Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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

A Christmas Do-Over

January 17, 2018 by Kristin 23 Comments

I didn’t plan it, but I got the Christmas do-over I wanted when I finally felt better.

I had the flu in the days leading up to Christmas, forcing me to miss some gatherings I had been looking forward to with my extended relatives and some friends. I managed to do some Christmas celebrating with family and friends once my fever broke and I was feeling somewhat better. But my cough and snot lingered. I ended up going back to the doctor and learning I had bronchitis and an ear infection.

Yep, another ear infection: My sixth in not quite a year. (Yes, I have an appointment with the ENT in a couple of weeks.)

But then last week Greg and I went on a road trip back to Louisville, where the flu forced me to miss out, and Lexington because he was gifted tickets for the Kentucky vs. Texas A&M basketball game (thank, Mom!) and had a training for work.

We were gone for 30 hours without the kids and that included driving about four hours there and back, sleeping, Greg’s real estate attorney training and networking, my mom and I shopping, lunching with one of my best friends and her family, driving around where we lived our first year of marriage and reminiscing, eating dinner with another dear friend and her husband, and going to the UK basketball game.

(Yes, take a deep breath now. I needed to when I got home.)

Worth pointing out: I seriously can’t tell you the last time I hung out with my mom and nobody else. No husband. No kids. No siblings. No nieces or nephews. Just me and mom. I was so happy for those hours together, and the fact my search for a new coat was doubly successful.

Then I had a couple “normal” days of packing lunches, picking up kids from school, taking my boy to get an allergy shot, and general household management. I should mention that on Wednesday and Thursday the temperature was in the 60s. On Friday, we had freezing rain that turned to snow, eventually leaving us with a couple inches of ice and four or so inches of snow. SNOW DAY!

(Welcome to Kentucky with its crazy weather!)

With Martin Luther King Day on Monday, we had a FOUR-DAY WEEKEND WITH NO PLANS!

Of course, I made a little plan, but it didn’t involve leaving my house! And the four-day weekend became five days, and then six days, and then I wondered when I’d leave my house again!

I decided to potty train Rachel. We had a stack of undies, a Minnie potty seat that goes on the regular toilet, and some leftover Christmas M&Ms – you know, basically all the necessities. For those of you who care, she’s been doing a good job.

When I wasn’t escorting my two-year-old girl to the bathroom, I read “In Bloom” by Kayla Aimee (coming soon – I’m excited to tell you more!), scrapbooked many pages in the Project Life app, watched “Frozen” more times than I can count, watched basketball, ate food I cooked, played in the snow (hello, one of my new coats!), started working a puzzle with Cate, and played games. My kids watched movies and built Lego creations – sometimes even together without fighting. Cate made crafts and read books. Ben and Greg put together a puzzle.

Most importantly, I feel like with my quick road trip and all the time I had home with my people, I got the Christmas do-over I knew I wanted but didn’t expect to receive. Now that’s a gift!

*****

Given that crazy weather I just told you about, I’ve been thinking about my porch. I walk on it every time I go in and out of the house, but I miss being on it. I miss the poolside gatherings. I miss the stories that are shared and the memories made.

So I wanted to invite y’all over to share stories here anyway – on my blog this time! My heart behind #PorchStories is for people to share their real-life stories so we can come alongside each other with prayers and encouragement.

With the new year, maybe you’re learning something new, creating a new rhythm, or finding freedom somewhere new. Newness is refreshing. I’d love to hear more about whatever freshness is falling upon your life. It doesn’t have to be complicated or deep. It just has to be from your real life.

Who wants to share? Just email me 500-700 words, a short bio, a picture of yourself, and any other image you might have to share. I’m hoping to scatter these among my own stories in the coming weeks on the blog. Let me know if you have any questions.

Welcome to the wintry porch, friends. I’m so glad to have you here.

*****

Speaking of stories, yesterday in conjunction with my post about how Januarys have changed me I shared about how my book – both the paperback and Kindle versions – are on sale for the rest of this month.

Kristin Hill Taylor - Porch Stories
 Loading InLinkz ...
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this 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: Porch Stories Tagged With: family, Greg, Rachel, seasons

Comments

  1. Sarah Geringer says

    January 17, 2018 at 6:08 am

    We had the same crazy weather here too, Kristin. I liked your newsy update. I need a weekend away like that!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 17, 2018 at 10:40 am

      I love knowing you live fairly close. Hope that means we get to hang out one day! xo

      Reply
  2. Becky Hastings says

    January 17, 2018 at 6:11 am

    I love to see the surprising ways God redeems the things we feel like we’ve missed out on. Sometimes it can feel so hard when we’re in the missing out stage, but He comes in and brings redemption, whether it’s in a do-over, a peace we didn’t expect, an answer we never imagined, or something we can’t even think of. So grateful you had your Do-Over 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 17, 2018 at 10:39 am

      Redemption is sweet, especially when God manages to surprise us! Thanks for your encouraging comment, Becky! xo

      Reply
  3. Joanne Viola says

    January 17, 2018 at 6:12 am

    We have had the craziest weather here as well. At least we are all in this together 🙂 And of course, we care to know how Rachel is doing with pottying. If anything can bring a “Mama” challenge, it is potty training. I am glad you both are meeting with success! This was a fun post!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 17, 2018 at 10:39 am

      There’s really nothing like the weather to get the conversations going among people everywhere! I’m glad you enjoyed this post and I’m always glad to have you here. xo

      Reply
  4. Michele Morin says

    January 17, 2018 at 6:55 am

    And, yes, it is snowing again today here in Maine. I’m letting the teen sleep in before we tackle school as everything we had to run to today is cancelled. I’m gonna put something yummy in the crockpot and enjoy the aroma all day.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 17, 2018 at 10:37 am

      I cooked chicken fajitas in the crock pot yesterday. Today I think I’ll prep some lasagna. Those days where the calendar is unexpectedly cleared really are sweet. Enjoy yours!

      Reply
  5. Debbie Putman says

    January 17, 2018 at 7:17 am

    I’m glad you’re feeling better! It’s been a dry, mild winter in central Arizona, only a dusting of snow in the middle of the night once. Being a Southern California girl, I’m leery of snow especially driving in it, so this weather is perfect for me. I loved reading about your day-to-day life and catching up on how you and your family is doing. Hope the potty training goes smoothly!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 17, 2018 at 10:36 am

      I’m leery of driving in the snow too, obviously! But my husband who usually doesn’t mind such things keeps telling me the roads aren’t good. I’m glad you’re here, Debbie! Oh, and potty training is going well!

      Reply
  6. Barbara H. says

    January 17, 2018 at 8:35 am

    I’m so glad you got another chance to do some fun things with family and have some at-home time without plans, to relax and have a change of schedule. And I am glad you’re better!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 17, 2018 at 10:35 am

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  7. SUSAN SHIPE says

    January 17, 2018 at 10:57 am

    I’m so late to the party. What a fabulous post. Great catchup. How’s little one doing with the training? Have you run out of M&M’s yet!!!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 18, 2018 at 9:20 am

      Listen, we ran out of M&Ms and now she doesn’t even care about a treat when she goes! I mean, she sneaked a cookie yesterday, so she loves her treats, but she just goes on the potty and doesn’t make a fuss. She’s doing really well, although now we need to work on her telling me when she needs to go rather than me just taking her frequently. We’re getting there though! I’m glad you’re here, friend!

      Reply
  8. Rachel Lee says

    January 17, 2018 at 12:48 pm

    Loved this little glimpse into your family life over the holidays!
    We had a wonderfully relaxing Christmas, with some much-needed time off from work and ministry, and we enjoyed some lovely time together as family.
    It truly was great! Now looking forward to a new year! Yahoo!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 18, 2018 at 9:18 am

      I’m glad y’all got that time together. Hope your new year is off to a good start too, Rachel!

      Reply
  9. Tara says

    January 17, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    I am so glad you got a Christmas Do-Over! Sometimes that is just what we need. Oh and the Project Life app….I am so glad you mentioned it. I got a new phone when I started my new job and I completely forgot about that app until today when I read your post. I loved that app. I am going to have to download it again and get to work on making some pages! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 18, 2018 at 9:18 am

      It’s the best! Glad you’re here, Tara!

      Reply
  10. Lisa notes says

    January 17, 2018 at 6:12 pm

    I’d love to see a Kentucky basketball game in person! They always look like such fun. 🙂 I’d also like to see our own Auburn play this year since, so far, luck is finally turning our way. Glad you got that Christmas do-over, Kristin!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 18, 2018 at 9:17 am

      Your Auburn team played here in Murray, KY earlier this season and we watched them! Our Murray State Racers hung with them and barely lost! 🙂 Thanks for being here, Lisa!

      Reply
  11. Maree Dee says

    January 19, 2018 at 7:40 pm

    I am so glad for your time with your Mom. I recently had some time with my Mom and it was amazing. We need that no matter old we get. I also love your snowed in days. Praying for snow here.

    I am working on “Joy.” this year. I thought I had lots of joy so I am not sure what God is going to teach me but I have a feeling he wants me to add a little more “joy” and little less productivity.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      January 20, 2018 at 9:30 am

      Joy was my word a couple years ago, and it was such a sweet time with God. It laid the foundation for other things He ended up doing in my life. I hope the same goes for you this year!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Stories from the Porch in January says:
    January 30, 2018 at 6:00 am

    […] blogged about it a couple times: A Christmas Do-Over and Being Intentional on Snow Day No. […]

    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 eighth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear fifth-grade boy, and our joy-filled preschool 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

  • 3 Ways to Boost Our Kids’ Confidence
  • Songs of Hope
  • Share Your Stuff. I’ll Go First.
  • Looking for fun, longing for Eden
  • How to make celebrations fun

#PorchStories button

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

Happy, happy 70th birthday to my wonderful mother- Happy, happy 70th birthday to my wonderful mother-in-law. We all are especially happy to celebrate her life this year after her recent quadruple bypass heart surgery and recovery. 🎉 #weekending #TeamTaylor #birthdaygirl
A new book by a favorite author is always a welcom A new book by a favorite author is always a welcomed thing, and @kristinhannahauthor didn’t disappoint. Plus it was my @bookofthemonth pick. 

#TheFourWinds is set during some sad years with the Dust Bowl, migration to California, and the Great Depression. Yet this is a story of hope and belonging. Hope kept a mom and her two kids going, despite circumstances that destroyed. Hope led to this mom finding her voice, recognizing her worth, and discovering love that lasts.

Follow #KHTreads for more book talk. #recommendedreads #fiction #amreading #bookstagram #historicalfiction #bookofthemonth
Seven weeks after quadruple bypass heart surgery, Seven weeks after quadruple bypass heart surgery, my mother-in-law moved home today. We were happy to care for her and we are thrilled she’s doing so well. 

I knew she was faithful and strong before, but watching her recovery from open heart surgery convinced me even more of her steadfastness and courage.

#TeamTaylor #livingfaithfully #reallife #choosingJOY
After three weeks, they’ve returned to school! H After three weeks, they’ve returned to school! Here’s to hope on a Monday morning for whatever comes our way. #momlife #reallife #choosingJOY #siblinglove
Often I don’t want the weekend to end or the sea Often I don’t want the weekend to end or the season to change, but I’m looking forward to Monday after three weeks of quarantine and sickness then snow. I’m looking forward to the snow melting away and eager for spring to bloom.

I’m grateful for health and family and home and a fresh start. A walk through the melting snow with the sun shining and temperatures in the 50s was a sweet spot today. So was gathering with friends we hadn’t seen in too long after church.

Just a few days ago I felt defeated and weary. Now I’m feeling ready and hopeful. Transitions can be rough, but ultimately I’m thankful for new mercies and new seasons.

#weekending #reallife #socialdistancing #countryliving #bettertogether #winterweather #springiscoming #choosingJOY #girlmeetschange #livingfaithfully
We’re sad tonight was the last #MurrayState home We’re sad tonight was the last #MurrayState home basketball game of the season, but we are thankful we had some live winter entertainment. Of course, games looked and sounded different than usual, but the season isn’t over and we’ll be rooting for our blue & gold. 💛 #WeAreRacers #RacerNation #collegebasketball #TeamTaylor #weekending #socialdistancing #thirdchild
We all benefitted from getting outside today. Hone We all benefitted from getting outside today. Honestly, I was so bundled up I got a little warm because somehow I now live where 30 degrees (that feels like 21) is a heat wave. These three help me remember to loosen up and enjoy the moment. ❄️ 

#momlife #snowday #countryliving #socialdistancing #choosingJOY #reallife #winterweather #kentuckyweather
I'm glad I was able to contribute to "Songs of Hop I'm glad I was able to contribute to "Songs of Hope (Vol. 2)", which was compiled by fellow writers @kerilynnsnyder & @sarah_e_frazer. This devotional spends 31 days in the Psalms. 

I share about Psalm 68 and how God built a sanctuary for me at our house in the country and how I want to share that with others. I end the devotional with these questions and a prayer:

"Songs of Hope" offers encouraging truth to bring hope to your weary soul. The devotional is a digital product so you receive the PDF immediately and can read it on any device.  There's a #linkinbio to buy this devotional and more info #ontheblog. #bloggerlife #authorlife #amreading #psalms #psalm68 #bettertogether #hope #KHTreads
I ended 2020 saying it had been a weird year, but, I ended 2020 saying it had been a weird year, but, truthfully, the first six weeks of 2021 have been weird too. Weird seems like a weak word, but I can’t think of another. These past six weeks haven’t been bad, have included plenty of great moments, and shifted so many things in our house. Through it all, my best friend Jaclyn and I haven’t gotten to hang out much.

I’m thankful Greg picked up her and her girls in his four-wheel drive truck yesterday after his short day at the office. We bundled up for some time outside, the kids had legit snow cones, we combined food to make dinner, and various people played various games. Jaclyn and her girls went back to their house this morning, but we are all thankful for old friends & new memories.

#bettertogether #winterweather #reallife #countryliving #snowday #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorite Places & Projects

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2021 Kristin Hill Taylor | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.