Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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How to take the trip

September 19, 2023 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I’m pretty much always thinking about my next trip! Be it a weekend getaway or a family vacation, I’ve always got ideas of where I want to go next. The rest of my family always has suggestions too. Yes, take the (next) trip!

I was in my 40s when I came to terms with the fact beach vacations aren’t my favorite. I like so many things about a beach vacation: tropical weather, sunshine, seafood, and the views and sounds of the ocean. While I do love vacations that include water, I especially love vacations that allow me to see various spots and sights on the same trip – think road trip or cruise!

Where to go?

The destinations are endless, but I’d start with this question. Consider how long you want to be gone, how you’re going to get there, where you’ll stay, and what activities come with a certain destination. 

Here are some of our past trips that are definitely worth sharing: 

West road trips

  • Hoover Dam / Grand Canyon / Sedona
  • Tetons / Yellowstone / Glacier
  • Colorado

Northward

  • Wisconsin Dells
  • South Haven, Michigan

Tropical locations

  • Mexico & Honduras cruise
  • South Florida
  • St. Pete Beach, Florida
  • Universal Studios
  • Disney World (2019)
  • Disney World (2014)
  • Disney Cruise (2018)
  • Disney Cruise (2016)

Who can help?

I love planning trips, but I also love having help plan them! Here are some great resources I recommend:

  • Awestruck Family Outfitters (customized trips to National Parks and similar destinations)
  • Kingdom Seekers Travel (Disney, Universal, cruises, all-inclusive resorts)
  • Guide Along (audio tour guides)
  • Dirt in My Shoes (National Parks travel planning) 

What to take with you?

Obviously, what’s in your suitcase depends on where you’re going, but here are some things I love to have along the way, regardless of where I am.

  • Line-a-day journal – Document everyday life whether you’re at home or on the road.
  • Reusable shopping bags – I like these because they squish up, making them easy to pack. They are great for hauling around snacks, dirty clothes, or anything else!
  • Capital One Venture credit card – This is a great card to use for travel expenses because the rewards points are good and allow you to “erase” travel purchases. You can also book hotels and other travel reservations directly through the Capital One website and get special deals. When we signed up for TSA Pre-Check, the fee was reimbursed when we used this card. (Also, sign up for TSA Pre-Check if you’re ever going to fly!)
  • Crossbody bag – I have loved this Lululemon one for a while, but I found an even better and cheaper one on Amazon. Truly, hooray for liking the off-brand one better! 
  • Bigger sling bag – I also like traveling with my Kavu sling bag. It can hold quite a few things and is easy to carry while on the go. 

Where do you want to go next? What are you taking with you?

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Eight is great!

September 19, 2023 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Happy birthday, Rachel! 

You’re a light wherever you go! And you like to go! You’re always making friends, asking about our next adventure, wanting to know what’s next, and talking if you’re not singing. You’re the joy our family needed in 2015 and you continue to be the one who makes us laugh and love better than we did before we knew you. 

You may be six and eight years younger than your brother and sister, but you sure think you can do anything they do! Of course, that’s the source of frustration sometimes – when you go to bed earlier than them, when we tell you no but them yes, and when you think their friends are your friends. 

You are girly! You love accessories, sparkles, and pink. You want to wear make-up, high heels, and twirly dresses. Yet you also love to be outside making messes and getting dirty. You’re creative and adventurous – and you’d like to do it all while looking good. 

As a second-grader, you were excited to try cross country at school. You go from hating to loving it at any given moment. You’ve gotten so much better after the practices and races. Now you can run the one-mile race in less than 10 minutes. You’re also playing soccer. Plus you’re interested in cheerleading, learning to play drums, and possibly playing basketball. I like that you’re willing to try new things. We’ll have to see what’s next! 

You wanted us all to act out The Little Mermaid at your birthday party on Friday night, but you did get your dad to dress up like King Triton. Y’all are quite the pair! So funny! We had (most of) the girls from your class over for the “dive in,” which means y’all swam and watched The Little Mermaid. You’re always ready for a party – so celebrating you is easy, my girl. 

You ask a million questions, know the words to thousands of songs, have so many ideas, and still try to sneak into my bed at night. You say I’m the best snuggler in this family. I’ll take it – and your hugs and love, although the middle of the night will never be my favorite time. 

Happy birthday to the girl who loves loudly! I know God has big plans for you. I’m thankful I get a front-row seat to your life. 

Love, Mom

*****

Look back on Rachel’s past birthdays:  One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Learn more about her adoption story in “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family.”

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A few of my favorite things

September 14, 2023 by Kristin 2 Comments

Bombas socks – I know, they’re kind of expensive. But I love how the ankle socks feel on my feet and in my shoes. 

This braided band for my Apple Watch – I asked my 16-year-old daughter to find me a watch band that was comfortable and dried easily. This is what she came up with, and I love it. In fact, I’m going to order another color or two soon. 

Crossbody bag – I have loved this Lululemon one for a while, but I found an even better and cheaper one on Amazon. Truly, hooray for liking the off-brand one better!

ESV scripture journals – I used to carry my Bible to church and fill the margins with notes. Both during our main church service and the Sunday school class I attend, we go through books of the Bible, so I bought the books we were in and now fill the notebooks with notes. There are whole journaling pages plus wide margins. Marking up scripture is the best way for me to learn, so this is the perfect notebook for me to carry with me to church. 

Crunch Labs – Ben gets excited each month when these boxes show up on our porch. It’s a great subscription box for my teenager who loves to build things. Plus the whole family likes Mark Rober’s videos that go along with the projects. 

Created for Communion – I know, maybe it’s weird to put my own book on here. But I’m really happy with how it turned out, thanks to Market Refined Media. I love the friendship bracelet on the cover and used throughout. The journaling prompts were originally planned, but I love having them incorporated. I rewrote my introduction during the editing process and am so pleased with it now. Studying the biblical friendships and then writing about them took me back to my journalism days, and it was really just such a fun process. (Plus there is some fun, free stuff on my website to celebrate!)

Walmart delivery – I was working this morning when the groceries I ordered last night showed up on my porch. I am a paying member of Walmart+ and don’t regret it. Plus you get other perks, like free, quick shipping on items not available in the local store. (Save $20 if you sign up through this link!)

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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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Recent Posts

  • How to take the trip
  • Eight is great!
  • A few of my favorite things
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🎶 Everybody got a small town anthem / Everybody 🎶 Everybody got a small town anthem / Everybody got a story to tell / Everybody got a hallelujah … 🎶 @thomasrhett

Here’s a story for you: When Cate turned 15 in May 2022, I bought her tickets to see Thomas Rhett. But then the concert date conflicted with a church retreat, so I went to two friends to the concert instead of my taking my daughter. 

Earlier this year, I saw TR was playing Nashville at the end of his Home Team 2023 Tour. So I bought Cate tickets again. 

She was sick Thursday night and into Friday, but her fever broke and she mustered the energy to cash in her on 15th birthday present now that she’s 16 1/3 years old. 

We had a great time and I’m thankful for the experience with my oldest girl, who is great company … until she slept the entire two hours home. 

Thomas Rhett is so fun and such a great performer! I especially loved his covers of seven songs from seven decades (1950s to 2010s). 

#thomasrhett #hometeamtour23 #countrymusic #countryconcert #nashville #musiccity #momlife #girlmom #firstborn #weekending #FallBreak
This book was hard to hear, but also a good story This book was hard to hear, but also a good story based on real life. 

"Cilka's Journey" follows "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" when a character from that story is moved to a Siberian work camp. I've never thought about the women in those camps and how their bodies were affected by the abuse, what would happen if they did get pregnant, and how nurses were certainly needed. Of course, it's so bittersweet to know despite the hard circumstances friendships still bloomed. 

I borrowed this audiobook from Libby, but the Kindle version is also included for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. 

THE BOOK: amzn.to/3tbp91Z
KINDLE UNLIMITED: amzn.to/3Pz8Un4

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #audiobooks #librarybooks #kindleunlimited #historicalfiction
Y'all have been so awesome celebrating my new book Y'all have been so awesome celebrating my new book! If you've had a chance to read it, I'd really appreciate you leaving a review. For authors, Amazon is the best place, but you can copy and paste the same review on Goodreads and Barnes & Noble too: 

📚 Amazon: bit.ly/createdforcommunion
📚 Barnes & Noble: mavely.app.link/e/RHD4MooDGCb
📚 Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/197602230-created-for-communion

Of course, if you haven't gotten your copy yet, you can buy "Created for Communion" at Amazon or Barnes & Noble (from those links above!) and from the trunk of my minivan! 

🌸 Plus there are FREE resources, including a sample chapter, on my website: kristinhilltaylor.com/created-for-communion

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To live in communion with one another, means to sh To live in communion with one another, means to share meals, space, advice, and prayers. It also means sharing hope, disappointment, dreams, and forgiveness. 

We explore what this looks like in “Created for Communion,” along with other biblical foundations for friendships and community.

🌸 FREE RESOURCES & SAMPLE CHAPTER: 
kristinhilltaylor.com/created-for-communion

🌸 GET THE BOOK:
bit.ly/createdforcommunion

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So many of my Facebook friends shared lovely pictu So many of my Facebook friends shared lovely pictures of their daughters yesterday for the completely made-up National Daughters Day. Regardless, today I'm all in my feelings about my daughters. 

They're 16 and 8 right now. Both of their classes have been studying ancient Egypt and had a joint feast today. Sweet, huh? 

BUT THEN TIMEHOP GOT ME! Apparently, NINE years ago today, when Cate was a second-grader, her class had an Egyptian feast. I think about a particular picture of Cate and her friend Kilee from that day AND THEN IT CAME UP IN MY TIMEHOP TODAY. Facebook also told me that same day nine years ago, Monica and I became Facebook friends. We probably were at the Egyptian feast and decided we'd be friends because our girls were friends. Y'all, God has been so good to me through my friendship with Monica. Our families click in a special way with our three sets of same-aged kids, most of whom have been adopted. 

Anyway, my daughters. They're lovely, funny, and smart. I love that Cate helped Rachel with her Egyptian eye makeup this morning and made her a Nutella and banana sandwich. I love that they got to have a party today at school together. I love that even though they're eight years apart, they're sisters. 

I hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do. 💛

#momlife #timehop #documentlife #bettertogether #sisters #siblinglove #nationaldaughtersday #daughters #reallife #schoollife #adoption #adoptionislove #PeaceInTheProcess #CreatedForCommunion #choosingJOY @ncca.lions
I’m pretty much always thinking about my next tr I’m pretty much always thinking about my next trip! Be it a weekend getaway or a family vacation, I’ve always got ideas of where I want to go next. The rest of my family always has suggestions too. Yes, take the (next) trip!

In the blog post HOW TO TAKE THE TRIP, I share lots of links and suggestions on where to go, who can help you, and what to take with you. 

✨ https://kristinhilltaylor.com/2023/09/how-to-take-the-trip.html

Where do you want to go? What do you always take with you?

#linkinbio #ontheblog #roadtrip #vacation #documentlife #takethetrip #bloggerlife #adventurers #choosingJOY #traveltips
I was thankful for some rest time on the couch on I was thankful for some rest time on the couch on Saturday afternoon — and a chance to finish this suspense book. 

“Between Two Strangers” by @katewhite_author had such an intriguing plot that pulled me right in. I was close to figuring out how it was all intertwined, but I didn’t quite get there through all the twists. Good, quick read!

#KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #librarybooks #weekending #latergram #suspensebooks #goodreads
Recently, in random snapshots. This is a full life Recently, in random snapshots. This is a full life, but it’s a good life. 💛

#momlife #siblinglove #bettertogether #reallife #latergram #documentlife #soccermom #boymom #girlmom
When you subscribe to emails from my porch, you ge When you subscribe to emails from my porch, you get some free goodies! Plus, it's a fun way to chat about life, books, and faith. 

I just updated the free gifts to include a lovely PDF that has links to 27 (!!!) how-to posts about life, home, and parenthood. I'm going to give away more goodies when I meet some subscriber goals, so, if you haven't already, please join me on my virtual porch. 

🏠 bit.ly/PorchEmails

#linkinbio #PorchStories #bloggerlife #email #bettertogether #onlinefriends #authorlife #freebies #favoritethings
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