times in both. 

Meanwhile, Chris was holding down the fort at home. Bren had a basketball πŸ€ game, followed directly by a volleyball 🏐 game for Brooke. They both brought home the W, and thankfully Brecklyn didn't have a game (her regular season will begin in a few weeks).









12/20 - Chris found his very first tee ball jersey in his dad's barn. He was in 1st grade when he wore it, and he continued to wear the number 13 all through middle school and high school playing football and soccer. Now, Bren is wearing #13 on the basketball court. 



12/21 - πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„





And that's a wrap on 2025! What a wonderful and blessed year!