Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

11 Things I Learned in July

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Oh, July, you’ve been too quick. But you’ve been fun. I’ve driven more new-to-me roads than even before and been on some more familiar ones, but I’ve also learned more deeply to appreciate the journey. This month the journey has included road trips, boat rides on the lake, and afternoons at the pool.

People ask if we’re settled in our new house and I usually say, “Pretty much.” And that’s the short-answer truth. But the long answer: We’re as settled as much as we can be while there are still guys working on the enormous garage we’re renovating. That garage will house the piles of outdoor toys on our side porch that also serves as our everyday entrance. That garage will also house all my husband’s tools and camo attire and hunting accessories that are stored in various other places.

I’ve hung some pictures but there are stacks of others elsewhere, sitting out of our walking paths through the house but in plain sight. And we have this beautiful 10-foot long, floor-to-ceiling built-in bookshelf that is still missing cabinets on the bottom cabinets where the board games still in boxes in another corner.

So, you know, we’re pretty much settled. Sort of.

I figure there will be more time for all of that when the kids start Aug. 10.

There you have it, July. You’re making me mourn the end of summer but look forward with great anticipation to a schedule. But, before you go, how about some things you’ve taught me …

1. The last several episodes of season 11 of “Grey’s Anatomy” we’re really good.

I burnt out on this show years ago but occasionally binge watch episodes I haven’t seen. Yes, Derek dies, which I knew before I even watched, but that storyline leads to some great TV.

And the last quote of the season? Perfection, nearly.

“You can build a house out of anything, make it as strong as you want, but a home, a home is more fragile than that. A home is made of the people you fill it with. And people can be broken, sure, but any surgeon knows what’s broken can be mended, what’s hurt can be healed, that no matter how dark it gets, the sun’s gonna rise again.”

– Meredith Gray in season 11 finale

Yes, then I kept watching into the 12th season. I know. So. Many. Seasons.

2. Elin Hilderbrand is a great new-to-me author. 

I saw her name when her endorsement was on the front of another book I was reading. I randomly chose “Summerland” from the library and then moved on to “The Rumor.”

{I’ve been on a bit of a fiction binge lately, as you can tell from my list of books I’ve read so far this year. And it seems Hilderbrand has many books, so that’ll keep me going!}

3. The Canadian side of Niagara Falls is prettier than the U.S. side. Of course, it’s also busy when it’s a double holiday weekend with U.S. folks celebrating Independence Day and Canadians having their own Canada Day. But, hey, it’s pretty!

We went to Buffalo, NY for a long weekend at the beginning of the month for the baptisms of my twin niece and nephew. It was a fun trip and we’re looking forward to being with my siblings and their families again next week … at the beach!

4. Hand, foot and mouth disease is no joke. That’s what Rachel brought home from Buffalo. Thankfully, turns out the case she had wasn’t even that bad, but there were still a few rough days.

5. Sometimes driving 180 miles one way with one friend for lunch with another friend is worth it. 

Of course, her van may break down and kids end up playing in the sprinkles at the park in their clothes. Road trips and friendships are always adventures worth having. {Here’s a little more on that.}

6. My kids and husband don’t have the same love of Krispy Kreme doughnuts that I do – even when the doughnuts are hot and fresh. Yeah, I can’t explain it either. But they do like watching them be made.

7. New Needtobreathe music is my happy place. Okay, this isn’t something I learned, but I love the new album so I needed to include it. My favorite songs are “Happiness, “Hard Love,” and “Testify.”

8. Detours keep us focused on the journey, giving us opportunities to see new places and appreciate the details around us. 

The most direct route to our new house in the country has been closed for three weeks – the majority of the time we’ve lived here. I’ve discovered various routes home, and I have my favorite that includes a beautiful field of sunflowers.

9. Even when a friendship spans decades, new traditions can be made. 

We went to St. Louis for the third year in late July {hello, hotness …} so we could go to Six Flags with our best friends. We spent three nights there and also went to a Cardinals game, Soulard Market, the {free!} science center, and the {free!} zoo.

And, really, I know the attractions aren’t actually totally free because local property owners pay for the science center and zoo, but it’s such a nice treat to tourists like us!

10. And when in STL in July, don’t buy right field bleacher seats for an evening game at Busch Stadium. With a 6:15 p.m. start time, we were in the sun until the sixth inning – and the last section to feel shade. Trust me, it makes a difference.

11. An old-fashioned DiscMan provides my son hours of entertainment. Hours, really. {And he’s cute!}

Tell me about your July.

_____________________

I’m linking with Emily Freeman like I do at the end of every month. 

Thanksgiving in Buffalo {a recap for #ThreeWordWednesday}

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We spent Thanksgiving weekend in Buffalo, NY, where my sister Cassie and her family live. And there wasn’t any snow, for those of you thinking we’re crazy to head into lake-effect weather for a holiday.

We actually had a couple days in the 50s, and then it was in the mid-30s the day we went to Niagara Falls and then three-fifths of my family ice skated outside.

It took us 15 hours – 764 miles and four stops – to get there. The big kids watched three movies – “Despicable Me 2,” “Matilda,” and “How To Train Your Dragon” – and Rachel dozed off between feelings. Grandmom was also with us.

In addition to Niagara Falls and ice skating, we had a big Thanksgiving meal with Cassie & Zac’s friends, ate wings (I managed one handed while feeding Rachel!), saw some friends who used to go to church with us in Kentucky, hung out with our almost-2-year-old nephew Lochlan, and played euchre.

On the way back, the big kids watched the same three movies plus “Princess and the Frog” and Rachel slept more. Thanks to less traffic in Ohio, we were able to shave off almost an hour on the way home.

Speaking of Rachel sleeping, she managed her BEST TWO NIGHTS up to that point while we were there and continued her six- and seven-hour stretches when we got home. She’s the best 10-week-old, ever, really.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that doesn’t have traditions for us. We’ve traveled often for it – Branson, Mo. … in 2011 and 2013; Charleston, S.C. in 2012 – and spent 2009 at home with our baby boy. Our favorite tradition is an annual meal with our friends. I say that like we only eat once annually with them, and that’s not true, but sharing in the holiday together has been special. And we did that last month this year.

This Thanksgiving was good. I coughed and blew my nose way more often than I wanted to. We spent two entire days in the mini van. But we made memories with people we love.

Buffalo didn’t have any snow, and my sister didn’t have her babies like I was hoping either. She’s 37 weeks pregnant with twins. I’m greatly anticipating their arrival, the updates about them across the miles, and visits with them this summer.

Until then, I’ve got Thanksgiving memories tucked away. Meanwhile, giving thanks is a concept I want to embrace more tightly regardless of the date on the calendar. {Tweet that.}

How was YOUR Thanksgiving?

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Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

7 Things I Learned in November

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I’m going to spare you my rant about how November got away from my completely. Team Taylor did lots of fun things, some of which I allude to here and others I’m still hoping to blog about. I’m getting over a cold and gradually getting into the Christmas spirit.

But first, let me share seven things, in no particular order, that I learned this month … 

1. Forehead thermometers aren’t accurate for babies younger than 6 months.

Well, here I am with my third child, and I thought she had a fever. Maybe she did. But maybe it wasn’t really 100.5 because forehead thermometers aren’t accurate when said baby is only 6 weeks old. She had been congested, so I took her in to get checked out. She was fine and I felt a little like a brand-new mom.

2. “Chasing Life” isn’t going beyond two seasons.

I’d never heard of this show, which has apparently been on ABC Family, but binge-watched the first season a couple months ago. I was so excited when Netflix emailed me to tell me the second season was available. (Netflix knows me, y’all.) I watched those 13 episodes like I had nothing else to do and then Google told me the show had been canceled. Yes, I was Googling to find out when season three was coming on so I could set my DVR accordingly. Bummer.

(My new Netflix addiction is “Hawaii Five-0.”)

3. Cate spent the first 2-plus months of school sitting on a dictionary.

I know you’re thinking, “What? Why?” because that’s what I thought when we were in the McDonald’s drive-thru and she made a comment about getting used to sitting on hard surfaces. Um, why child? Turns out her desk is too tall, but when it’s lowered to the next level, it’s too short. After telling me about how the dictionary solves the height issue, she told me she sometimes tries to sneak a seat in her friend’s chair because he sits on a desk chair cushion.

I ordered her the same desk chair cushion – although in a different color – from Amazon right there in the McDonald’s drive-thru. In other mom confessions, that was the second time I had been in the McDonald’s drive-thru THAT DAY. The first time was that morning for a large Diet Dr Pepper for myself. The second time was that evening for a large Coke for my best friend.

4. A Thanksgiving road trip to Buffalo, NY doesn’t necessarily mean snow.

People thought we were crazy for going, but we wanted to visit my sister and her family, so we went anyway. Two of the days we spent there were in the 50s. Okay, so the other one was in the mid-30s, but there was no snow.

Of course, there were no babies either. My sister is almost 37 weeks pregnant with twins, and I was not-so-secretly hoping she’d go into labor while we were there. She didn’t. But I was glad to hang out with her , her husband, and her almost-2-year-old son.

(More on our trip coming later this week.)

5. Liane Moriarty is my kind of author.

I read “The Hypnotist’s Love Story” this summer while sitting by the pool. This month I read “The Husband’s Secret” and “What Alice Forgot” then started “Big Little Lies” on our way home Sunday. I like the way the stories are told using various characters who are somehow intertwined. There’s a mystery element of what’s going to happen next or be revealed from the past that keeps me turning the pages.

6. Six or seven hours is a decent night’s sleep.

Y’all know the hardest thing about a newborn for me is the interrupted sleep. I prefer 8 or 9 hours every night. Honestly, Rachel has been a trooper from the beginning – waking up once or twice in the middle of the night to eat and then going back to sleep. Well, when we were in Buffalo, she slept 6.5 hours one night and then 7 hours the next night. THAT’S LIKE ALL NIGHT IN NEWBORN SPEAK. Last night, she managed six straight hours during her first night back in her own bed. I’ll take it … and be hoping for even longer stretches!

7. I can eat buffalo wings with one hand while feeding a baby.

It’s true. I had my doubts, but I managed. And then my brother-in-law Zac informed me I was just perfecting my wing-eating technique because he prefers using one hand so the other stays clean. Yes, we ate wings while in Buffalo. Seemed appropriate.

How was your November?

_____________________

I’m linking up with Emily Freeman, like I do at the end of every month. 

{2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. 
{2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. 


Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”