Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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The Summer Not-To-Do List

May 25, 2016 by Kristin 1 Comment

I originally wrote this post last summer for Circles of Faith, but its message is near and dear to my heart, probably because it’s what I’m always learning. I wanted to share it again today, in honor of our first full week of Summer Break. Plus I made a free printable for you! Happy Summer, friends!

{Click here to download a printable version of this Summer Not-To-Do List.} 

Dear Summer,

I’m so glad you’re here. You’re like the best friend who has been gone too long. My 9-year-old daughter who is so very literal would remind me that you don’t officially arrive until June 21, but the kids have been out of school almost a week now so I’m embracing your arrival.

I almost always have a to-do list near me. If a notebook isn’t physically near me, I’m emailing myself something I want to remember or making a mental list. One of my greatest fears is that I will forget. So I make lists.

But I don’t want to forget to live with you, Summer.

I look at our calendar and your days are filling up, especially the weekends in July. We’re going to visit my sister and her family in Buffalo, NY. We have a what’s-becoming-tradition long weekend in St. Louis with our best friends. And we’re wrapping up your days, Summer, at Hilton Head Island with my parents and siblings and their families.

I’m intentionally not filling some days, but even planning not to plan is a plan. Plus I’ve been purging and organizing and packing because we’re moving about 10 minutes away to 33 acres that fit our family well.

Cate’s going to a couple church camps. Ben wants to ride his bike and play in creeks. And Rachel just wants to go wherever everyone else is going.

And, of course, the kids and I want to spend many, many afternoons at the pool with our friends. We want to pack our lunches, go the park, and explore. We want to eat ice cream and read books.

These big plans mixed with ordinary days are why I love you, Summer. {Tweet that.}

You welcome a break from routine and foster adventure. In an effort to embrace this freedom and truly live with my kids, I want to have a not-to-do list that fosters joy and peace and grace and freedom.

Christ alone brings those things, but, you, Summer, help give me perspective on how to live. So I’m making a different kind of list right now. Instead of obsessing over what I need to do, I want to embrace a not-to-do list, a reverse bucket list of sorts that frees my soul.

This kind of list will prompt different kinds of check marks and I hope the victories spill over into your friends – Fall, Winter, and Spring. I want to grasp hold of truth so I can live more abundantly regardless of the season.

Sincerely,
A Momma in Kentucky

What are you looking forward to about summer? What does your Summer Not-To-Do List look like? {Tweet that.}

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Filed Under: life, summer, Three Word Wednesday

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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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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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Of course, if you haven't gotten your copy yet, you can buy "Created for Communion" at Amazon or Barnes & Noble (from those links above!) and from the trunk of my minivan! 

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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. 

We explore what this looks like in “Created for Communion,” along with other biblical foundations for friendships and community.

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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. 💛

#momlife #timehop #documentlife #bettertogether #sisters #siblinglove #nationaldaughtersday #daughters #reallife #schoollife #adoption #adoptionislove #PeaceInTheProcess #CreatedForCommunion #choosingJOY @ncca.lions
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!

In the blog post HOW TO TAKE THE TRIP, I share lots of links and suggestions on where to go, who can help you, and what to take with you. 

✨ https://kristinhilltaylor.com/2023/09/how-to-take-the-trip.html

Where do you want to go? What do you always take with you?

#linkinbio #ontheblog #roadtrip #vacation #documentlife #takethetrip #bloggerlife #adventurers #choosingJOY #traveltips
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. 

“Between Two Strangers” by @katewhite_author had such an intriguing plot that pulled me right in. I was close to figuring out how it was all intertwined, but I didn’t quite get there through all the twists. Good, quick read!

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #librarybooks #weekending #latergram #suspensebooks #goodreads
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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When you subscribe to emails from my porch, you ge When you subscribe to emails from my porch, you get some free goodies! Plus, it's a fun way to chat about life, books, and faith. 

I just updated the free gifts to include a lovely PDF that has links to 27 (!!!) how-to posts about life, home, and parenthood. I'm going to give away more goodies when I meet some subscriber goals, so, if you haven't already, please join me on my virtual porch. 

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Well, don't they look lovely together! ✨ Find Well, don't they look lovely together! 

✨ Find them all here: https://amzn.to/3sRUHd7

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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. 

... You ask a million questions, know the words to thousands of songs, have so many ideas, and still try to sneak into my bed at night. You say I’m the best snuggler in this family. I’ll take it – and your hugs and love, although the middle of the night will never be my favorite time. 

Happy birthday to the girl who loves loudly! 

✨ kristinhilltaylor.com/2023/09/rachel-is-8.html

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