Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

May is coming!

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I love May. And it’s coming this week!

I’m turning 35 on Saturday. And then my girl turns 7 next week. Yes, that’s among the reasons I love May. I also love the transition from spring the summer. We also get to celebrate mommas this month! And a new sense of freedom comes with the break in routine as the school year is ending.

So, May, I’m glad you’re coming. These April showers are going to bring the flowers …

With May, comes a just-the-four-of-us trip I’m really excited about. I’ll tell you more about that later this week.

I’m also excited to share more of my motherhood story with you in May. I’m sharing at three different blogs I love. Jennifer Dukes Lee is hosting my words on Cate’s birthday next week. Kayse Pratt is having me later in May.

And Jennifer Jackson Linck is hosting The Messy and Majestic of Motherhood series, starting today! Each Monday in May will feature a guest post. {I’m down for May 19!} At the end of the month, there’s going to a be a fabulous Mother’s Day prize pack.

Jennifer and I met online when we started chatting about adoption not long after her book was released. We’ve since talked about writing our stories, brainstormed specifics about the ebooks we’re writing, and swapped editing services {or, well, we will when I get her a copy of my book …}.

Jennifer is releasing an ebook called “Trucks, Tantrums & Trusting Him” just in time for Mother’s Day. Yes, she’s a boy mom, but her book is an authentic message of finding God in the ordinary moments any momma has experienced. “But in the middle of the mess, there’s hope. In the moments I feel myself unraveling, there’s a Savior who holds me together.” Oh, aren’t Jennifer’s words true?!

See, May is going to be a good month. I’m so glad it’s coming! Stay tuned for more …

Are you looking forward to anything?

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Oh, the places we go … {Murray edition}

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This weekend was gorgeous! Sure, there are storms predicted the next few days, but they’ll pass. And you’ll want to get out again.

My daughter is counting down until the end of school. I’m hearing people talk about what they want to do this summer and where they want to go. So, western Kentucky folks, I decided to share some places around here we’ve loved lately in case you’re looking for something to do or somewhere to eat.

 
 Discovery Park of America
Union City, Tennessee

It seems awfully random this children’s museum is in the middle of west Tennessee, but I’m glad it is. Only an hour from Murray, we enjoyed this place the first weekend of April. The outdoor exhibits are fantastic and my recommendation that the indoors ones are too is based on my 4-year-old boy’s assessment. Greg, Cate and I arrived later than the rest of our group because of her soccer game, but we enjoyed the time we were there. And even after five hours, Ben wasn’t ready to go either!

Discovery Park of America is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $13.95 for people 13 and older and $10.95 for kids 4 to 12 years old. Children younger than 4 are free. You can also become a member, which includes an annual pass that pays for itself after four visits as well as other perks.

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 The Gathering Place
Kentucky Lake in Murray, Kentucky

Yes, this is our own lake house, but I really do love it out there. Even though the clean sheets and household maintenance are my responsibility, being out there is still a getaway. Our family likes to swim, fish, skip rocks, eat on the back porch, play games, hang out with friends, and catch frogs out there.

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom house is available for vacation rentals of at least two nights throughout the year. The summer calendar is filling up, but there are still some vacancies.

The Gathering Place rents for $350/night or $1,800/week from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Off-season rates are $250/night or $1,200/week. The house is stocked with linens, eating and cooking utensils, and WiFi. 

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Wild Mountain Bakery & Cafe
412 Main St., Murray, Kentucky

This new bakery has freshly baked cinnamon rolls. Need I say more? I hear the bagels and bread are good too.

Wild Mountain Bakery & Cafe is open from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. 

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Land Between the Lakes
A National Recreation Area between Murray and Cadiz, Kentucky

 Honestly, we don’t use Land Between the Lakes as much as we should. It’s lovely out there. Just earlier this week, Cate’s class took a field trip to the Nature Station, where they learned about trees and animals. Then we did a small hike on a trail near the Golden Pond Visitor’s Center. Last spring, the school took a field trip to Hematite Lake that the kids and I really enjoyed.

Land Between the Lakes offers hiking, biking, picnicking, camping, boating, fishing, hunting, site-seeing, and wildlife viewing. Check its website for locations and schedules. 

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Duncan’s Market & Deli
6159 State Route 94 E, Murray, Kentucky

This recently reopened and now serves Belew’s burgers, for those of you locals who like the burgers and milkshakes in Aurora. Yes, obviously, there are corn dogs Ben enjoys. We like that Duncan’s is close to The Gathering Place and accepts credit cards, unlike Belew’s.

The grill is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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The Berry Farm
Fulton, Kentucky

Picking strawberries here has become a seasonal favorite for us. We’ve been the past three years, sometimes multiple times. {See visits from May 2011, April 2012, May 2012, and May 2013.} We haven’t been yet this year because it just opened this weekend. I’m eagerly waiting to get this outing on my calendar!

The Berry Farm offers already-picked berries as well as you-pick patches. You pay per pound, but it looks like the 2013 rates haven’t been posted. Either way, our experiences have been these berries are worth picking and eating! Follow The Berry Farm on Facebook or call 270-468-0110.

Local friends, have you gone anywhere worth recommending lately?

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{#TellHisStory} Hello, spring …

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My boy has been wearing shorts. He’s got scrapes and bruises all over his legs. The poison ivy in his ear, on his chin, along his hair line of the neck, and on his boy part — really — is drying up.

My girl is congested but happy it’s spring has sprung. She’s worn shorts and skirts without leggings. And t-ball starts tonight. She has 5 1/2 weeks of school left.

I’ve been in flip flops the past few days. We’ve played at the park and outside in our backyard. We’ve sat on the porch. The days are longer and my kids require baths more often. And, you know, it’s easier to get out of the door without coats and layers of clothes.

My husband likes having baseball on the TV and is looking forward to his outdoor birthday party in 1 1/2 weeks. He’s turning 35. The in the two weeks that follow his birthday, I’ll turn 34 and Cate will turn 6. I’m ready for him to grill beef, squash and onion kabobs for our dinner.

This is spring. 

Spring is always good for my soul, even if the pollen over takes my senses. Being outside and seeing the sunshine breaths life into my life. There is freedom in running outside, taking walks with my family, and seeing my kids play with each other and their friends.

The newness of springs reminds me that no season lasts forever. I live in a place where winters are mild, but there are four distinct seasons. I like that. I tend to say summer is my favorite, but when I really do like spring and fall too. I say I don’t like change, but, really, I’m usually ready for the new season.

And not just the weather ones. There is a season for everything. God created time and continues to work in our lives in his time.

Last week my kids and I took an impromptu trip to the city about 45 minutes away. We had lunch at Chick-fil-A and then went to a local, fun indoor play place. I sat there as they played wishing I’d brought my Kindle. My purse wasn’t overflowing because it didn’t contain a diaper for the first time in almost 6 years {minus the month Cate was potty trained before Ben was born …} and nobody needed a sippy cup.

In those moments sitting on that picnic table bench while my kids ran and jumped and played, I realized we were in a new season. My boy, who just weeks ago liked me changing his diaper better than thinking about going in the potty, ushered it in when he decided big-boy underwear really did make life better. I was dreading potty training him. But once he was ready, it clicked. And it wasn’t a big, dramatic deal.

And here were are. It’s spring, literally, and in my house, where life seems new and fresh. It’s not a perfect season. The pollen is wild here and clogs our noses. But this is a welcomed season that propels us forward, inching us closer to the Creator.

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I’m linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee and other storytellers. #TellHisStory is a chance to tell a story that connects your story to God’s story. 

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