Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

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Ways to connect with your partner

March 15, 2021 by Kristin Leave a Comment

Greg and I have known each other for 23 years and have been married for more than 18 of those years. We’ve recently talked about how so much around us is changing, but we are thankful for the steadfastness of our relationship. Truly, I don’t know how I’d navigate life without him. Plus I like him. 

Are you looking for ways to keep the spark, excitement, and romance alive in your relationship? If so, then here are some of the steps that you should definitely consider exploring to keep your marriage a priority.

Date Each Other

I’m going to be honest on this oft-given advice. Greg and I aren’t good at actual dates. We are good at stealing some together once kids are in bed or while driving in the minivan when the kids are occupied. Yes, we like to go on dates, and we’d like to go one soon. We’re overdue because the one he planned to Red Lobster near Valentine’s Day was canceled when we all were quarantined. 

We know kids complicate adult-only outings, even just for a few hours, but our experiences of trips every now and then or at least dinner with them are worth it. We can talk and regroup and plan and, yes, talk about the kids. 

Give Gifts

While quality time is my love language, gift giving is right up there. Of course, the types of gifts have changed through the years. Sometimes it will be a nice day out, and another time it would be a gift from somewhere similar to bhoma jewelry. One of my favorite recurring gifts is near our anniversary, Greg takes my minivan to get detailed. He deals with getting it there and back home again. The fresh smell and lack of crumbs speak volumes to me about his desire to help make my life a tad easier and much neater. 

When I think way back to when he proposed, I love remembering being surprised by his question, his presence at that exact moment, and the ring he presented. We aren’t really jewelry people at this point, but London Gold can help you choose the right sparkle if you are. Now I get gifts like a countertop ice maker and a vac mop. Again, a cleaner, easier life is valuable in this season. 

Share Passions

We all have passions and hobbies that we are interested in. it’s important to take the time to make sure that you are appreciating your partner’s passions and showing them that this is the case. We love watching college basketball (especially live!) together, so you’re likely to find us in the stands rooting for our favorite teams. Of course, now that our favorite teams are done playing this season, we’ll still settle in on the couch and watch other March Madness games. 

We also like watching shows together in the quiet house once our three kids have gone to bed. When the weather cooperates, we like exploring creeks and woods on our property. This past spring, I even went turkey hunting with him for the first time. I don’t care about the hunting part, but I loved having a good fiction book to enjoy nature with my husband. 

We love to travel with our family and explore new places and revisit familiar ones. (Our last adult-only trip was to Colorado, and I definitely want to go back!) Thankfully, we agree that museums aren’t our thing! 

Embrace Spontaneity

Of course, you need to make sure that you are injecting a healthy level of spontaneity into your relationship. The surprise gifts, trips, and dinners are valuable for connection plus they’re fun! Remember, gifts and surprises don’t have to be extravagant, but it’s truly the thought that counts. Everyone wants to be remembered, so grab a favorite candy bar, jot a note, or send a lovey text. 

I could tell you about a million things we’ve gotten wrong in building our relationship and marriage, but these are a few of the things we’ve gotten right. Thankfully, there’s been more right than wrong, and here we are together ready for whatever adventure comes our way next. 

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Breathing easier in the mountains

August 20, 2019 by Kristin 3 Comments

I’ve been unpacked for a couple of weeks, but I’m still thinking about Colorado.

For my 40th birthday in May, Greg planned a trip for us to go to Colorado. We postponed the original June plan a couple of months because the beginning of summer was hard for me. But we flew out three days exactly after I turned 40 on what was also our 17th anniversary to see some friends and some mountains. I’m grateful for the way Greg knows me and knew I needed this trip at this time.

While I love planning trips, part of the joy of this gift is Greg mapped out our route and planned the general itinerary. We sat down together one night to book flights, hotels, and some activities for our four days in Colorado. I’d never been and was happy to go this way!

Monument / Colorado Springs

After breakfast at Snooze in Denver, we headed to Monument, just north of Colorado Springs, where my high school friend Dustin & Shelley (well, Dustin and I have been friends since middle school …) live. They fed us at a delicious, local Mexican restaurant called La Casa Fiesta, where I learned about calabacitas, before giving us a tour of Garden of the Gods.

Pikes Peak

Greg drove up to the summit at Pikes Peak, which is 14,115 feet high. The drive between mile markers 13 and 16 was particularly tense, but we parked at the last shuttle lot at mile marker 16 and took a shuttle to the top, where there was construction happening for a new visitors center. Even so, the views were amazing. We were at the top around noon and it was 50 degrees, compared to 80 degrees at the same time in Colorado Springs.

Breckenridge

The drive from Pikes Peak to Breckenridge might have been my favorite stretch of highway. The meadows and little towns between the mountains were lovely. I kept taking pictures of this drive (and all the others) and the images just don’t do the reality justice.

(But you can see all my attempts at capturing this lovely state here.)

We stayed at the River Mountain Lodge in downtown Breckenridge and really loved the hotel. The location was perfect and the room was spacious yet cozy. We didn’t get to explore downtown Breck as much as we had hoped because it was raining by the time we got there. We did eat a delicious meal at Blue River Bistro.

The next morning we had breakfast at Columbine Cafe and then rode the gondola up a mountain to where there were summer activities on what would otherwise be a ski slope. We took a chairlift up farther and an alpine slide down.

Idaho Springs

We didn’t get much time in Breckenridge because we had an early afternoon whitewater rafting reservation with Colorado Adventure Center in Idaho Springs. We did the beginner trip and really enjoyed the trip in the creek that’s fed by snow runoff and was still 38 degrees.

Estes Park

After rafting, we headed toward Estes Park, mostly on the Peak to Peak Highway, which was a gorgeous drive through and around and up and down mountains. We got there in time for dinner at The Grubsteak and dessert on the strip of downtown shops. Greg had ice cream in a homemade chocolate chip cone from the Danish Cone Factory and I had the best taffy I’ve ever tasted from Purple Mountain Taffy.

We stayed at a quaint hotel called Nicky’s Resort at which I wish we’d had more time to eat and relax. In the morning, we ate cinnamon rolls at a Cinnamon’s Bakery and then headed into Rocky National Park. Greg drove us along Trail Ridge Road, which is the highest continuously paved road. The highest point of this road that meanders right through mountain tundra is 12,183 feet. Once again, the temperatures on top of the mountain were about 30 degrees colder and prompted us to put on sweatshirts.

We spent some more time walking around downtown Estes Park. We lunched at Bob and Tony’s Pizza before I discovered Cliffhanger Used Books, where I could have spent even more time than I did. We drove around Estes Park taking in some more lovely views before we headed back to Denver, where we visited with our college friend Sarah before heading to the airport to fly home.

Conclusion

The road trip really worked for us, giving us time to take in views, listen to music, and talk about whatever came to mind. I really loved Colorado and already hope to take my kids back someday, perhaps even spending more time in each location.

I’m a details person, but the great big mountains and views of all these different places in just four days were good for my soul. I felt like I could breathe easier (figuratively, hello, altitude) and remember my place in this great big world while enjoying the adventure with my husband.

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Seventeen years

August 3, 2019 by Kristin 4 Comments

Seventeen years of marriage. That seems oddly significant. Really, every year of marriage is significant because this world doesn’t value faithfulness and ordinary. But I sure do. Especially from my husband who works hard to take care of us and so many other people.

I was naive when we got married, have had to walk through some hard seasons, and am thankful for where I am. I didn’t expect most of this life to look like it does, but God has a way of surprising us with we didn’t know we needed.

Many years ago Greg told me to stop saying I didn’t like Asian food if I actually hadn’t tried it. (Turns out it’s a favorite!) He’s eaten many meals when I was figuring out how to cook and we’ve certainly landed on regular favorites. He’s shown me the beauty of country living and taught me more than I’ve ever cared to know about turkeys and deer.

We’ve been on trips around the country and even the world. We’ve been scared and surprised. We’ve laughed and cried. We’ve grieved and dreamed. He’s always ready to jump into a new adventure! And he quickly got on board with my desire to have a big porch and a pool.

We both grew up in houses where our friends gathered. And now that’s we want to happen here. We want to host gatherings, raise our kids to keep their eyes open, and build community starting with two ordinary people who have been a team for 17 years and pointing to Jesus.

I’m thankful Greg continues to choose me, walk by my side, and teach me about myself. I don’t even want to imagine my life without him.

Happy anniversary, husband.

*****

Read other anniversary posts: Five years. Six years. Seven years. Nine years. Ten years. Eleven years. Twelve years. Thirteen years. Fourteen years. Fifteen years. Sixteen years.

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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 ninth-grade girl who never forgets, our have-no-fear sixth-grade boy, and our joy-filled kindergarten 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 miss … … a few particular friends from whom I miss …

… a few particular friends from whom I’m separated by circumstances, logistics, and distances. 

When I make a friend, I intend to stay friends forever. Of course, life doesn’t always work out that way. 

I don’t miss my kids being young, but I miss the ease of socializing with my friends during that season. It was easy then to meet at the park or go somewhere for lunch. Now there are so many schedules to work around. 

Scheduling time to lunch or get together is still my love language, it just takes a little more work, patience, and persistence now. And sometimes that’s exhausting. But it’s always worth it. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #bettertogether #livingfaithfully #reallife
School’s out FOR THE SUMMER! #88daysofsummer #mo School’s out FOR THE SUMMER! #88daysofsummer #momlife #siblinglove #summerisbest #maydays
I’m proud of myself for … … surviving and t I’m proud of myself for …

… surviving and thriving this school year. I resist change almost all of the time, and the past nine months have been full of so many transitions for our whole family. I know, that’s life, but these changes seem like the kind that will mark us forever. 

My kids navigated new beginnings in kindergarten, middle school, and high school. As a mom, sometimes I’m too close to see the growth, but this year it happened in each of them right before my eyes. They navigated friendship hurdles, embraced new friends, and settled a little more into who God created them to be. Middle school isn’t for the faint of heart, but I feel like I’ve come out of this year closer to my son, so I will take it. 

I’m proud of myself for leaning into where God has me. I’ve grown deeper friendships, invested in my kids’ school as a board member and business manager, and seen God work in our ordinary days. 

Y’all know I’m a summer girl, so I’m proud of myself through getting through the winter and coming into summer stronger and braver. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #livingfaithfully #choosingJOY #momlife #summerisbest #bettertogether
I’m honestly surprised I didn’t read this book I’m honestly surprised I didn’t read this book sooner. I loved so much about it, but I did want some of her stories to be  less repetitive and offer more practical advice for living out “radical, ordinary hospitality.” Rosaria Butterfield defines hospitality like this as sharing what you have in real time, preparing to continually life this lifestyle, and bringing strangers in so they become neighbors who become family. 

I took notes throughout, but especially during the introduction. I came away with an appreciation that hospitality can involve lists, schedules, and habits. I felt encouraged, even if I thought the book could have been organized better to include practical tips and other people’s stories. 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #audiobooks #livingfaithfully #bookreview #booklover
Something I don’t usually share (online) … I Something I don’t usually share (online) …

I am an opinionated person, but I don’t usually share political opinions on social media. People who know me in real life know I value being pro-life, having less government involvement in our everyday lives, defining marriage as God intended it, and being fiscally conservative. As a former newspaper reporter, I still get excited about elections. I admittedly pay a little less attention in the almost 15 years I haven’t been in a newsroom. But I still care and have plenty of opinions. 

I voted today in Kentucky’s Primary Election. I’m thankful for the freedom to share my opinion by darkening some blocks on a paper ballot. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #reallife #livingfaithfully
Old friends and live music are two of my favorite Old friends and live music are two of my favorite things, so having them together is the best. My friend Aaron and I went to multiple Dave Matthews Band shows together during our college years, so now two decades later it’s fun to do it again as grown ups with our spouses for a band that speaks truth into our lives. 

@needtobreathe put on the loudest acoustic tour I’ve ever seen, but it sure was good! And its encore of completely unplugged songs was especially sweet. 

#NTBlive #needtobreathe #bettertogether #choosingJOY #favoritethings #livingfaithfully #weekending
Happiness is … … a slow morning that gave me Happiness is …

… a slow morning that gave me a chance to finish reading a good book right after I fixed my favorite cinnamon toast. 

… some shade to invite me to pick some more weeds around the house. But why doesn’t my Apple Watch count this as exercise? It felt like exercise to me! 

… an appointment with my oldest girl for us both to get our nails done this morning. 

… my youngest girl’s last soccer game of the season, even though the heat made her a little grumpy. 

… pool time, another good book to read, my mom visiting for the second weekend in a row, a little more weeding, and a night at home with no specific plans. 

Happiness is everyday, normal life with my people, especially when it comes with a slower pace after a hectic week. 

#OneDayMay #maydays #soccermom #KHTreads #momlife #weekending #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully #poolpeople #PorchStories
I regretted having to go to sleep last night befor I regretted having to go to sleep last night before I finished this book, so I picked it up at breakfast and didn’t do anything else until I finished it. 

I loved the Alaskan cruise setting, the quick love and understanding between Greta and Ben, and the realistic ways grief changes people. Well done, @jenniferesmith! 

#KHTreads #bookstagram #kindlebooks #booklover #kindlepaperwhite #reallife #weekending #recommendedreads #poolpeople #amreading
Happy Friday! 🎉 We’ve got four more days of s Happy Friday! 🎉 We’ve got four more days of school next week and then it’s #88daysofsummer! Obviously, we’re ready. ☀️ 

Here’s to a refreshing weekend with much anticipation of what’s to come! #weekending #choosingJOY #livingfaithfully #thirdchild #momlife #summerisbest #poolpeople #PorchStories #maydays
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