Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Stories from the Porch in June

June 29, 2018 by Kristin 1 Comment

We are in the midst of 87 days of summer around here with ice cream sandwiches, tan lines, and meals on the porch. Yet the highlight of this month certainly was our mission trip to Guatemala.

Highlights

The week leading up to our mission trip, there were some highlights – perhaps, really, lowlights – that added to my anxiety as I prepared to leave for a foreign country that had recently had a major volcanic eruption. My washing machine was replaced, Ben had an abscessed drained and went on an antibiotic for the infection, and the mechanic insisted my brakes were fine despite the sound I could hear.

Despite all the chaos leading up to the mission trip, our week in Guatemala was smooth and productive. Our team and the missionaries were great to be around. And Rachel enjoyed all the attention and gifts from her grandmas.

(I shared some thoughts on “intentional sacrifices,” a theme I kept seeing in Guatemala. And there are more Guatemala-inspired posts to come.)

Since we’ve been back, the dryer stopped heating and I happened upon a great deal on the one that coordinates with my new washer. My laundry room is in a working order again, thankfully. Oh, and the sound coming from my minivan got worse, prompting Greg to take it back to the mechanic. Turns out all four brakes did indeed have to be replaced. Yes, I had thoughts of “told you so” running through my head so it’s probably good Greg handled that one.

We also had a two-day visit with my cousin-friend Mary and her kids. Clearing the calendar, cooking good meals, and chatting while we were in and around the pool seemed like a vacation. Perhaps we’ll call it a staycation. Whatever it’s called, I was happy she made the drive from Atlanta to be with us.

June, you were full of some surprises, but you were mostly fun. Even so, I’m hoping July involves fewer major purchases.

Favorite things

Ben Rector’s new album “Magic” – It’s been on repeat this week. I really love so many of the lyrics and texted a dear friend the video to “Old Friends.” The songs are nostalgic and have a good summer sound.

Folding utility wagon – Most of Ben’s baseball season, I hauled a wagon in my trunk, but then I found one that folds flat. It’s much easier to cart around in my trunk and works well for getting the chairs and my toddler from the van to the baseball field. I have plans to use it at the soccer fields too when that season is back upon us. (I bought ours at Sam’s, but it looks like Amazon has some similarly priced ones as well.)

From the bookshelf

“A Long Time Gone” by Karen White – I really loved this one. I had picked it up at a yard sale or library book sale some time ago, but I needed a paperback to read by – and sometimes in – my pool. The storytelling over generations and character development were excellent.

“Looking for Me” by Beth Hoffman – This was another one that had been sitting on my shelf after I picked it up at a yard sale or a used book sale. Hoffman is a fellow Kentuckian and part of this story is set in my home state. I thought some of the storytelling reflections back in time could have had smoother transitions into the present day story, but overall I really enjoyed the story. Plus I’m often drawn to books that take place in South Carolina, as this one does when the main character isn’t visiting her Bluegrass roots. I also loved the theme of making old things new, which was conveyed through furniture work, relationships, and letting go of a homestead.

“The Light Between Oceans” by M.L. Stedman – I don’t know why I waited so long to read this one. I found it for $3 at a consignment sale and started reading it that same day. I loved the lighthouse setting, the love story, the tension of doing what seemed right even when it was clearly wrong, and the characters.

“All the Breaking Waves” by Kerry Lonsdale – I really only finished this one to see how the story turned out. It was fine, but not nearly as good as those three I already mentioned.

“The Castaways” by Elin Hilderbrand – I love the Nantucket setting, especially in the summer, but this book was a little too much soap opera for me. I wanted to see how these characters ended up and whether there was any redemption to their choices, but this certainly wasn’t my favorite Elin Hilderbrand book.

My book list is always growing, but I shared recently what I’ve read (so far) this year.

On the screen

“Suits” — Greg and I started this one on Amazon Prime, thanks to the recommendation from some of my friends. We’re still in the first season, but we’re enjoying it!

“I Can Only Imagine” – In preparation for a blog post, I finally watched this movie with Cate. We both enjoyed it. (You can still read my review, although the giveaway is closed now.)

What #PorchStories do you have from your June?

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Filed Under: Porch Stories Tagged With: books, Guatemala, movies, summer, TV

Trackbacks

  1. Seven ways to support missionaries says:
    July 4, 2018 at 4:01 am

    […] about missionaries you support and love. Let’s pray for them here together. Also, I shared Stories from the Porch (in June) on Friday before the month was over. I’d love to catch up with you there […]

    Reply

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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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