Tag: brother

Baby on the Events

March 21, 2024

Baby on the Events

(Throwback story from December 21, 2023)

Jillian called, “Mom, I’m taking some pictures of Laud!” Lucas jumped along to help out. He loves taking pictures of his little brother.

Somewhere in their cute little thoughts, they decided our four-month-old should take a picture on each gymnastics event.

Jillian and Laud
The Tumble Track
Vault! The Vault Table
Bars! Pull-up
Floor! (Can’t walk yet)
Pommel Horse! (Yippee)
Parallel Bars! (Help!)
Beam! (Boys don’t do this!)

First there’s Jillian and Laud. He looks happy enough.

What does she have for me to play with today? Wow, that looks interesting

Then there’s the first event – Tumble Track! Jillian is very careful as he is only four months old and not yet ready for bouncing.

Big brother, what exactly is going on here, this doesn’t feel right…

Up comes the next thing… ooh, Vault! Laud has some spotting help to stand on the vault table – although that is definitely not a parent-and-tot piece of equipment.

Mom! Can you see me, mom! I’m taller than Jillian on this thing that isn’t squishy!

Unfortunately, or maybe for the pictures, fortunately, mom is busy with the computer work and although she hears her baby yelling with happiness, it doesn’t occur to her that his big sister and brother are up to something.

Floor! Sissy, I might need to tell you I can’t walk yet… um, why is this floor moving?

At least on floor there was a tumbling mat to stand on. Laud appears to begin wondering if his brother won’t save him from his sister’s silliness, maybe he should yell for mom.

Bars! Pull-up! Lucas, why aren’t you saving me?

Jillian lets him pull up on the quad bars. Once he’s up, he doesn’t seem too sure about it.

Pommel Horse! Lucas, this is really cool dude, what can you do on this sturdy thing?

Pommel Horse is probably his favorite since he can do it with only a little side spot. Lucas zoomed straight in on his face.

Parallel bars! Wait! More Bars? What happened to the horsy thing?

Beam? Um, wait, boys don’t do this… Lucas, why don’t boys compete beam? This event has Jillian smiling!

I hope you enjoyed this series of pictures and commentary!

Jillian provided the inspiration! Lucas did the photography! Laud was the subject.

How quickly they all grow! Smile and enjoy the show!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Picture Of A Baby

I do not know why this one picture makes me so happy.  Christina took it. I’ve never done months or even year pictures – I tend to choose the favorites sent to me by my kiddos since Christina was 10 & other family who are better at picture taking. 

Picture of a Baby

September 19, 2023

I do not know why this one picture makes me so happy.  Christina took it.  A friend gave us a blanket with months on it for Laud.  I’ve never done months or even year pictures – I tend to choose the favorites sent to me by my kiddos since Christina was 10 & other family who are better at picture taking.  It is not my forte.  (Also, I always forget) 

Once Louis gave Becky the “picture phone” (in 2012 that’s all it really did was take pictures) and she discovered her love of photography.  I also heard my father say, “I was never really there, I have the pictures and videos for your mom so I can relive it” a few times.  I know he loves that he left us a legacy of thousands of hours of family videos and so many pictures it literally takes weeks to watch them all – all digitized too.  But I wanted to be there.  I wanted to be in the moment.  I guess I’ve grown some, now I understand the “need” for having time stamped pictures.  I still don’t take them much. 

Christina fell in love with her baby brother – I knew they all would once he was born.  They tote him around and play with him, change him and burp him, and argue over who gets him.  Christina was more excited than I was over the blanket.  She said, “and we put Pooka (Laud’s stuffy) here.  Mom you have to keep that stuffy for all twelve pictures, it’s the marker.”

Yes, I will keep Laud’s special stuffy from Grandma so that you can mark the months – but Laud likes his giraffe from Mrs. Heather better.  (My kiddos call the giraffe “Bestie” – well, one of the team sisters who rides the afterschool van I drive calls him “Bestie-Billy-Bob-Jo.”)

When I look at this picture I’m overloaded with emotion.  Laud is still (barely, but still) wearing the girls’ favorite of his preemie outfits from Mrs. Hannah.  He’s my smallest miracle!  He was just over seven pounds at the time of the picture.   He’s only just in newborn and 0-3 month clothes at 6 weeks!  All of them are such little miracles!  I’ve been so blessed to enjoy 8 of them!  I have amazing friends who have blessed us with clothes, diapers, food, love, conversation, and so many things!  My baby looking so peaceful and tiny on his blanket reminds me of all the blessings we have in our life.  I’m so thankful for everything God has given us – especially for friends!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

The Miracle of Friends

The Miracle of Friends – aka down to one car on a meet weekend with college and work too!! #2023 #Family #Friends #Friend #Blessings #Blessing #TheBlessingOfFriends #TheMiracleOfFriends #OpenHearts #FriendshipIsAwesome #GymnasticsMeet #SavannahTrip #Kupets2023 #GodsHandIsInEverything

March 21, 2023

The Miracle of Friends

It was Wednesday, March 1st.  I was on the floor stretching with my little preschoolers and talking about what color butterflies they were pretending to be today.  

My phone, however, received this from my oldest daughter who was on her way to work from college: 

Car trouble rn

I am going to be late to work.  I actually don’t know if I’ll get to work.

Followed thirty minutes later (I still hadn’t come off the floor so hadn’t seen these) by:

Daddy has me.

I’m not gonna make it to work

Letting Thea know

Thirty minutes later (I still hadn’t seen anything):

ACTUALLY

Nvm

I will be there right on time.

I only saw her arrive at her normal time (4pm) as I was working.  I didn’t even know something was up until about 7pm when I finally looked at my phone!

Our Buick decided to shut all electrical systems down on the interstate!  We had a meet in Savannah that weekend!  Louis and Christina took it to the closest dealership because this poor car was new when Louis got it but has spent a greater percentage of time getting fixed than any used one we’ve had!  (Nice that it is still under warranty!) 

Thursday arrives: at noon, the dealership still hasn’t even looked at the Buick!  Christina has to go to college on Friday.  Louis had requested the day off work Friday to take Jillian to her meet in Savannah.  All the potential rides for Jillian weren’t able to do this one. (So many meets would have been missed without all of the amazing friends who have driven one gymnast or the other over my three years!) We looked into renting a car for the day – so far out of budget.  Christina looked into staying over with a friend so she wouldn’t need a car for college but no one could get her back to work in time and she just doesn’t drop school or work.  I was going to ask Jillian’s coach how to go about scratching (missing the meet, we’ve never done that), when Louis called (I was sitting at a school waiting for kiddos to get in the bus).  He had contacted the dealership at 2:30 & they said they would look at the Buick on Monday. He had told his boss he didn’t need the day off because he didn’t have a way to get Jillian to Savannah – his boss loaned him a van!  

Jillian didn’t even know.  She didn’t know how close she came to missing her first meet.  (She did hear the story through when she’s like, “wait where’d we get this van?” on Friday in the wee hours.)  She and Lucas went down with Dad and had a great time!  

His Best Buddy is here!
Sharing the Nintendo Switch
Three Best Buddies!
Photos by Louis Tart & Mikaela Reppert
Silver Team at the Kupets Meet 2023

Sometimes we get busy and forget about the amazing miracle of friends.  God gives us friends.  People who honestly care about us and whom we care about.  The miracle of friends is that they are always there.  Sometimes we miss out on a blessing and being a blessing because we forget to ask.  How do we know someone needs anything unless they ask us?  How can friends know we need anything unless we ask?  I love how children don’t have these “I shouldn’t bother them” issues because they ask friends everything!  From, “your sandwich looks good, can I have half?” to “help me fix my ribbon, please!” to “I’m sad, can we sing?” and everything else in between.  

A scene from an old movie makes me smile: a girl says “oh I forgot to buy a ladder!” and turns to go back inside the general store.  Owner of said general store laughs, picks up his ladder leaning against the wall and says, “country folks don’t buy ladders, they borrow them.”  He is trying to impress on this family that people around care about them and want to help in any way possible.  

I love that God gave us the miracle of friends.  Sometimes we don’t see them for a long time (ages, it always seems) and sometimes a pop-in visit is needed and God arranges that.  

I’m so thankful for the friends and family around us.  Our people bless us so much!  I pray we can return blessings when they need them!

Thank you for reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Floor Blocks and Imagination

#2023 #Family #Pictures #Encourage #Imagination #FloorBlocks #HouseBlocks #BuildingHousesOutOfFoamFloorMatSquares #ProblemSolving #Boys #WatchWithWonder #Children #TheFascinatingImaginationOfAChild

January 29, 2023

Floor Blocks and Imagination

Uncle Buddy was purging his apartment and there were two truck-loads of stuff he thought we could use.  (Yes, we could, not that we knew it before it came)  One such item was three packs of floor blocks, you know, those spongy warm mats that you cover hard floors with to have a softer play surface.  We already had six squares of it under our swing in the back yard to keep feet from digging a ditch under the swing and nine squares in the playroom to bring out when it was too cold for bare feet on the hard floor.  

Lucas has a fantastic imagination and turned said floor cushions into… A house.  The original one was 1×2 squares in a perfect rectangle with a “door” panel they sealed behind themselves and “busted” out of with a sharp kick from both feet. 

It started in the living room, but there is more space in the playroom!  The house became 2×3 squares with a “portal” doorway complete with blanket carpets and pillows so they could sleep in it!  

Louis shook his head, “I don’t think they were made for that.”  And I shrugged, “no, but they work fine, don’t they?”  (Until a rambunctious boy-who-will-remain-unnamed dropped on the ceiling and broke it aka caved in the roof, made Thea cry and Jillian mad, and they had to rebuild said house.) 

Soon packing boxes (also from Uncle Buddy) were added to make rooms inside the house and prop up the roof as going bigger than 2×3 meant less stability in the middle.  They were finding ways to overcome the structural weakness and still expand their play house!  I loved all the problem solving that was going on!  

These large blocks also store in their bags when not in use.  I don’t know how often this will happen, but what I was saving for play surfaces in our shed while moving and in our future house when we finally get one, is now a house-building toy.  Lucas is always building big complex structures in his mega blocks, duplos, and legos.  I’m hoping to get him interested in carpentry or construction because once his football career (now he wants to be a football player in high school and college and the NFL – he better pray he gets height from Great-Grandpa Jim and Boompa!) is done, he might enjoy building things.  I totally encourage any type of hands-on skill as even though yes, the foam block houses won’t last long, the building and problem solving will present itself in other forms.  

What neat things have your kids done with their imagination lately?  I love to watch with sonder as they explore new things!  Sit back, let them play, and watch a world of wonder explode from their untamed imaginations!

Thank you for reading!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

First Meet of the 2023 Season

Meet Season 2023 here we come! Long car rides, friendship bonds, encouraging teammates, and even little brothers stinking up the car…

January 20, 2023

First Meet of the Season

On January 12th I was working, but Jillian was on a long car ride down to Tampa with her teammate (I love the bonds our team sisters get!) to rest up for a 7am arrival at her first meet of the season!  

First off, I was coaching so my ten-year-old actually left the gym without even telling me bye!  No wave, no nothing, just run out with Kate and load her stuff in her friend’s mom’s car and go.  (My mom-self wasn’t sure what to think of that – but, I do raise my kids to be independent.) 

Secondly, I’m so thankful for my other Silver Moms at WGV Gymnastics!  Our girls practically live together and they love each other like sisters!  They do so much together.  We moms help look out for each other – even if its texts like “I4 is a nightmare, take xyz exit and get off” or how to navigate the strange new parking garage.  

This meet, I wasn’t physically there.  So two of my friends were sending me videos, pictures, and scores!  Did I mention how blessed I am to have my Silver teammate moms?

Louis drove Kimberly down for her 1:30pm time.  They left at 9:30 with a very exuberant Lucas.  His choice was “go to gym, do open gym, then come home and hang out with Becky and play video games” or “7 or 8 hours stuck in the car.”  Lucas squealed with delight and said, “7 or 8 hours in the car with you, Daddy!”  (My Mom heart almost exploded on that one… although I do know he really just wanted to fart Kimberly out of the car and eat everything on any billboard he could talk Louis into stopping for.)

Jillian got to watch Kimberly (she got dropped back off at the meet for Louis to drive her home).  Louis was giving me a play-by-play.  

Pictures because why not?  (all photo credits are either Kate’s Mom or Saedi’s Mom)

Fun memories and challenges!  I love the start of Meet Season!   *Actually, today, Jillian and Kimberly are at the Conquistador Classic (our local meet, yippee!) one competing and the other volunteering.  Jillian will finish the day volunteering after she’s done showing everyone how much she loves gymnastics.  Can’t wait to see pictures from this one!

Thank you for reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Life Goals

December 28, 2022

Life Goals

I continually reevaluate my “life goals,” if you want to call them that.  

Core has always been to love Jesus, pass that on to everyone I can touch, and show love when I can.  The additions have changed a little:

Pre-twenties, I wanted to be a wife, mother, and teacher.  Did that.  Am living that.

Twenties to mid-thirty: The only earthly thing I wanted for my children was a home they all grew up in and family roots.  I failed at that. Life teaches you lessons and you hope to pass on the results so they don’t fall into the same trap.

Thirty-three and beyond, I only want my children to love Jesus in a true life-long relationship; I’ve learned that everything in life beyond relationships is just temporary.  

Lately, my older children have made comments in passing that really cut to my heart.  The first year I didn’t unwrap a gift from you.  (Her gifts were too large to wrap & smaller things were in her stocking.)  Wow, they’ve lived there like 12 years, that would never be us.  (We did have a home for 14 years, just moved to two different places during that ownership to help other people for seasons.)  You don’t give me stuff like the other girls’ moms.  (No, I can’t give anyone a brand new car as they get their license, a new laptop, the latest phone, gaming systems, etc.  I provide you with opportunities to save for those things and decide their value yourself.)

Those things and other assorted in passing comments have made me delve into self-examination for the past couple of months.  I can’t talk to my Daddy about it, praying feels one-way, a memory pops up of Louis’ accident last year and the days of challenges and miracles, I feel like I’ll never dig us out into property that is our home (though I keep reminding my doubt that I left that in God’s hands, the doubt keeps trying to come in), people I know whose children I know are dying from poison, I pray daily for those I know who are affected: my life feels useless as I feel like I can’t do much for anyone.

This morning I saw the evidence of a life well lived.  My entire perspective changed. 

There was a young woman in a beautiful wedding dress beaming a smile holding onto the arm of an elegant man in a suit.  Their faces shone with love.  The photo was a portrait size and in black and white; aged scores of years. You could feel their love.  Two candles on either side of the little table below the portrait.  Mementos and memories on the table; he had passed away before her.  It reminded me of my mother’s tribute shadowbox for my Daddy.  Her home was full of framed pictures: children and grandchildren in various smiles and grins.  A few in the midst of laughter – those cherished candid photos that you keep even if they aren’t the best quality.  Worn rocker.  Stockings.  A Christmas tree.  An open Bible.  Her faith and the relationships she had cultivated radiated from each well-worn book, devotional, and study guide on that little bookshelf. My writer’s brain wondered how many of those books she or her husband had bought and then passed around. How many grandchildren had heard stories from that Children’s Bible with the bent binding?  Children told her goodbye: that they loved her, they didn’t want her to leave, that they would see her later in heaven, one told her to give daddy a kiss from her.  

That is a life well-lived.  

Her children loved her enough to keep taking care of her at home; like Mom did for Grandma Jeanette.  Don’t ever put me in a nursing home.  Because of love, they sacrificed and made it happen that they cared for mom at her home so she could die in peace.  Her face showed that peace.  

That is a life well-lived. 

I was so overwhelmed with emotion for that wonderful woman I didn’t know.  Grandma Jeanette told me once to “live with no regrets” which I also remember from the lady who gave me my first cookbook.  She’d been married four times and raised five boys.  Her life story was how to gather things and make stews and build add-ons to her house and save people from storms on the lake.  Her sons all passed on her faith; I played with her grandchildren and they were the first group of children I’d met who talked about Jesus like a close friend like my family did.  She wrote “God will bless your life, let Him lead,” in my cookbook cover (I was 7 years old).  She died shortly after at 90-something.  

That is a life well-lived. 

Live with no regrets.  Love without reservation.  

My goal is to allow my children to see Jesus through me, to trust Him in everything, to do my absolute best to shine His love wherever I can.  

Life doesn’t have to be long to be well-lived.  I consider the life I’ve already lived to be amazing.  I thank God for each day He’s given me.  For the challenges we’ve overcome as a family, for the health miracles which are the reason my babies and I are here, for the protection over my daughters’ hearts as they allow it, for the relationships we have with each other.  Those I’ve known for seasons who are friends like sisters and brothers in my heart.  Growing those relationships as best I can even when life is “too busy” and time is challenging; that is a goal. 

Live with no regrets.  Love without reservation. 

I was 12, she was a beautiful frail girl with a rapturous joy of life and Jesus and family when we met her.  She shared her love with everyone without caring what they thought.  If someone stared at her bald head, she would approach them and say, hi, how are you today? And try to show them love and happiness.  She came to our house probably because we treated her and her sister just like we treated anyone else; we played with them, swang with them, took them for canoe rides, fished on the shore while she braided flowers, played with our chickens and dogs together, told stories to each other, and otherwise enjoyed life.  She lost her battle with cancer shortly afterward, but I couldn’t cry.  She was home with Jesus like she talked about all the time.  She told us we had to still play with Danielle.  As long as we lived there, we did.  I still love Erica and Danielle like they were my own sisters; since we were sisters in the faith, we are sisters. 

That is a life well-lived. 

He was his sisters’ baby doll.  He protected everyone.  He was loved by everyone.  He knew who needed to hear and in turns shared his faith and struggles and love with them.  His smile told you everything you needed to know; he was genuine.  He died protecting those he cared about.  His legacy is the love and relationships left in the hearts of those he loved and who loved him; and the relationships they created when coming to celebrate his life.  He was my brother’s friend.  His family and mine were intertwined in so many relationships through many seasons of our lives.  

That is a life well-lived. 

My perspective shifted.  It set me back on the track that my brain keeps trying to veer me off of.  My true life goal is to shine with Jesus’ light: to make strong relationships, to build into people, to share my faith, to encourage others, to help when I can, to do my very best to love as Jesus does.  And in Jesus’ time, when my story on Earth is finished, I will go home and those I love will see a life well-lived. 

Right now, I’m living my life well-lived!

Thank you for reading!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

Uncle Buddy Hair

Nephew wants to be like Uncle.

December 9, 2022

Uncle Buddy Hair

Lucas has had some interesting hair escapades.  Like the one week when Louis played “gel up the boys hair” with Isaac, Lucas, and JJ.  

There was the first time I gave him a “big boy” haircut like Daddy’s when he discovered the do-everything-like-Daddy mode. 

Over Thanksgiving this year, my brother came down.  Instead of his always-growing-out hair that he only cut for donating, my little brother was sporting a military crew almost shaved cut.  Lucas loved it.  Lucas spent most of the time trying to climb on Buddy, so it really was only a little surprise when I came home to Lucas without any hair.

Louis had been trimming his & Lucas said, “Dad, I want an Uncle Buddy Haircut!” 

Uncle Buddy is on the far left
Lucas with his smile face

Mom would have tried to talk him out of total shaved, but Daddy was like, “oh yeah!” and buzz clippers made very short work of Lucas’ hair – that he had been “growing out” the last time we did haircuts.

Lucas seems to like it.  One of the afterschool friends pets his head and says “good dog” – but Lucas just barks and laughs.  Louis said, “maybe I should have left a little hair,” but it grows back.  

The girls and Louis called him Aang (from the Last Airbender series) and I’ve got to laugh because there is a bit of a resemblance when he’s goofing off…

At least we are facing a Florida winter!  I tease him that beanies will be his best friend! 

Thank you for reading!

Type at you next time!

~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

Thea and Her Love

February 22, 2021

Thea and Her Love

  • Thea’s Bow & Gym Water Cup
  • Patient Big Brother
  • Jillian loves being Thea’s model

Thea is by far our youngest lover of all things fashion. Her sisters got her bows for Christmas. She had to put them on everyone. Lucas patiently lets Thea do anything to his hair – he did let Christina and Becky color it green (supposed to be blue dye, but his brown hair turned more of a turquoise). Jillian and Jaquline often end up being Thea’s models now that she wants to do their hair too!

  • Cheese!
  • My Mr. Pickles!

The big girls have “always wanted” (they shared Mary’s giant stuffies for a bit as littles) an oversized stuffed animal. They got one for Thea for Christmas. They called him “Mister Pickles” and the name has stuck. (I have no clue why a giant koala is named after a cucumber treat, but it is.) Thea loves him. This girl loves all things tiny but took to the giant stuffy like a pro. He sleeps in her bed (she sleeps on him)! Grandma got her started on “squinkies” because she loved the tiny squishy quarter-puppies at gym & she has always loved legos.

  • Lucas said “you are my love, Baby Thea!”

Lucas has been leading Thea everywhere since day one, literally (the picture on the bottom right is when she was not quite an hour old). They are snuggle buddies. One of her first full sentences was “Lucas come play legos with me!” They explore things together. What Lucas does, Thea has to try – even splits and carpentry!

Our little baby is two years old now! Time races by. Life is about enjoying the time we have with each other. Life is about making happy memories even in times when life is tough. Life is about friendships that you continually water even through spells of distance. Life is love. Thea reminds me of that with every smile.

Even this morning, when her 17-year-old sister is driving us to work and playing music to which Thea’s feet are dancing; I saw her huge smile and remembered how pure love is as little ones show it. Genuine smiles are a tiny glimpse of heaven’s love! Thank you Jesus for the time I’ve had with each of my children, each of my siblings, my parents, and my friends! Thank you for new opportunities to build memories and laughter as each day speeds along! Thank you for love!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

God! Help!

January 5, 2021

God! Help!

This blog is for those moms, big sisters, teachers, coaches, etc. who have ever raised their hands up in the sky and demanded with tears streaming down their eyes, “God! Help!”

If you’ve never done that, please leave the rest of us in our private knowledge of complete crazy… nothing to see or read here… Thank you.

Now that I’m addressing those of you, who like me, know that they only get through life with God’s routine and very often injections of aid: understand that you are really, really not alone!

There are way more of us out here than you know.

But people don’t always see that. Still. That doesn’t mean we don’t completely loose it and at least internally… SCREAM for HELP!

Ever had a friend compliment you by saying, “wow, you were so calm.”

Your mind goes, “um.. what????” And you realize that only God saw your frantic desperate prayers as you grabbed napkins, wiped up your child’s blood trying not to freak out at her big sister’s just-started party while on your way to meet said child in the bathroom with unknown injury as you realize another daughter is already cleaning more blood (MORE BLOOD?? God, let me not scare her, make me calm.) on a gym mat. You realize that the frantic prayers were interpreted as deep breaths – thank you Jesus for oxygen and working lungs! Said child cries and you are thinking, “God, this injury is serious, help me!” but when you clean it and she whines, “I don’t want to go home! I want to play with my friends!”

Then there’s the serious prayer as you fight the urge of laughter-that-borders-on-insanity, “God, give me patience with this child!”

Bloody head wound clean. Check.

Bleeding stopped. Crisis averted. Check.

10,000+ frantic “God, you better help me” prayers in the span of 45 seconds while dealing with said child who doesn’t see that this is an INJURY and wants to GET BACK UP AND START FLIPPING! Double check.

Super glue, band-aid, and the older kids are like, “do we need to go?” Decision time. (This was supposed to be a food party & dinner & home is 45 minutes away plus party will be over & have to pick up actual party-goer in about 2 hours.) Stay.

Instant heart attack what feels like 5 seconds later when said injured child is about to show off her routine on bars – “DO YOU WANT TO LIVE TO ADULTHOOD??” (No, I didn’t scream that.)

But. I WANTED TO!! Instead it was “GOD HELP ME!” in my frantic brain while I think I may have jumped the knee wall to grab said child and firmly direct her back to my table in a solid seat (DID YOU REALLY JUST LEAN THAT FOLDING CHAIR ON TWO LEGS!!!???) beside me to watch her. Calm. Breathe. “GOD! HELP ME!” (Of course, that was a mental scream again.)

End the frantic night. (Thank you, Jesus!)

I’m laying in bed, praying that her head heals well and there’s no infection. Reading Proverbs for whatever chapter the day was (you know, when you can’t think of anything but Proverbs has a chapter for every day in the month?), I came across timeless wisdom that basically said (my brain translated the words to the following, it is NOT a direct quote:), “give everything to God and know that you aren’t perfect without Him.”

Truth.

Give over my worries. Give over my fears. In. Real. Time.

If I just write it on paper (or type it in a blog), that’s just words. What shows that I do trust God is in real time. When my toddlers decides to tilt her head back and scream bloody murder with a huge smirk because I’m on the phone. (PATIENCE, PLEASE!) When my boy is annoying his sisters for the bazillionth time in one minute. (Please, God, don’t let them kill him.) When an attack comes and it feels like the life-breath from my lungs is being sucked out by a giant vacuum. (Calm. Breathe. God. Help. Me.)

This is trusting in real time.

This is choosing to know that I cannot do anything without Jesus.

This is knowing that with Jesus I ca do all things. I can breathe. I can parent. I can mother. I can coach. I can love. Without Him, I can’t do any of those things.

So, yes, I know I’m imperfect. (I’m FAR from perfect!)

But…

I trust in the perfect one. I ask Him for help daily (um… thousands of times a day, in every situation I get stuck in!) and He answers with comfort, ideas, calm, and love.

Take a breath. Breathe in Jesus, breathe out, breathe in love, breathe out; now face your challenge! (As I hear a squeal from the kitchen followed by a crash… doesn’t sound like anything broke… “MOM!”) God, they are your children; HELP ME! I need to parent them to lead them to You, show me how.

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

P.S.: Those who were there, yes, I was freaking out inside. Yes, she is okay and nothing left to point at proudly and say “look what happened to me!”

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