My father, Bill McGee, passed away on May 31, 2017. He arrived at our house on Thanksgiving Day last fall, awaiting the birth of this granddaughter two weeks later and complaining of a strange rash that suddenly popped up on him. It took until March for him to be diagnosed with a rare type of lymphoma. By then, it had progressed too far, and despite enduring more physical suffering than I can even appreciate and trying so very hard to fight it, he accepted the reality of his condition, said his goodbyes to us all, and let things take their course. Bart, the kids, and I were back home for his passing and the funeral and have since returned home. In the meantime, I am slowly processing through what happened and adjusting to this new paradigm. Today I wanted to write about my dad, especially in time for a bittersweet Father’s Day, and honor his life and what he meant to me and those around him.
Archive for the ‘Faith’ Category
Easter celebrations
Posted in Faith, family, Holidays, Kids, regional travel, Traffic, tagged Easter on April 18, 2017| Leave a Comment »
So thankful for the cross and the empty tomb! Such good news is reason to celebrate each year at Easter. This year we made a trip to Raleigh to visit family and spend some special time together.
Happy Birthday, Hazel
Posted in Faith, family, Holidays, Kids, tagged baby, christmas, Christmas baby, delivery, labor, newborn on December 8, 2016| 1 Comment »
Welcome, Hazel Ruth Taylor, born at 12:57 am on December 8, 2016 and coming in at seven pounds and 21 inches on the nose.
Laid to rest
Posted in Faith, family, Holidays, The District, tagged arlington national cemetery, army, funeral, GBM, Vietnam, washington dc on July 1, 2016| 1 Comment »
Yesterday, surrounded by family and friends and honored by his country, we laid to rest the remains of BH Taylor Jr. at Arlington National Cemetery.
Reflections
Posted in Faith, family on March 25, 2016| Leave a Comment »
I’ve remarked a few times that 2016 has not been a banner year for the Taylors. From the very first day of the year, our family has been pummeled with difficult situations in such rapid succession that we were basically in survival mode for ten straight weeks. For better or worse, we have finally reached a point of respite, and I feel that I’m finally able to reflect on what we’ve just been through.
Ten years: just getting started
Posted in Faith, family, Kids, tagged anniversary on December 17, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Ten years ago, in what seems like a galaxy far far away, Bart and I started our journey together as husband and wife. As it usually does, the years have gone by slowly and quickly at the same time. I’m proud that we’ve made it this far, but seeing as our goal is at least sixty years together, Lord willing, we are really just getting started.
31 weeks: something I’ve wanted to share
Posted in Faith, family, Kids, tagged birth, family, infertility, maternity, miscarriage, parenthood, pregnancy, stillbirth on June 16, 2015| Leave a Comment »
It isn’t my intention for the Taylor Approximation to become just a pregnancy blog while we await the arrival of our child, but clearly preparations for a baby tend to get priority over other activities, especially as the day draws near. I’m at 31 weeks now, just two months away from the due date. I feel that pretty much everything is settled and we’re functional and prepared for a newborn, at least as prepared as anybody can be–which is pretty much not at all, except that he has a car seat and a place to sleep, along with oodles of cute and helpful doodahs that are nice to have but not necessary for survival. I know the last 9 weeks will go by quickly, but I also feel that, just like the rest of the pregnancy, it will go slowly at the same time.
Jesus wept
Posted in Faith, Holidays, tagged Easter, hope, jesus, Lazarus, resurrection, suffering on April 4, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Each year at Easter, I usually find myself pondering the road to the cross through a different perspective. The story of redemption is really so simple that even a child may come with faith and believe, yet the implications are so profoundly complex that theologians across the millennia have wrestled with these simple truths in awe. Up until this week, I didn’t really know where my thoughts were leading me this year, but the sermon at church this past Sunday sparked something in my brain that has stuck with me through the week, and it has turned out to be the significant message from Easter I’ve ponde this year.
Windy
Posted in Faith, weather on February 15, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Sometimes, I want to be like a wind chime.
Last night, a tremendous Arctic front began pushing through the Mid Atlantic region. We got a mere dusting of snow, but the temperature began to plummet and high winds settled in. All night long I heard the roaring of 50-60 mph gusts screaming around the house and the occasional thump of something like a branch falling from one of the copious trees in our yard.
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A brief respite
Posted in DIY, Faith, The house, weather, tagged diy, February, home improvement, winter, woodworking on February 9, 2015| Leave a Comment »
With the deepest part of winter behind us, February brings at least a glimmer of hope for the eventuality of spring. We aren’t quite out of the cold just yet, but this last weekend was a welcome respite, with temperatures up to 60 degrees and more on Sunday. We usually allow ourselves a bit of hibernation during January, purposefully taking a break, resting, and recharging for the upcoming months. This year was no different, as the relaxed pace of blog posts have probably indicated. The pace has picked up a bit this month, though, so we’re slowly ramping back up and getting back into the mood for tackling some new projects, because we’ve got quite a few on the docket.
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The Taylor Approximation 