Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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December 8, 2010 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I put clean pajamas [read: sweatpants, T-shirt and sweatshirt] on after I showered this afternoon.

And I wasn’t even going to shower today, but I thought the hot water would feel good on my congested head. Plus Greg was home for lunch, so I took advantage of having a second adult to supervise our two sickly children.

Cate hadn’t had a fever in her first three years of life, and now she’s had her second one just four months after her first. And she had symptom-free strep throat between the two fevers. Welcome to preschool, I know. And, yes, that probably applies to at least the latter two.

This second fever reared its head Sunday and then again Tuesday afternoon, after Cate told her teacher, “I just don’t feel great.” The school director ended up calling me for the first time. And I picked her up early. She’s been congested, and then her eye started looking a little pink. The doctor said she had an ear infection and hay fever [who lives in Kentucky and doesn’t have annoying allergies at some point?]. So some antihistamine and antibiotic are working to make my girl feel better.

Ben has a little stomach bug that has manifested itself in his diapers. The pediatrician called into the pharmacy the prescription for a cream for his extremely rashy bottom. I’m thankful for that and that I didn’t have to make my second trip to the pediatrician’s office in two days. And, really, counting Ben’s year-old check-up appointment last week, it would have been the third time in a week. The nice nurse also gave me the proper dosage for Benadryl, which is helping relieve some of Ben’s congestion.

Speaking of Benadryl, I have a funny story for you: Ben fell asleep on me this morning while we were resting on one couch while Cate watched “Merry Madagascar” from the other couch. I laid my blanket-wrapped boy down gently so I could get up for a few minutes. He was still sleeping when Greg came home for lunch, bearing gifts of orange juice, Pedialyte and Ben’s prescription cream. I heard a little sound while the three of us were eating in the kitchen. Like Ben had scooted his way off the couch. Not a plop, at least. Well, when I walked in the room, my blanket-wrapped boy was still asleep … only he was on the floor now! He totally rolled off and didn’t even wake up! I supposed Benadryl had that kind of effect on him.

This afternoon has proved more energetic for all three of us.

Ben took his regular afternoon nap even though he had two cat naps this morning.

Cate also took her regular nap, although she wanted to change out of her pajamas before getting in her bed. I told her about today being a day of rest in our pajamas all day. She said, “No, we have to change our clothes every day.”

She has a point.

So she changed into sweatpants and a T-shirt. Then she went to sleep.

They both woke up with more energy, and I wrapped some Christmas presents for our early Christmas celebration with Greg’s brothers and their families this weekend. I also finished “Choosing to See,” a book that helped me pause to think about how to better treasure motherhood and reminded that God is indeed in control. He’s really the best choice for the throne, even though I try to steal his seat sometimes.

Here’s to the King, who was born in a manger thousands of years ago yet still orchestrates the beautiful details of my life now. Even on days that are spent in my pajamas.

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Filed Under: Ben, books, Cate, faith, holiday, motherhood

Comments

  1. Life as I know it says

    December 9, 2010 at 3:38 pm

    "No, we have to change our clothes every day." I can't get over how grown-up she sounds! I love her sense of routine.

    Reply

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About Me

Telling stories is my therapy and I love sharing them with friends on my porch.

The main characters in my stories are my entrepreneur husband, our ninth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear sixth-grade boy, and our joy-filled kindergarten girl. As we live out our stories, we seek God as the author of them all.

Learn more about my story here.

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“Writing is what makes me happy. Writing, even, “Writing is what makes me happy. Writing, even, is how I feel I contribute to the world. Reminding people of what’s important. Letting them escape the harsh parts of life, even if it’s just for a few hours. Helping them feel happiness through watching happily-ever-afters unfold. Remembering truths. Recalling their self-worth. Loving others. Living well. Learning. I want to do that.” 

And, let’s be honest, love stories about writers make me happy too. “Meet Me in the Margins” was cute, predictable, and a good way to escape for a little while. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #authorlife #librarybooks #poolpeople #weekending
This is the only picture I took tonight. You can’t tell, but there was a porch full of people talking, more kids playing basketball, and another group around the kitchen table. We covered a lot of ground in our conversations. Nobody cared that I didn’t have hot dog buns or tomatoes for the burgers. I ran out of paper plates and am happy to hear the dishwasher cleaning all the “real” plates. I’m grateful for come-as-you-are community, where we share real life. 

#88daysofsummer #PorchStories #livingfaithfully #morethangroceries #choosingJOY #bettertogether #reallife #hospitalitymatters #poolpeople
While Ben had a great week at @memgrizzyouth camp While Ben had a great week at @memgrizzyouth camp with some school friends, the girls and I soaked up some more of summer with our friends. 

#88daysofsummer #boymom #bettertogether #girlmom #momlife #reallife #choosingJOY
I’m getting ready to get in my van again to pick I’m getting ready to get in my van again to pick up a kid from basketball camp. It’s the third time today I will have driven from my house to somewhere else and back again. And this is still Summer Break, when things are supposedly a little slower. 

My friend @marycarver gets me. She knows us moms spend a million hours a week taxiing people to school and sports and church and friends’ houses and errands and appointments. And maybe we linger longer before coming in the house with arms full of groceries and bags and papers and books … because we just need a minute. Or maybe we answer some texts before we pull away from the store and catch up on phone calls while we drive or show up early to pickup to read a book that has captured our attention. 

We spend a lot of time and accomplish much in our cars. Mary knows this and is giving us the encouragement we need in her new book, “Prayers from the Parking Lot.” It’s a perfect size to keep in your car or purse. Each of the 50 reflections are practical and inspiring and meet moms on the go right where we are. 

Preorder this gem now so you have it the next time you have a few extra minutes in a parking lot, school pickup line, or waiting room. It officially releases next week and is available from @revellbooks on Amazon and wherever else you buy books. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #momlife #reallife #livingfaithfully
20 years married. 💛 I’ve learned a million t 20 years married. 💛

I’ve learned a million things in these adult years, but I keep thinking about this one this today: Celebrate the good things. 

This world is so noisy, decisions and situations clutter our brains, and there’s so much heartache. But there’s also goodness. And our married life falls into that category and is a testimony to God’s faithfulness. It hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been sanctifying and life-giving. 

(And it deserves a second post today.)

We celebrated today with a lunch date, some love notes, the two bouquets he surprised me with a day early, some chocolates I left in the car too long but rescued and restored them from their melted state, and dinner out as a family. I’ll take it. I will take every ounce of goodness on an ordinary day that marks what feels like a big-deal accomplishment. 

#marriage #TeamTaylor #anniversary #bettertogether #reallife #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully #wifelife #momlife
In the past year, I learned Greg doesn’t like pa In the past year, I learned Greg doesn’t like packaged taco seasoning and bought my engagement ring on sale at a pawn shop. This after I’ve been wearing the ring for two decades and made taco meat more times than I could even begin to count.

With that, happy 20th anniversary, husband. I’m glad we can still learn things about each other after knowing each other for more than 24 years and being married for two decades. 

Being in our 40s celebrating 20 years of marriage together seems like such a grown-up accomplishment. But it also seems like exactly where we are supposed to be. Let’s keep adventuring and learning together. Let’s go celebrate, maybe with tacos! 

https://kristinhilltaylor.com/2022/08/20-years.html

#linkinbio #bloggerlife #marriage #TeamTaylor #reallife #wifelife #anniversary
I need to work, but I want to read. 📚 #KHTread I need to work, but I want to read. 📚

#KHTreads #booklover #readerproblems #bookproblems #bookstagram #librarybooks #reallife
I read my 6-year-old daughter "The Prodigal Son" s I read my 6-year-old daughter "The Prodigal Son" story from "The Jesus Storybook Bible" before bed recently, and God reminded me of some things. 

“Jesus told people this story to show them what God is like. And to show people what they are like. So they could know, however far they ran, however well they hid, however lost they were – it wouldn’t matter,” author Sally Lloyd-Jones writes. “Because God’s children could never run too far, or be too lost, for God to find them.”

I was teary when I finished. While this Bible story was retold for children, the words brought to mind when I decided to follow Christ on Jan. 20, 1996, after hearing someone speak about The Prodigal Son during a Chrysalis weekend. 

I nailed some sins to a wooden cross in the sanctuary, representing surrender. I remember thinking of the beauty of the father welcoming his lost son home, understanding how the younger son thought he could hold together his own life, and relating to the older son who stayed and did what he was supposed to and found himself not quite willing to celebrate his brother’s homecoming. 

I told Rachel an abbreviated version of that story of being a 16-year-old girl hearing that story and making a decision that truly changed my life. 

Here more than 26 years later, I’m thankful God welcomes me home over and over again. I’ve surrendered and squandered and sulked, and God keeps opening his arms, which led me to salvation initially and continually prompts surrender. 

Read GOD ALWAYS FINDS THEM #ontheblog at kristinhilltaylor.com. #linkinbio #bloggerlife #livingfaithfully #thirdchild #momlife #faithlife #choosingJOY #bedtimeshenanigans
We had a great visit with these cousins. In a summ We had a great visit with these cousins. In a summer that’s been full of interruptions and bumps, the kids and I were happy to share Venture River — one of our happy places this year — with my sister, her kids, my mom, and my nephew @jaxsonhll. They also swam immediately after breakfast this morning before the cousins headed home. Here’s to soaking in some more summer and looking forward to the next time we’ll be together! ☀️

#88daysofsummer #choosingJOY #cousins #siblinglove #summerisbest #reallife #latergram
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