Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Stories from the Porch in February

February 28, 2018 by Kristin 23 Comments

I actually got to enjoy my porch for a couple afternoons this month. That’s got me all ready for spring. February didn’t involve the snow I expected, thankfully, but there was a lot of rain. Even so, February was lovely in many ways.

Highlights

Greg and I celebrated meeting each other and going on our first day TWENTY (!!!) years ago! Yeah, I have no idea how that’s possible either. But you can read about how we met and then about how we stayed up all night talking a week later. (You can also see a side-by-side picture comparison of us then and now.)

We celebrated with a dinner out the night before Valentine’s Day because that’s when the babysitter was available. After dinner we went to Walmart because I needed to get a few things and so did Greg, who let me pick out my own flowers instead of going back to the store without me the next day. This is real life, and I love ours. He did get me a lovely canvas to hang that has our family’s birthdates and our wedding date. I’m still deciding where to hang it. (See the flowers and the canvas.)

Pardon this highlight if you aren’t a mom, but my toddler only wears diapers when she sleeps! Perhaps I can declare her potty trained. I mean, she still has accidents sometimes, but she usually tells me when she needs to go and she’s not quite two-and-a-half years old. I’ll take it!

Oh, and she’s learning to swim. (And it’s pretty much the cutest thing ever.)

We road tripped to our favorite away Murray State game in Clarksville, Tennessee, which included stops at Target, Michael’s, and Books-A-Million before we ate at one of my favorite restaurants called Blackhorse Brewery. We had no idea the evening was going to involve tornado warnings both at home and the arena, a three-hour delay with six minutes to go in the game after a piece of metal poked through the arena roof and prompted a leak on the court, and an exciting win to clinch the regular-season conference championship. But all of those things really happened. The kids stayed up later than they ever have before, and we all have a fun story to tell.

Also, for the second time ever, I was on a podcast! My new friend Melissa Corkum hosted me on The Uncorked Podcast, where we talked about adoption, motherhood, writing, Enneagram, fostering community, volunteering, and general living. (You can listen here.)

Favorite things

  • Enneagram – Maybe this isn’t a thing, but it’s becoming my favorite. My college friend Andrea Kleid shared about it earlier this month here. I’m a 1 with a 2 wing, and it’s been fascinating to learn more about my natural motivations, the traps when I’m stressed, and how I respond to goodness.
  • John Crist – This guy makes me laugh. He was recently on Annie Downs’ podcast, and now I follow him (closely, perhaps) on Instagram.
  • Oils for cold sores – I like oils for some things, but I also take Tylenol when I have a headache and antibiotics when I have an ear infection. Even so, I texted a friend last week out of desperation: What oils can I use for this annoying, painful cold sore on my tongue? She told me to mix together equal parts Melaleuca, On Guard, and Frankincense. I did. And, y’all, it totally worked. My cold sore improved that day and was gone the next. It didn’t taste delicious, but it was totally worth it.
  • My boy dressed up at George Washington – The kids went to school on Presidents’ Day because they made up a snow day. Ben’s second-grade class dressed up as presidents and shared facts about them. Thanks to Amazon for the costume! Not having to piece together an outfit was worth buying the outfit and wig. And did you know our first president had dentures made out of hippo tusks and human teeth?

From the bookshelf

Two months into the new year, and I’ve been reading memoirs and fiction. It’s been refreshing to have a break from all the self-help Christian living books that weren’t helping the lofty expectations I already burden myself with. I know there are good non-fiction books out there I’ll return to, but the break has been nice. (I keep a running list of books I’ve loved on Amazon, if you want some more recommendations.)

I did start a non-fiction book because it’s about a subject very close to my heart and one I haven’t read much about.

  • “Why I Hate Green Beans: And Other Confessions about Relationships, Reality TV, and How We See Ourselves” by Lincee Ray – When I listen to Lincee Ray’s “I Hate Green Beans” podcast, I laugh out loud. Literally. And, yes, I’ll go ahead and confess to watching “The Bachelor” too. But I knew Lincee’s story went beyond affection for Chris Harrison and predictions for who would get the final rose. I’m glad she shared her story – one that’s told with her trademark humor as she learns to embrace the real life she never expected. And, yes, you’ll enjoy the book even if you like green beans like me. (You can read my full review here.)
  • “The Fever” by Megan Abbott – I didn’t love this book. I didn’t hate it either. The story line was intriguing, which is why I didn’t quit it. I want to say it was dark, but that may not be the right word. It was mysterious in a way that made me want to keep my oldest 10 years old forever. I previously read “You Will Know Me” by this same author and liked it more, even though it also was dark.
  • “The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah – I’m late to this party, but I finally read this book I’ve hand on my Kindle for quite some time. I’ve loved other Kristin Hannah books, and especially loved this one.
  • “A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging” by Kate Motaung – As part of the launch team, I got an early PDF copy of this book and enjoyed it. I had planned to read just a little but couldn’t stop and finished it in one weekend. Kate tells her story of growing up and discovering with parallels to how she found the truth of the home Jesus promises us. It officially releases April 2.
  • “Small Church Essentials: Field-Tested Principles for Leading a Healthy Congregation of Under 250” by Karl Vaters – Most of the people in the launch team are pastors of small churches, but I’ve benefitted from the information because Greg is an elder at our small church and we lead a small group. I’m looking forward to sharing more about the book and my small church experience with you.

On the screen

The big question here is why did nobody tell me I could download Amazon Prime shows to my Kindle so when we’re all sitting in the small room at the orthodontist while Cate is getting braces my other two can still watch a show? Okay, I’ll forgive y’all now that I know. Also, related, my toddler now thinks Bubble Guppies live on my Kindle.

I typically like TV shows more than movies, but I have a movie to tell you about: “The Big Sick.” I loved it so much. Warning: There is some language, but the story had romantic comedy elements I loved mixed in with the drama too. The lead guy is playing himself in the movie, so that’s fun too. It’s an Amazon original, so thank you, again, Prime. (Did you know you can try Amazon Prime FREE for 30 days?)

And, yes, I already confessed to watching “The Bachelor,” and that most certainly happened this month. In reality TV news, Greg and I both are excited for a new “Survivor” season starting tonight.

If you were on my porch on one of these sunshiny afternoons, what would you tell me about your February? {Tweet that.}

*****

#PorchStories friends, I’m giving away a copy of Passion’s new album. Be sure to enter to win today because I’m randomly choosing a winner tomorrow.

*****

Kristin Hill Taylor - Porch Stories
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Filed Under: Porch Stories Tagged With: Ben, books, motherhood, personality, podcasts, Rachel, travel, TV

Comments

  1. Becky Hastings says

    February 28, 2018 at 6:07 am

    Kristin, It sounds like you’ve had a wonderfully full month! I love that spring is making early appearances (here in New England too) and I find myself eager earlier than normal. February can close out and March can enter like a lamb as far as I’m concerned!

    I’ve heard about The Big Sick before, but I worried it was too “indie” for my taste. Your recommendation sounds good though so I’ll have to check it out!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      February 28, 2018 at 7:29 am

      I think I’m always eager for spring. 🙂 If you end up watching The Big Sick, let me know what you think! Thanks for being here, Becky!

      Reply
  2. Joanne Viola says

    February 28, 2018 at 6:20 am

    I always enjoy monthly wrap-ups. We are looking forward to the start of Survivor here as well 🙂 Enjoy!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      February 28, 2018 at 7:28 am

      Thanks, Joanne!

      Reply
  3. Sarah Geringer says

    February 28, 2018 at 6:46 am

    What a cute photo of your kids and the daffodils! The flowers have just begun opening this week here. I love your monthly recap, Kristin! Maybe I’ll start doing that in my newsletter. Thanks for the inspiration today!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      February 28, 2018 at 7:28 am

      Glad you could be inspired here, Sarah! Those flowers will do that to a person. 🙂 Yes, they’ve just started blooming here too, and I love them so!

      Reply
  4. Michele Morin says

    February 28, 2018 at 7:19 am

    Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s daffodils . . . (gotta say this a few times to make it stick)

    HUGE congratulations on the potty training victory. It’s been ages for me, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget how wonderful that kind of progress feels. My grandson is inching toward victory in that area, but wow, it’s a slow slog.

    I am also ready for a break from self-help books, so I’ve got a memoir and a fiction book in my pile. Very excited!!

    Thanks for this good update! Blessings to you as we cross the March threshold!
    Can spring be far away??

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      February 28, 2018 at 7:27 am

      The daffodils just started blooming this week and I love them so! They’re just wonderful bursts of color after all the dullness of winter. Enjoy those memoir and fiction books. The break from non-fiction has been so good for my soul. Spring is coming! Thanks for being here, Michele!

      Reply
  5. Barbara H. says

    February 28, 2018 at 7:51 am

    Sounds like both a full and a lovely month! Happy first-date anniversary. 🙂 Our daffodils are coming up, too – so welcome after the barrenness of winter.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      February 28, 2018 at 8:03 am

      Yes, that color and beauty are so welcome here too! I’m glad you’re here, Barbara!

      Reply
  6. Debbie Williams says

    February 28, 2018 at 8:36 am

    What a month! I finally got my 1st January reflections post up today and linked it up. Trying to work on February. HA!

    Twenty years. Congratulations. We are celebrating 50 years this year and will celebrate our 49th anniversary this year. We blink and think how can this be? It goes so very fast.

    Love Spring too. I would love it more if the storms didn’t come like this evening.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      February 28, 2018 at 8:39 am

      I’m looking forward to reading your post! I could do without the storms and allergies, too, but I still love the weather and new life. Thanks for being here, Debbie!

      Reply
  7. SUSAN SHIPE says

    February 28, 2018 at 9:28 am

    I love catching up with y’all! xo

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      February 28, 2018 at 9:41 am

      Thank you for being here, my friend! xo

      Reply
  8. Lesley says

    February 28, 2018 at 9:50 am

    I loved your update! Well done on the potty training! All the books you share sound great too. I have really enjoyed A Place To Land. I wasn’t quite as quick as you, but I wasn’t too far behind in finishing it!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      March 1, 2018 at 8:46 am

      I didn’t plan on being so quick with it, but I just kept reading one weekend when we didn’t have many plans. 🙂 Thanks for being here, Lesley!

      Reply
  9. Lisa notes says

    February 28, 2018 at 3:07 pm

    I loved The Big Sick too. 🙂 We laughed quite a bit in it!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      March 1, 2018 at 8:45 am

      It had been awhile since I’d seen a movie I really enjoyed. Glad you’re here, Lisa!

      Reply
  10. Meghan Weyerbacher says

    February 28, 2018 at 4:03 pm

    Loved reading your updates! My son has to do a historical thing tomorrow as well, and he sported a wig recently too — of the powdered kind haha.

    I am loving Kate’s book as well. Heading to check out your old pictures. I love looking at photos!

    Your kiddos are too cute. xoxoxo

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      March 1, 2018 at 8:44 am

      We have used gray hairspray paint for another project last year when Ben had to dress up like a 100-year-old man! So there are options! 🙂 Thanks for being here, Meg!

      Reply
  11. Rachel says

    March 1, 2018 at 12:21 pm

    This is so fun Kristin! I love getting these tiny glimpses into your “real” life!
    Potty training- ugh. The worst. Congrats on the achievement! Woohoo!

    Glad to be visiting your porch today!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      March 1, 2018 at 7:23 pm

      Thanks for hanging out on my porch, Rachel!

      Reply

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    […] up this week with Inspire Me Monday, #TeaAndWord,  #CoffeeforYourHeart, #Glimpses, #TrekkingThru, #porchstories, […]

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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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🎶 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
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