• Happy birthday, Rachel!

    ByKristin Rachel
    Photo by Bailey & B Photography

    This girl has grown up this year. I realize that’s cliché and literally what happens from birthday to birthday, but I can see it. You know, sometimes you’re so close to a situation to see the changes? Yeah, I’ve seen this girl grow in height, maturity, and faith — and she’s as physically close to me as anyone ever wants to be. She’d sleep in my bed with her lanky limbs wrapped around me, if I’d let her. I don’t let her, just for the record. 

    Rachel is 11 today! 

    This summer was full of so many questions from Rachel and prayers for Rachel. She’s sorted through what it means to choose Jesus as Savior and Lord. Approaching midnight one night in July, Rachel decided to make her own the faith we’ve raised her in. This decision came in the midst of a family vacation, Bible school, and church camp. 

    And she’s being baptized in front of our church family tomorrow — like a double birthday! 

    She’s brave in a million ways and also worries about a lot of things. She’s perceptive and curious and joyful and easy to be with. 

    This year she and some of her fifth-grade friends started playing volleyball with the middle school girls, and it’s been so good. Watching is fun, but I see her confidence growing too. 

    She’s still part fish, and would swim anytime. With all kinds of rhythm and creativity, she knows all the words to so many songs and can make up a dance in no time. She’ll tell you she wants to be an astronaut, but I’m not sure she will stay committed to school beyond its legal requirement. But the adventure component is right for her. 

    As a mom, this year has been odd and required much adjusting. The teenagers aren’t home much, so I’ve had so much time with just Rachel that I didn’t see coming, although maybe I should have. Cate moved out and into a rental house in August, and Ben loves to drive, work, and socialize. 

    Eleven years old is still a little short of the teenage years my baby girl is longing for, but I’m praying we can bottle up this girl like this for a little longer. She’s good for my soul, and a blessing to our whole family. 

    Happy birthday, sweet girl! I’m excited to see how you keep growing up and depending on Jesus. 

    *****

    Look back on Rachel’s past birthdays:  One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

    Learn more about her adoption story in “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family.”

    God authors the stories on our porches and wherever we go. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to receive #PorchStories emails about every other week.

  • How to make the most of family walks

    ByKristin family

    I’ve shared that I quit TimeHop because, looking back, it just wasn’t healthy for me right now. I’m still living in that tension as God shows me how He has me right where He wants me, but there are a few things from “before” that I do long for, and one of those things is family walks.

    When we first moved to the country with three kids in single digits and then again during social distancing days in 2020-21, we went on many family walks. We explored our land, the creeks, hunted Easter eggs, and rode four-wheelers. 

    Now the kids are 19, 16, and 10 (almost 11), and family walks don’t happen like they used to. But, you know, as soon as the weather cools off a bit, I think my youngest and I will hit the trails in our backyard again. Really, it’s a healthy habit for us all, and a fun way to get the steps in. 

    Of course, preparing for any family activity, even a walk down the street, helps the time be more enjoyable for everyone!

    Plot a route

    Okay, if you’re in your backyard, maybe a route isn’t totally necessary, but even then I prefer to stick to already blazed trails! But drive into a National Park or an unfamiliar outdoor area, and you’ll want to have a plan, and probably a map.  

    On some of our vacations, we’ve used AllTrails to find good walking routes. I’m sure there are plenty of other apps, even Google Maps, to be your friend. 

    Plotting a route avoids any surprises and means you can prepare for most things. It also lets you plan any stops along the route for breaks, which will give everyone time to sit down, relax for a bit, and possibly even grab a bite to eat. 

    During a vacation near Lake Placid, NY, we went on a hike to a waterfall. My kids and the cousins were young (three of them were 2 years old!), and they did so well. But then the waterfall was nearly all dried up because of a lack of rain that summer. Planning better would have helped us not have disappointed toddlers!

    Dress well

    By far the biggest reason a family walk can turn into a nightmare is that you’re not dressed appropriately. Again, some of this comes down to planning a route. If you know there will be a lot of mud, then you can pack boots to deal with that. (And probably a chance of clothes for afterward!) Taking a peek at the weather forecast is always a good idea too! 

    If it’s going to be freezing with a lot of wind, then you need clothes that keep you warm, like warm socks from Heat Holders to protect your feet. Consider thermal layers too. If it’s going to be wet and cold, then you need waterproof pants and jackets to keep you dry. 

    And don’t forget about summer walks! You may want a lightweight, waterproof jacket, but around here in hot, humid Kentucky you’ll certainly want breathable shirts and shorts. Of course, if you’re going to wade in a creek, have a net, bucket, and book. Clearly, my kids understood that!

    have Snacks

    Always snacks. Even when just Greg and I were hiking last weekend, I had fruit snacks and granola bars with me. Of course, I needed to be prepared in case my blood sugar dropped, but also you never know when a snack will help a situation! Bring suitable snacks for walking, such as energy bars, protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, or crackers.

    Be realistic

    Honestly, my family really isn’t into long, difficult hikes. Sometimes we even laugh that our “hikes” should be called “walks.” When Greg and I were recently visiting Red River Gorge, we chose several shorter hikes so we could see more arches and views. 

    With the right planning, your family walk can be a wonderful experience that everyone enjoys – and remembers fondly. 

    *****

    God authors the stories on our porches – in every season, wherever we are. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to  #PorchStories emails to receive them about every other week.

  • Alaska, finally!

    ByKristin family, summer, vacation

    We finally made it. I say that because we originally booked an Alaskan cruise in 2020. We all know how that went, or, rather, didn’t go. We rebooked in 2021, but negative COVID tests were still required to fly into Canada and board cruise ships … and one of my kids tested positive for COVID the night before we were scheduled to leave. So we waited a few days then went to Wisconsin Dells instead. 

    Then we planned other cruises with friends, celebrated our high school graduate, went on mission trips … and Alaska had to wait. 

    But now here we are, finally. 

    We love to travel with our moms and family friends, but for reasons I’m not even entirely sure about, the trip felt like it was meant for the five of us. That doesn’t mean it was all roses and everyone got along all the time, but I’m so glad we did this trip in this season of life. 

    This trip was a big one with 13 nights away from home in three hotels each for a night, seven nights on the Ovation of the Seas, two nights in a cabin, and the last night on an airplane. 

    We packed seven suitcases for five of us, and I wish we’d packed less. But I did three loads of laundry after we got off the cruise ship. 

    Ketchikan

    We gained another hour to get on Alaskan time, and then went on our first excursion. We canoed around Harriett Hunt Lake in the Tongass National Forest. After a nature walk, we had yummy local snacks such as clam chowder, berry jam, salmon dip, and hot chocolate. 

    Greg, Cate, and Ben got back on the ship for lunch while Rachel and I shared a crab roll from a local food truck. Then we snacked and shopped at Ward’s Cove, which had a great store for cruise tourists. 

    We ended the port stop with the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Showcasing a competition between a couple of two-man teams, it was entertaining and interactive.

    Icy Strait Point

    This port is near Hoonah, and it’s owned and developed by the native people. It’s authentic and takes into account the salmon cannery history. We rode a new gondola to the top of the mountain. It was a cloudy day, so views were limited, but it was still pretty. We also went on a walk to a pond and meadow. On the way down, the boss of the gondola hitched a ride with us, and we got to chat with him, which was fun. 

    After lunch and exploring, we boarded a whale-watching boat and saw 18 humpback whales bubble feeding and 4 others breaching. Several in my crew consider the whale watching their favorite excursion. 

    We beat the crowds and took the shuttle into downtown in the morning. We walked to the Sitka National Historical Park, which took us by a marina and beautiful, rocky shoreline. Then we shopped and snacked downtown before heading back to the cruise port. 

    Our excursion took us to the Fortress of the Bear, which is a non-profit facility that cares for orphaned bears. We got to see Alaskan coastal brown bears and black bears. 

    This was maybe my favorite day, thanks to siblings’ moods toward each other, the weather, and the whole experience. Cate and I decided we could vacation here for a few days, and we talked about “The Proposal,” even though the majority of the movie wasn’t actually filmed there. But nobody there has tiny dogs because eagles are a real threat to them! 

    Skagway

    Further north, this port looked different than the others with more dramatic mountains and views. 

    We had a tour that took us to learn about and meet sled dogs and through the White Pass to Fraser, British Columbia, Canada. We rode up on a bus and down on a scenic train. So beautiful! 

    We had lunch at the Salty Siren near the port. I continued my streak of seafood at least once every day! 

    Seward to Anchorage

    We got off the ship in Seward, which is a couple of hours from Anchorage. We took a tour that was also our transport. Along the way we stopped at so many great places, including Lowell Point, Exit Glacier overlook, The Inn at Whittier for lunch, Portage Valley, Byron Glacier trailhead, and Alaskan Wildlife Conservation Center.

    Our guide was excellent, and this was a great way to learn the area and get to where we needed to go. We stayed at the Hyatt Place in Anchorage that night and had dinner The Bear Paw Bar & Grill because it was in walking distance, but it also turned out to be delicious! 

    I did three loads of laundry at the hotel, and Rachel swam. Honestly, I wish we’d packed less. We took a total of seven suitcases, but I think we could have done five with no issues if I trusted the laundry situation!

    Palmer

    Just outside of Anchorage, the boys fished on Knik River from the late morning into the afternoon, so the girls and I had our own fun. We went to the Reindeer Farm, lunched at Turkey Red, and got dessert at Vagabond Blues. 

    Then we drove up toward Hatcher Pass before picking up the boys and heading to Denali National Park. We stayed just outside of the park in a cute cabin at Denali Grizzly Bear Resort for two nights. 

    Denali National Park 

    Our first day at Denali National Park was really fun! It’s so remote that it’s not like Yellowstone or even Glacier with all the people in the summer. Plus we had beautiful weather. 

    We visited the working dogs that rangers use to patrol the park, especially in the winter when so many parts aren’t accessible by roads. Then we did a tour of the background just outside of the park with Denali ATV Adventures. We had a six-seater ATV for just our crew and then two guides in their own ATV and another couple in theirs. It was basically like a private tour, and so fun! 

    After the ATV tour, we happened upon a golf course down the road. Ben really wanted to say he played golf in Alaska, so he and Greg squeezed in some holes at Black Diamond Golf Course. While the girls and I were having a snack on the porch there, a worker asked us if we’d been to the petting zoo. My immediate response was, “Right here?” Yep. Right behind the restaurant and clubhouse was a petting zoo with goats, miniature horses and cows, rabbits, and sheep. So random, but Rachel especially had the best time! 

    That night we went to the Cabin Nite Dinner Theatre at Denali Park Village, which was across the street from our cabin. The ribs, salmon, family-style sides, and berry cobbler were so good! And the show about Denali and what brought people there was funny and entertaining. 

    The next day in Denali, we took a bus 43 miles into the park, which is farther than possible in a private vehicle. I wish we had more time to explore, especially once we got to East Fork riverbed, but we had a plane to catch. 

    Sort of. We stopped at Wasilla on our way back to Anchorage to watch the World Cup game at Tailgaters Sports Bar & Grill. We flew out at 10:45 pm Alaska time and remain confused about what day it is!

    Logistic Recommendations

    • I’ve probably told you before, but if you’re flying out of the Nashville airport early in the morning, stay at the hotel there. Yes, it’ll feel like a splurge, but it’s worth it. 
    • A cruise is the way to see Alaska’s coast because those towns are beautiful but isolated. But then you should definitely spend a few extra days in the interior exploring other areas. I used a travel agent for the cruise booking, but then I booked our cruise excursions and extra land-based days myself. I enjoy planning trips, though. If you don’t, my girls at Kingdom Seekers Travel can help you with all the things. 
    • Get a credit card with good travel perks. I recommend both the Southwest credit card if you fly with even a little frequency and the Capital One Venture card. These help cut the costs in various ways! 
    • I also like to book hotels and rental cars through Expedia because that builds OneKey Cash (aka discounts) and allows me to get cash back through Rakuten. 

    More travel advice

    Need inspiration?

    *****

    Even though they don’t do the beauty justice, I took a bunch of pictures! You can see most of them on Facebook or Instagram.

    God authors the stories on our porches and wherever we go. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to receive #PorchStories emails with resources and stories like this about every other week.