Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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

Eight Things I Learned in March

March 31, 2016 by Kristin Leave a Comment


Oh, March, where did you go? You went by so fast. Before you’re completely gone, I do want to document what you taught me.

1. “The West Wing” characters have Twitter accounts. And they’re funny and relevant.

I happened upon President Bartlet’s Twitter account when someone else I follow retweeted one of this tweets about March Madness. When I clicked on it, I discovered Josh Lyman, Sam Seaborn, and Donna Moss. And I’m really glad about that for several reasons – most importantly because I already miss them even though Greg and I just finished binge watching the show earlier this week.

You’re welcome.

2. Picking out paint colors makes me indecisive, and I’m usually decisive. 

But I managed to pick out colors for the kitchen, living spaces and hallways, and three bedrooms in the house we bought last week. We aren’t moving right away because we are doing some cosmetic improvements and having a fourth bedroom added on.

(Also, could Joanna Gaines please come to Kentucky? Speaking of her, my daughter and I are in love with “Fixer Upper.” Yes, I’m a little late to the bandwagon, I know.)

3. We’re moving to the country. Well, you know, 10 minutes from town, where we live now.

So we bought a new house that sits on 33 acres. Living on some land has been a long-time dream for Greg and I’ve slowly gotten on board. This house and land fit us and we’re excited for our next adventure there.

(Read more about that – and how I learned dreams can change.)

4. When changes are on the horizon, I hesitate and then embrace change in multiple areas of my life at once.

Moving is the change theme right now. In addition to moving our family to a different house, I’m also working with a professional to move my blog to WordPress and redesign my online space too. Plus I got a haircut this month.

5. I can cheer for Austin Peay State University.

The background on this one is we’re hardcore Murray State fans and APSU is our rival. It’s also the school where my sister went on a soccer scholarship and ended up meeting her husband, who played basketball there. We always rooted for them, and it’s easier to do in soccer than basketball. But we still always preferred Murray State to do better.

Well, Murray State had a rough year, at least by its usual standards, and was eliminated earlier than we liked in the conference tournament. Meanwhile, Austin Peay barely made the tournament and then ended up winning four games in four days to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Yes, we cheered for the Governors. (They ended up losing to overall No. 1 Kansas.)

6. Murray State’s two previous coaches made it to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen – and that’s why I love March Madness.

If you’re a college basketball fan, you probably saw Steve Prohm dance – literally – after his Iowa State team advanced and then heard about Billy Kennedy’s Aggies erase a double-digit lead in less than a minute. With Murray State and Kentucky out, these have been my teams.

These two coaches are perfect examples of why I love sports. They’re the good guys. Kennedy gave the glory to God after Texas A&M stunned Northern Iowa. He’s living with Parkinson’s disease, but believes in building a team and leading men.

(And here’s another article about Coach Billy Kennedy from a local writer.)

And, yes, I wish these two teams were still playing because I feel like I don’t have any rooting interest.

7. Sometimes the kids who have been arguing just need to put on their bathing suits and do a science experiment in the bathtub. 

A friend let us borrow “Bathtub Science” and I earned some cool points by letting them put on their bathing suits and make colors with food coloring and water in the bathtub. And all the mamas said, “Whatever works!”

8. I was excited to caucus at the beginning of the month and now get stressed out thinking about the presidential election.  

Kentucky Republicans had a caucus (Thanks, Rand Paul!) for the first time ever. I went in with high hopes for Marco Rubio, but that all quickly went down hill. Now I’m keeping up with the presidential primaries from a distance and hoping what seems to be happening isn’t actually happening.

How was your March?

_____________________

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

My April newsletter is going out tomorrow! In it will be a fun giveaway opportunity just for subscribers, so subscribe now. Plus I’ll send you a FREE #choosingJOY printable. 

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this 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)

10 Things I Learned While Camping {April 2015}

April 16, 2015 by Kristin Leave a Comment


We went camping with our best friends the second weekend of Spring Break. It’s funny, really, because I used to say I didn’t like to camp and now I’m finding myself thinking about when we’re going again. {See Facebook conversation for more thoughts on my preparations and opinions of camping.} But before next time happens, I want to document this time … with a list, of course!

1. I don’t like mice, but tent camping is okay. Yes, they’re related.

The plan was for Jaclyn and I to sleep in the RV bed while our three girls slept on the sofa bed in the RV and our husbands and boys slept in tents. And then Friday evening I saw a mouse run beside the bed.

We’d seen evidence of a mouse – mice? – but I was choosing to be in denial it – they? – were still in the RV with us. But then I couldn’t un-see the mouse.

So I shared an air mattress bed with my husband. Yes, being outside trumped being inside with a mouse – even when the air mattress deflated. I spent the second night in the tent again – and this time the air mattress stayed inflated.

2. Having a massage appointment scheduled the day after arriving home from tent camping two nights is a good idea. Okay, so I didn’t plan it. But it worked out well, especially for my lower back.

Each month, I go to these massage appointments and Hannah the masseuse asks me if anything new is bothering me. I usually say, “No. Same tight neck and shoulders.”

But on this particular Monday my response was different: “Yeah, my lower back is killing me. I tent camped two nights.” She’d seen the tent camping part of the story on Facebook, so I’m guessing she wasn’t surprised. Apparently that air mattress – whether deflated or not – messed up my back and requires a follow-up appointment.

And here I was excited my sometimes nagging shoulder wasn’t bothering me after sleeping on the ground.

3. A Kindle makes for good nighttime reading – and doubles as a flashlight.

Well, yes, there was daytime reading too. 

I finished reading “Nobody’s Cuter than You: A Memoir About the Beauty of Friendship” by Melanie Shankle, read “Footsteps” by Diann Mills and “Target” by Lisa Phillips, and started “Bait” also by Phillips. The two Lisa Phillips’ books are part of a fictional suspense series that had a little romance too.

4. Parenting one almost 8-year-old girl who is a people-pleasing rule-follower is a like a vacation. But I missed my 5-year-old second-born who likes to push every boundary and requires a constant, watchful eye, especially near the lake.

{Yes, this is part of how I did so much reading. See #9 for another reason.}

Ben was with Gran-Gran – aka The Best Mother-in-Law Ever – the first night of camping because he had been diagnosed with strep throat {yes, again … fifth time since Dec. 26} earlier that same day. The diagnosis came the day after we had been at the ENT scheduling his tonsillectomy for April 28. So he needed to be on an antibiotic until he hung out with other kids.

Gran-Gran and Ben had a splendid time that apparently involved flying a kite, eating ice cream, and watching a movie. Then she brought him out to our campsite by lunch time Saturday so he didn’t miss out on the camping fun.

5. I can text really long messages. And 25 years of friendship can happen across the miles.

Camping came on the heels of a Spring Break that gave me time to overanalyze and internalize too much. That led me wanting to chat and laugh and cry with Katie, whom I’d thankfully gotten to spend some time with the previous weekend when we were in Louisville. We had played phone tag and exchanged some texts, but we both apparently finally had time to converse Friday night. I didn’t have a strong or consistent-enough cell signal to talk to her, but texts were going through.

So that’s what we did. Sometimes that’s how life happens.

6. Bacon, sausage, pancakes, kabobs, burgers, and red potatoes are especially good cooked on the fire. And the husbands like to cook. Perhaps I should set up a campfire in the back yard. Enough said.

7. You can get sunburned in April. And, obviously, we didn’t think to pack sunscreen.

8. Camping requires so much preparation, but it’s like a retreat once I’m out there. I used to think I didn’t like to camp. And until Friday I thought I didn’t tent camp. I’m glad I’ve accepted that I like to camp and I’m becoming better with the preparations.

9. Kids belong outdoors. Well, okay, maybe not forever and always, but when they’re out there, they play and then sleep so well. This past weekend, they played tag and washers, fished, read, talked with their friends and other campers, and explored.

10. Having family friends really is the best. Yes, I got to spend the weekend with Jaclyn and most of Saturday with Sarah, but my kids and husbands got to hang out with some of their best friends too. Turns out camping is a fabulous way to make memories together.

Your turn! Tell me about your camping experiences.

________________

I’m linking up with Emily Freeman’s Chatting at the Sky. 

Here are previous Things I Learned posts :: {From 2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. {From 2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. July. August. September. October. November. December. {From 2015} January. February. March. 

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.”

Post includes affiliate links. 

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this 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)

Six Things I Learned in April

April 30, 2014 by Kristin Leave a Comment


I sat with a friend celebrating my birthday a few days early at the same restaurant we met for lunch in late January for her birthday. I couldn’t believe it had been three months. Where are you going, 2014? Slow down. Pretty please? Although, yes, I’m glad May is coming. It’s my favorite.

1. Sometimes it’s OK to let a book sit. 

I’ve had “Restless” by Jennie Allen sitting here for awhile. And then she said something on an (in)courage video last week that prompted me to pick up her book. Oh, I’m so glad I did. And I’m glad I’m reading it now and not two months ago when it first arrived in the mail.

There are many good books out there, but we can’t read them all right when we discover them. And that’s OK. On the heels of “Love Idol” by Jennifer Dukes Lee and “Chasing God” by Angie Smith, my heart is ready for “Restless.” I don’t know why I continue to be surprised God is in the details.

2. Mothers react to their children in ways nobody does.

My son had a hacking cough that turned out to be bronchitis. The day before the diagnosis, we were eating out at a restaurant with my mom when Ben threw up everything he’d eaten. First he puked in his basket with leftover corn dog and corn on the cob. Not wanting to disgust the people around us, I started walking him toward the bathroom. Of course, we didn’t make it. He puked again.

And I caught it.

Seriously. 

Nobody told me about this part of motherhood. I’m almost seven years in, and I decided it would be a good idea to catch my son’s puke. So I carried him and the puke to the bathroom, where he puked more in the toilet and I washed my hands. Twice.

Yes, this needs to be noted as his first puking episode ever. At least there is a story to go along with it.

3. Strep has the strangest symptoms.

In another strange diagnosis stories about two weeks after the bronchitis episode, I took Ben back to the pediatrician because he had spent the week peeing excessively. I realize that borders on too much information being shared, but, hey, that’s sometimes what you get a momma’s blog. Anyway, I was convinced he had an urinary tract infection. Or perhaps I was just hoping for an explanation for why he peed 16 times in 12 hours on a Tuesday.

Well, by Thursday, I learned excessive peeing is a symptom of strep. Really. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. Turns out, Ben didn’t have a urinary tract infection, but he did have strep throat with no other symptoms beyond lots of pee.

And, thing is, I’ve had plenty of prior experiences with strep, even with strange symptoms. Impetigo. Two cases with just one fever. A sore throat and an unobservant mom. Lessons from a high fever. Impetigo, again. Still, this is a new one. Add excessive peeing to the list.

Of course, I was watching my friend’s kid that day and toted her to the doctor’s office with us. Hopefully Ben didn’t share his strep germs. Always an adventure, I tell you.

4. The pollen count is high around here. 

I have no scientific measurement. Just the aforementioned bronchitis and strep stories as well as Cate’s sinus infection and pneumonia. All this month. Come on May …

5. Jesus is still risen even if we don’t do everything we plan.

We read {almost} nightly from “The Jesus Storybook Bible” the week leading up to Easter. We had multiple conversations about why Easter mattered. Cate her a guest speaker portraying a disciple at school and Ben made resurrection rolls with his class.

We still haven’t talked through the Easter story using resurrection eggs or their meaningful Easter basket of candy that tells the story in chocolate money, rock candy, jelly beans and a chocolate cross. It’s all still sitting on the counter. Easter still matters.

6. Needtobreathe’s new album is really good. 

I especially love “The Heart” and “Multiplied.” Here’s a video of their performance on David Letterman. No, I didn’t stay up late enough to watch it. Isn’t that the beauty of the Internet?

How’s your April been? What did you learn?

________

I love these month-end posts prompted by Emily at Chatting at the Sky. Here are previous month’s recaps from 2013: June. July. August. September. October. November. And from 2014: January. February. March. Affiliate links included.

Want more stories? 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.”

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this 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)
Next Page »

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 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.

Subscribe for Updates

Recent Posts

  • Fifteen
  • Help kids have healthy eating habits
  • How to organize your home
  • Let’s come before the throne
  • 3 Ways to Enhance Kids’ Cognitive Skills

#PorchStories button

Join the Conversation

Join the Conversation

On Instagram

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
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve already bou ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve already bought three copies of “Glad You’re Here: Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread and Fences” by @walkerhayes and @craigallencooper to gift to specific friends. I’ve referenced this story in conversations this week and will likely recommended it for years to come. 

This story is about two seemingly different guys befriending each other because their kids were on the same baseball team and their wives became friends. They kept showing for each other, encouraged each other, and changed each other for the better. In fact, their friendship was the catalyst for Walker deciding to follow Christ. 

Give me Applebee’s on a date night, a real-life story of how we are eternally better together, and an audiobook that makes me want to drive and I’m a happy girl. I’m fancy like that. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #bettertogether #livingfaithfully #hospitalitymatters #audiobooks #booklover #favoritethings
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Favorites

Categories

Archives

Copyright © 2022 Kristin Hill Taylor | Design by Traci Michele | Development by MRM

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.