Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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

Summer steadies me

June 23, 2017 by Kristin 10 Comments

We’ve fallen into a summer routine that involves slower mornings, more time in PJs, lunches on the porch, and afternoons around the pool. Our calendar is less full and more texts are exchanged about impromptu plans, many of which are based on the weather. The kids usually do a few chores in the morning while I tend to blog and lake house management things. Greg and I have been playing Rummy with Cate when the other two are in bed.

Life does still have to happen in the summer. But, even as a grownup, summer gives me the freedom to sit and linger longer.

I read more fiction. I feel less self-imposed pressure to be productive. I enjoy life more. Truthfully, I need to carry this summer mindset into every other season.

I manage to throw in some loads of laundry or start the dishwasher. I haven’t cooked much – my oven has been broken for a couple of weeks, but I’m not sure if had been working much would be different in the kitchen.

Summer makes me steady.

I may just have to take what summer has taught me into every other season of life.

*****

I’m happy to be joining the Five Minute Friday crew for this week’s prompt: STEADY. Feel free to set your timer and write whatever comes to mind for five minutes. Then link up at Five Minute Friday’s new website. If you need some permission to let go and enjoy summer, here is my Summer Not-To-Do List and some mom confessions straight from my real life.

  • 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: Five Minute Friday Tagged With: life, summer

Comments

  1. Janel A says

    June 23, 2017 at 8:31 am

    Ah yes, how different would life be if we took a bit of the laid back vibe of summer into the rest of the year.
    Thankful for your reflection here friend.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      June 23, 2017 at 8:32 am

      Thanks, Janel! Glad to see you here.

      Reply
  2. Mari-Anna Stålnacke says

    June 23, 2017 at 2:22 pm

    I love summer too. Just the change of pace makes my soul feel good. Thanks for your joyful post. Blessings to you and yours!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      June 26, 2017 at 7:10 am

      I’m with you, the slower pace is so good for me. Thanks for being here, Mari-Anna.

      Reply
  3. Sarah Geringer says

    June 25, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    Hi Kristin. My summer has been the busiest ever, since I just began my career as a freelancer. Yet your post allowed me to take a deep breath, pause, and be thankful. I’m #19 at #fmf and glad to have found your post there!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      June 26, 2017 at 7:11 am

      I’m glad you could take a deep breath and pause, even for just a few minutes. I hope you’re able to enjoy the rest of your summer. And best of luck freelancing! Thanks for stopping by here, Sarah!

      Reply
  4. Jeannie Prinsen says

    June 27, 2017 at 5:44 pm

    Your summer routine sounds really nice. It is really a mindset, though, isn’t it: it doesn’t have to be dependent on the season. Thanks for this reminder.

    Jeannie (at #73 this week)

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      June 27, 2017 at 6:29 pm

      Definitely a mindset! I need to remember that in the middle of winter! 🙂 Thanks for being here, Jeannie!

      Reply
  5. Tara says

    July 14, 2017 at 10:34 pm

    You know, summer makes me steady too!

    Reply
    • Kristin Taylor says

      July 17, 2017 at 11:55 am

      Glad you’re here and understand, Tara!

      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