Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Real-life {summer} confessions

June 21, 2017 by Kristin 19 Comments

My calendar says today is the First Day of Summer, you know, officially. My kids, our routine, and our darkened skin say otherwise. We’re about a month into Summer, according to the big kids’ school calendar. But, you know, in honor of the actual calendar and the fact Summer is my favorite, how about some real-life mom confessions? These really are the kind of things we’d talk about if you were on my porch or in my pool.

1. I lose track of how often my kids shower and I don’t care. Hello, pool.

2. I threw away the reading logs that came home from school at the end of the year as soon as I saw them. Ben has actually had his nose in books way more this summer than ever before, and, well, if you know Cate, then you know she’s always reading, often a book she’s already read.

(Reading logs could make my Summer Not-To-Do List …)

3. I don’t have chore charts or bucket lists, but we still do chores and have fun. I do sometimes jot down lists for the big kids, especially Ben, who is more productive when he can focus on thing at a time rather than me blurting out 36 instructions at once.

4. I eat Wyler’s Italian Ice popsicles at least as much as my kids. And I drink grape Crystal Light because it tastes like Kool-Aid.

5. I went to a school board meeting to interview a teaching candidate recently in shorts, a T-shirt, and flip flops. I totally meant to change before I met Greg to eat, hand off the kids, and swap vehicles. I forgot. Legitimately forgot.

6. Sometimes cooking dinner in the summertime involves hot dogs on the George Foreman grill.

7. I wore my shorts-and-tank swimsuit with another tank top on top to pick up Cate from horse camp. In other words, I wear my swimsuit in public sometimes.

What real-life confessions do you have to share?

{Tweet that.}

*****

Kristin Hill Taylor - Porch Stories
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He makes a way

March 9, 2017 by Kristin 2 Comments

“We will sing to our souls
We won’t bury our hope
Where He leads us to go
There’s a red sea road

When we can’t see the way
He will part the waves
And we’ll never walk alone
Down a red sea road …”

{From “Red Sea Road” by Ellie Holcomb}

I’ve been taking steroids for a couple weeks {um, go away, Poison Ivy} and they’re doing all kinds of things while gradually drying up the rashes on my stomach and arms. Like making me hungry and restless and irritable … and wrecking my blood sugar levels … and making me thirsty. So thirsty.

While running errands before picking up the kids from school Tuesday afternoon, I drank water & Diet Dr Pepper. And then I sat in the pickup line and decided I could wait until I got home {22 minutes later} to use the bathroom.

Except then I couldn’t.

So I stopped at the only gas station directly between school and my house. I hauled all three kids in the gas station, which also is a burger & milkshake restaurant.

When we rapidly approached the single restrooms in the back, I gave Rachel, who wasn’t wearing shoes because she took them off {again} to Cate AND GOT IN LINE. At 3:20 p.m., this rural gas station/restaurant had a line.

Grandpa was waiting for his wife and trying to convince Granddaughter it was okay to use the boys’ bathroom because they were single stalls and she could lock the door. She was having none of that so my son jetted past them for his turn. When he came out, Grandma was still in the girls’ restroom, so I made sure Granddaughter really wanted nothing to do with the boys’ side, and went on in.

And then we ordered two milkshakes to go.

Of course the story doesn’t end here. I first accidentally tried to pay for the milkshakes with my health savings account and debit card pin. Um, no match. I pulled out another card, and inserted it in the chip reader.

I signed the receipt. Each big kid took a milkshake they were going to share with Rachel and me.

And we walked out.

I was wrangling my shoeless toddler into the car seat when another customer graciously brought me the credit card I had left in the chip reader machine.

At least I had all my kids, an afternoon treat, and a relieved bladder. Five minutes later we were home and I drank some chocolate milkshake.

The story continued into Wednesday evening. After a busy afternoon of parent-teacher conferences and hauling supplies and furnishings out to our lake house, where a renovation is almost finished in time for me to host a retreat there this weekend, we needed a quick, convenient dinner. So back to the gas station restaurant we went.

We sat down, enjoyed our dinner, used the correct restrooms, and didn’t order milkshakes this time because the machine was down. Good thing we’d made that pit stop the day before!

*****

This is just a peek into my week. There have been plenty of other moments that would usher you right into my imperfect but blessed life. And those same moments have ushered me right to God, who thankfully sits upon his throne and over my life.

When I looked at my calendar and to-do lists {because, yes, I had more than one …} on Monday, I was overwhelmed. But I just did what I could do. One thing at a time. The next thing when I could. And the overwhelming feeling was replaced with peace.

Then plans changed and I shopped online instead of running even more errands. The delivery guy asked if he could come to the lake house a day and a half early. {Yes, please!} Friends offered grace. My generous mother-in-law offered her usual help.

Spaces on my calendar freed up. My perspective changed so I could see life full of blessings and not a series of emergencies. I knew attempting to do it all couldn’t be an option.

I’ve had to apologize to my husband and my kids because between the steroids {go away, Poison Ivy} and the overwhelmed start to the week I certainly wasn’t the best version of me.

But I am me. And I’m not God.

{Tweet that.}

But God is with me and for me. And you too.

He really does have the whole world in His hands and makes a way for us. So let the fear and worry go. Give up the do-it-all expectations. Let someone help. Say no if you need the space. Say yes if you need the grace.

And turn on Ellie Holcomb’s latest album. Every single song will offer hope and truth. And that’s the kind of soundtrack my life needs this week – and pretty much every other day.

*****

I’d love you to share some of your own real-life confessions in the comments.

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I {heart} real-life confessions

February 16, 2017 by Kristin 5 Comments

How about some post-Valentine’s Day real-life confessions from my week? I know it’s not even Friday, but, hey, let’s embrace what actually happens and make the most of it.

1. Ben proclaimed I could stop matching his socks because “they’re just socks and why do they have to match?” Well. Okay. It goes against everything in my Type A self, but I guess it’s good to let go of something.

2. I let my two big kids jump in our new pool in February. I don’t know how cold the water was, but I know it was cold. But, hey, it was 66* outside, which is balmy for a polar plunge.

Honestly, I loved watching them do something crazy and being the mom who said yes. (It certainly doesn’t always happen this way.)

3. I dropped off Cate at a horse riding lesson Saturday and went to brunch with my best friend. I normally stay and watch my girl ride, but I needed that hour date with Jaclyn.

4. My two big kids celebrated Valentine’s Day at school with their friends with store-bought cards, conversation hearts that I bought three times because I kept eating them, and simple “mailboxes.” Most of Ben’s friends went all out creating amazing boxes, and we wrapped a box with red, blue, and green wrapping paper leftover from Christmas and cute a whole. Cate decorated a lunch sack in class.

And everybody had a fabulous day and I once again didn’t regret not having a Pinterest account.

5. I was feeling old, not in pitiful way but in an unbelief way. Greg and I met 19 years ago when I was 18 … so I’ve know him longer than I haven’t at this point. (We met Feb. 7, and then we went on our first date a week later on Valentine’s Day, so, you know, that’s why I was thinking about it!)

But then Tuesday I went to have my aching ear checked out and learned I have an ear infection and swimmer’s ear. Yes, y’all, at the same time. And that makes me feel like a kid again.

Nothing like some perspective and amoxicillin.

6. I have each kid a $1 box of chocolate (well, gummies for Rachel …) for Valentine’s Day and I let the two big kids eat a piece of chocolate before their breakfast before school. That’s love.

7. Greg and I went on a Valentine’s Day dinner date a day late. I took a list of three things I wanted to make sure we talked about and he took a list of some things we needed to pick out at Lowe’s for our lake house renovation. Missions accomplished.

Your turn! What kind of real-life confession do you have this week, friends?

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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 ninth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear sixth-grade boy, and our joy-filled kindergarten 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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I miss … … a few particular friends from whom I miss …

… a few particular friends from whom I’m separated by circumstances, logistics, and distances. 

When I make a friend, I intend to stay friends forever. Of course, life doesn’t always work out that way. 

I don’t miss my kids being young, but I miss the ease of socializing with my friends during that season. It was easy then to meet at the park or go somewhere for lunch. Now there are so many schedules to work around. 

Scheduling time to lunch or get together is still my love language, it just takes a little more work, patience, and persistence now. And sometimes that’s exhausting. But it’s always worth it. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #bettertogether #livingfaithfully #reallife
School’s out FOR THE SUMMER! #88daysofsummer #mo School’s out FOR THE SUMMER! #88daysofsummer #momlife #siblinglove #summerisbest #maydays
I’m proud of myself for … … surviving and t I’m proud of myself for …

… surviving and thriving this school year. I resist change almost all of the time, and the past nine months have been full of so many transitions for our whole family. I know, that’s life, but these changes seem like the kind that will mark us forever. 

My kids navigated new beginnings in kindergarten, middle school, and high school. As a mom, sometimes I’m too close to see the growth, but this year it happened in each of them right before my eyes. They navigated friendship hurdles, embraced new friends, and settled a little more into who God created them to be. Middle school isn’t for the faint of heart, but I feel like I’ve come out of this year closer to my son, so I will take it. 

I’m proud of myself for leaning into where God has me. I’ve grown deeper friendships, invested in my kids’ school as a board member and business manager, and seen God work in our ordinary days. 

Y’all know I’m a summer girl, so I’m proud of myself through getting through the winter and coming into summer stronger and braver. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #momlife #summerisbest #bettertogether
I’m honestly surprised I didn’t read this book I’m honestly surprised I didn’t read this book sooner. I loved so much about it, but I did want some of her stories to be  less repetitive and offer more practical advice for living out “radical, ordinary hospitality.” Rosaria Butterfield defines hospitality like this as sharing what you have in real time, preparing to continually life this lifestyle, and bringing strangers in so they become neighbors who become family. 

I took notes throughout, but especially during the introduction. I came away with an appreciation that hospitality can involve lists, schedules, and habits. I felt encouraged, even if I thought the book could have been organized better to include practical tips and other people’s stories. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #audiobooks #livingfaithfully #bookreview #booklover
Something I don’t usually share (online) … I Something I don’t usually share (online) …

I am an opinionated person, but I don’t usually share political opinions on social media. People who know me in real life know I value being pro-life, having less government involvement in our everyday lives, defining marriage as God intended it, and being fiscally conservative. As a former newspaper reporter, I still get excited about elections. I admittedly pay a little less attention in the almost 15 years I haven’t been in a newsroom. But I still care and have plenty of opinions. 

I voted today in Kentucky’s Primary Election. I’m thankful for the freedom to share my opinion by darkening some blocks on a paper ballot. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #reallife #livingfaithfully
Old friends and live music are two of my favorite Old friends and live music are two of my favorite things, so having them together is the best. My friend Aaron and I went to multiple Dave Matthews Band shows together during our college years, so now two decades later it’s fun to do it again as grown ups with our spouses for a band that speaks truth into our lives. 

@needtobreathe put on the loudest acoustic tour I’ve ever seen, but it sure was good! And its encore of completely unplugged songs was especially sweet. 

#NTBlive #needtobreathe #bettertogether #choosingJOY #favoritethings #livingfaithfully #weekending
Happiness is … … a slow morning that gave me Happiness is …

… a slow morning that gave me a chance to finish reading a good book right after I fixed my favorite cinnamon toast. 

… some shade to invite me to pick some more weeds around the house. But why doesn’t my Apple Watch count this as exercise? It felt like exercise to me! 

… an appointment with my oldest girl for us both to get our nails done this morning. 

… my youngest girl’s last soccer game of the season, even though the heat made her a little grumpy. 

… pool time, another good book to read, my mom visiting for the second weekend in a row, a little more weeding, and a night at home with no specific plans. 

Happiness is everyday, normal life with my people, especially when it comes with a slower pace after a hectic week. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #soccermom #KHTreads #momlife #weekending #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully #poolpeople #PorchStories
I regretted having to go to sleep last night befor I regretted having to go to sleep last night before I finished this book, so I picked it up at breakfast and didn’t do anything else until I finished it. 

I loved the Alaskan cruise setting, the quick love and understanding between Greta and Ben, and the realistic ways grief changes people. Well done, @jenniferesmith! 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #kindlebooks #booklover #kindlepaperwhite #reallife #weekending #recommendedreads #poolpeople #amreading
Happy Friday! 🎉 We’ve got four more days of s Happy Friday! 🎉 We’ve got four more days of school next week and then it’s #88daysofsummer! Obviously, we’re ready. ☀️ 

Here’s to a refreshing weekend with much anticipation of what’s to come! #weekending #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully #thirdchild #momlife #summerisbest #poolpeople #PorchStories #maydays
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