Category: Friends & Family

Thankfulness 2022

This year it may be a little premature, but I’m super excited about the amazing things. #Thankful #Gratitude #PensacolaChristianCollege #EmbryRiddleAeronauticalUniversity #LifeJourney #Children #GoodNewsChurch #WGVGymnastics #Education #Thankfulness

Thankfulness 2022

September 27, 2022

Each year I try to reflect on what God has done in our lives this past year. 

This year it may be a little premature, but I’m super excited about the amazing things.  I love to brag on what God has done!

I’ve been working for WGV Gymnastics (dream job I wanted my whole life but didn’t know it).  Louis is coming up on two years of working for Heritage Funeral Home.  I am super thankful for our Christian work environments and Christian bosses. 

Christina is happily pursuing her dream with passion, determination, and enthusiasm.  She is still at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University full time, working at WGV Gymnastics part-time, and babysitting, dogsitting, and housesitting on the side.  She is an amazing big sister!  Her little gymnasts love her!  She serves in the nursery at Good News Church at least three times a month and loves “her babies” – yes, they become hers for an hour or so.  I am so thankful for Christina!

Becky has thrown some shocking curveballs at us and is away at Pensacola Christian College.  Same state, yes, but an hour earlier in time than we are.  (Different time zone, as she’s under Alabama on the panhandle – Lucas and Thea point out on the big map on the wall at church every morning when we get their lemon tea “there’s Becky!”) I am so proud of her!  She’s exploring and learning and growing – such an amazing young lady I am so blessed to be her mom!  Thank you, Jesus, for Becky!

Kimberly can legally drive… (REALLY???  I can’t believe she’s 15!)  She’s learning so much in schoolwork academically, in gymnastics physically, and in life with maturity as she grows and takes on so much responsibility!  Kimberly’s plans are impressive.  Her determination is a trait so many people comment on to me – as a youngling, it was labeled stubbornness, but now that she knows how to focus, it’s determination.  Kimberly is a competitive gymnast at WGV Gymnastics, a gymnastics coach part-time at WGV Gymnastics, serves in kid’s ministry at Good News Church at least twice a month, and dogsits occasionally.  (She is working toward her claimed goals of saving for a computer for college this spring and a car next fall.)  I am so thankful for Kimberly!

Jaquline is Christina’s twin.  Sometimes Christina’s gymnasts see Jaquline and give her hugs saying “hi! Coach!” which makes Jaquline smile proudly and Christina jealous.  “You’re stealing my hugs!” Christina has been known to say later.  Jaquline has grown in her relationship with Jesus so much in the last year.  She serves in the church nursery at least twice a month.  She occasionally volunteers at WGV – or works cleaning to “get Christina out faster.”  Jaquline continues to work toward her goal of team gymnast someday – she loves Beam and said she wished there was a Beam only competition.  Thank you, Jesus, for Jaquline!

Jillian is facing the challenges that come with entering double digits.  The want of being treated as an adult yet the want of continuing childish foolishness.  She’s maneuvering that with the cornerstone of knowing that Jesus can lead her through anything.  She loves her kid’s ministry leaders at Good News Church.  She loves her coaches at WGV Gymnastics (she’s a competitive gymnast).  She loves her friends and I see her making some lifelong friendships, if she can hold them.  She is leaping forward in academics!  I am so thankful for Jillian!

Lucas is an unstoppable force of limitless energy!  He is always running a one-man football game where he is the quarterback, receiver, kicker, lineman, and fullback all at the same time.  When he catches his own forward pass, I’ll have seen everything.  He begs me for a brother almost every day.  He is super thankful for his “gym brothers” and his “best friends.”  I am super thankful for these young boys and young men God has set around Lucas to help him enjoy being a little boy and slowly teach him how to be a young man.  Lucas gives 110% to everything he touches.  His passion and enthusiasm will help fuel his discovery stages as he grows.  He loves gymnastics.  He loves being strong.  He loves mud and football and big trucks and being like dad.  Thank you, Jesus, for Lucas!

Theadora is no longer the baby.  She is a “big girl” or a “young lady” all the time.  Though she loves snuggling (I’m so glad she hasn’t grown out of that yet), she is quick to say “I’ll do it myself!” and proceed to do just that.  Theadora has a bold confidence that comes from running the gym at the age of two.  She doesn’t care to keep up pretences, what you see is what you get – at times like that I think of her as “Becky junior.”  This confidence and determination will carry her far.  She “signs her name” as TTT and says, “see, I’m triple T,” they are left all over Coach Heather’s desk as “swips” for Coach Heather along with who-knows-what-it-should be doodles.  I am so thankful for Theadora!

I love the stage God has us in!  I’m so thankful to be here and alive and enjoying every minute of our time together and apart.  I love our family.  I’m so grateful to see our younglings grow and become young women (and eventually, a young man)!  Thank you, Jesus, for the honor of giving life and raising children!  I’m so overwhelmed with gratitude to you, Jesus, for my totally amazing family!

Thank you for reading.

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

Lucas, the Junior Cadet Member!

#LucasInUniform #SCV #SonsOfConfederateVeterans #HeWantsToBeJustLikeDad #PaperLikeDad #FamilyHistory #AncestryJourney #YesMyDaddysAncestorsWere Quakers #LouisFamilyHasBeenInFloridaForCenturies #Discovery #LearningFamilyHistory #FatherSonActivites #WatchingLucasWantToBeAMan

Lucas, the Junior Cadet Member!

September 3, 2022 (Timewarp story from August 15, 2022)

Lucas was bouncing all over the house.  “Mom! I repeated my oath!”  “Mom!  I went with Daddy to his meeting!” “Mom!  I am part of Daddy’s meeting people now!”  “I’m a cadet, look at my uniform!”  “I get to go to the boom place with real cannons that blow up!” 

And that was in the first three seconds after the door opened! 

Anyone who knows Lucas knows that since he could talk he was excited about stuff.  Anything he’s excited about, everyone else will know about within seconds.  From “BIG TRUCKS” to dressing up in Daddy’s shoes to baby-surfing and everything in between; Lucas does everything with a full engagement and excitement that makes me smile. 

Lucas became a cadet member of the SCV (Sons of Confederate Veterans) – Louis went on this discovery of our ancestors after getting Ancestry.com a couple years back and traced my father’s family back to Quakers in England who settled in Pennsylvania and refused on religious grounds to fight in any conflict until my Grandfather Pearson served the military as a baker and my Daddy joined the Air Force in the Vietnam War.  Louis’ family, on the other hand, goes back to serious stakeholders in Florida culture and to Pvt. Gadiart W. Tart of Company D, 25th Division in the Florida military when it was under confederate leadership.

Lucas is super excited!  Part of his “meetings with Dad” have been visiting battle sites, learning history, watching reenactments, and soon, (which Lucas is SUPER excited about) taking part in a reenactment – Lucas doesn’t know when, but “soon!” as he tells me.  His idea of “taking part” is probably about the same as he and Landon “took part” in the last gymnastics meet they were both at: having a friendly hour-long wrestling match while their sister and cousins, respectively, competed.  He does have a snappy uniform!

I’m looking forward to hearing all of the history he learns (even the girls remember the story of “the Flags of Florida” live presentation they saw at a family meeting where two ladies did a skit of two women following Florida’s return to the Union and they discussed each different flag that had flown over their land).  I’m looking forward to the father-son excursions they will go on. 

Meanwhile, he keeps coming in to our room to point out his paper that shows he’s a cadet member.  (This sits right over Louis’ paper) So the usual comment is “see, I’m just like Dad!” and that, is what really makes me smile!

Thank you for reading.

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Once Upon a Date

Now, though… I understand the insane shock that caused by parents not to jump with joy when I showed off my ring and announced I was engaged. #TotalAndCompleteShock

Once Upon a Date

August 2, 2022

Nineteen year old me was crazy with excitement at 10pm at a bowling alley until 1am, (cosmic bowling in 2002) but my dad looked like he’d been shot with bright headlights in the dead of a new moon night.  Now, though – I understand the insane shock that caused my parents not to jump with joy when I showed off my ring and announced I was engaged.  Total and complete shock.  At 10pm after a long day at work, hearing the same news from one of my kids overloaded my tired brain; I bet I looked like they’d shone ultra-blue headlights in my face on a new moon night!

Now I’m praying I can be a godly mentor for my daughters (all of them, but especially Christina at this moment) and my son.  I am so super thankful for those I consider mentors I’ve learned from in my life.  Sometimes they were longtime friends, my moms (one God gave me at birth, the other God gifted me when I married Louis), and some were in my life for a few days, one meeting, or a season. 

I’m listening to Christina with her planning (wedding once she has her masters in 2025) and discussing life plans for the future, and I’m smiling because I remember me twenty years ago and “We’ve Only Just Begun” by The Carpenters was filling my brain on repeat.

Really odd little tidbit?  I was engaged on July 20, 2002 & Christina’s engagement date was “Anastasia’s birthday” but 1am – aka July 20, 2022.  And time?  Cosmic bowling ended at 1am on really July 21…  I don’t do coincidence (haha).   

Thank you for reading!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Becky: The Second Story

Becky: The Second Story

July 30, 2022

Part of our educational philosophy is never to hold anyone back but also, not to push so hard that they begin to think of learning as a chore.  Learning is a life-long pursuit of knowledge that branches into everything that God has gifted us on our planet.  We learn about Jesus, we learn about His creation, we learn about people, we learn about animals, we learn about our amazing interconnecting tapestry that is our Earth, we learn about ourselves and about others.  We are consistently learning.   Sometimes we learn at a fast pace and sometimes slower than a snail in quicksand. 

Becky has been through phases of learning.  Her thirst for knowledge ebbs and flows but is always there, driving her to learn.  She has dropped everything to study anatomy, shading, artistic styles, and all about sketching, illustrating, and painting as an artform and practical applications in our commercial world.  She’s been on medical stints and animal explorations for days to years at a time.  She is always learning but not always traditionally. 

Her latest discovery was about self.  She is not a good hybrid or online learner.  She wants interaction with an actual teacher or professor and hands-on training, manipulation, and the ability to see and touch what she is learning.  She loves laboratories and field study. 

She got a bit disheartened about college classes when our local St Johns River went hybrid online after the whole government-required shutdown debacle.  She was finally old enough to attend a pre-med camp she had been salivating over since she first learned about it at twelve years old.  We sent her.  She came back with a renewed vigor and excitement about learning and declared happily, “I want to go to college there!”

Fast forward nine months. 

She’s going to college there.  Stop.  My sixteen year old is getting in my car in August, and I’m driving her six and a half hours away to a college campus.  Stop.  My heart soars for her because I wanted to do the same thing when I was sixteen.  My heart beats a little fast because she is the first of my littles to actually go live away.  Yes, she’s the same one who has been a nanny and lived in North Carolina for three weeks at a time in stints, but that was with family.  Yes, she’s been on extended Grandma Joanne trips, again, family.  I’m literally dropping her off at a college dorm to see her again at Christmas (or maybe Thanksgiving). 

Part of me isn’t ready for this. 

The largest part of me is over-the-moon excited for her.  I can only step in her shoes and imagine myself when I was sixteen, trying my best to get into that same college – and two years later trying to get enough money for the other college I wanted.  I would have been thrilled!

So I did what I had planned to do as a teenager for myself; I took her shopping (I know, I hate shopping – and Becky isn’t on the “I-love-shopping” club either) to buy items for her dress code.  We found a whole wardrobe minus the “formal dress” and “suit jacket” for her to mix and match into a few outfits. 

“Whole wardrobe” sounds like a lot.  Her wardrobe consists of three new blouses and three new skirts to match her two button-up long-sleeve blouses creating quite a few outfits.  Long ago, I had planned a wardrobe for myself with pretty much the same things (I would have exchanged the mustard skirt for a Hawaiian floral print, however).  It was super cool to just be me and Becky.  Although our shopping was squeezed into about forty-five minutes on a Wednesday at the outlets… we walked in and out of three or four stores just browsing yet seeing nothing she liked that fit the dress code like army soldiers.  I almost felt sorry or wanted to laugh at the salespeople we left standing there after we marched in, around the store, and out without stopping.  Through the window of the last store I figured this would be where we found stuff and I reminded Becky of what I recall as “Aunt Katy’s shopping advice” – “If you don’t absolutely love it, don’t buy it.” (I don’t know if my sister ever said those words exactly, but that I remember from shopping with her once ages ago.)

Even though part of me isn’t ready for Becky to be gone for months at a time, I have learned life is full of changes.  I embrace the changes as they come.  I love this stage for Becky!  I’m excited for her!  I pray she has an amazing college journey, meets encouraging friends, and thrives in the hands-on, Biblical environment at Pensacola Christian College.  Becky has always tossed things at me before I’m ready… college classes at twelve, disappearing with Grandma for multiple weeks, volunteering to nanny four states away, and other things I won’t mention, so getting early admitted to a college and living in a dorm doesn’t surprise me too much.  (No, she didn’t get to “skip” graduation announcement at church… shh… she’ll be home next year when they do “graduation Sunday” and her cutest goofy baby picture will be up there with everyone else from that year.) 

Enjoy this adventure called life!  Every day is a gift from God; that’s why it’s called the present!

Thank you for reading.

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

Exploring Big Sister’s Campus

I love watching the younglings do something new; why I love just walking and exploring. We can always find something to enjoy when we slow down and ignore the overbearing stresses of life. Take a break. Make yourself take a break.

Exploring Big Sister’s Campus

Throwback Story from (October 24, 2021)

I am sitting with Thea at the side of a pool on the Embry-Riddle campus because we chose to ride down with Christina for her Sunday afternoon flight block.  Thea is laughing at pictures “Anastasia and the Bunny-Bear” from Easter at gym.  (The Bunny-Bear is the Easter Bunny outfit Jaquline & Kimberly wore.)  “The Bunny-Bear loves my gymnastics!” Thea says and laughs.

She jumps around; we’ve already walked the campus and she’s pointed out “safe” lizards (I told her here the lizards are not allowed to be chased) and flowers and bumble bees and honeybees and “boys and girls at Christina’s school.”  She’s asked me almost everyone’s name.  “What’s that boy’s name?” “Who is that girl?” “Are they all Christina’s friends at school?” (She goes to gym-school and all of those participants are her friends, so she assumes everyone at the school you go to are your friends.)

After listening to my stressed-out teenagers discussing life in the early afternoon, I’m convinced I didn’t do a great job of teaching them how to enjoy life and be grateful for the moment they are in.  Sometimes that is really, really hard.  Sometimes life’s circumstances don’t seem good.  Sometimes it’s hard to be grateful – but you have to!  I usually feel like I’m enjoying what I am in.  I am grateful for the life I have; I love my family, my job, my church – those are the important things!  I am so happy for the amazing things God keeps doing in our lives!

Christina and her educational journey is a continuing story of how God keeps answering prayers!

I’m so thankful for the people God has put and keeps putting in the path of my teenagers and young children through church, gym, and friendships.  Becky has learned so much from the mentors in her life.  Kimberly has positive role models who keep encouraging her. 

Our journey has been full of ups and downs like any life story.  We have to find the positive and focus on that.  Like right now.  Thea is running around on the “Water-bridge” after touching the “scary man” (metal statue of Wilber Wright) tentatively.  She’s singing something I can’t figure, likely made up, and I’m typing. 

Perfect contentment while exploring the strange surroundings that are Christina’s school.  I’m sure I’ll hear lots of stories about the man, the critters, and the “boys and girls” she discovered. 

I love watching the younglings do something new; why I love just walking and exploring.  We can always find something to enjoy when we slow down and ignore the overbearing stresses of life.  Take a break.  Make yourself take a break. 

Enjoy the slow down.

It makes life more fun!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

A Slice of Love

Respect for an honorable man my family loved #SethMichaelPlant #ThousandsOfSmallGestures #PayingRespectToAHero #GreaterLove #SliceOfLove #FuneralProcession #HonoringHisLife

A Slice of Love

May 26, 2022

Monday I stood at the corner of State Road 206 and US Highway 1.  It’s called “Dupont Center.”  It’s where fifteen years ago I almost lost my little brother to another youth whose car ran a red light and crashed into my brother’s motorcycle.  It’s the road we used for fourteen years to go from our house to the beach.  It’s the road from the beach back to Louis’ house when we were dating.  Today I was holding an American flag, squatting in the sun, with Thea holding her flag and sitting on my lap, waiting for the funeral procession bringing a family friend through his hometown and favorite places on his way to the funeral home. 

Seth Michael Plant was coming home.

He was thirty.  He and my other brother Charley are the same age.  I remember the two of them in kid’s church when Louis and I were dating.  My sisters matched his sisters’ ages.  His father was a friend and mentor to my husband before we met.  His mother took time to speak wisdom into my life.  Our families were friends.  I loved them all and prayed for them as they navigated life’s hills and potholes. 

Yet I only knew a slice of his life. 

My heart rips at me for his older sisters.  My heart felt plucked from my chest and shredded when my baby sister died.  I have never been able to say “I understand the hole left in your heart.”  I hoped I’d never have to because I didn’t want anyone else to lose a baby sibling like I did.  The hole never fills. 

We move on because we have hope.  We know that we know that we will be together again in heaven with Jesus.  That is why I stopped screaming “why!” in the car after hearing about my sister’s death.  My soul still hurts because I miss her.  I remember anger because I thought her life too short.  I saw things she would never see on Earth.  Her baby girl in her prom dress.  Her children marching in cap and gown.  Her boys dancing with her in the kitchen, “mom, teach me to dance with a girl!” 

This world is broken by sin; that is why bad things happen.  God cradles those who are forced to leave in his arms.  God’s original plan never included death.  Our souls are eternal.  Hope in eternity together with Jesus.  This is what comforts me now.

I cried for Seth’s family as part of my family waited for the motorcade.  I could see their faces in my heart and remember their laughter together.  Weddings, children’s births, church services & events, my baby sister’s funeral; our families have seen each other what feels like too few times but so many vital points in our stories.  I prayed for their comfort and peace.  I prayed for Seth’s story to be kept alive for his nieces and nephew.  I prayed for all of those whose hearts were closer to his than mine.  Like I said, I only knew a slice of his love.  Sometimes we see people as we first knew them; I still saw Seth as Charley’s friend in kid’s church even though I’d rejoiced with his family as he graduated, started following his dreams, got promoted, and grew into the man he was.

My mind kept saying, “what a tiny silly gesture to show you cared.”  (Standing on a corner holding a flag and praying)  I remembered how special it felt to me with each picture someone shared on social media when Mary died.  Little stories about how Mary touched their lives.  I didn’t know Seth very well; but he was a brother in Christ.  I loved him because of that. 

The police motorcycles caught Lucas’ attention and Kimberly came over to record the motorcade as it passed.  Louis’ boss hollered at him from where he was stopped about to turn onto 206.  I picked Thea up and stood with our flags.  It may be a tiny gesture, but it was something I could do. 

People on the side of 206 as far down as we could see were doing the same thing – standing with their flags, shirts, banners, some saluting, some waving, most crying.  It was so moving to see.  This is how we love.  Taking time from our lives to stand.  In other times, we take time to talk, listen, help, visit, hug.  This was several thousand people all along the route stopping to give respect to an honorable man who sacrificed for others – to touch the family with a tiny slice of their love. 

Thank you, Seth, for protecting those you love.  Greater Love has no man than this; that he would give up his life for his friend.

Rest in peace with Jesus, friend.  Until we meet again in heaven.  I will continue to pray for your family still here. 

~Love and Prayers,

~Nancy Tart

Summer Plans? Gymnastics…

What to do with bouncy kids over summer? #WGVGymnasticsCamp

Summer Plans? Gymnastics…

March 22, 2022

Do you have any summer plans?

How about spending a few days trying out a fantastic gymnastics camp? At WGV Gymnastics, our 9 weeks of summer is split into 9 individual themes starting with Super Hero week on June 6th to Wacky Water Week kicking off the final camp week of August 1st.

Fun & games, crafts, tumbling, learning new skills, making new friends! Come join us!

Most 12 o’clockers beg to stay til 3pm or even 5pm so as not to miss anything! Our gym is such a magical place that no one ever wants to leave…

Camps start at 9am and end between noon and 5pm (choose your end time when you register online) and camper ages start at 3 years old and up.

Lucas loves camp! His best-friends-on-earth-that-arent-brother-cousins go to camp. Jillian loves to practice her gymnastics skills and dance moves (there’s usually some dance party time hidden somewhere in the week!).

Check out our website, register online for camp, or join us for open gyms every Friday noon to 1pm or Parents’ Night Out every third Saturday! Summer activity, check! Lots of workout = tired kiddos, check!

We have it all!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Boy Hair Day

March 20, 2022 (Timewarp story from February 21, 2022)

Boy Hair Day

Every so often, Lucas decides that when Daddy gets a haircut, Lucas will also get a haircut! This day was one of those days. Lucas’ hair was long enough for a ponytail. Louis says, “hey, want a big boy haircut again?”

Lucas says, “no,” as he runs his fingers in his hair. His brother cousins are visiting and Isaac laughs as Lucas’ fingers catch a tangle. “Maybe.” Lucas shrugs.

Maybe turns into all three boys watching Louis’ hair get trimmed. Then Lucas says, “I want Dad’s haircut!”

He is soooo much more wiggly at 6 than he was at 3!

Louis gels his hair up in the style he wanted. He gels Isaac and JJ’s hair too.

And Lucas’ hair…

The evening turns into boy hair play day! Cute pictures following…

I love when the brother-cousins get to hang out and do goofy stuff that makes lots of fun memories!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

The Day of Coincidences

The Day of Coincidences

March 18, 2022

It’s 4am, I’m jumping out of bed to the not alarm because one of the youngers turned the phone (aka alarm) on silent, and racing to start a cup of coffee. Ran the water through yesterday’s grounds to get slightly colored water – oops. Christina had to catch a flight out of JAX at 6am (Actually, 6:15, but you know) for her Women-In-Aviation conference in Nashville. Louis goes, “it’s only a 45 minute drive, you only need 30 minutes at the airport, not an hour.”

All my ECO-Ride experience and I’ve never left less than an hour of time from airport drop-off to plane departure, but you know, he drives now, not me.

New, real, coffee to make my shakeology.

Grandma, Christina, and I load up, ride to JAX, and she’s there before 5:10am. Sweet.

Not.

TSA stopped her for a box of business cards. Released from that line five minutes after her flight left.

She’s now on standby for the next flight to Baltimore because there she could possibly catch a standby for Nashville (the next direct to Nashville was at 9pm). Next possible to Baltimore is after 10am.

I go to leave for gym and Grandma sees Christina’s CAP cover in the yard. I start check-in, tell my boss we have to go back to JAX, wait til Grandma cleans said cover and loads the youngest two passengers, transfer everyone to the 4Runner, and we drive the CAP cover up to Christina with Thea singing in the backseat, “no job too big, no Thea too small.”

Two adults in the car allows for Grandma to race the cap to Christina and I’m not leaving the car unattended for a few seconds in the departing lane… Christina gets back into the airport.

Flight time comes, TSA says “we don’t like your lotion.” (It passed through inspection 4 hours ago??)

She misses this standby by 12 minutes.

Third standby… oops, we forgot to deep check your foot powder that passed inspection at 6am and at 10am… so TSA pulls her out of line again!… but for this one, she makes the plane with 1 minute to spare.

Thank you, Jesus!

She’s in Baltimore, next possible to Nashville leaves at 1645. Take a breath. A nice lady there helps her, upgrades her from standby to boarding and makes sure she gets on the plane.

Finally, I get a text at 1917. She’s in Nashville and has to find her luggage that arrived at her original arrival time of 0635.

Delays and coincidences? I don’t believe in coincidences. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe it was just to make sure that my CAP pilot had her cover so she was in full regs… maybe it was to teach her patience… to teach us not to worry… to show my fully independent young woman how capable she is… for whatever reason, through more than a long workday at Jacksonville International Airport and a short shift at Baltimore, she made it to her destination intact.

Originally, I was very upset with myself because, even with the TSA delays, she would have made the first plane if I hadn’t taken the extra time to brew a real cup of coffee… but then how would we have gotten her cover to her?

First passenger I’d ever driven to the airport who had missed their flight – I’d even had a woman who had to have a potty break every exit and we got turned around in GA headed for the JAX airport and she still made her flight. My brain screamed at me about that…

God’s timing. He knew the cover didn’t make it in her carry-on. He knew it was important. He knew who would be watching, who would be encouraged, by this story both as it unfolded and as you read it now.

CAP Pilot
cover…

I take a breath, remind myself to always move forward and never beat myself up for the past – If we can trust God to keep the world spinning what is hard about trusting for tiny things like airport timing and CAP covers? (oh, and my books showed up in person while we were out!)

Thank you, Jesus, for little adventures like this that remind me how everything always works out just as it should when we keep calm, move forward, and trust.

Hope you have a lovely day!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Truly Thankful

Give Thanks in ALL Circumstances

January 21, 2022

Truly Thankful

(Note: This post was written December 11, 2021 while I was in whomever-banned-my-computer-operating-system-from-the-internet limbo.) 

I am thankful for grace today. 

Louis was at a standstill in interstate traffic yesterday waiting to turn off on our exit and glanced up in his rearview mirror to see a white car racing toward him without slowing down.  He twisted the wheel to avoid hitting the cars in front of him and accelerated to lessen the impact – and our car is still crushed so bad the back doesn’t exist anymore.  All of the doors were so damaged he had to climb out the window and even his driver’s seat is broken.  No airbags deployed though, our $5,000 worth of rebuilt engine we did four months ago is still in great condition.  Car starts, engine runs, no fluid leaks, but without a working rear axle, that sweet engine is meaningless. 

I’m just happy Louis looked up and turned the wheel.  Without it, he would have been crushed between the stopped cars in front of him and the vehicle that hadn’t noticed everyone else was stopped.

Thank you, Jesus, for his being alert. 

I am beyond-words thankful that my husband is still alive. 

I picked him up at the gas station while he was on the phone with the insurance.  She said after listening to his description of the crash, “I’m so glad you are here and able to talk to me now.”  He said he thought he was going to die but refused to just sit there and watch the car kill him without trying to do something. 

Sometimes life flashes before your eyes.  It was December 10, 2021 – my Daddy died on that day three years ago.  Three years ago in the middle of work my mom called and I left to meet her at the hospital, but my Daddy was already gone.  Without his being alert, December 10th could have been also the day I lost Louis.  That thought was bizarre. 

Logically, since he had called and said he was okay, would be busy calling 911 for the lady behind him, and would later need me to pick him up, I told my boss he was in an accident and I’d need to leave to pick him up.  Christina was almost at the gym.  Plan was she could cover for me. 

I tend to look at things logically.  Cars and things can be replaced but people cannot.  I could be mad about it, but that doesn’t do any good.  Instead, I’ll choose to look at the positive.  We’re here.  Louis is still doing life with us.  We have a temporary fix to our down to two cars with five people working issue.  And Monday we move…

Thank you, Jesus, for deciding December 10, 2021 wasn’t Louis’ time to go home.

Thank you for reading,

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

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