Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

Stories from the Porch in February

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Well, February, I know you have fewer days than the other months, but, even so, you were so full. And wet. Oh the rain. My friends who live farther north have had snow while we’ve had many, many inches of rain that have come with flood warnings. Meanwhile, time continues to fly around here, even though I keep trying to slow it down!

Highlights

It’s the month of love – both for Hallmark and here for Team Taylor! Greg and I met 21 years ago on Feb. 7, 1998, and then went on our first date a week later. Yep, that would have made it Valentine’s Day. Before kids we called it First-Date Day, now it’s still that plus some more traditional Valentine’s Day sprinkled in because kids certainly make it more fun. {Read more of our story here.}

One of my favorite Valentine’s Day traditions with the kids is to hang up hearts on their bedroom doors that list things I love about them. I even do it on Rachel’s door because one day she’ll be able to read and until then she’s got people who love to read to her.

This month the love continued when we took a few road trips:

I gave the big kids tickets to see TobyMac (along with opening acts Aaron Cole, We Are Messengers, Ryan Stevenson, Jordan Feliz, and Jeremy Camp) as their Christmas present. We finally cashed in that delayed gift with the concert earlier this month. Initially, I was in it for the kids – and the delicious steak dinner we had beforehand. But the concert was so good!

On actual Valentine’s Day, we met some friends for dinner at one of my very favorite restaurants and then watched our beloved Murray State Racers win a close game at Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tennessee.

The after school the next day, we went to Louisville to hang out with my mom, some new friends, friends who used to babysit our kids, and my brother and his family. On that Saturday night, Greg and I detoured for a date with my oldest best friend and her husband before our own date to see Kentucky beat then-No. 1 Tennessee, which drew the third largest crowd ever at Rupp Arena. It was a weekend that filled my soul.

Favorite things

Chrysler Pacifica – After our fun couple weeks of travel to the concert, basketball games, and Louisville, our 2011 Dodge Caravan started making noises. A trip to the dealership service department revealed a transmission issue we weren’t sure we wanted to pay to fix. That decision was confirmed by a mechanic specializing in transmission issues. So we traded that van in toward an upgraded (majorly!) to a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica. It’s great and I’m super thankful for the protection and provision God has shown to us during this unexpected situation.

The Couch with Mary Carver – I’ve actually shared about this here before, but I got to be a guest on her podcast, which was so fun! Mary and I talked about our favorite TV marriages, so I’d love to hear about who you would add to our list. {More on the episode here!}

Refined series at Lyli Dunbar’s blog – I got to share a piece of our story about Ben being burned and how community helped us heal as part of Lyli’s blog series. She has an encouraging space on this big ‘ole internet and I was happy to be there.

Crock Pot – I told Greg and I needed a new Crock Pot, so he bought me one for Christmas … and it’s the best! The six-quart appliance has brown/saute, slow cook, bake, and keep warm functions. That means when I made taco soup recently, I could brown the beef and onion first, add the other ingredients, and switch to the slow cook function. One pot. Yes, please. Plus the one pot is stainless steel and way easier to handle and clean than the ceramic pots I’ve always had before.

From the bookshelf

“Since You’ve Been Gone” by Christa Allen – I borrowed this one for free from Amazon on my Kindle and really enjoyed it. It was a quick fiction read about a woman who was uncovering some truths while navigating grief. The characters were relatable and the plot line had enough mystery to keep me intrigued. This author has several other books I added to my list.

“The Secret Orphan” by Glynis Peters – This story is set while World War 2 is raging. I really liked the main character and her story. It was different than other books set in this time period that I’ve read because it focused more on a commoner and how the war infiltrated her life.

“Good As Gone” by Amy Gentry – I read this book in three sittings, but I’m not sure what I thought about it. The story was intriguing, but it also seemed far-fetched. That said, I was surprised more than once and was eager to finish it.

On the screen

We’re glad “Survivor” is back on! I’m a longtime fan of this show, but I’m even more of a fan of watching it with my oldest girl. Meanwhile, I’m sad “Manifest” is over for the season. What cliffhangers!

What are you loving, reading, and watching?

*****

Kristin Hill Taylor - Porch Stories

#PorchStories Party

Stories from the Porch in October

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Well, it’s fall, y’all. I know that’s not news, but it actually feels like fall now in western Kentucky. We closed our pool, we’ve been wearing sweatshirts and jackets, Ben wrapped up his soccer and running club seasons, and our two favorite college football teams are having great seasons.

Highlights

Rachel keeps asking to go back on the “big, big Mickey boat,” so, obviously, our Disney cruise was certainly the highlight of our month. One of my favorite things about Disney vacations – the parks, the cruises – is the hospitality. I had to put some planning in before we went, but once we arrived on the boat our time truly felt like a vacation. For a mom who spends her days coordinating details for people, an actual mental vacation while on vacation is sweet.

That photo of us is from our stop at the top of a gondola ride at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. I like soaking up porch views from all over the place!

Greg and I also spent an afternoon and evening in Nashville recently so we could have a date and see Ben Rector is in concert. I didn’t love our seats at the back of the main floor at The Ryman, but I loved seeing Ben Rector live and having time with my husband.

Favorite things

Partners in Care Foster Closet – I’ve had an idea to have a foster care closet for quite a while now. Greg and I have talked about it periodically, I’ve mentioned it to other people, but it just hadn’t been the right time to move forward. Until now! We’ve gotten to team up with a local foster mom to make this happen. It’s a new project that’s still coming along, but we have donated space, thanks to an area social services supervisor, and some donations of hanging racks with clothing for various sizes, toys, shoes, diapers, some medical equipment, and baby accessories. Partners in Care is operating as a project of our adoption and orphan care ministry at our church, so any donations are tax deductible. As foster families have new placements, we’ll be able to help provide them with some materials to make the transition a bit smoother. (You can learn more at Partners in Care on Facebook.)

Shellac fingernail polish – I feel a little unlike myself admitting this new obsession, but it’s true. Before I went to Washington D.C., I got my nails done for the first time in many years. I just wanted to because it made me feel fancier and more put together than my normal life. I got talked into shellac polish by a few other women in the salon. Y’all, it LASTED weeks, and really the only reason it needed to be redone a month or so later was I had chipped one thumbnail and the polish there. Plus my nails were growing out so much (another win for polish that keeps me from picking at my nails!) that there was an unpolished portion beneath the color that was starting to look strange. Anyway, that’s the story of how I came to love having professionally shellacked nails.

Chris Tomlin’s “Holy Roar“– This new worship CD takes me right to the throne of God wherever I’m listening. I reviewed the CD earlier this week and am giving away a copy, so be sure to enter to win by Thursday evening.

From the bookshelf

“A Secret to Die For” by Lisa Harris – I’ve been a fan of Lisa Harris for several years now, and her books keep getting better. This one is a fast-paced suspense novel with a touch of romance. The whole book takes place over just a few days, which kept me wanting to turn the pages. In addition to the case at hand, this novel touches on the value of vulnerability, processing grief while still living, and how God isn’t afraid of our doubts and questions. I like when fiction novels don’t shy away from important real-life messages and Harris does that well with this story. (I reviewed this one in a previous blog post.)

“Whisper Me This” by Kerry Anne King – I got this one for free several months ago, thanks to Amazon Prime’s monthly free book choices, and I really enjoyed it. I actually added some more books by this author to my to-read list, which is forever growing.

“The Almost Sisters” by Joshilyn Jackson – This fiction read had a lot of layers to its story, but it was well written and enjoyable.

“Hope Your Heart Needs: 52 Encouraging Reminds of How God Cares for You” by Holley Gerth – This is a new devotional I’m happy to have around here. (I also wrote a review of it earlier this month.)

“The Storm-Tossed Family: How the Cross Reshapes the Home” by Russell Moore – This is my current read, and I get the feeling I’ll be sharing more about it around here. Stay tuned because I’ll share more about this one.

On the screen

“Suits” – We finished the seven seasons on Amazon Prime. Obviously, if I’m willing to binge watch that many episodes without quitting it, I recommend it to you. Now I’ll be waiting for season 8 to be included with Prime.

“New Amsterdam” – A friend suggested I watch this one, and I’m glad I listened. Ryan Eggold (aka Tom Keen from “The Blacklist”) is the main character who drew me in.

What have you been watching, reading, and loving this month?

*****

Kristin Hill Taylor - Porch Stories
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Cruising with M-I-C-K-E-Y

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Years ago Greg and I talked about going on a just-us trip between our 40th birthdays, which are about a year apart from each other. Well, that in-between time is now. (My 40th isn’t until May 2019, for the record!)

We were discussing this idea earlier this year and kept coming back to wanting to go on a cruise. Then we talked about another Disney Cruise after going for Thanksgiving 2016. But then we would want to bring the kids and my mother-in-law. We considered other options, but we kept coming back to cruising with the only mouse I’ve ever liked.

We spent the past week cruising the eastern Caribbean Sea on the Disney Fantasy. Happy (belated) 40th to Greg and happy (early) 40th to me. Oh, and happy Fall Break, kids.

I’d say on average, we fly once every few years, if that. The point: We don’t fly often. But we have flown four times in the past five months. Whoa! The adults and two big kids flew to Guatemala in June. We all flew to upstate New York in July. Greg and I flew to Washington, D.C. in September. (Our Washington, D.C. trip was a sweet surprise, like God knew we actually needed a just-us trip after we planned the family cruise at the beginning of the year!) Then we all boarded another plane to Orlando for this trip.

This is also the year our rewards credit card offered to reimburse the $85 for us to get TSA Pre-Check clearance. We did that between our June and July trips and it’s been worth every penny we didn’t actually pay. (But I’d venture to say if you fly more than we usually do, then it’s actually worth the pennies you pay!)

I don’t regret for one second flying all the times this year to all the places we got to go. I don’t regret bringing the kids on what started as an idea for an adult trip.

Yes, traveling with kids can be complicated and more stressful than the alternative. Yes, kids require stuff that takes up room in suitcases. Yes, bedtimes were pushed way back, dessert was consumed more than once a day, and I was constantly counting three heads (although it was mostly the youngest who kept me alert).

But I have a phone full of photographic memories and a heart full of family memories.

As I was eating peel-and-eat shrimp from Cabana’s buffet on the ship, I remembered sitting in a condo in Perdido Key, Florida, probably not much older than my oldest kid now, as my dad boiled shrimp for us to share.

I want my kids to remember seeing the British Virgin Islands in good spirits but still obviously recovering from a devastating hurricane 13 months earlier. I want my kids to remember the times they played on the beach together in Saint Thomas and again at Castaway Cay, picked which complementary Disney movie to watch next, and posing with beloved costumed characters. I want to remember how even with their age gap, all three kids were excited to meet costumed characters, play on the sand, and snuggle new stuffed animals.

I want us all to remember we are in this life
together and taking a break is refreshing.

{Tweet that.}

Now, back to “normal” life around here after two trips in three weeks with the toddler’s Fall Break thrown in the middle. Perhaps I’ll find the bottom of those laundry baskets.

*****

I took a bunch of pictures, which I’m sure surprises no one. I shared most of them on Facebook recently, so feel free to browse that album if you want to see more of our trip. This was our second Disney cruise, but you can read about our first one.

*****

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