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).
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.
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.
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 Pilotcover…
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.
Have you ever been so overwhelmed with thankfulness that it makes you cry? #AwesomeBirthdayPresent #HealingMiracle #JesusTheGreatPhysician #Reflection
February 23, 2022
Powerfully Thankful!
Have you ever had a day that blew you away with the power of God and made you cry because you are thankful?
I’ve had quite a few since December 1st. God keeps doing amazing miracles and making me thankful – like December 10, 2021 when God saved Louis from being crushed in an accident on the interstate and December 11, 2021 when God saved my sister from dying in an accident.
Today, I’m just so thankful! A young man my family is very close to got sick on Monday – we all prayed for him. Last night (actually early morning today just after midnight), Louis led us praying that when the doctors went to do surgery, they’d find that he was healed. He asked God to touch his body and heal him completely as He is The Great Physician.
This morning, we were told he was waiting for final testing and would go into surgery. It made me so sad – I could only think of how my heart would be ripped apart if this was my Kimberly I was praying for. I love this young man and have seen God constantly work in his life. I know God can heal everything – he made the entire universe with words he spoke; He can touch a human body and repair it. In His will. That is the toughest part for me as a mom; my mind and heart fight over why God would think that my baby sister dying or a child being seriously injured or a young man slowly withering away because of a genetic disease is in God’s will.
Faith. Trust. Hope.
My faith reminds me that if I can trust God for salvation, if I can trust that the gravity and physics he set up will remain, then I need to trust His will in my life and, yes, my children’s lives and my friend’s children’s lives. Trust and pray in everything.
I have hope in that I know I will see my baby sister in heaven. I know I will see Gideon and my Daddy running and jumping and playing dodgeball and kickball in heaven. (Hey, those were favorite games so why not?) My hope is in Jesus.
When the report came back, this young man’s test came back with healthy! No surgery. Healthy on other tests for other organs! I was so happy! God, what an amazing, perfect birthday present!
I’m so thankful for healing, for life, for love, for family, for friends. So many things God has given us to enjoy – beautiful days (I bicycled to work Monday morning, we finally hung the Christmas gift swing yesterday), discovery (finding shoes Lucas hid because he prefers being barefoot), goofy games (trying to keep assorted Thea birthday balloons in the tiny square made by the couches and the wall by batting them with longer balloons), amazing gifts (homemade sugar-type m&m cookies are my favorite and I LOVE roses), traveling mercies (thankful Louis and Becca are alive), late night giggles (my favorite sounds even though I have to say, “girls, go to bed!”), healing (too many times to list!)… this list is endless.
Thank you, Jesus, for your amazing miracles!
Today, I’m so thankful, I cried.
Reflect on what amazing miracles God has done in your life and that will surely make you smile too!
(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.
A Movie Review: Christmas with the Chosen, the Messengers.
Christmas With the Chosen: The Messengers – Movie Review
January 17, 2022
(Note: This was written December 7, 2021 when whomever decided my computer’s operating system can’t access wordpress anymore)
First thing you have to know – I love Christmas!
Second thing… I’m usually the one who talks everyone else out of going to the movies. I’d rather sit at home and wait until it’s free.
I have gone to the local theater for movies like “WarRoom” and “Overcomer.” We decided to go to the theater for the “Christmas with the Chosen: The Messengers” movie last Saturday evening.
Wow!
I have only seen part of one episode of the Chosen. I do not like watching screens alone and when I’m home, we tend to be doing something outside, playing board games, or Louis is watching a sports game. After this, I really want to watch them all. Hopefully, it won’t be like the Bones series. Grandma Joanne introduced Christina and Becky seven years ago. We watched them after the littles went to bed and I was dispatching late at night (cab company era) usually one or two episodes each week or two. I got to season three, we had to start borrowing from the library and the girls got impatient! They would breeze through them! Christina and Becky saw them all, then rewatch it and Kimberly saw them all, now Jaquline is even farther in the series than I am!
At least with The Chosen, we can watch them with everyone.
At the theater, my Mom and one of Christina’s friends joined us. “Tart, party of twelve!” – our nine, one sister-cousin, one friend, and one Grandma… we took up half of a row!
In retrospect, I have to laugh at all the wiggling feet and trying to be considerate but busting with worship sing-along voices! Becky said if Christina’s parents’ guide website had been better informed, they would have mentioned it was best to observe this film from the back rows if your party has the proclivity to get roused into song and dance by concert-style worship songs – Becky called it “Passion camp on film.” My only dancer who got to her feet was Thea, but she is little so everyone behind us could still see over her. I wanted to dance! I would have blocked too many peoples’ views though… I literally had to stop myself a few times.
I still think The Nativity Story is the most realistic culturally accurate story highlighting Mary and Joseph’s journey. However, this film was incredible! It had a short portion that showed, in what I’m gathering is the style of the series The Chosen, the journey of Mary and Joseph with a bit of a twist (no spoiler, I promise).
If you enjoy music or historical reenactments, this is a must-see movie event.
My phone doesn’t like wordpress anymore and wordpress decided my computer is too old to work. I’m having to borrow access to this website through another computer, but that’s a whole other story!
Our beginning challenge of trying to find a rental for our family and facing the facts that my phone is too old to work with the app correctly and my computer is so old the app glitched out. I ended up having to spend over a week off and on the phone with the rental company’s tech support and using my work’s computer off time to get it to work where my application went through (during this time, the house in the “perfect” location was rented and we had to settle on the next in line, which is obviously where we are supposed to be for now).
Move in day was supposed to be December 13th. Yippee!
The eleven days of challnge started with December 10th when my husband’s car was rear-ended on the interstate. (He walked away, thank you, Jesus!)
December 11th, my sister was in an accident. Christina offered to be a taxi to replace two cars…
December 12th, I took Becky to her nanny job.
December 16th, I got Becky back from her nanny job.
On December 21, we took our van in and it was irreparable. The engine had corrosion on the inside that was coming out in the spark plug wells. (Appears it was in an accident two months prior to our purchasing it and this was the result of years of corrosion: in retrospect, if your husband asks you “do you like the new (used) car?” ask “was it ever in a wreck?”) Hindsight is always 20/20.
We did move between December 13th and 19th, though, thanks very much to my husband’s boss allowing us to use his van. Okay, honestly, this was the first move where I didn’t actually move anything! I packed a couple boxes before the 13th, sorted some stuff for packing, and unloaded and sorted at the destination, but did not move anything. I think I drove one load.
Christina was doing finals at Embry.
Becky was nannying.
I was working and dragging Thea, Lucas, and whatever gymnast had practice along.
That meant Louis, Kimberly, and Jaquline did most of the moving. They so impressed me. Even with our bumps, I came in to see that the girls had decorated and set up for Christmas, we enjoyed our crazy December ride.
The eleven day roller coaster was one I barely believe. God worked everything out nicely as He always does. We now have bigger hurdles to face in the year of 2022. But I’m already looking forward to the fun we will have during these challenges!
Christina moves into her second semester at Embry-Riddle, Becky returns to her nanny job, Kimberly started a job in September and will compete Xcel Gold and start college classes, Jaquline is navigating pre-teenhood and taller than most of her sisters, Jillian will compete Xcel Bronze, Lucas has discovered reading, and Thea thinks she’s Jillian’s equal in independence. We will enjoy every step and make new memories!
One of the girls called the day from losing the Prius to losing the van “eleven crazy days” – maybe so, but it was an amazing example of how God works all things out just the way he wants it.
I’m thankful for life, love, and joy!
What are you looking forward to in this new year?
Type at you later! (and there will be a slew of backdated posts once I can get my files to upload here!)
As I drove to work, I noticed the goldenrods in bloom. My mother always told us that meant six weeks to cooler weather. Everywhere I have lived, that bit of seasonal information has held true. From Virginia to South Carolina and, yes, even in steamy Florida.
The thought of seasonal change made me smile and reflect on the seasons of life our family is shifting into this year:
Christina started her first day at an “away” college. She’s a junior at Embry-Riddle. Her literal first day of classes was today. A season of independence for her – her eighteenth birthday is looming closer than I want to believe. Secretly, I already consider her an adult. I’m so excited for her and pray for wisdom in her new ventures!!
Rebeccah got her first request that wasn’t family for her art. Her birdies are almost old enough to sell. Her hobbies are blooming the imaginative artist within her! She has been raking up driving hours with us… Sixteen is too close.
Kimberly has taken on teaching roles at home, at gym and at church. She loves teaching. She loves tutoring. She is growing patience and understanding. She is facing tough decisions between CAP and Xcel Team gymnastics. Her goals, respectively, were officer rank and team. Made one! The new restrictions and the lack of social interaction at CAP versus the unlimited freedoms, friendly faces, and encouraging camraderie at her gym. She asked me to make her decision… I have to let her decide and I will support her decision.
Kimberly and Jaquline
Jaquline is maturing into a young lady. Mom may not be ready for that! She loves gymnastics and thrives in her books – she, just like her older sisters, is a bookworm. Jaquline is beginning to enter her realm of personal responsibility and leadership.
Jillian is learning to manage friendships and learning to discern when to follow and when to lead.
Lucas entered school “officially,” as he’s first grade. He is enjoying his new challenges!
Big sisters like to take pictures and selfies…
Thea started Gym-N-Learn at WGV Gymnastics. Mom isn’t ready for some of the skills she tries, but her ability to learn from others and take direction? Yes, that is so awesome!
Each season is a new discovery of challenges. Of fun and fabulous adventures… Of making new friends, finding new loves, achieving new goals…
Life constantly moves forward. You can never go backwards in life. If you missed something, start over. Renew. Rejoin. Always move forward. Someone said to me, “you’re such a dreamer, you’ll never have your own (house).” But I believe in God’s timing and plan for the future while living in the present! I embrace this new season nd pray for wisdom to guide my younglings (and not so young younglings) through their new seasons of life.
I hope as this season starts for you, you remember the awesome past, look to the future, and build memories in the present!
WGV Gymnastics Annual Show for 2021 #WGVGymnastics #Smiles #Hugs #HighFives #OlympicTheme #Family #Fun #Gymnastics
May 24, 2021
2021 Annual Show!
At our gym (WGV Gymnastics in Florida), we have an annual showcase for our gymnasts in May each year. Last year being what it was, this is the first year we’ve gotten to use our awesome new gymnastics facility for our show! It was amazing!
My gymnasts get super excited at this chance to show off their skills in a mock meet type show complete with awards ceremony and fun! This is our happy place! We had an Olympic theme this year (surprising, right?) and our gym dressed up for the occasion.
Balloons in the Olympic Flag Colors bordering the Pro Shop
Preschool Show Area
Entry to the events!
Lucas’ medal had a boy gymnast, Jillian’s had a girl gymnast – Lucas was ecstatic!
From the banner over the entryway to the Preschool Area and everything in between, there were Olympic rings, flaming torches, international flags, and medals.
Jaquline and Jillian showed off with the Preteam Group this year. Lucas sported his “sparkly leo” (he grew out of the begged-for black unitard a few months ago and found a black unitard with a sequined peace sign in his size – this is his “sparkly leo”) because, according to my almost 6-year-old, “boys in the Olympics all wear sparkly leotards.” Kimberly got to volunteer for the Sunday shows! Becky did her routines on Sunday with the intermediate/advanced group.
Covering his Leo so “it doesn’t get blue” – the rest of him was covered in raspberry cotton candy!
Christina coaching
Medals and high fives!
Lucas was super excited that he got to be with his “best friend from preschool program” in the show (he is at the age where everyone is his best friend). The gymnasts got to fill out an “about me” sheet and Lucas thinks the fact that he does gymnastics makes him awesome. (Mom thinks he’s awesome just because.)
“Helping” set up – aka eating gummies
“Helping” at the front desk – aka napping
Thea thinks the entire gym is hers. She “helped out” setting up the pro shop, the day of she spilt time between the front desk and the concession room – gummy snacks and lots of food probably kept her busier than actually helping though.
Becky’s group with their medals, “about me” paper, and gifts! I love the smiles!
Thousands of combined hours prepared for the six two-hour sessions over the weekend where our amazing gymnasts got to show off their skills and family members got to watch. Each session was marked with countless proud smiles, lots of clapping, determination, laughter, hugs, and friendship! (Several showed me their cotton candy faces!) I usually had a clear view of the parallel bars – I loved seeing my gymnasts do their most challenging skills! So many proud coach moments even though I was just watching them in the background! (Yes, I mean those I coach and those I know – I’m super surprised at how many of our gymnasts I actually do know!) I’m pretty sure I recognized every gymnast.
Lucas got up this morning, ready for Gym-N-Learn class, all packed and dressed. In the van he said, “is there another show today?” (He was wearing his medal, which he gently wrapped when we got to gym and had me “carefully put” in my purse.)
“No, next year.”
“Aww… That was so much fun.”
“It was. What was your favorite part?”
*Deep thought and silence from the middle seat for a few long seconds* “All of it. I can’t wait to do it again!”
(And that, friends, was the goal of those putting on the WGV Gymnastics Annual Show – that our participating gymnasts enjoyed every single bit of it!)
Today my oldest daughter graduates. An actual in-person, cap-and-gown graduation for both high school and college. She officially graduated high school a few days ago. But since she was starting college classes, she has wanted to walk her cap-and-gown graduation at the college.
This level for her has been achieved!
AA degree as a dual-enrollment student was her goal. She had to choose just one stole though and liked the Phi Theta Kappa one better than the dual-enrollment one. When she was like, “I can only choose one tassel and one stole,” and was trying to find the best mix, I thought, “what an awesome problem to have.”
I love seeing my children achieve their goals! Step by step, day by day, level by level. Sometimes it is leap by leap!
Christina’s graduation ceremony will be the second I have attended (Anastasia’s kindergarten graduation ceremony was the first.). She is the first grandchild on either side to graduate college (yes, she plans to continue). Her next goal is to graduate Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which she starts this fall. Long term goals include her Master’s degree from Embry.
I’m so grateful to Jesus for the amazing educational opportunities Christina had access to here. I’m grateful for encouraging family and friends. I’m thankful for us always finding a way to make goals happen despite whatever life puts in our way. I’m thankful that my determined young woman understands the power of tenacity and hard work. She’s done so much to pull this goal off!
I’m so happy to be in Florida! I’m so thankful for our American freedoms! This is huge step for Christina will set her up for further successes and the power to achieve any and every dream she puts her mind to.
I’m so proud of my young lady (my first baby) and pray she allows God to guide her steps and lead her forward into all He has for her!
Thank you for reading!
~Nancy Tart
P.S. enjoy every second with your littles, they grow too quickly from one level to the next and soon are adulting right alongside you.
