Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Happy birthday, Cate!

May 6, 2011 by Kristin Leave a Comment

The first words out of Cate’s mouth this morning were, “Did I turn 4?”

“Yes, sweet girl, you’re 4.”

It’s like it really happened overnight. She’s talked for a long time, but now she sounds older. She tells long stories that are full of details. She remembers moments from years ago, like she’s stored them in her little heart.

She loves the people around her with a compassion that makes my heart melt. She loves having people over for dinner and assigns their seats at the kitchen before they arrive. She was quick to make friends at preschool, and, really, wherever we go.

My first Mother’s Day came when Cate was a week old and we were still staying in a hotel waiting for adoption paperwork to be passed between Indiana and Kentucky state governments. When I held Cate in those early days of her little life, I knew God’s faithfulness like ever before. And I haven’t been the same since. When I hold her now, with her long legs dangling, I still know that faithfulness. God embodied the desires of my heart in Cate.

And that’s why I love telling her story — which I’ve embraced as our family’s story.

That first Mother’s Day four years ago, she filled my heart by laying her sweet head on my shoulder. This year, she made me a present at preschool. It reminds me how so many things change in what seems like no time at all, but, really, much stays the same too.

This same girl still makes my heart melt. With her professions of “I love you so, so, much.” With her smile and laughter. With her innocent wisdom. With the love she has for her brother. With all the ways she’s stubborn and into plans just like her momma. With her desire to work at her desk and make things.

This is something she made at school a couple weeks ago, when she was still 3. I was a little surprised to learn she considers corn her favorite food, but I love how it documents what was on her mind that day.

On today is her day. We’ll celebrate who she is and the way God brought her into our family. But I have to say, I’ll also celebrate this journey through motherhood that has been challenging and fulfilling in ways I could even begin to anticipate. And it all started with one baby girl.

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Filed Under: adoption, Cate, motherhood

Comments

  1. Life as I know it says

    May 6, 2011 at 2:15 pm

    beautiful

    Reply
  2. Courtney says

    May 6, 2011 at 3:47 pm

    In case you didn't know, you are a great writer. 🙂 That was beautiful!

    Reply
  3. Peggy says

    May 6, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    She does have a great story and I love to tell it too. So glad she is ours to love for many more years.

    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 high school girl who never forgets, our middle school boy who has no fear, and our joy-filled first-grade 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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This book was hard to hear, but also a good story This book was hard to hear, but also a good story based on real life. 

"Cilka's Journey" follows "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" when a character from that story is moved to a Siberian work camp. I've never thought about the women in those camps and how their bodies were affected by the abuse, what would happen if they did get pregnant, and how nurses were certainly needed. Of course, it's so bittersweet to know despite the hard circumstances friendships still bloomed. 

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Y'all have been so awesome celebrating my new book Y'all have been so awesome celebrating my new book! If you've had a chance to read it, I'd really appreciate you leaving a review. For authors, Amazon is the best place, but you can copy and paste the same review on Goodreads and Barnes & Noble too: 

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To live in communion with one another, means to sh To live in communion with one another, means to share meals, space, advice, and prayers. It also means sharing hope, disappointment, dreams, and forgiveness. 

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So many of my Facebook friends shared lovely pictu So many of my Facebook friends shared lovely pictures of their daughters yesterday for the completely made-up National Daughters Day. Regardless, today I'm all in my feelings about my daughters. 

They're 16 and 8 right now. Both of their classes have been studying ancient Egypt and had a joint feast today. Sweet, huh? 

BUT THEN TIMEHOP GOT ME! Apparently, NINE years ago today, when Cate was a second-grader, her class had an Egyptian feast. I think about a particular picture of Cate and her friend Kilee from that day AND THEN IT CAME UP IN MY TIMEHOP TODAY. Facebook also told me that same day nine years ago, Monica and I became Facebook friends. We probably were at the Egyptian feast and decided we'd be friends because our girls were friends. Y'all, God has been so good to me through my friendship with Monica. Our families click in a special way with our three sets of same-aged kids, most of whom have been adopted. 

Anyway, my daughters. They're lovely, funny, and smart. I love that Cate helped Rachel with her Egyptian eye makeup this morning and made her a Nutella and banana sandwich. I love that they got to have a party today at school together. I love that even though they're eight years apart, they're sisters. 

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do. 💛

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I’m pretty much always thinking about my next tr I’m pretty much always thinking about my next trip! Be it a weekend getaway or a family vacation, I’ve always got ideas of where I want to go next. The rest of my family always has suggestions too. Yes, take the (next) trip!

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I was thankful for some rest time on the couch on I was thankful for some rest time on the couch on Saturday afternoon — and a chance to finish this suspense book. 

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Recently, in random snapshots. This is a full life Recently, in random snapshots. This is a full life, but it’s a good life. 💛

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