Christmas

From snow to sand

January 4, 2023 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I wrote about our Miami trip as we went along (good use of the unexpected car time!), so I’m going to share about it like journal entries from each day we were there. From snow to sand we go!

Monday, Dec. 26

When we left the house at 5:30 am to allow plenty of time for our 9:30 am flight, snow was falling. That made our roads that hadn’t recovered from Thursday’s ice and subsequent freezing temperatures even worse. Interstate 24 was not great but did have one lane mostly cleared.

Along the way, we learned our flight was delayed and then canceled. We arrived at the Nashville airport a little less than 3 hours later and got in a very long “rebooking” line. Greg tried to book with another airline or rent a car so we could drive down and still fly home Friday. But nothing was available. I inched forward in line for 2+ hours when we decided to leave. I honestly was saying & thinking, “Let’s go eat and then go home.” We ended up eating and then driving … toward Miami.

We stopped near Chattanooga in the midst of traffic and I had to wait in a line of at least 10 people deep to use the bathroom. But we got some snacks and continued on.

You can Google the meltdown Southwest has had this weekend and today. I definitely was frustrated we got stuck in the midst of the airline’s issues. But we certainly weren’t the only ones. And I still can’t through on the phone to get a refund for the flight Southwest canceled. Eventually, surely, I won’t get a busy signal.

(EDITED to add: We got the refund initiated on Thursday night, after I called an obscure “lost baggage” number buried on the website. Southwest sent me notifications to check in for my flight on Friday evening, but, of course, we had to cancel that one because now we had a mini van in Miami! We have since received a full refund to our credit card.)

I know traveling is a privilege and something we get to enjoy. We are going to Miami because this is Christmas with my siblings, their families, and our mom. We decided to go somewhere warm instead of exchanging gifts — and I’m still totally on board with that plan! My sister called between the airport and food when I still thought we should head home. But her encouragement came right when I needed it. I think I was having trouble mentally transitioning from the peace of the last few days to the chaos around me.

We stopped for dinner at a Mexican restaurant south of Atlanta and we are going to drive some more tonight and stop for some sleep somewhere in Florida.

I hear Key Lime Pie and sunshine calling my name. That’s my plan for tomorrow with my family, so we’ll see how that goes.

Tuesday, Dec 27

My kids have been troopers. Seriously. They’ve been kind and patient. Ben even found Sour Patch Kid socks at a gas station yesterday — he’s into tall, fun socks and loves to eat Sour Patch Kids.

We made it to Miami right at 24 hours later than we originally planned. Better late than never, I suppose.

We met my family at Black Point Ocean Grill and had a good lunch. Then we went on a boat tour that was really interesting, especially about celebrities’ homes on Star Island. The way Miami sits on so much water really is beautiful.

We ordered pizza from Steve’s Pizza and hung out at our rental house’s lovely outdoor area. The kids swam, played basketball and pool, and climbed on the swing set. Cassie and Zac brought a Solo Stove (actually an off-brand one that they like better!) and we enjoyed the evening together.

Gathering together with my siblings is always fun. Our kids get along well and enjoy being together. The house we rented was in Cutler Bay, which was nice so we could do various things in South Florida. The interior of the house was odd and not great, but the outside area was awesome!

Wednesday, Dec 28

We went to the Everglades Safari Park and did an airboat tour, which was awesome! We saw several alligators and birds. It was such a neat way to see a tiny portion of Everglades National Park. Multiple people in my family consider this a highlight – and it was for sure!

Then we went to Top Golf for a late lunch and entertainment. It was my first time there, and although I’m not into golfing, it was a fun experience.

Thursday, Dec 29

We headed even further south to Key Largo, where we spent some time at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, where we went on a two-hour boat tour. We learned a lot about mangrove trees, went through some channels in the Key Largo Sound, and saw dolphins in the Atlantic Ocean. Then we had the best meal of our trip! Delicious food and a sunset view at Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill were for sure a highlight. The key lime pie was the wait.

Friday, Dec 30

When in Florida, a beach is necessary, so we ventured through traffic to Miami Beach. The streets leading to the sand were upscale and colorful – just what I imagined Miami to be. The beach itself reminded me of lots of other beaches, although they had the cutest, most colorful lifeguard huts.

We had lunch at Big Pink, which was delicious and had the biggest wraps, burgers, sandwiches, and chicken and waffles … basically everything everyone at our table ordered was huge.

My crew decided to hit the road this afternoon with full bellies and good memories. Once we arrived, the trip really was smooth. The greater Miami area has so many different things to do – beaches, everglades, seafood, big city things, Key Largo, and boat rides.

Thankfully, the trip home was less chaotic than the trip south. And I got to lunch with my cousin-friend Mary, her kids, and my uncle Tom just north of Atlanta on our way home.

Happy New Year to us!

*****

EDITED 1/11/23 to add: I wanted to give Southwest Airlines a shout-out because its people did what they could to make it right after the fact.

We got a full refund for the flights back to our credit card, were surprised with 25,000 reward points each, and have reimbursement for our alternative travel (hotels there and back, fuel, and food there and back) coming.

Plus this week I booked Southwest flights for our Spring Break trip.

The Advent of Hope

December 8, 2020 by Kristin Leave a Comment

I really love Christmastime. Of course, the gatherings and traditions will look different this year, as so much has in 2020. But in our rhythm of life, this is where we are again. There’s something comforting about that.

Even in the rhythm, I don’t do advent the same way every year. Sometimes we’ve read through “The Jesus Storybook” as a family, at least most nights. Sometimes I work through a study on my own. And some years, like this one, I don’t have an actual plan. I just soak up the goodness through a devotion I read sporadically, conversations I get to have with friends, and a slower pace that lets my mind regroup.

I was listening to author Tsh Oxenreider on Annie Downs’ That Sounds Fun podcast today and she reminded me of some important things:

Advent is the season to remember things in our world are not as they should be, which is why Jesus had to come. We are waiting for him to come again, and this is a rhythm in life that recognizes that expectation. All of the tensions and brokenness in life isn’t all there is; we have hope.

We have hope even though it took the kids and me three days to decorate the tree. After we cut it down Saturday, I realized we didn’t have any working lights. So when we were out later that evening I bought two strands of white lights. Turns out I needed another strand, which I got the next day. So yesterday we finally unboxed some ornamented and added them to the branches.

We have hope even when we have to sacrifice traditions for the well-being of our community. We have hope when plans get shuffled yet again. We have hope when we are pulled in different directions and live in a tension that exists all around us, especially these days when politics and opinions divide.

Even though we recognize things aren’t as they should and could be, we can still find goodness. We can show grace to ourselves and to others. We can do as much or as little of advent in whatever ways seem right to us. That’s the pep talk I’m giving to myself these days.

*****

“Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas” is the advent devotional I’m reading sporadically this season. I added it to a shopping list with other good resources. Yes, I know, it’s Dec. 8, more than a week into advent, but, really, you can still dive into these good words whenever you want.

Hospitality at the holidays

December 7, 2020 by Kristin Leave a Comment

This is the third in a series about why hospitality matters in every season.

I saw a stranger on Twitter say she didn’t think she would send Christmas cards this year because she didn’t have much news to share with her friends. Here at the end of what’s been a weird year full of social distancing, I actually swing the other way than the Twitter stranger: If there ever was a year to send Christmas cards, 2020 is it. People need good cheer to show up wherever they can get it.

Of course, Christmas cards aren’t the only way to love on your people. In a season of giving when many are distanced from each other, we can get creative with loving each other across the miles.

In my book, “Bringing Home More Than Groceries,” my friend Christen Price shared some ways her family was still connection with others even during a year that forced distanced between them:

Car Caravans. A friend recently turned eight and couldn’t have a birthday party. So what did we do? We all made “Happy Birthday” signs and hopped in our cars to caravan to her house. We had a parade of people driving through her circular drive singing happy birthday and her mother said it was the best gift to her precious eight-year-old heart.
Comfort Food. A couple in our small group both work in the medical field as a doctor and a nurse. They informed us of the risks of the virus and were on the front lines wearing masks while treating patients as they enter the hospital. When they got home, all they desired was a hot shower and comfort food to ease them of their daily anxiety. Our small group rotated dropping meals for them at their back door. We never saw them, but this little taste of hospitality let them know they weren’t alone in the work they were doing.
Computer Chats. My closest group of girlfriends set up Zoom meetings once a week just so we could see one another’s faces. We met in the evenings and we laughed, prayed, and talked about the serious and the silly. While nothing compares to physically being in the same room together, I’m reminded that we can stay connected even when we are apart.

Elsewhere in my book, I share about a dear childhood friend who remains in my life, even though we have only lived in the same town for one year of our adult lives – and that was 18 years ago! Many of these suggestions of connecting across the miles are relevant all year but could be tied up with a bow for the holidays too.

Here are some simple, practical ways to stay connected and close the distance that physically separates loved ones:

Use social media to spark real conversations. Conversations may happen in emails, text messages, phone calls or Facebook messages, but they go deeper than what’s happening on a public profile. Ask questions, swap stories, or continue previous conversations on a personal level. Maintaining long-distance friendships is certainly aided greatly by technology, but you still have to make an investment.
Send care packages and real mail. Yes, do it for Christmas or other special dates. But also do it just because.
Invite them over. Long-distance friends may not be conveniently located in your same town, but you can still invite them over. Get dates on the calendar and make plans. And these days be safe, of course!
If you can’t be there physically, send something. When my father-in-law passed away unexpectedly a decade ago, some out-of-town friends journeyed to our small town to grieve our loss and celebrate his life with us. Others couldn’t be here, which is understandable, but they sent flowers, pictures frames, cards, and texts of prayers. Celebrate happier holiday moments together across the miles too.

May your December be merry as you find creative ways to connect with your people.

*****

Free resource!

I have a pretty (and free!) printable called Hospitality For Any Season for y’all! Hospitality matters regardless of what season you’re living, so I share practical ways to open your heart and home to others. This would make a cute gift for you to share with a friend – just print and frame it!

Download it here!

Of course, “Bringing Home More Than Groceries” is available on Amazon or directly from me. To get an autographed copy directly from me, send $10 (plus $5 is shipping is needed) via PayPal to kristinhilltaylor@gmail.com and I’ll get you a copy delivered to your front porch or mailbox. Or I’m happy to send directly to someone you think would love to receive my book as a gift.