Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

  • Home
  • About
  • Books
    • Peace in the Process
    • Bringing Home More Than Groceries
  • Contact

7 Things I Learned Living in the Country

June 19, 2017 by Kristin 4 Comments

We moved to 33 acres in the country one year ago. I’ve lived in Kentucky my whole life, but this is the most rural setting I’ve ever called home. We are about 15 minutes from most places in town, cells phones barely work without WiFi assistance, and we can’t see another house from our house although there are others on our street.

I’ve admitted living in the country is my husband’s dream that I eventually embraced. But I really do love it here.

And country living has taught me some things …

1. Poison ivy is no joke.

I had it once before when I was a kid and laid down in some poison ivy while playing flashlight tag. But I never expected to get it while helping my husband haul tree limbs in February.

I got it badly on my face, neck, and arms. So badly it requires multiple shots and oral steroids.

And I wasn’t the only one. Greg, Ben, and Cate also got it the same lovely weekend in February. Of course, they weren’t as affected or high-maintenance about it.

2. I like being home when I’m home.

When we lived in town, I was always tempted to run out and get something or do something. Now, I group my errands and don’t make getting out to do one more thing a priority.

3. Don’t put gasoline on a fire.

Apparently gasoline flares and diesel doesn’t, which we learned from an awful experience. Fumes from the gas are what burned Ben’s face and hands when he was helping Greg burn brush.

4. All renovation projects take longer than expected.

Since we bought the property, we’ve hired people to add a bedroom and bathroom, replace carpet with laminate wood, paint every room, renovate the huge garage, install an in-ground pool, and renovate and expand our deck. Not one project was finished when they said it would be, but we love them all anyway.

5. Friends still visit even if we are farther away.

Our small group meets here most every Wednesday. Friends come over – and that was even true before our pool was opened. People showed up with meals and love when Ben was recovering from the burns.

6. Pizza nights take more planning.

Nobody delivers pizza here, but we did have Papa John’s delivered to Greg’s office recently so he could bring it home. Plus we don’t think much of driving to town to eat.

7. We have a perfect spot for a pool.

Thanks to Facebook, I learned from the previous owners’ daughter that her dad had dreamed of putting a pool in the exact spot we put ours. And it’s no secret I really, really love having a pool.

Home really is about the people, and I’m so grateful for all the ways Team Taylor has settled in together in our new location.

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: life Tagged With: country living, family

Comments

  1. Joyce says

    June 19, 2017 at 1:15 pm

    Your road is not called a street. Ha! Was that just a slip up? By the way I can’t wait to see what you’ve done to your house and yard when we come to the shower. You are living a dream! I don’t know how you do all that you do but I am so glad you do. Love to hear about your family! You truly have God’s blessing on your life!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      June 19, 2017 at 5:53 pm

      Thanks, Joyce! And, yeah, street … road … obviously the neighborhood, city ways haven’t totally been taken out of me. 🙂 I’m glad you’re coming to the shower. We miss our Sunday night group.

      Reply
  2. Susan Shipe says

    June 19, 2017 at 3:21 pm

    A year already? It has been such fun following Team Taylor on this country living journey! 2020 Vision definitely has your country home as a stop-over penciled in!!! xo

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      June 19, 2017 at 5:52 pm

      This year has gone SO QUICKLY! I’m glad we’re on your list of 2020 destinations! We’ve got a place for you. 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

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.

Subscribe for Updates

Recent Posts

  • How to host a party
  • All the places she’ll go
  • Cruising for Spring Break
  • How to take care of yourself
  • How to recreate favorite foods

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

🎶 All throughout my history / Your faithfulness 🎶 All throughout my history / Your faithfulness has walked beside me / The winter storms made way for spring / In every season, from where I'm standing / I see the evidence of Your goodness / All over my life … 🎶 @joshbaldwin in “Evidence”

I love summer. But my summer has started off busy: appointments, book edits deadline, establish new habits with the kids at home. All that’s necessary and good, it just cuts into my down time beside the pool. 

Today we have two open gyms for our basketball players, my book study with a few friends, a new weekly high school girls’ book study at our house, and a monthly dad-son character study. 

I long for a little more white space on the calendar, but I also wouldn’t change a thing because the kids are only 16, 13, and 7 once. This summer will only be this summer once. And I’ve already learned time flies with big kids. 

So here we are finding out footing, singing praises with church friends on our porch, grilling delicious chicken, and squeezing in the wide-open spaces when we can. This is evidence of the good stuff. 

#84daysofsummer #poolpeople #momlife #momconfessions #faithlife #livingfaithfully #favoritethings #choosingJOY #countryliving #reallife #PorchStories
The Hill family reunion at @shelterpointretreat ha The Hill family reunion at @shelterpointretreat has become a favorite tradition to kick off summer! The weather was perfect and everyone enjoyed one another. 

#familyreunion #lakelife #kentuckylake #kylake #getoutside #familytime #memorialday #memorialdayweekend #favoritethings #84daysofsummer #summerisbest #choosingJOY
Hello, #84daysofsummer! ☀️ #TeamTaylor #girl Hello, #84daysofsummer! ☀️ 

#TeamTaylor #girlmom #boymom #momlife #reallife #summerisbest #siblinglove #countryliving #poolpeople #getoutside
First of all, who else has read this book? The plo First of all, who else has read this book? The plot was promising as a thriller and the setting really worked. There were some good twists, and then there were ridiculous twists. I skimmed the end only because I wanted it to make sense. And it didn’t. It was too weird for me. 

But this made me wonder: how do we know if a book is going to be weird, contain elements we don’t like, or go places that don’t make sense? I don’t like to read much about a book before I read the book. Usually, I do a better job of picking books for myself. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #donotrecommend #bookofthemonth @bookofthemonth
I needed this low-key weekend that was pleasant we I needed this low-key weekend that was pleasant weather, a mixture of productivity and rest, and had plenty of wide-open space to enjoy our property and each other. 

#weekending #TeamTaylor #poolpeople #countryliving #favoritethings #choosingJOY #maydays
And that’s a wrap on soccer season! I love watch And that’s a wrap on soccer season! I love watching them both play. 

#soccermom #weekending #springtime #momlife #girlmom #boymom
On Mothers Day, I wanted to sit by the pool with a On Mothers Day, I wanted to sit by the pool with a book, but I didn’t know what I wanted to read. Whenever I have indecision about books, picking up a thriller usually helps because of the story’s pace. 

“The Only Survivors” worked well because there was a lot happening! Lots of creepy, mysterious moments. Only so many people could be guilty of infiltrating a small group who had lots of secrets! 

I loved the timeline of this one. The back story about an accident was told in seven one-hour segments. The present mystery was told in seven days. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #latergram #bookofthemonth @bookofthemonth #poolpeople #mothersday
Y’all we are very ready for summer. ☀️ And Y’all we are very ready for summer. ☀️ 

And when I say summer, I mean we are ready to shake up the routine, mentally regroup, turn off the alarms, establish some new habits, soak in the sun, and catch up with friends we’ve been crossing paths with too quickly. 

I want to savor the #84daysofsummer and I want to embrace this new season. And it’s almost time. Three more days of school. (Deep breaths.) 

Meanwhile, I’m going to keep collecting the moments — the hard, hurried, happy, and heartfelt. The seasons do change, but this is the life we are living. 

“The moments you collect may not be loud or flashy. They might be quiet or covered or a far-off view you were lucky to catch. But this I know to be true: A moment savored says to your soul, ‘You have lived something beautiful.’ And it keeps you buoyed. It sustains you when you’re running empty. It lifts you up and carries you forward.” — Joanna Gaines in @magnolia summer 2023 journal issue no. 27 

#momlife #reallife #momconfessions #livingfaithfully #summerisbest #teenagedriver #choosingJOY
I’ve read quite a few World War II novels, but t I’ve read quite a few World War II novels, but this one by Soraya M. Lane focused on three nurses, their friendships, and how the war changed their lives. It’s a hard story, but it’s full of love and hope despite the destruction around them. 

And it’s the second historical fiction audiobook I’ve listened to in a row! #KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #audiobooks #Audible #KindleUnlimited #historicalfiction
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2023 Kristin Hill Taylor | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM