Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Blue Ridge & real life

September 8, 2022 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Greg and I celebrated 20 years and one month of marriage with a trip to Blue Ridge, GA. We like the mountains in north Georgia because it’s an easy drive, scenery is pretty, and there’s plenty to do. It’s a good weekend getaway. We went to Helen, GA, last year at the same time and wanted a different variation of a similar trip this year. 

Preparations & mom guilt

I left the house Friday morning, a couple of hours after we had planned, with loads of mom guilt. Our plan was originally to drop off all three kids at school on Friday morning and hit the road. My mom planned to pick up the kids Friday afternoon.  

Well, on Thursday, Rachel was diagnosed with strep throat and missed that day and Friday of school. She felt fine on Friday but hadn’t been fever-free for 24 hours yet, so on Thursday I made arrangements for my mother-in-law came to stay with her during the school day until my mom arrived. Meanwhile, Cate strained her knee at her first soccer practice earlier last week. She’s been resting, icing, and wearing a compression brace.

Then early Friday morning that was really still middle of the night, Cate came to our bedroom to tell us her throat felt swollen. I knew she’d need to go to the doctor when it opened Friday morning to get tested for strep. So I took Ben to school and then Cate to urgent care, where we were not surprised to learn she also had strep throat. 

I literally had to leave a list of medications — regular and newly temporary — for all three kids to take while we were gone. I texted Cate one morning: How’s your throat, ear, and knee? Honestly, being able to text with her quieted some of my mom guilt for going on vacation and leaving our mothers with sickly kids. 

Everyone perked up, the kids visited my sister and her family in Indiana, Greg and I had a great getaway, and we all came home ready for a new (short) week together. 

Getaway details

On the way down Friday, we stopped in Murfreesboro, TN, for lunch at Puckett’s Grocery. I had the Piggy Mac and it was delicious. We arrived at our mountaintop cabin on Friday evening and went out for pizza at Mystic Mountain Pizza, which was a weird combination of hippy-inspired decor, pizza-inspired decor, and country music playing over the speakers. The pizza was good and we were happy to be able to sit and talk about whatever came to mind. 

Our cabin was up a winding mountain road but not far from town. It was clean and comfortable and had a magnificent porch. It ended up being a sweet spot as we spent more time there than we were originally planning.

Much rain was forecasted for Saturday, but thankfully there were only morning showers. We rode the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway to McCaysville, GA / Copperhill, TN. Yep, we stood in two states at once and had lunch near a very large U.S. flag displayed on a bridge over the river that changes names depending on which state your feet stand. Specifically, we are at Burra Burra on the River, where I had possibly the thickest burger I’d ever had. It was yummy and eating by the water always feels right to me. We shopped a little before we boarded the train back for Blue Ridge. The whole adventure was really fun and exactly enough time in McCaysville.

We went on a short but slightly slippery hike to the Falls Branch Falls, which, honestly were smaller and less impressive than I was expecting. We still had fun and got in lots of steps. With tired legs, we drove around and ended up at Lake Blue Ridge — which was beautiful, especially on a sunshiny afternoon that offered pretty clouds. Something about mountains, clouds, and water all together makes me want to take all the photos. 

My cousin friend Mary lives near-ish Blue Ridge, so we met for dinner and dessert. Restaurants were crowded and we didn’t have a good cell signal, so we ended up at another pizza place — Cucinella’s. We found a table for us outside. I ended up getting pecan chicken salad on top of a Caesar salad and shared garlic knots with Greg. It was a very good choice and dinner was surprisingly much better than I expected when I thought I was going to have to settle for pizza again. (Greg said the pizza was good. And I noticed there were some slightly more unique topping choices such as meatballs, colored sweet peppers, and broccoli.) 

On Sunday morning, Greg went trout fishing. While I’m always up for creek scenery and time to read a book, I opted to stay at the cabin with a lovely porch. I didn’t sleep in as I had hoped, but I did listen to the rain, enjoy the view, work on my Precept Bible study, and take some time to process and write some things. I also thought about someone could probably build me a swing like that. 

The rest of Sunday was rainy. We did a little shopping at Mercier Orchard and ended up at a steakhouse that reminded us of a 1980s Ponderosa. It was mediocre, but we had apple doughnuts for dessert at our cabin, thanks to our earlier shopping trip. 

I’m thankful for the escape from our normal lives filled with responsibilities and commitments. I’m also thankful for 20 years (and a month) of marriage and the friendship we still have together. 

*****

I posted many other pictures on Facebook, so come on over there to see more snapshots.

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Adventuring in Arizona

April 21, 2022 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I’d been wanting to do a road trip in the west, but taking two or three weeks to cover all the spots also just doesn’t seem realistic. I’ve got a freshman in high school and definitely want to squeeze in some more family trips before she graduates. Plus we had some Southwest Airlines credit that expires in June. 

Given all those circumstances: Greg and I looked to see where Southwest flew and where we could go for Spring Break. We landed on Arizona. As we talked through destinations, we decided to fly into Las Vegas, so we could start with the Hoover Dam. (I know that’s Nevada, but, really, we were barely there!) We continued to Grand Canyon and Sedona so we could fly home from Phoenix. 

Greg already had a surprise boys’ trip planned for Ben the first weekend of Spring Break. Considering those plans and flight availability and prices, we ended up scheduling our southwest road trip for Tuesday to Saturday. 

Admittedly, as the trip approached, I wondered if staying in three different places in the four nights would feel like too much. I also wondered if five days was too quick for a westward trip. 

I’m here to tell you: Take the trip. Sure, take this trip. Or take whatever trip it is you’ve been thinking about. This is one of my favorite vacations yets. 

I loved the different destinations and packed for them accordingly. We stayed in Sedona the last two nights, so that gave us a good place to regroup and repack. I brought extra, easy-to-pack bags (these specifically) so we could throw our dirty clothes in there rather than continually repack our suitcases. We used one for a snack bag in our rental car too. And now I like to keep them in my trunk for when I have to haul things in the house.

Five days for this leg of a westward trip was plenty. Yes, we hit the ground running, thanks to an early flight on Tuesday and a time change that put us in Vegas at 8:30 am Pacific time. We never really fully adjusted to the two-hour time difference and found ourselves ready for bed around 8 or 9 pm. We generally woke up around 6 am. 

I say “this leg of the westward trip” because I’m already thinking about the next trip. For our family, seeing the west with our kids seems to work well like this. 

Now, here’s what we did each day:

Day 1 – Hoover Dam

We left home at 3:15 am, flew out of Nashville to Las Vegas, and arrived at 8:30 Pacific time, meaning in time for a second breakfast with my friend Kayse. We ate a delicious meal at The Broken Yolk and wished we lived closer because our kids got along well.

Team Taylor headed about 40 minutes away to Hoover Dam, which was so interesting! We saw Lake Mead, did the Power Plant tour at the dam, and soaked in the warm sun on a windy day. I honestly didn’t know I would be so impressed with Hoover Dam and didn’t realize it was built during the Great Depression. We also got to stand in Nevada and Arizona at the same time!

We stayed the night in Kingman, Arizona, which had Radiator Springs’ vibes along historic Route 66. (Disney’s Radiator Springs was actually based on Seligman, AZ, which wasn’t too far away from us!) Kingman also gave us a delicious meal at El Palacio. We were asleep by 8 pm Mountain Standard Time after a long but good day.

Day 2 – Grand Canyon

We made our way to the Grand Canyon on Wednesday. It sure was, well, grand! My mind and camera really couldn’t capture the vastness. We started at the Visitors Center and walked to Mather Point and around Rim Trail to Grand Canyon Village. Then we rode the shuttle and got off at a few stops on the way to Hermit’s Rest. We walked 13,000 steps!

Some tips: I wish I’d packed reusable water bottles for everyone. We also should have brought more snacks and lunch options with us because those options were limited in Grand Canyon National Park. We did have dinner at Yavapai Lodge, where we also stayed the night

Day 3 – Bearizona / Sedona

We left Grand Canyon National Park that morning, ate breakfast right outside of the park at Foodie Club, and headed to Bearizona in Williams, Arizona. Yes, Bearizona is overpriced for a couple of hours, but we really enjoyed it anyway. It’s a drive-thru, walk-thru wildlife par. They seemed to rehab a lot of the animals. We saw lots of native animals and especially enjoyed the bears who were active and playing with each other. Rachel and the spotted jaguar shared a playful moment too.

We arrived in Sedona about lunchtime and ate at Sedona Pizza & Pasta then explored the Uptown area. Our Pink Jeep Tour that afternoon was the only activity we reserved ahead of time. It was such a fun outing! We did the two-hour Coyote Canyon tour and got to see Dry Creek and lots of red rocks. We had dinner at Oaxaca, which was yummy Mexican food with a southwest twist. Everyone was excited about the two-bedroom condo we are staying in after two nights in the tight quarters of hotel rooms.

Day 4 – Sedona

We had a great day exploring Sedona and ended the day with 16,000+ steps!

We started the day with a 4.13-mile hike on the trail that goes around Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte red rock formations. We enjoyed the scenery and challenge together. The condo we have been staying in is just south of Sedona in the Village of Oak Creek, so we spent a lot of time down in this area, which has worked out well. We got our fill of Uptown the day before.

This day of exploration that unfolded as we went along asl included a brief swim in their clothes for Rachel and Ben, lunch at Tortas de Fuego in Village of Oak Creek (although there’s another Sedona location too), site seeing at Chapel of the Holy Cross and Airport Scenic View, dessert at Rocky Road Ice Cream Co., an impromptu scenic drive to Tuzigoot National Monument in Camp Verde, some downtime at the condo, and delicious dinner at Colt’s Grill in Village of Oak Creek.

Day 5 – Sedona / Phoenix

We enjoyed a little more of Sedona on this last morning of vacation before we began the trek home via Phoenix. We hiked 2.43 miles on the Baldwin Trail near Cathedral Rock. It was a great hike with ups and downs, flat sections, a quick detour to see Oak Creek, and lots of beautiful scenery. We had 7,000 steps by 10 am!

*****

I took a lot of pictures (of course!) and I shared them on Instagram and saved the posts in a Southwest highlight. Be sure to check them out if you want to see more of our adventures.

Another way we make traveling rewarding is using our Capital One Venture credit card. There are travel discounts and rewards. We get a higher percentage back in rewards when we make travel-related reservations, can cash rewards in to cover travel purchases, got reimbursed for our TSA Pre-Check application when we used this card as payment, and can book hotels and rental cards often with discounted rates directly through the credit card website. Win-win, I tell you. (Learn more here!)

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11 Things I Learned in July

July 29, 2016 by Kristin Leave a Comment

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. 

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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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I know traveling is a privilege, but I will always I know traveling is a privilege, but I will always tell you: Take the trip. It may not be easy or convenient, but it’s always worth it. And always take lots of snacks along for the ride! 

HOW & WHY TO TRAVEL WITH KIDS is #ontheblog today. The post includes some of our travel experiences, tips for including the kids, and a tip to make it more affordable. Plus there are links to posts about some of our recent trips. 

#linkinbio #bloggerlife #momlife #travelwithkids #adventurers #getoutside #travel #travellife #travelers #choosingJOY #favoritethings
I know, “everyone” is reading “Spare” by P I know, “everyone” is reading “Spare” by Prince Harry. But I also keep hearing different opinions about it. So here’s mine!

I am intrigued by the royal family and I liked watching “Suits,” just so you know my very loose interest. I had also watched the @netflix documentary Harry and Meghan released. 

Short answer: I really enjoyed listening to this book. 

An heir, then a spare. Deep grief as a child when his mom dies that he doesn’t really confront until he’s older. An institution that governs every decision in his life yet doesn’t protect him when he felt like he needed it. That’s some heartbreaking makings of a good story. And I appreciate Prince Harry telling it — even though I’m sure parts were incredibly difficult. I also appreciate why he and Meghan did what they did and are trying to establish new, different roots. 

Ultimately, this book is about death and life and all the moments in between. I’d recommend listening to it because his voice is a good one. 

One minor, silly complaint: There are 232 chapters, although they’re numbered starting with one in each of the three sections. That makes the audiobook not flow quite as well as it would otherwise because most of them are just a few minutes long. 

I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and I’d love to hear what you think because, you know, everybody is reading it! #KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #readersofinstagram #audiobooks #audible #princeharry
We are all in for basketball season! Tonight was @ We are all in for basketball season! Tonight was @murraystateuniv Spirit Night at the @memgrizz game. We had some pre-game fun with friends, watched the Grizzlies come back from 19 down to win, and witnessed Ja Morant’s triple double.

#memphisgrizzlies #basketballseason #NBA #TeamTaylor #bettertogether #weekending #favoritethings #RacerNation #MurrayState #WeAreRacers
Cheering for our Racers — and, really, most ever Cheering for our Racers — and, really, most everything in life — is more fun with friends! What an awesome atmosphere at the CFSB Center today with a Murray State win, Ja Morant in the arena, and more memories.

#RacerNation #MurrayState #collegebasketball #basketballseason #bettertogether #WeAreRacers
I’ve worn a favorite sweatshirt that says “Let I’ve worn a favorite sweatshirt that says “Let heaven and nature sing” twice this week. I may not be singing Christmas carols anymore, but I still felt the depths of winter this week. The sweatshirt seemed right. 

The sun didn’t shine much this week, although seeing on Friday as we wrap up the work and school week was welcomed. It’s mostly been cold and gray. It’s felt like winter. 

A lingering tension needs resolution and understanding, but honestly the gap between seems so vast. I crave slow time at home and meals around our table. I miss some friends and was reminded of the heartache that can come with community, but I also felt the deep appreciation of friendship and remembered the beauty of sharing this life with others. I was excited for an invitation and easily accepted it. I started a new habit (hopefully) walking with a friend. 

While driving through my days, I remember how uncertainty is what makes me look up. I remember my Creator when I am slapped in the face with the reality I’m not actually in control. I remember (again) to surrender. 

Goodness happens in the gray of winter. Life may look and feel different, but new life is always preparing to break through the cracks of the ground. The gloom that tempts us to look down doesn’t last long when we believe the sun will break through the icy trees and the fog will lift. 

This is hope. Even in winter. Thank God for it all. Let’s let heaven and nature sing. 

#countryliving #latergram #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #reallife #weekending
I heard mixed reactions about this book from two d I heard mixed reactions about this book from two different friends, but I enjoyed it! 

I liked the backward timeline, although I was uncertain about how it would work until the end. Some of the twists and connections were so good! 

I also liked the bigger ideas Gillian McAllister tackles: We miss things when we are living our life at our normal pace. What if we could go back? What would be notice that would change our reality? And, of course, perhaps, there would be unintended consequences. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It did get a little slow in the middle, but the end and beginning are quite good! #KHTreads #bookstagram #booklover #kindlebooks #kindleoasis #readersofinstagram
This about sums up motherhood: My teenage girl in This about sums up motherhood: My teenage girl in the middle rebounding and playing hard and little sister photobombing the moment! 

Honestly, parenting has been hard lately. Nothing major. But so constant and always adjusting. 

Even so, I love watching them on the court and in life. There is so much excitement and goodness among the repetition and exhaustion. 

This is real life. And those are our 10-0 Lady Lions out there. 🦁💛

@ncca.lions #momlife #reallife #basketballseason #momconfessions #livingfaithfully #girlmom #firstborn #thirdchild
I finished studying Colossians today with my Prece I finished studying Colossians today with my Precept group. Paul wrote this letter to an established church that was still growing and learning and maturing in the faith — like us all.  I really loved this study because it spoke right into my life with encouragement for knowing Christ, walking in wisdom and truth, praying continually, letting peace rule, and giving grace. Plus Paul deeply loved his people. 

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” — Colossians 2:6-7

Too often I step out of God’s presence for two minutes while are loading up the van in the morning or I’m rushing kids to bed. Too often I don’t surrender my fleshy desires and feelings to the One who holds this whole wide world in His hands. Too often I think my plans are worth holding onto tightly. Too often I think I can bring peace to my household, minivan, or dinner table. 

But real peace passes all my understanding. It rests in God’s wisdom and knowledge alone. How amazing we have access to that, thanks to Jesus. How easily I forget where I’m rooted. 

I want to let peace rule — in my home, in my head, and in my heart. 

Today while I was driving, I noticed how lovely the road, land, and sky looked. But today was really windy, like feel-it-move-my-vehicle and knock-over-trash-cans windy. It almost felt deceptive with the beauty before me, but, really, that’s like life. 

Sometimes it seems I have it together. People know my gifts of organizing information and people. I show up on time and am responsible. But so many thoughts and feelings are swirling in my mind. I replay conversations and fight against the same insecurities from the previous day. 

I feel both lovely and like my swirling mind could knock me over at any moment. And that’s why I needed God, particularly through His words through Paul to the Colossians. 

#livingfaithfully #faithlife #churchlife #reallife #countryliving
This girl has been complaining of a sore throat th This girl has been complaining of a sore throat the last couple of days, but she hasn’t had a fever or any other symptoms so I kept telling her she was fine. Truth be told, she a bit of a hypochondriac and generally happy, so it’s hard to tell if she sick sometimes. 

The folks at Aligned Health took care of her this afternoon and are treating her for strep or whatever bacteria is making her throat look and feel rough. 

I’m thankful for access to medical care and an unexpected night at home.

#momlife #thirdchild #reallife #momconfessions #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #sickday
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