Kristin Hill Taylor

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Nine Things I Learned in October

October 31, 2016 by Kristin Leave a Comment

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The other day Rachel got the first dose of her flu shot and I was making an appointment for the booster dose for four weeks later. Well, four weeks from last Thursday is going to be Thanksgiving. And we’re going to be on a Disney cruise, but that’s another story for another time. The point today: HOW ARE WE LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS AWAY FROM THANKSGIVING?! I feel like I say this every month, but, geez, time is F L Y I N G by so quickly.

So, dear October, you were hotter than usual and faster than usual, but you were good to us. We saw friends during Fall Break at the beginning of the month and then more friends at the end of the month for Murray State’s Homecoming. We closed on our now-old-to-us house, had family pictures taken, and stayed busy with school activities. Before you’re history, October, let’s remember what you taught me.

1. The bacon maple doughnut our local doughnut place makes is amazing. And, yes, doughnut is the proper spelling. Donut is Dunkin’ Donuts’ fault. I had it twice this past month.

2. Evan McMullin is getting my vote in the presidential election. I was going to write a whole post about this, but I decided not to. Even so, I’m happy to talk about why I don’t believe voting for a third party is a wasted vote, if you want to talk more about that kind of thing. (Evan McMullin shares about this same philosophy on his website and Facebook page regularly.)

3. My baby is a toddler. And watching her toddle around makes me so happy. And while I’m not doing monthly posts to document her growth, I’m thankful for the ways social media allows for that.

(She is currently into walking, attempting to run, turning off lights, laughing at herself on Snapchat, and opening cabinets, if y’all were wondering.)

4. Carrollton’s album is worth putting on repeat. I heard “Let Love Win” on the radio and looked it up later. While doing so, I listened to other songs and ended up with the whole album. Also, turns out some of the band members are Kentucky boys, so that’s a fun fact!

5. Seeing one of my kids embrace generosity makes me proud. And by proud I mean relieved that I may be doing something right.

If you missed the post about the bake sale Cate and two friends organized to raise money for Guatemala, then I encourage you to check it out – and not just because she’s my girl. We’re also packing shoe boxes for other children soon too.

6. Likewise, when my boy edited his birthday party invitation, my word-loving, mom heart was proud.

(Turns out there wasn’t an error, but rather an opportunity for a conversation with a first-grader about plural and possessive nouns.)

7. I always say summer is my favorite (and it is for so many reasons), but I really do love fall. I think I say this every year, but it always falls fresh on me like a new revelation. It’s a busy season, but there are many opportunities for parties and events and that makes us happy. Hello, family of extroverts.

8. I went to a paint party and enjoyed myself. I just said I liked parties, but I don’t like to paint. But I successfully painted a wooden Kentucky with gray and aqua chevron stripes. It was a fun girls night out with my oldest daughter and some of our friends. Plus the party raised money for our church’s adoption grant fund.

9. One word can rock my world, in the best and hardest ways. And then when God shows me that one word in a couple places in a way that encourages and convicts simultaneously, I become mush. This time is was AMBASSADOR in my Precept study of the Sermon on the Mount and in “Parenting” by Paul David Tripp. I wrote a whole post about it, and am I’m giving away a copy of “Parenting,” so be sure to go enter to win a copy.

How did October treat you?

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Filed Under: Things I Learned Tagged With: books, Cate, food, music, parenting, politics, seasons

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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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I miss … … a few particular friends from whom I miss …

… a few particular friends from whom I’m separated by circumstances, logistics, and distances. 

When I make a friend, I intend to stay friends forever. Of course, life doesn’t always work out that way. 

I don’t miss my kids being young, but I miss the ease of socializing with my friends during that season. It was easy then to meet at the park or go somewhere for lunch. Now there are so many schedules to work around. 

Scheduling time to lunch or get together is still my love language, it just takes a little more work, patience, and persistence now. And sometimes that’s exhausting. But it’s always worth it. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #bettertogether #livingfaithfully #reallife
School’s out FOR THE SUMMER! #88daysofsummer #mo School’s out FOR THE SUMMER! #88daysofsummer #momlife #siblinglove #summerisbest #maydays
I’m proud of myself for … … surviving and t I’m proud of myself for …

… surviving and thriving this school year. I resist change almost all of the time, and the past nine months have been full of so many transitions for our whole family. I know, that’s life, but these changes seem like the kind that will mark us forever. 

My kids navigated new beginnings in kindergarten, middle school, and high school. As a mom, sometimes I’m too close to see the growth, but this year it happened in each of them right before my eyes. They navigated friendship hurdles, embraced new friends, and settled a little more into who God created them to be. Middle school isn’t for the faint of heart, but I feel like I’ve come out of this year closer to my son, so I will take it. 

I’m proud of myself for leaning into where God has me. I’ve grown deeper friendships, invested in my kids’ school as a board member and business manager, and seen God work in our ordinary days. 

Y’all know I’m a summer girl, so I’m proud of myself through getting through the winter and coming into summer stronger and braver. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #momlife #summerisbest #bettertogether
I’m honestly surprised I didn’t read this book I’m honestly surprised I didn’t read this book sooner. I loved so much about it, but I did want some of her stories to be  less repetitive and offer more practical advice for living out “radical, ordinary hospitality.” Rosaria Butterfield defines hospitality like this as sharing what you have in real time, preparing to continually life this lifestyle, and bringing strangers in so they become neighbors who become family. 

I took notes throughout, but especially during the introduction. I came away with an appreciation that hospitality can involve lists, schedules, and habits. I felt encouraged, even if I thought the book could have been organized better to include practical tips and other people’s stories. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #audiobooks #livingfaithfully #bookreview #booklover
Something I don’t usually share (online) … I Something I don’t usually share (online) …

I am an opinionated person, but I don’t usually share political opinions on social media. People who know me in real life know I value being pro-life, having less government involvement in our everyday lives, defining marriage as God intended it, and being fiscally conservative. As a former newspaper reporter, I still get excited about elections. I admittedly pay a little less attention in the almost 15 years I haven’t been in a newsroom. But I still care and have plenty of opinions. 

I voted today in Kentucky’s Primary Election. I’m thankful for the freedom to share my opinion by darkening some blocks on a paper ballot. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #reallife #livingfaithfully
Old friends and live music are two of my favorite Old friends and live music are two of my favorite things, so having them together is the best. My friend Aaron and I went to multiple Dave Matthews Band shows together during our college years, so now two decades later it’s fun to do it again as grown ups with our spouses for a band that speaks truth into our lives. 

@needtobreathe put on the loudest acoustic tour I’ve ever seen, but it sure was good! And its encore of completely unplugged songs was especially sweet. 

#NTBlive #needtobreathe #bettertogether #choosingJOY #favoritethings #livingfaithfully #weekending
Happiness is … … a slow morning that gave me Happiness is …

… a slow morning that gave me a chance to finish reading a good book right after I fixed my favorite cinnamon toast. 

… some shade to invite me to pick some more weeds around the house. But why doesn’t my Apple Watch count this as exercise? It felt like exercise to me! 

… an appointment with my oldest girl for us both to get our nails done this morning. 

… my youngest girl’s last soccer game of the season, even though the heat made her a little grumpy. 

… pool time, another good book to read, my mom visiting for the second weekend in a row, a little more weeding, and a night at home with no specific plans. 

Happiness is everyday, normal life with my people, especially when it comes with a slower pace after a hectic week. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #soccermom #KHTreads #momlife #weekending #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully #poolpeople #PorchStories
I regretted having to go to sleep last night befor I regretted having to go to sleep last night before I finished this book, so I picked it up at breakfast and didn’t do anything else until I finished it. 

I loved the Alaskan cruise setting, the quick love and understanding between Greta and Ben, and the realistic ways grief changes people. Well done, @jenniferesmith! 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #kindlebooks #booklover #kindlepaperwhite #reallife #weekending #recommendedreads #poolpeople #amreading
Happy Friday! 🎉 We’ve got four more days of s Happy Friday! 🎉 We’ve got four more days of school next week and then it’s #88daysofsummer! Obviously, we’re ready. ☀️ 

Here’s to a refreshing weekend with much anticipation of what’s to come! #weekending #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully #thirdchild #momlife #summerisbest #poolpeople #PorchStories #maydays
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