Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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

Stories from the Porch in September

October 1, 2019 by Kristin 14 Comments

I meant to post this earlier, but, you know, September has sort of been that way – sneaking up on me with its passing and feeling more like August than it maybe should. Consider that a confession of sorts, this summertime girl is ready for some fall weather. I just read it’s been our town’s hottest September ever – and it’s barely rained! This month also has been packed with soccer practices and games for two kids, so many lessons in growing and becoming who God wants me to be, and trying to take a deep breath in this summer air that still lingering.

Highlights

My mother-in-law treated all us girls – my sisters-in-law and all our seven girls – to a fun day in Nashville, where we ate at The Aquarium, shopped a little, met Anna & Elsa, and then enjoyed Disney on Ice. It was a great pre-game event before we head to DISNEY WORLD THIS WEEKEND!

My baby girl turned four! We had so much fun celebrating – among a normal, busy day during the week and then again on a Sunday afternoon with family and friends. We had a rainbow unicorn party and soaked up sun around our pool.

Favorite things

Soccer season – I have two kids playing soccer for the first time in several years, but I sure do love it. Watching Rachel play for the first time has been as entertaining as it sounds – and she’s pretty good! She’s scored in each of her games so far and she’s enjoyed trying to stop the other team from scoring. Plus she’s fast!

Ben is the youngest in his league, but he’s enjoying playing with some friends on the soccer field. He plays various positions based on what’s needed and does well on both offense and defense. I captured the photo above during one of Ben’s practices after the brief rain.

Lauren Alaina’s new song – Y’all, “Getting Good” is so good. Go listen. Or buy it. (And it’ll be on the playlist I’m making for this season of life.)

Scrapbooking – I caught up on some Project Life pages on the app on my phone AND I started putting together an album of our Disney Cruise a year ago with actual printed photos and paper. It’s still sitting out on the table in my back living – and I don’t even mind the mess because I was so happy to get that project going.

From the bookshelf

“Someone Knows” by Lisa Scottoline – I’m a long-time fan of Lisa Scottoline, although I’ve only ever read her stand-alone novels and not her legal series. I liked the alternating points of view, the suspenseful storyline, and the deeper sides of the characters revealed.

“November 9” by Colleen Hoover – I loved the concept of this one! Two people meet one night and meet up again each year on the same date. Meanwhile, one of those characters is writing a romantic book based on their “relationship” that has one spanned hours at a time once a year. I was totally intrigued and found myself rooting for the characters despite life circumstances and timing that complicated matters.

“All the Little Lights” by Jamie McGuire – I love when I find good books with Prime Reading (hello, free!). I liked the story and main characters of this one. Some of it was a little predictable, but I also was surprised a couple of times.

“Never Have I Ever” by Joshilyn Jackson – I happened upon this one at the library after hearing good things about Joshilyn Jackson branching out into more of a suspense genre. I loved some of her early books and then couldn’t get into a couple of her other ones, but I really wanted to read this one. I loved it and was surprised multiple times. The storylines involve betrayal, love, deception, and friendship. It’s dark, funny, and suspenseful, so I just kept turning the pages and read most of it in one day.

“The Hammer of Hope” by Katie Jo Hook – I got to endorse this children’s book and loved sharing a review on my blog earlier this month. It’s such a lovely book, and I didn’t want you to miss it. {Read my review here.}

On the screen

Hooray for new TV shows on my DVR! I’m most excited for “Blue Bloods,” “The Resident,” “New Amsterdam,” “Survivor,” and “Madam Secretary.”

I’ve also traded “The Voice” for “Dancing with the Stars” because I wanted to watch Lauren Alaina, James Van Der Beek, and Hannah Brown dance. They’re doing so well and I like how it’s only one night a week compared to two for “The Voice.”

How was your September?

*****

Kristin Hill Taylor - Porch Stories

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter


  • 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: Porch Stories Tagged With: Ben, books, life, motherhood, Rachel, seasons, sports, TV

Comments

  1. Lesley says

    October 1, 2019 at 3:06 pm

    Disney on Ice sounds like fun, and I hope you enjoy your trip. Thanks for all the book recommendations too. September seems to have flown past for me. It’s hard to believe it’s October already!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      October 2, 2019 at 9:08 pm

      I hope you enjoy the books too! Yes, I’m a little in denial it’s October, especially because I swam today … 🙂 Thanks for being here, Lesley!

      Reply
  2. LAUREN Koepf SPARKS says

    October 1, 2019 at 5:22 pm

    I think we are tV opposites. Funny. laurensparks.net

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      October 2, 2019 at 9:07 pm

      I could watch so many more shows if I had time … but I have to draw a line somewhere. 🙂 Glad to see you here, Lauren!

      Reply
  3. Yvonne Chase says

    October 2, 2019 at 5:50 am

    As much as I want to watch Lamar Odom on DWTS, the singer in me is watching The Voice. Why are both of these shows on at the same time? I watched Lamar the first night and LOL. His moves on the basketball court do not translate on the dance floor. I’m sure he’s been sent home by now. James Van Der Beek will probably win.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      October 2, 2019 at 9:06 pm

      James Van Der Beek really may win! Lamar Odom is entertaining … or, was. He made it a week longer than anyone, even his partner, expected. He was a good sport, though.

      Reply
  4. Barbara Harper says

    October 2, 2019 at 6:05 am

    Our September has been like that, too–very hot, very little rain. Thankfully the forecast looks a little better for next week.

    The Nashville trip and Disney on Ice sound like so much fun. Hope you have a great time ay Disneyworld!

    I so need to catch up with some scrapbooking. I have photos in shoe boxes, not to mention everything in “the cloud” since we started using phone cameras. Maybe after my book gets done!

    I’m not familiar with any of those books or authors, but the sound good!

    I had forgotten Lauren Alaina was going to be on DWTS. I didn’t think I knew any of the contestants, so I didn’t watch this year. I do like The Voice, and we love New Amsterdam, too. The Masked Singer has been surprisingly fun, too.

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      October 2, 2019 at 9:06 pm

      Thanks for sharing these peeks into your life here, Barbara! I hope you get some fall-ish weather soon.

      Reply
  5. Rebecca Hastings says

    October 2, 2019 at 7:46 am

    It’s always fun to hear about your month. It sounds like it was full of great things! Going to check out that song now!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      October 2, 2019 at 9:04 pm

      I hope you enjoy the song. Thanks for being here!

      Reply
  6. Susan Shipe says

    October 2, 2019 at 7:50 am

    I always enjoy your monthly posts! Life sounds busy, Kristin. Take time to rest. xo

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      October 2, 2019 at 9:04 pm

      I’ve been working on that rest thing, hence the later than planned post. 🙂 Always glad to see your face and name here, my friend.

      Reply
  7. Gayl says

    October 2, 2019 at 2:17 pm

    It’s been a pretty hot Fall this year at my house, too. We are looking for cooler temps by the end of the week. What a fun time you all must have had in Nashville! Thanks for sharing your life with us. Blessings to you, Kristin!

    Reply
    • Kristin says

      October 2, 2019 at 9:04 pm

      Those cooler temps are coming here soon too, but this afternoon we swam again. 🙂 Thanks for being here, Gayl!

      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

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

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

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
I became a mom because three other women sacrifice I became a mom because three other women sacrificed, chose life, and chose me to. Motherhood is sanctifying, unexpected, adventurous, and constant. It’s also among the greatest joys in my life. 

A low-key Mother’s Day that included church and felt like summer was exactly what my soul needed. Don’t worry, my eldest was around too but she had to work on homework and then at her job. 

#mothersday #adoption #momlife #adoptionislove #PeaceInTheProcess #reallife #weekending #poolpeople #summerisbest #favoritethings #choosingJOY #boymom #girlmom #bettertogether
This second novel by @carleyfortune speaks right t This second novel by @carleyfortune speaks right to my summer-loving heart. I loved Will and Fern’s love story, appreciated the depths of some of their experiences, and enjoyed the happy ending. Put this one one your summer reading list! 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #newrelease #KindleOasis #kindlebooks #romancenovels #latergram #summerisbest
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

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