Tag: WGV Gymnastics

New Year, 2024

January 3, 2024

New Year, 2024

Wow!

Read that again!  Wow!  It’s a new year full of possibilities!

I’m always so thankful for new years.  New seasons, new months, a new week every Sunday morning, a new day every sunrise… newness always reminds me of the opportunity God gives us to make a new start.  

Our possibilities this year look amazing!  

Laud got a tooth for Christmas (just one, two more are sitting there in the wings where we can see them but they haven’t popped through just yet).  He’s growing so fast!  I’m so blessed to watch this fast-moving change from totally-dependent-baby stage to exploration-baby-stage!

Thea has learned to read!  She’s officially started her “schoolbooks” aka book work.  We don’t really start books until they can read.  Her favorite school book is “The Beginner Book of Words” – the Dr. Seuss “kid dictionary” that belonged to her dad and uncles!  She announced to me, “mom, since I can read, I need real schoolbooks to do work in.”  I’m not sure if I’m ready for that!

Lucas can do some crazy cool gymnastics stuff!  His favorite thing is to show off his muscles – Kimberly consistently reminds him of the proper muscle names as he’ll flex and say “look at this one.”  Lucas told me his favorite thing he wants to happen this year is “work with Dad and build our house.” 

Jillian has her first gymnastics competition of the 2024 spring season January 13th!  She’s competing Xcel Silver again this year with WGV Gymnastics and is super excited about her routines.  Her confidence has grown with her strength and flexibility the past few months.  Her self-discipline is growing and took a huge jump right at the end of 2023 when she decided to apply herself seriously to both gymnastics and academics.  I’m so excited for what 2024 will bring in Jillian!

Jaquline has set her mind on a goal at the end of 2023 and I’m excited to see where it takes her.  She’s refocused her study path toward law.  She’s been devouring history, literature and debate, and the history of founding documents like our Constitution.  She says she wants to learn the laws, how and why they were written, and how legal changes are made.  Jaquline has been learning a lot about household management in the last bit of 2023 and says she will continue that in 2024.  She’s also deepening and polishing her collegiate writing skills.  She wants to write informational reports and persuasive (as she calls them, “enlightening”) papers well.  

Kimberly has her first gymnastics competition of the 2024 Spring season January 14th.  Kimberly competes Xcel Diamond with WGV Gymnastics this year.  I’m so excited to see her perform with all the training she’s persevered through in the past year.  This girl’s strength continues to astound me as she grows.  Kimberly also starts her first official college classes this semester.  She’s both excited and terrified – probably in the reverse order – about this.  I love seeing her set and accomplish goals!

Rebeccah returns to her college a little early this semester for work.  I’m both selfishly sad because I will miss her smile, watching her exercise patience with Thea, quietly observing as she paints (oh, by far my favorite thing to watch is someone create a masterpiece in front of my eyes – I got to watch her paint on canvas over this break), hearing her laughter, hearing her gaming; in short I will miss everything about her and there’s a Rebeccah-sized hole when she leaves home.  But I love hearing her adventures and chatting with her in her tight breaks between chapel, work, study, and classes.  She has such precious little free time and I’m honored when she chooses to use that time for me! 

Christina will be taking steps into her career path!  I’m so excited to be a part of her next adventure!  Resuming flight training is only the start of her 2024 adventures.  I am thankful she still shares her hopes and dreams and plans with me.  (And I get to borrow her car)

As a family, we bought property and cleared it in the last few months of 2023!  This is our first step toward building a home of our own!  Our designs are hopefully finding an architect willing to perfect a small, compact plan; hopefully we can start utilities and building soon!  

Thank you for reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Pneumonia and Gratitude!

November 24, 2023

Pneumonia and Gratitude!

The end of October was supposed to be so exciting!  Gym had an employee & family fall festival scheduled – I was super excited about that because three of my family members are also coworkers and the girls had planned their goodies and costumes.  Our church had a Trunk or Treat – the first one Christina didn’t have classes on and was actually able to decorate her trunk (the back of the 4Runner).  Two weekends after was to be a concert at our church I wanted to attend. 

There was a stomach bug passing around in the local schools.  I ended up with that and usually I don’t get sick, but that tossed me out.  I was throwing up and had a really high fever.  Our O people didn’t really get sick, or if they did, it was sniffles and no fever.  (Louis is totally convinced that the blood type has a huge impact on how you are sick – after this last two rounds, I’m sure it has a factor.)  Kimberly and I were down two days (one feeling horrid, and 24 hours after the last fever).  It was fighting the fight of “stay hydrated” and “make sure I’m putting something in my stomach” when everything was coming back up! 

Done, that cleared everyone.  Got back to work (ended up missing all of the events, sadly). 

I got it again!  The following weekend the bug came back!  I had a high fever and all the stomach issues Saturday morning, starting about two in the morning this time.  It was faster to the finish (fever broke about 14 hours instead of fevers back and forth for a full day), but I was so worn out!  Then I started feeling my lung.  I was coughing and it hurt so bad to lift my arm.  It felt like the pneumonia I’d had back in 2018.  In brief, I’d ended up with “asthmatic allergic reaction to black mold” at the same time as pneumonia and it took about 4 doctor visits before I ended up in the hospital fighting that – I’d been told by the pulmonologist back then to be careful that it would be easier for an infection to turn into pneumonia. 

I went to a clinic.  Yes.  Pneumonia, but the scan showed something really amazing!

**Back up about three months when we got our property** (Oh, yes, we are clearing land!!)…

I was out working, dragging limbs and clearing brush like the workhorse I remember being back when we had our farm.  No getting winded after a little workout, no coughing, no stopping to make my body take deep breaths.  I thanked God for healing my lungs!  It felt so great! (back in 2018, I had been told the scarring on my lungs would probably not heal: “never be back to 100%”)

**Back to the story**

The doctor said the scan showed that the “secondary damage” was completely gone! (Scarring of my lungs)  The tests showed full use of my left lung, the only reason the right was low was because of the pneumonia!  I was so excited!  Even though I already “knew” it was nice to be confirmed! 

God is amazing!

I’m so grateful for the way He made our bodies so they heal with His touch!  I can workout!  (I had started trying to after Thea was born in 2019, but it was slow going and I’d feel my limit fast – I had to bicycle “slowly” and stop to take deep breaths to make my body stop “panicking”)  I’d been doing slightly more in workouts in the last three or four months and had last used my inhaler just before Laud’s birth.  

Thank you, Jesus, for healing my lungs!  It’s so cool that two infections ending up with pneumonia cumulated with a confirmation that my lungs are healed!  The doctor was like, “usually pneumonia is treated in the hospital if you are allergic to these antibiotics (yes, the two “outpatient” drugs I’m allergic to), but we can try two days of outpatient with these” (some “stronger” antibiotics that he warned were harder to control because they both cause dehydration & you have to keep eating probiotics because they “clean your gut out”)

Daily probiotic protein shake, check. It contains iron so had to be four hours after and before the every twelve hour pill.

Greek yogurt on the other twelve hour window, check.

Super focus on hydration, check.  (When I’m fighting something, I log medicine, vitamins, liquid intake, and food intake because it helps me not forget to eat and drink.)

Managed to not go to the hospital this time, check!! – And I’m all done now.  No coughing, nothing!

God, I am so thankful for Your healing!!

Thank You for the wisdom you gave the doctors.  Thank You for the miraculous way You designed our bodies.  Thank You for health and restoration in my body!

Thank you for reading,

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Sister-Cousin Spring Camp

Sister-Cousin Spring Camp & Making Memories! #2023 #Family #Sister #Cousin #Blessings #Connections #SistersAndCousins #TartSpringBreak2023 #SpringBreak2023 #Friends #WateringFriendships #PurposefullyBuildingRelationships #FamilyAndFriends

March 27, 2023

Sister-Cousin Spring Camp

The week of Spring Break for our county was also the Spring Break week for one of my nieces!

While I had an adjusted work schedule because rec classes were taking the week off, Spring Break Camp at WGVG was in full swing and my also-on-break-college driver wanted to make her own “cousin camp” with fun trips, crazy baking escapades, and lots of memories made!

The girls spent time making crafts, dropping in to Spring Camp to do fun stuff, took at least one beach trip, at least two “mushroom park” trips (aka Trout Creek Park, where there is a mushroom you can swing from), chased the escapee bunny that they let loose quite a few times, used the big floor blocks to make several castles and rooms, baked all kinds of egg-free Anastasia-safe goodies (I got to taste some), Christina and Jaquline made unique suppers and lunches, Christina went to a Celtic Festival, 

I love that Christina is making these amazing memories with her sisters, brother, and cousin!  She doesn’t have many limits on where they can go – and just like we’ve always done, everywhere is usually “free” (aka just the cost of gas).  Christina filled her few days of break with loads of “taxiing mom and gymnasts” back and forth (competitive team didn’t take off spring break).  She also got to drop all the siblings and cousin at gym one day to spend a perfect day with her best friend – who was also home from college!

When I was watching Katy, Buddy, Becca, Charley, Stacy, Dorothy, and Mary doing special outings and making memories with my oldest girls, I dreamed of my older girls continuing with their siblings, cousins, and friends.  There were memories like “Monster Truck Show outing,” shopping with aunts, Alligator Farm trips, “Special Day” outings, long walks to the ice cream shop, beach days, park days, camping nights, firepits and roasting marshmallow visits, and other just “visit” days.  

Now I see my not-so-littles being purposeful in their connections to their friends, younger siblings, and cousins – continuing to water those friendships.  It makes me so happy!  (A few pictures included to enjoy)

Random faces at the Mushroom Park

Hair Sweeping
Spider-Swing gone oops
Laughing!

Swinging Antics

Kimmy
Jaq
Jilly
Anastasia
Lucas & Thea

These were their “look like yourself portraits” that crack me up! Christina perfectly captures each of their respective personalities in these funny pics!

Beach Trip
…

…and they are always at the top of something or trying something daredevilish….

Each one is now looking forward to summer and the next trip(s) they get to do… even if it’s just friends and cousins over at the house playing with critters outside, swinging, reading, having a mega Frogger challenge, or the fifteenth Among Us game with every mobile device in the house, or the next life, monopoly, clue, or catan board game and resulting laughter!  And food… my family does revolve most everything around cooking, eating, and cleaning up food (who really doesn’t?). 

Thank you for reading!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

Dressing the Part

#DressingThePart #ChristinaCanDressUp #DressUpDays #Halloween2022 #Halloween #SillyMemories #Silliness #BeSilly #BeFun #Family #Memories #LetsMakeMemoriesTogether #CreateSillyMemories #DontLetYourFunStop #WGVGymnastics #ParentsNightOut #ChristinaHasWayTooMuchFunDressingUp

November 12, 2022

Dressing the Part


Christina likes to dress up.  She turns into “Christy the Elf” after Thanksgiving and loves dressing up to our themes at work.  This Halloween is the first we’ve lived in a community where people actually trick-or-treat!  This made her super excited!  She had Jaquline’s big speaker outside playing creepy and fun Halloween songs (some were soundtracks to different movies, others were funny like “the Monster Mash”).  She had invited a bunch of friends but most had other plans and attending a friend’s Halloween “party on my driveway giving away candy” is not a valid excuse to play hooky from work.  

One of her best friends showed up – in a totally amazing costume my nerdy girls loved! – and these two college girls goofed off and enjoyed giving away candy to all the trick-or-treaters.  A table of glowing fun candles and cute props, two smiling young ladies handing out candy, and a bunch of spare candy bags hiding just inside the door made for hours of fun. 

Christina worked our October Parents’ Night Out where the coaches are encouraged to dress up. 

Before she left, she was crawling around the house “getting into the dog character” just to make all the little ones laugh.  Christina knows how to make little ones laugh.  Maybe that’s why she excels as a preschool coach.  

The Doggy
Jillian isn’t sure yet
A Snack!
Begging Doggy
Thea took Doggy’s phone
Jillian’s costume
Lucas and Jillian’s costumes
Thea all decked out

Louis looked at me, “what in the Earth?” because, you know, she is nineteen.  Or is she?  

I love that they have the freedom to dress up and play pretend and goof off – one has to feel very confident in their own skin in order to act silly in front of others.  It is amazing how my girls’ first jobs give them options to be silly.  We dress up (okay, not me, but the other coaches do), we goof off with each other and our kids (yes, I goof off with the preschoolers and tots), and yet all of us are very professional about our job.  We love our kiddos!  We want the best for them!  

I always take time to do fun kid things with my children.  Thea wants to play legos (we set up the lego base boards and each gets a spot to build).  Lucas wants to play boggle with Thea (yes, they both get words now, it’s almost scary – Thea won one round because she had a 3-letter that beat Lucas’ two-letter and she’s told everyone!).  We spend family day(Sunday) with at least one board game like Monopoly or Risk.  We do silly dance parties or sing karaoke.  Sometimes we have been known to spend hours watching parakeets or guinea pigs or lizards or chickens while narrating (speaking for the poor animals).  

Sometimes when you are being silly, you totally dress the part – like Christina. 

Sometimes it helps to make you join in all the silliness and pretend you are a part of a world where imagination reigns.  Crawling around like whatever animal you are pretending to be, making the littles squeal with joy and run from you, or pretend they are “protecting” and wrestle you; always make time for “silly” memories.  When I think back, some of the most heart-warming memories with elder members of my family were the silly ones (i.e. my granny at eighty-something throwing cartwheels to teach a group of us kids how to do it, running through the sprinklers with my Daddy, “braving” the rain from a Sams Club with my mom) and then the ones I remember making with my siblings and children… twirling in the middle of a flower garden, singing silly songs on bike rides, people-watching on the bayfront, tickle wars, covering kiddos with sheets and “smashing them” while I try to fold sheets or make beds, reading stories that will never be published as they shred them apart with kid-questions, letting them “cook” stuff in Star Ocean while we fold clothes, etc.  Silly stuff we remember as so much fun.  

Enjoy your silly memory-making moments and don’t be scared to “dress your part” if the mood hits to be silly!

Thank you for Reading!

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

The Many Faces of Thea

#Theadora #TheManyFacesOfPreschoolers #PreschoolerMoods #Preschool #GymNLearn #WGVGymnastics #CanMyThreenagerListen #IndependentThreeYearOld #OnlyMineForASeason #ICanDOItMyself #Faces #Pictures #MomSometimesIsntReady #TheyAreReadyBeforeMe #ILoveBeingAMother

The Many Faces of Thea

November 1, 2022


This is Theadora. 

I said “let me get a picture of your cute hair!” 

Seriously?  This child cracks me up with her faces!

They are: “I’m Thea” (top left), “I’m Coach Heather” (top middle), “I’m sad” (top right), “I’m sassy” (bottom left), “I’m Becky” (bottom 2nd from left), “I’m really mad” (bottom 2nd from left, “I’m a listening baby” (bottom right).

She loves everything her way and her biggest challenge right now is learning that she must listen to the teacher, coach, big sister, grandmother, or parent who is doing the teaching!  

She absolutely loves gymnastics (she does only Fridays at Gym-N-Learn this season).  Supposedly, her coach says she’s doing better at listening.  I hope so.  The reason it’s Fridays only? So I can bribe her with open gym participation if she listens!  (Seriously, our open gym is immediately following Preschool Program – and that seems to work.) 

Thea is a very independent three.  I think “going on thirty” but then maybe she’s just “chasing Becky and Jillian” in the attitude department – and their determination has started to serve them well in practice and life.  Thea wants to do everything herself – always has.  That appears to be a huge thing for my children though, they always want to do whatever it is by themselves.  It leads to them doing tasks and jobs before I think they are ready.  (Taking the PERT or driving a motorized “big wheeler” at two or jumping into CAP leadership or raising animals or cutting potatoes.)  

I always have to remind myself that Thea is only mine for a season.  She is really Jesus’ daughter and I have the honor and blessing of being her mother.  I enjoy each of her various faces and moods.  I love to watch them grow.  I love to guide them toward the truth.  

That’s all what went through my brain while she posed with silly faces telling me what emotion or what person she was being.  

Thank you for reading, 

Type at you later!

~Nancy Tart

Encouragers: The Chaos Of Joy Mother

Encouragers: The Chaos Of Joy Mother

October 9, 2022

I’m sitting at the desk at gym, taking payments and checking liability waivers for our open gym one Friday at noon (every Friday noon to 1pm is Open Gym – basically, allow your kiddos to expend all their energy just before naptime!).  She pulls up into the handicapped parking space.  I smile. 

This woman is such an amazing encourager to me!  She has overcome more physical and medical challenges in her life than I could ever understand.  She has five little ones all five or younger and normally is accompanied by at least one nephew in the same general range.  She is such a blanket of calm mothering in a sea of chaos – and her smile!  Such joy!  She chooses joy!

I call her the “Chaos of Joy Mother” because you’d think her life with five littles zero to five years old would be chaos.  (I see some of her posts on Facebook and yes, it’s laughable, amazing, lovable chaos!) Add in farm animals, countless stunt-double-training apparatuses in their kid-ninja-warrior yard, kids turning the house into ninja training course, and homeschooling… I love her beautiful chaos!  She’s the type of calm mother I hope I am.  Minus the goat and stretching births out a bit, one of my girls pointed out that there were some family tales we turned into “The Funny Sisters” stories that are probably relatable. 

She encourages me by her love of life!  She is always doing something new or allowing her daughter to try something new.  They grow in love, life, and faith by expounding on the adventures life hands them.  This is such an encouragement to me.  I pray for them and thank God that I see her.  She probably doesn’t see herself as an encourager, but she totally is by the joy she shares!

Sometimes chaos is where you find your joy.  I know some of the craziest moments in my life are where I felt I couldn’t do anything else BUT find joy in Jesus and look up. 

While I’m driving to my first school on our afterschool pickup route, I happen to hear “Season, a Joy Bringer” and I smile at her anecdotes.  She is always focusing on how to share joy.  I feel the Chaos of Joy Mother is always sharing something she finds joyful with us – some see it as joy (like me) and some as craziness (are you kidding, you did/allowed what?!).   In our journey of life, I am super thankful for those who encourage me.  I pray I am an encouragement to others. 

I’m super thankful for the Chaos of Joy Mother because she and her little angels always make me smile with their love, wildness, and crazy adventures! 

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

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

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

It’s Here! In Person!

New Release!! The Secret Locker, Bunnies in the Orchard Lands – come see it in person at WGV Gymnastics’ Pro Shop!

It’s Here! In Person!

March 16, 2022

“Haven’t you ever wanted to meet bunnies who can do gymnastics, especially vault?” Asks Bonnie. (from “Bunnies in the Orchard Lands“)

I am over-the-moon excited about this project I’ve been heavily working on!

Let me introduce you to “The Secret Locker,” a series of illustrated children’s books based on the wonderful imaginations of the gymnasts at my gym! (okay, not my gym, but I coach here and would like to think of it as mine) Each book follows a group of gymnasts as they explore or go on adventures.

The first one (just released!!) is “Bunnies in the Orchard Lands.” In these fun pages, we meet Jilly Beanie, Lizi, and Bonnie and follow them into an enchanted place called “The Orchard Lands” where they meet bunnies who can do gymnastics!

Can you wait to see the bunny siblings? Moon, Star, Blob, Rose, and Dally… maybe just a glimpse of hmm… The apple blossoms!

Oh yes, The Orchard Lands have apple blossoms all over! Didn’t my illustrator, Rebeccah Tart, do a great job? I love her art!

If you are close to St Augustine, Florida, come to my gym’s Pro Shop at 135 Center Place Way, Saint Augustine, FL and buy a copy (if I’m at the desk, I’ll sign it for you) and support our gym!! Otherwise, you can buy it online and still support our gym because a portion of all sales from “The Secret Locker” series goes to WGV Gymnastics!

I’m so super excited!! Rebeccah and I have two more books in “The Secret Locker” series being produced now and many more ideas coming! All thanks to little gymnasts with BIG imaginations!

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

11 Days of Challenge

The Eleven Days of Challenge

11 Days of Challenge

December 30, 2021

It’s been a long time since I’ve written here!

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!)

~Nancy Tart

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