Kristin Hill Taylor

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Joy that crashes my mornings

July 9, 2013 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I’m not a morning person. 

I prefer to wake up on my own, without an alarm or a commitment. And then I want to wake up slowly … and quietly. I’m an extrovert most of the rest of the day, but I like to have mornings to myself. I especially don’t want the TV on. Motherhood has thrown much of this out the window, yet I fought to hold on anyway.

My daughter is much like me in the mornings. She likes to cuddle quietly and gradually wake up. She’s much more pleasant when she wakes up on her own, even if the time isn’t that different from when I’d wake her up for school.

And then there is my son. Ben is loud and ready for much activity the moment he steps out of bed. He’ll wander to our bed and find his way into our bed, beside me if Greg’s already left for the office. And he’s quiet for about two minutes.

Then he wants to talk. And wrestle. And have you tickle him. And hide under the blankets. He laughs and tells stories. He urges me to get up and get him something to drink.

Admittedly, I can be annoyed by this. He crashes my introverted morning ways. 

But this morning I was laying in bed, snuggling with him while he talked about Vacation Bible School last night. I thought about how I chewed him out for peeing in his pants, again. I thought about how I can be harsh and how I need to speak more gently to him so I don’t squash his big, bold spirit.

He’s like the joy that comes in the morning. 

My words were harsh the night before. Ben often gets out of bed with tons of excuses that are only procrastination strategies. He’s afraid he’ll miss something. He thinks of another song to sing or story to tell.

Many evenings I’m weary and thankful bedtime has come. Even on the best of days, bedtime is welcome. My kids are generally good kids. Yes, they talk much, ask many questions, like to be on the go, argue with each other and then hug in the same moment, want to know what’s happening next, and stretch me emotionally. But it’s me who is ready for bedtime. Perhaps as the day ends I shift back to introverted ways.

But God doesn’t leave me that way. The morning brings joy. For me, joy’s name is Ben, and he likes to come to my bed about 6:40 each morning.

________



I’m linking up with Jen Ferguson’s Soli Deo Gloria party, where encouragement abounds, as well as Jennifer Dukes Lee and other storytellers for #TellHisStory. 

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Filed Under: Ben, motherhood, Soli Deo Gloria

Comments

  1. sheila @ LongingsEnd.com says

    July 10, 2013 at 7:50 pm

    Loved your story about your Ben, Kristin. I have a Ben, too. My middle of three sons, now all grown and living far away 🙁 and I miss them: the loud, the mess, the interruptions, the sleepless nights, all their friends and all the spontaneous shows of love for their mama in a thousand different ways. Here's to releasing control and enjoying all the moments as they come 🙂 Thanks for stopping by Longings End and I am glad you benefited from that post. Blessings to you and your precious family!

    Reply
  2. KristinHillTaylor says

    July 11, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    Part of the reason I believe God wants us to adopt a third child is my Ben has a middle-child personality. I think he's meant to be both a younger brother and an older brother. Boys certainly have their own ways of expressing love. Thank you for stopping by my place.

    Reply
  3. Pamela says

    July 23, 2013 at 2:44 pm

    What a precious story. Momma's catch the holy in their children even among the frustration. My daughters were morning people, too, and so I wrote from 4 to 6 each morning to catch some quiet.

    Reply
  4. KristinHillTaylor says

    July 23, 2013 at 6:08 pm

    That's early, Pamela! 🙂 I'm sure your dedication getting up early paid off. I haven't gotten there yet!

    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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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. 

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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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You’re a light wherever you go! And you like to You’re a light wherever you go! And you like to go! You’re always making friends, asking about our next adventure, wanting to know what’s next, and talking if you’re not singing. You’re the joy our family needed in 2015 and you continue to be the one who makes us laugh and love better than we did before we knew you. 

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