Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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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. 

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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.”

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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.”

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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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