{Dolphin Tale 2} #WinterHasHope

My kids don't watch many non-animated movies. But "Dolphin Tale" is one they've seen over and over. We even got to see Winter in real life at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in February 2013. {See those pictures above?} Winter's story and the hurricane that wrecked the marina are tales my kids still like to talk about.

"Dolphin Tale 2" releases tomorrow! So I'm guessing the stories will continue around our house.

The sequel has been on our calendar for months. It's going to be fun to be able to say, "We've been there!" as we watch Winter's story continue. Like the first movie, "Dolphin Tale 2" sounds like it's filled with messages of friendship, hope, and family that I want my kids embracing.

Plus, if it's anything like the first one, the all-star cast will make the movie one worth watching.

ABOUT THE MOVIE :: Inspired by true events, "Dolphin Tale 2" continues the story of the brave dolphin Winter, whose miraculous rescue and recovery — thanks to a groundbreaking prosthetic tail — made her a symbol of hope and perseverance to people around the world and inspired the 2011 family hit movie “Dolphin Tale.”

This film reunites the entire main cast, led by Harry Connick Jr., Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson, and of course, the remarkable dolphin Winter as herself. Champion surfer Bethany Hamilton, who has been an example of courage, also appears in the film.

It has been several years since young Sawyer Nelson and the dedicated team at the Clearwater Marine Hospital, headed by Dr. Clay Haskett, rescued Winter. With the help of Dr. Cameron McCarthy, who developed a unique prosthetic tail for the injured dolphin, they were able to save her life. Yet their fight is not over.

Winter’s surrogate mother, the very elderly dolphin Panama, has passed away, leaving Winter without the only pool mate she has ever known. However, the loss of Panama may have greater repercussions for Winter, who, according to USDA regulations, cannot be housed alone, as dolphins’ social behavior requires them to be paired with other dolphins. Time is running out to find a companion for her before the team at Clearwater loses their beloved Winter to another aquarium.

MORE INFO :: Official movie website. Facebook. Twitter. Trailer. Movie-related resources for homeschoolers.

And there's a giveaway! Use the Rafflecopter below to win a prize pack including an official Dolphin Tale 2 T-shirt and sunglasses. A winner will be chosen randomly Wednesday. CONGRATULATIONS, Mary! The prize will be coming your way soon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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I received my own prize pack with a T-shirt and sunglasses from FlyBy Promotions, which is part of Propeller Consulting, in exchange for sharing about "Dolphin Tale 2," but the movie date my family is going on tonight has been planned for a long time. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you're not eligible for this giveaway. 

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Living like sheep {and free books!}

New Zealand. August 2009.

Holley Gerth taught me something about sheep this past weekend as a dozen of us gathered around tables with her and spilled our God-sized dreams into real-life conversations. Sheep are defenseless when they're alone. They can't protect themselves against predators unless the single sheep is disguised in a group that confuses the predator. They flee when they're scared and band together because there is safety in numbers.

Photo by Nasreen Fynewever.

Perhaps we really can learn something from sheep.

I gathered with women I'd never met in real life this past weekend. While we shared meals and stories, my soul felt protected. The same goes when I gather with my friends in my everyday life. Protection comes as emails, texts, phone calls, lunch dates, trips to the park, and parties.

Life is best when we're coming together and communicating. Like those sheep. I know my herd of people often direct my heart and soul right to the Shepherd himself, the one who gives dreams and grace.

Together really is the best way to experience life.

Jenn and I talked the whole 5 1/2 hours from Murray to Branson and then again, along with Sonya who joined us for the trip back, which took longer than usual because of some icy roads in Missouri. Sonya is an encourager who asks good questions. I stayed up later than usual talking with my roommate Kelli who quickly became my friend. Elise drew me in with her stories. Deb's quietness gave way to wisdom. Jennifer and Michelle gave us their time and perspective of the publishing world. Cathy cared for the details and our hearts. Kim cracked jokes at perfect times and shined a sweet spirit. Sarah gushed with excitement. Nasreen led us with love, truth and laughter. Holley opened her heart and her words both to the group and to us each individually.

{You can see more photos on Facebook.}

In addition to these ladies, the weekend was possible because of the generosity of Revell Books, DaySpring and (in)courage. And, yes, there were free books. In fact, I brought home two sets of the free books -- one for me and one for you!

GIVEAWAY :: Use the Rafflecopter below for various ways to enter to win. On Friday I will pick five winners. Each winner will get one of the books -- "You're Going to Be Okay" by Holley Gerth, "A Millions Little Ways" by Emily Freeman, "Rethink How You Think" by Dr. David Stoop, "The Smart Woman's Guide to Planning for Retirement" by Mary Hunt, and "Everday Confetti" by  Karen Ehman and Glynnis Whitwer.

UPDATED to CONGRATULATE Holly C. Wyse, Jennie Woelpern, Beth Stiff, Stephanie Hoffpauir, and Chrissy Montes on each winning one of these books. Winners, you've been emailed, so let me know if you don't have a message from me in your inboxes!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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I'm sharing this post with communities I adore at Jen Ferguson's Soli Deo Gloria party and Beth Stiff's Three Word Wednesday. 

This post includes affiliate links. 

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{Behind the Scenes} A boy and not-his dog

I'm not a pet person. Thankfully, neither is my husband. Yet, I don't want my kids to be afraid of dogs or other pets. Seems like a double standard, I know.

But something is working. My kids generally like dogs who belong to other people. A current favorite is Grandmom's puppy Baxter. Like my boy is all boy, this puppy is all puppy. Perhaps that's why they get along.

That picture above is Ben and Baxter snuggled up together earlier this month when we were visiting Grandmom in Louisville. Truly it's a small miracle both of them are sitting still. And, you know, they actually sat like this for awhile.

I posted this picture on Facebook and several people liked it. But then another friend, who is a boy momma herself, told me Ben's Superman pajamas reminded her of a song called "Godspeed Sweet Dreams," which was originally recorded by Radney Foster and then later covered by Dixie Chicks.

Every boy mom needs to hear this song.

"Dragon tales and the water is wide
Pirate's sail and lost boys fly
Fish bite moonbeams every night
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh, my love will fly to you
Each night on angels wings
Godspeed, sweet dreams

The rocket racer's all tuckered out
Superman's in pajamas on the couch
Goodnight moon, we'll find the mouse
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh, my love will fly to you
Each night on angels wings
Godspeed, sweet dreams

God bless mommy and match box cars
God bless dad and thanks for the stars
God hears amen wherever we are
And I love you

Godspeed, little man
Sweet dreams, little man
Oh, my love will fly to you
Each night on angels wings
Godspeed, Godspeed
Godspeed, sweet dreams"

Godspeed, indeed. And God bless other people's dogs. 
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I'm linking up with Crystal Stine's Behind the Scenes, where we share pictures and post the real stories behind them. 

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Giddy up!

One of the best parts of motherhood is watching my child find joy. Recently, Cate has found joy in horses. She likes to watch "My Little Pony" and "Dreamer." She reads books that have horses on their covers. She writes about horses and draws pictures of horses. Her brother points out horses whenever we seem in a pasture along the road. We went to Keeneland this spring and gathered in front of the TV to watch the Derby.

To go along with her horse-themed birthday party, I scheduled a horse riding lesson with a friend from our church as her birthday present. I'm pretty sure that hour would rank among the greatest in her six years of living.

Pure joy, I tell you. 

Thanks to Gran-Gran, she was dressed the part. Isn't that belt buckle adorable?! And that hat is borrowed from our friend/instructor Emilie. Cate befriended Raj, a gentle 20-year-old Arabian and I didn't spot a single nerve from my girl.

While Cate learned about riding a horse, Ben found sticks and swatted at trees. You know, boy things. And then he got a turn to join Cate on Raj. By the smile on his face, he got a taste of the joy Cate had been experiencing.

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{Florida in February} Dolphin Tale

I took my kids to see "Dolphin Tale" last summer when a theater not far from our house was showing already-released movies on the big screen for $1 admission. Of course, the three of us combined for more than $3 at the concession stand, but, still, I love going to the movie theater and jumped at the chance for a family-friend movie. Remember, I'm kind of picky about what I let my kids watch.

"Dolphin Tale" is one of just a couple non-animated movies my kids have seen. To say they love it may be an understatement. Cate talked about it for months. She recounted the story, asked questions about Hazel and embraced dolphins when she saw pictures of them.

Winter -- the dolphin on which the movie is based -- lives in Clearwater Marine Aquarium. One night this winter when we were putting Cate to bed, she asked me to tell her again where Winter lived. Tampa, Florida, I said.

Then I realized we had plane tickets to fly to Tampa for four days one long weekend in February so we could be at my cousin's wedding on St. Pete Beach. I don't know why I hadn't put together our trip south and my kids' beloved movie hero until this moment.

I made the mistake of telling my kids we could go see Winter when we went to Tampa in February. I think this was in December. And my kids talked about it until we got there. At least Cate, at 5, has some concept of time. Three-year-old Ben, on the other hand, asked when he got up, randomly throughout the day, and before he went to bed each night, "When we go see Dolphin Tale?"

Meanwhile, we had to show Greg the movie so he'd be in the know of Winter -- a dolphin whose tail was caught in a crab trap and permanently damaged. The movie is inspirational and my kids were happy to sit through it again!

Well, folks, we went to see "Dolphin Tale" a week ago. My only regret is letting my kids -- especially Ben -- know our plan so long before it became a reality.

Along with their cousins, my kids were glad to see Winter. They also got to see fellow dolphins Panama and Nicholas {who performed during a brief show}, Bailey the turtle, and some stingrays. While walking through the rescue marina, Cate talked about scenes she remembered from certain spots. She had a notebook with her too. 

Honestly, I'm not an animal lover. But I was impressed with this marina. They rescue marina animals and release them back into their natural environments if possible. If not, they give them a home. 
Take Nicholas -- his momma died of pneumonia a few days after the two dolphins were found one Christmas Eve. Because Nicholas was so young, he laid by his momma's side and ended up sunburned, which left scars that interrupted the way his skin would otherwise be camouflaged. Plus he didn't have a chance to learn survival skills from his mom before she got sick. So he puts on shows to Clearwater Marina Aquarium visitors like us. 
The kids got stuffed dolphin souvenirs. Cate's is winter and currently named Winter. Ben's is gray and named Nicholas. These names are subject to change, but both dolphins will remind them when they saw the real dolphin who learned to swim without a tail. Winter has a prosthetic tail that she wears sometimes and helped her learn to swim with the proper up-and-down motion. My kids stuffed versions even have a different colored tail so they don't forget what makes Winter special. 
Although I'm pretty sure they'll be able to tell Winter's story for years to come. And it's one worth telling.  ________
Disclosure: That's a compensated affiliate link for the movie, but, really, my family obviously thinks it's worth owning. And, yes, there are more Florida stories to come. 

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Sheepy Scotland

When you think of Scotland, what do you think of first?

I think of sheep.

I've been to New Zealand, where there are almost 10 times as many sheep as people. {Source.} I know sheep aren't limited to Scotland. But, still, I think about rolling pastures with some rocky cliffs. And sheep.

Then I think about plaid and castles and the fact my grandpa is half Scottish.

So when Cate's school needed volunteers to create booths for its annual Reformation Day celebration, I decided to have a pasture scene in a photo booth where the kids, who were decked out in cute Scottish costumes, could have their pictures taken. And then I decided to dress my boy up like a sheep too. You know, for continuity sake.

Funny thing is, Cate wore the same costume, which is borrowed from a neighbor, when she was 2. We had been to New Zealand a couple months before and I supposed she still had sheep on her mind.

Back to Reformation Day. A quick explanation, which I needed myself a couple months ago: In late October, some protestant churches and groups celebrate Reformation Day. At New Covenant Christian Academy, specifically, each year the school has celebrated a different Reformation leader. This year was John Knox, who was a reformer in Scotland in the 1500s.

Hence the sheep.

The event was full of creative ways to help teach the kids about church history while they had a fun break from the classroom. I'm thankful for this school and its hands-on learning that is built on a biblical foundation. 

Now on the photo booth. I used fabric I found at Wal-mart as my grassy backdrop, which was attached to a wooden frame a friend built me. I converted a ride-on toy zebra into a sheep, borrowed some stuffed sheep from my girl's stuffed animal collection, borrowed some rocks from a friend's fire pit and bought a hay bale.It worked out well ...

Now a few more snapshots of the event ...

A bagpiper set the mood at the beginning of the day.

There were different shops the kids visited. This is the leather shop.

What sheep wields a sword? My boy, of course!

Baaa ...

So in honor of my kids, who have been telling some really terrible jokes ...

What did one sheep say to the other sheep?

"After ewe ..."

Baaahaha!

What is a sheep's favorite newspaper?

The Wool Street Journal.

Oh. I can't help it. Baaahaha! 
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And they're off ...

I have memories in a grassy area next to the Keeneland grandstand. Or as my mom told my husband on Saturday, "Kristin grew up next to the that tree," pointing to the grassy area nearby. I have memories at Louisville Downs and Churchill Downs too.

One of the most vivid is climbing over and under the bars of the general admission boxes at Louisville Downs, a now-defunct harness racing track, while my brother, sister and I would collect losing tickets. Yeah, looking back, I have no idea why.

But horse racing is part of my Kentucky-born-and-bred childhood. One of my first best friends loved horses, was destined to be a vet, and continues to follow horse racing even though she moved to the West Coast a decade and a half ago. I was born two days before Spectacular Bid won the Kentucky Derby. I cleaned up after the Oaks and Derby {those are two consecutive big race days, for you non-Kentucky folks} to earn some service hours for my high school Beta Club. Best moment of that weekend in 1997 was watching my friend Dustin sell hats made from newspapers to drunk people for $1 each. Oh, and I met Mitchell Anderson and Jerry O'Connell  and saw Melissa Joan Hart trip up some stairs at the 2002 Kentucky Derby, where I covered parts of the day that had nothing to do with horses when I worked at The Associated Press.

I watch about two minutes of horse racing a year and that happens on the first Saturday of May. I might watch two other races in May and June if there is a Triple Crown threat.

But I like going to race tracks occasionally. And turns out I married a guy who wrote a book about horse racing for an elementary school project and can dominate any trivia quiz involving Derby winners.

I'm sure those trees where I grew up grew up themselves in the years that have past since I last was at Keeneland. My brother-in-law {who does follow horse racing} organized a family trip to Keeneland on the day of the Bluegrass Stakes. That's what prompted our road trip this past weekend that included other adventures.

Horses are entertaining for people of all ages. My kids like animals, whether they are in a zoo or running around a track. In fact, they even like statues of extinct animals. My kids aren't the only ones who cheered for the "Racers" racin' around the track. We were part of the largest crowd {40,600, give or take ...} in Keeneland history.

And, yes, Ben made the Racers connection and chanted the R-A-C-E-R-S cheer, complete with some bom-ba-bas that are supposed to sound like the pep band. He certainly had the right idea, even if he always starts it T-R- ... who knows what he's actually spelling. Even so, back to racing ...

My mom and husband discuss wagering. Math whizzes they are.

Napping on Gran-Gran ...

Brothers. The one in the Cardinals jersey organized the trip.

The day wouldn't have been complete without this ...

Dullahan beats Hansen in the Bluegrass Stakes.

What about you? What do you think of watching beautiful animals race around a track? Have you even been to Kentucky? If not, Keeneland is a good place to start.

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Adventure welcome here

I love road trips, especially the ones that aren't just about the destination.

Heading for Dinosaur World on Friday morning, my sister-in-law in the vehicle following our mini van needed a bathroom pit stop. We couldn't find a gas station or fast food restaurant on the Todd County stretch of U.S. 68/80, so we pulled into the Jefferson Davis Monument. 

Most unique bathroom break of my road-tripping life. Well, there was this one time I had to use a tennis ball container while stick in traffic on I-65 between Louisville and Elizabethtown. Anyway, so there we were at this obelisk in the middle-of-nowhere western Kentucky. And we took the elevator up to the top, after the restroom stop, of course.

My husband, his brother, his mom and our sister-in-law had been there, both on family road trips and school field trips. But growing up in central Kentucky, my childhood included more trips to the Capitol and Mammoth Cave.

I'm glad to have seen the Jefferson Davis Memorial. And our bladders were ready to continue east. 

Lunch time neared as we approached Bowling Green, so we ended up eating at Red Lobster there. This after my husband thought a Rafferty's was just off I-65 on Scottsville Road. We went through a few stoplights without seeing it, so we detoured, made a U-turn, and arrived at Red Lobster, which certainly isn't a bad second-choice restaurant. Just as Greg, who ate 6 3/4 cheese biscuits. Yeah, I know, that three-fourths is strange. I don't know why he left a measly bite on his plate. 

Evelyn wasn't thrilled with the "Happy Birthday" moment. I can't blame her.

Then it was back on the road toward Dinosaur World, our destination to celebrate Evelyn's third birthday.

 

 

Six of the seven Taylor cousins were together at Dinosaur World. Their ages: Almost 10 months, 2 years 5 months, 3 years, almost 5 years, 6 1/2 years, and 8 years 3 months. 

 

 

While posting Instagram photos {I'm not sure why I just recently learned of this iPhone app ...} throughout the day, a friend mentioned my sense of adventure. I've never considered myself adventurous, although I did jump off a bridge once. But I was thinking about her comment and realized parenting is really an adventure in itself, so I might as well make the most of it and enjoy the ride. At least that's my philosophy. And that's why I load up the mini van and take off. 

That night we headed to the Lexington area so we could be part of what turned out to be a record crowd at Keeneland the next day. That installment of the story to come soon.

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969.42 miles and counting ...

It's been a busy week.

The kids and I went shopping in Paducah {47.1 miles one way} on Monday for some wall art for the lake house. We were successful and had a good time. And I discovered the spicy chicken sandwich {with pepper jack cheese!} at Chick-fil-A. I can't believe I've been missing out on this. We ended up solving our grill problems at the lake house that night {14.1 miles each way}, Cate befriended the neighbor there, and some evening fishing happened.

She fishes with some sass.

Ben wanted to fish kiss this fish.

Tuesday was just busyness here. I worked at Greg's office like I do once a week. Cate at t-ball practice. And then we took Cate to the Murray State Basketball Banquet. I've never been before, but this was a good year to try something new in support of this team. I'm glad we went, although had I known we'd get to interact with some of our favorite players last week at Cate's school, we may not have gone. Either way, listening to coaches, players and Neal Bradley, the awesome radio voice of the Racers, recap the season made me want it to happen all over again. Right now.

She drew circles around Donte while writing on the program.

Wednesday we took a road trip with Courtney and her kids to the Nashville Zoo {122 miles away}. Us two moms shared two meals together with our four kids, saw lots of animals, handed out 15 snacks {no exaggeration}, supervised bathroom stops that never seemed to be in sync with one other, laughed often, and heard few complaints and tears from our kids.

We got to be up close and personal to some animals.

The bamboo makes for a nice photo backdrop.

We watched the flamingos for quite some time ...

... and then Cate pretended to be a flamingo!

"My turn. Flamingo too," says Child #2.

Today I've been in town again. We went out to the lake house to be there while the guy to install the Internet service and then we met Sarah, Davey and Atticus at Pagliai's so we could catch up while the kids played on the indoor playset. Really, there should be more restaurants like this. Later, I'm going back to the lake house to meet the cleaning lady.

Tomorrow we're going back on the road to check out Dinosaur World in Cave City, Ky. {155.1 miles away}, for cousin Evelyn's birthday. Then we'll continue northeast to the Lexington area {123.8 miles} where we'll spend two nights for a day at Keeneland with family and more time with friends.

We'll come home {267.7 miles from my dearest friend's house, where we're staying} Sunday and this week's miles will total more than 969.42 with the driving around town here where I live, there where I shopped, there were we detoured in Nashville because we missed our exit somehow, there where we'll visit people we love and watch horses. This is life. Not every week is like this. But life is good. And I'm grateful for the journey.

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