tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56088760184514875552024-03-05T15:29:59.708-08:00And So Much MoreMet my husband and was engaged within three weeks...yeah, but there's so much more to the story. Two boys and a little girl...I love them so much more than I could ever explain! My passion...help people seek so much more than they thought they could, no matter the topic.
This is my life....how crazy it is, how fun it is & just how much more joy I have at the end of the day because of it all.kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-2163698533710000022019-12-05T13:28:00.000-08:002019-12-05T13:28:59.377-08:00Always an Adventure...<p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;" id="docs-internal-guid-d275cdea-7fff-c3d7-8cb6-ab7950acdadc"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think I am pretty lucky to have had involved grandparents during the 38 years of my life. Yesterday, my last grandparent passed away - whew that’s a tough sentence to type. Thirty eight years of always having a back up if mom and dad didn’t give me the answer I wanted, thirty eight years of stopping in unannounced for a good conversation and thirty eight years of another partner in crime to have an adventure alongside.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And life with my Grandma Tootie was always an adventure! </span><span style="text-align: left; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1kJjVxpdfUM5Mbg-z84T1pnoRMmPpzUCl" alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1kJjVxpdfUM5Mbg-z84T1pnoRMmPpzUCl" style="max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; height: auto; width: auto;"><br></span></p><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a little girl and the only granddaughter, I remember spending many one-on-one days with my grandma. One of her favorite adventures was to take me to department store perfume counters. Most people would try one or two, but when I went with my grandma we tried evvvery perfume - a spritz on one side of the neck, then another scent on the other side. Pair those up with two other samples on each wrist and I was walking out of those stores smelling like a ten cent….well, ya know😉...but feeling like a million bucks smiling and laughing with my grandma. She’d scrunch her nose and tell the clerk if one was awful and then spray me with more when we found one we liked. She never knew a stranger; she would try to get other customers to try a scent too. I’m pretty sure they all politely decline as they held their breath walking quickly to different department. But, oh we would just be giggling away with not a care in the world. We sure did make our presence known. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span><span style="text-align: left; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1E9WAeNRBDfxC2tSH6nsSHu8LBUh1N0od" alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1E9WAeNRBDfxC2tSH6nsSHu8LBUh1N0od" style="max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; height: auto; width: auto;"><br></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Summers during middle school meant Friday garage sale trips with grandma. My mom would give me $10 and grandma and I would spend Thursday evening circling ads and mapping out which sales we’d hit and when to maximize our time - way before online market places and gps! After a morning wheeling and dealing, I’d come home with the biggest smile, super proud of all the great deals, while grandma grinned ear to ear next to me as I explained my plan for each purchased item. As a parent, I now believe grandma was smiling because she knew the “buy of the century” was staying at my parents’ house and not going back home with her. But oh the fun we had without spending much more than $10, the cost of lunch, and time. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><font color="#000000" face="sans-serif" size="3"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.301961); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1wZ2-KQuBSH2Z2zL7w-jsDAvZX4nELMe6" alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1wZ2-KQuBSH2Z2zL7w-jsDAvZX4nELMe6" style="width: auto; height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%;"></span></font><br></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline !important;"><br></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline !important;">Grandma Tootie spent many hours in cars driving to any one of my cousins’ or mine sporting events, dance recitals, music concerts, awards ceremonies, graduation commencement...you name an activity we were a part of and I guarantee she was there. It didn’t matter if it was the same elementary school musical program year after year or a Masters’ class performance. It didn’t matter if all the little six year olds were chasing the ball down the court or we were cheering for a state championship. And whether we were showing our fair animals or if our graduation was states away, she was ready to get in the car and sit in the bleachers to watch her grandkids. She showed up, bought some popcorn, and was leading our cheering section. </span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1fpYXUkPqCSatIdJblFRvxsnwKM8B5n8_" alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1fpYXUkPqCSatIdJblFRvxsnwKM8B5n8_" style="max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; height: auto; width: auto;"><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">During college, I always enjoyed coming home on the weekends and stopping in at Grandma and Grandpa’s to hear her whistle or talk to herself as I entered the house. She’d stop everything to say, “Oh Katie, what have you been up to?! Tell me everything!” and spend an hour around her table listening to my stories and making me feel like I was the only one in the world. </span></p><div><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1I7r5l9gFSq6Nv0X5bmACqpT8IAzBTk7Q" alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1I7r5l9gFSq6Nv0X5bmACqpT8IAzBTk7Q" style="max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; height: auto; width: auto;"><br></div><br><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And now with my own little family - each who she has held shortly after they were born, attended their games and dance recitals, and added their photos to her refrigerator - I’ll miss having her around to continue sharing our family holiday traditions. At any given family function we’d play nickels with pennies she saved for everyone to use while trying to find one full set of cards that wasn’t just a euchre deck. Easter brought dollar store kites that ended up tied to the back of a ranger for those family members not so inclined to run when there wasn’t a breeze. Or the fun on Halloween when neighbors all over the countryside would stop in to have her try and guess who each kid was and take their photo then send them off with more candy and treats than one bag could hold. And the fun guessing game at Christmas as we opened our gifts packaged perfectly inside old cereal and popcorn boxes having her be as surprised as you since she either didn’t remember what she bought you or didn’t know what you bought yourself on her behalf. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1vnrBYgModPl5n-qzAF7QOijoda1EZGzi" alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1vnrBYgModPl5n-qzAF7QOijoda1EZGzi" style="max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; height: auto; width: auto;"><br></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Oh but the stories of these traditions we can share with our children and pass on through photos and video of what it was like to grow up with a grandmother named Tootie who always let her presence be known, didn’t need to spend much to have a good time, showed up no matter when or where, and was always ready to know what was happening in her grandchildren’s lives. </span><span style="text-align: left; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Ew8T3uL2WWOLienNBGBrD4ZmcwVZlEso" alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1Ew8T3uL2WWOLienNBGBrD4ZmcwVZlEso" style="max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; height: auto; width: auto;"><br></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We’re all thankful for the years we had with her and to have been raised with a grandma full of adventure. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">❤️kte</span></p><br><div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=12-D26vQ7Vf9uCp7hqbiXBOnjj1BzN533" alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=12-D26vQ7Vf9uCp7hqbiXBOnjj1BzN533" style="max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; height: auto; width: auto;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://m.legacy.com/obituaries/themorningsun/obituary.aspx?n=beverly-jean-loomis-tootie&pid=194635550&referrer=0&preview=True" title="Grandma Tootie's Obituarty " style="font-size: 12pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Grandma Tootie's Obituarty</a>. </div>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-18114293000319162432016-03-05T08:28:00.000-08:002016-03-05T08:28:28.630-08:00Angel KissesWhile pregnant with Mae Kathryn, I took monthly photos of my growing belly from my perspective seeing this might be our last (like 99.9% sure, but you know what happens when you say never)..... I just thought it was a fun way to document my pregnancy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">October, November, December, January & February</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">March - Clare Irish 5K Race</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April - Hawaii </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May - Soccer Mom<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June - six days before my little girl was born...a couple last walks in the field.</td></tr>
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So when <a href="http://bit.ly/1X2dVRS" target="_blank">Carrie House</a> captured newborn photos, I knew I wanted one with Mae so I could always remember the view from my perspective....like I did with the belly photos.<br />
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Now that Mae is almost nine months old, she loves to move and cuddling is a rarity left for night feedings and naps. Her crawling causes her to often pull her socks off. I only keep trying to put them on her because it's winter. I thought about putting her in tights so she couldn't pull them off, but you'd never notice this little freckle on her right big toe. Most people try to rub it off because it's easily confused as dirt or fuzz. </div>
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After a close friend tried to rub it off, she told me a special freckle like the one on her toe was actually an angel kiss....then she said I'm sure your Aunt Casee wanted you to know she held Mae before you. </div>
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I don't think it's irony she kissed her toe as she looked at her from the same perspective I had during nine months of pregnancy and now each night at bedtime.</div>
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So this week, when Facebook's "On This Day" shared this wall post, </div>
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I smiled to think Casee sent Mae with a little message to tell me she knows I have a little girl and that she was able to love on her even before I held her. </div>
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She always did like to have the last word.</div>
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kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-17134258175958647672015-12-24T06:17:00.001-08:002015-12-24T06:35:41.202-08:00Christmas at the Eisenberger's<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Only a handful of Christmas cards were mailed yesterday....after the pick up time so you probably won't receive them until after Christmas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">We've enjoyed homemade goodies from neighbors and friends, but I haven't made one batch of puppy chow, monster cookies or popcorn cakes. Thankfully, no one expects me to bring some amazing dish to pass....I'm known for my veggie tray ($10 out the door at Sam's Club) and you know what- it's usually empty by the end of the parties.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">My house hasn't been cleaned since....well if I can't remember the last time I mopped than it's been too long since it was cleaned. Hopefully Santa doesn't judge....nor should you expect me to invite you in if you do drop off goodies, because you will stand on the porch as I strategically half peer out the door blocking<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> your view into the mail and school papers piled high on the dining room table. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">don't feel as bad doing this since it is 50 out. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Oh and the elf....he hasn't moved for four nights. He's currently tangled in garland and I assume he's not up for navigating in the wind so he stays warmly nestled among the decor. I'm probably <span style="font-family: inherit;">more excited of his adventure home than Santa's arrival. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I spent hours trying to coordinated our Christmas attire and I'm already planning on having a "discussion" with the oldest because he won't want to wear what I have out for him....and you'd think Mae would be the easiest but I'm just preparing myself for the ultimate Christmas blow out just minutes after I've dressed her in the perfect red, white & green ruffly girlie outfit, that can really only be worn on Christmas and was way more than any one time baby outfit should be....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There's a lot of pressu</span>re to be in the holiday spirit, have the perfect decorations, be a grand hostess, attend parties looking all put together...the reality is, I'm over it and it hasn't even begun. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">So today I'm shutting off the phone, closing the doors to all the messy bedrooms in our house, putting up the nativity set that hasn't seen the light of day since last February when I finally took down all our decorations from Christmas 2014....and I'm just going to let <span style="font-family: inherit;">whatever be, be. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I hope you're able to do the same...and if you need permission to do so....I give you permission to go buy a store bought pie after your attempts burn. I promise the kiddos will love your gifts even if your wrapping consists of newspaper and a roll of duct tape. The clothes you haven't had time to fold, throw em in a closet and shut the door. I'm sure they'll be there Sunday...unless you receive a coupon gift for folded clothes - cash that baby in ASAP!! Oh and the Christmas cards you didn't get out....no worries! Post a pic of your super cute family on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And if you need some extra prayers...I woke up this m</span>orning praying for extra patience, forgiveness for all the yelling I have been doing lately, and asking for extra grace for myself and all the parents just wanting to make Christmas magical for their children....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkR51dr1DtkPhUCdBRMX60vnky0Q-y010EpLF2nvkbNsINmSXS0b4IpWOhrGen5cyQ3LuDKSgpmsMGC2iqs58Fx2WnYZ4hymBP4-hQ1YtcUrQ8mwWm_3K2V5jzy9MsuIjA7nJvLRGWMqk/s1600/eisenbergerchristmascard2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkR51dr1DtkPhUCdBRMX60vnky0Q-y010EpLF2nvkbNsINmSXS0b4IpWOhrGen5cyQ3LuDKSgpmsMGC2iqs58Fx2WnYZ4hymBP4-hQ1YtcUrQ8mwWm_3K2V5jzy9MsuIjA7nJvLRGWMqk/s400/eisenbergerchristmascard2015.jpg" width="266" /></span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Yet, God reminded me- like He so often does- that He made this magical holiday for each of us through the birth of Jesus....tonight many years ago a very pregnant Mary and Joseph traveled to take part in the census. They ended up in a stable where the only "people" to judge their clothing attire were livestock. And in a barn, Jesus Christ, our savior, was born. God gave us the perfect present....a relationship with Him through Jesus. Not sure how I'd ever top that....so here's to less arguing and more laughter, less distance and more hugs, less stress and more enjoyment. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">And if Jesus' birth was celebrated in a barn, opening gifts tomorrow morning on carpet that hasn't been vacuumed in a week (or two!) will be totally acceptable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Merry Christmas from our family to yours. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Love, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Jesse, Katie, Gunner, Gauge & Mae</span><br />
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kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-76791025813917645022015-12-06T18:52:00.001-08:002015-12-06T19:53:42.850-08:00Grandpa BumMy family needs your prayers. My Grandpa Bum went into the hospital Thursday. As things have unraveled, his body is full of infection which has impacted his heart. <div><div><br><div>Friday was bad...<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you know my mom, you know she's 1000 times more optimistic than the most optimistic person you know.</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">.. So when she tells you he's really bad...you know it's really bad. To the point where doctors suggest preparing for the worst.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">But they don't know my grandpa ...he's a Loomis. They'll help anyone in need and smile with a sparkle in their eye...but they're also stubborn and set in their ways. They don't like to lose and they never stop working for what they believe in. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I went to see him Friday afternoon and he was completely out of it with the antibiotic trying to fight off the infection and an oxygen mask to reduces stress on his lungs. It was a rough 24 hours for everyone. A lot of unknowns and waiting to see how his body would react to the medication.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Today, his mask was off. He was slightly aware of people and he even said Mae's name when I brought her to his side. My heart relaxed a bit, seeing him more alert and being able to hold his hand. Yet, he has a very long road ahead. He's receiving medication for swelling in his legs and tomorrow they're going to do a swallow test to make sure he can have a drink of water. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">There are a ton of other medical issues and tasks happening, a majority I don't understand .... but what I do understand is that he's making progress. Slow, small progress, but it still </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">gives me hope.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Pray he continues to progress and remains comfortable. Pray for his doctors and medical team. Pray for my grandma and family. Pray that we as a family show the doctors what it means to be a Loomis. </span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggv4YjrWkNlLB2O1jDcL9AGfUG9vbvPQlRODuknA8THQcGBUAgqwMAsrPRjwxXbI021vwpUpd4MkJrGT35IVbvfnoy9BZ81OWkToSljHNyuqUE6RlNEVwZQv36kPVYYekimArqxxbQXaY/s640/blogger-image--1455622388.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggv4YjrWkNlLB2O1jDcL9AGfUG9vbvPQlRODuknA8THQcGBUAgqwMAsrPRjwxXbI021vwpUpd4MkJrGT35IVbvfnoy9BZ81OWkToSljHNyuqUE6RlNEVwZQv36kPVYYekimArqxxbQXaY/s640/blogger-image--1455622388.jpg"></a></div><br></div></span></div>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-2278309550434596232015-09-12T05:58:00.001-07:002015-09-12T12:48:45.804-07:00Our First Week of SchoolIt's early Saturday morning.... I should be sleeping, but my body won't relax and my mind is thinking of a million things that need to be done today....so the first of 2487 loads of laundry that need to be done is in the washer, the dish washer is working overtime to catch up on the pile created from throwing lunch dishes and dinner pans on top of each other and my grade book is out ready to record grades for the first assignment of the year!<br />
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What a week it has been....to sum it up in a couple words...Exhausting. Energizing. Emotional. Exactly where I'm suppose to be!<br />
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Tuesday morning I work up and left the house before anyone else was awake...Mae has been such a trooper - sleeping most of the night and waking for a brief moment before falling back asleep in her car seat on the way to daycare. It was the first time I didn't drop the boys off at school on their first day of school - that was rough. But daddy pulled through and sent me a picture of our third grader and first grader! Plus we attend a pretty awesome school where several other moms captured their first day for me. It takes a village!<br />
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The boys were excited to see friends and wear their new school clothes. It started off a busy week trying to get into a new routine of having daddy drop them off. It's awesome for Jesse to spend some time with the boys in the morning and helping the boys become more independent. Yet for me, it's hard not being the last voice they hear before they head into school. I took that for granted...now it's a quick kiss while they sleep as I slip out of the house in the morning. Yet, evenings were fun catching up on their day in between running to soccer practices and getting ready for the next morning. Gauger even lost his second tooth this week while brushing his teeth! I'd say the boys had a great start to their school year!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gunner & Gauge - 2015</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Ms. Melissa for capturing Gunner & friends.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And despite their whining, Mrs. Judge grabbed a couple pics for me! </td></tr>
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My first week of school started off with an assembly....I grew up a Shark, went on to be a Spartan, now am a Blue Jay mom and was introduced Tuesday as a Huskie teacher to a gym full of students I would soon be meeting! I just prayed as I walked across the gym floor that I didn't trip over my feet :) Thankfully, the entire staff at Breckenridge HS/MS have been amazing - very welcoming and encouraging and I'm pretty sure if I would have fell they would have helped me up and made it look like we had all planned it :). </div>
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My class schedule allows me to interact with seventh graders up to seniors. I teach a general agriscience/FFA class, then a full class of Botany, two classes of Zoology, an Alternative Education Ecology class and I wrap up with an Ag Leadership/Ecology class of upperclassmen. Students who take Botany one year and Zoology the next year receive a Biology credit. A majority of my students also participate in FFA. <a href="http://on.fb.me/1UNKrVO" target="_blank">Follow us on Facebook</a> if you get a second - you'll be able to see everything we're up to! </div>
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For the first week, we spent our time getting to know each other. Every student made a PowerPoint telling me a little bit about themselves, but also so I could see what they knew about setting up a presentation....because much like real life, they'll be working in groups and should know how to form their thoughts and present them to others. We finished up the week with marshmallows and toothpicks....building teamwork skills while building the tallest, freestanding structure. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using our shop for labs, the students worked in teams...possibly some future engineers!</td></tr>
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As fun as the first week was, it was also filled with a ton learning experiences...more for me than the students. </div>
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My major take away from the week....I can't control every moment in the classroom. Ideally, I thought I'd teach, share the assignment and then they would ask me a ton of questions and want me to be right there showing them...kinda like how a new parent thinks their baby will always want them to hold their hand.......naive, but with good intentions.I was reminded, quoted from a friend & fellow teacher, I can teach them what to eat, why to eat and what to eat, but they need to actually chew their own food". I realize this seems like common sense, but man it's hard to not hover! </div>
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When I left yesterday, I thought how great the first week had went but I'm trying to keep in perspective it was still the honeymoon, new teacher, new school year phase. For my very first week of teaching, I'm going to say it was a win....and as much as I hope my students learn from me, I'm sure they'll be teaching me more than they will ever realize.....</div>
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And now I'm off to tackle a house that may have accumulated more dirty dishes and clothes than I realized we had.....</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first day of school picture! My mom even gave me lunch money. :)! </td></tr>
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p.s. Thanks so much for the texts, phone calls, emails and messages this week. It's so awesome doing life with all of you!</div>
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<br />kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-49777176339987258512015-07-31T19:37:00.000-07:002015-07-31T19:43:47.882-07:00There is always a plan....<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My first day with Farm Bureau Insurance was my thirtieth birthday. I was so excited about the future...who I would meet, what I would experience... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I met amazing people...as clients and colleagues. I sat across many dining room tables in the evenings talking about insurance, but also watching families grow and change. My team and I helped them work through rough times and celebrated the good ones. It has meant a lot that you opened up your lives to my agency. Thank you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My husband and I were fortunate to travel with the company to experience places we only dreamed about. We "locked" our love on a bridge in Paris, our boys met Captain America at Universal Studios and we saw beautiful Hawaiian country side with great friends. Jesse and I always looked forward to seeing other agents and their spouses...sharing hunting stories, catching up on families and making memories together.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkh9suSgX2nE93dZ-p80WtQL3uzsvLHl_ZNLPpRagKSGfy1TaWjCkeWodyVfk_obyes9MORTFwF9UWm689lpRlJ7MLFI5GECM_h9k2ZDyha9g_l8LbysqN7dsv34EUuojWJEk52WXqM8o/s1600/farmbureau.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkh9suSgX2nE93dZ-p80WtQL3uzsvLHl_ZNLPpRagKSGfy1TaWjCkeWodyVfk_obyes9MORTFwF9UWm689lpRlJ7MLFI5GECM_h9k2ZDyha9g_l8LbysqN7dsv34EUuojWJEk52WXqM8o/s400/farmbureau.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And now on the eve of my 34th birthday, I'm wrapping up my insurance career and introducing <a href="http://bit.ly/1gvBWlq" target="_blank">Ryan Methner</a> as the new agent providing quality service to my clients.....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Where am I going?? Well God has had a plan up his sleeve....34 years in the making...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I started typing out all the intertwining of people's lives into mine to show you how intricate this plan really was....coaching basketball, applying for a loan, working as a paraprofessional for a short while, helping FFA State Officers after I was done with my term, ....but I had to delete it all or you would have fallen asleep reading, not that I was writing something boring, but there were so many times in my life - small moments & large moments that God put before me not realizing it was all part of the plan....and a wise person told me once, "You can't go wrong when you follow God's plan".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So I'm thankful for all the turns God laid before me. For His direction when I went off path...at times waaaay off path. I'm thankful for the experience and the friends I've gained along the way. And I'm thankful to join a community who knows what it means when I say... "I believe in the future of agriculture."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm beyond excited to say that pending school board approval in August, I am the new <a href="http://bit.ly/1VSo4ll" target="_blank">Breckenridge High School</a> Agriscience Teacher and FFA Advisor! I can't wait to be placed into students' lives and help them with the plan set before them....plus check out my awesome classroom!!!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_axr70UdGmA_YkuPfi8EuvKaOEg1y318yBgbZN6TJD7PNqIPga8YbyRjg_immgbU9jSfA3H_vDF5ZZsPEnkH8ikuI5TjUIT2MuNyM86Yuhf7fWYv_4Y3NNxzfr75feWeH5dahXKVRWM/s1600/classroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_axr70UdGmA_YkuPfi8EuvKaOEg1y318yBgbZN6TJD7PNqIPga8YbyRjg_immgbU9jSfA3H_vDF5ZZsPEnkH8ikuI5TjUIT2MuNyM86Yuhf7fWYv_4Y3NNxzfr75feWeH5dahXKVRWM/s400/classroom.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I can't even begin to think about how His plan will continue over the next 34 years! Happy Birthday to me!!</span><br />
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kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-69349960962245022152015-07-08T12:28:00.000-07:002015-07-10T09:10:20.408-07:00Eisenberger Family of FiveBless her heart, my amazing friend Carrie, dealt with my post pregnancy hormones during our family photos. All I wanted was the two oldest to look at her and smile....of course they're eight, six and all boy. I should know better than to get worked up....but I lost it....so I let go of the dream of having my very own Pinterest family photo shoot....<br>
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Note to parents - probably the best way to approach any photo shoot with your children in it, if you're able to, is to walk away and let the photographer do his/her thing rather than yell at your children behind the photographer to look at the gosh darn camera...that totally doesn't work...believe me, I know.<br>
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And yet, when I opened my gallery I was soooo happy with the final result - thankfully no signs of smeared mascara or flushed red cheeks...a couple funny out takes...and several photos of my awesome family of five...can't wait to get canvas prints on our walls!<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eisenberger - Family of Five</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pretty sure they're thinking...What the heck do we do with this???</span></td></tr>
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My Grandma Shorty was an amazing quilter. Each Christmas meant new quilts for my cousins and I. She always had her sewing machine on the table working on someone's wedding, baby or anniversary gift. God bless her, she even tried to teach me to sew....we did create a couple projects worthy of bringing to the fair but more importantly, it meant I spent hours at my Grandma's kitchen table hearing her stories.<br>
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Shortly before our oldest, Gunner, was born she started showing signs of dementia... an awful disease that steals a persons mind far before their body fails them. She continued to sew and some days were good days. Other days found her talking to imaginary people who had stole her tv remote. </div>
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At my baby shower, we knew the baby was a boy. So everything was either camo or blue. Until I opened my Grandma Shorty's gift. I expected a quilt, but what I didn't expect was a pink quilt and two pink receiving blankets. When I opened them, you could hear everyone whisper...isn't she having a boy? My mom did a great job of nicely whispering to people that Grandma had dementia and may or may not have remembered we told her it was a boy. I thanked my grandma though and stored the quilt in our basement.<br>
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Move forward to now. My mom and I were trying to figure out what family heirloom I could incorporate into Mae's newborn photos. With my family's history of quilt making, I wanted a special quilt, not just one picked up at a garage sale. I wanted one with a story.<br>
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Then my mom reminded me of the quilt my Grandma Shorty had given me.....eight years earlier... maybe she knew there'd be more to the story.<br>
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<br>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-41378646725627783112015-07-08T08:39:00.000-07:002015-07-08T10:57:20.880-07:00Mae KathrynOn June 20, our family welcomed Little Miss Mae Kathryn Eisenberger.<br>
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It's been surreal, adding another little one to our family. Obviously, I was well aware I was pregnant for nine plus months, but I completely forgot how much I love the newborn stage. The sounds, the smells (both sweet and sour), the tiny clothes, the responsibility to care for this tiny, helpless, amazing beauty...and how it goes so fast.<br>
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Three years ago today, our lives seemed surreal as well. I lost my Aunt Casee to <a href="http://kteisenberger.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-beautiful-day.html" target="_blank">cancer</a>. Since her passing, there have been moments that seemed to crawl by....experiencing life at its messiest. Many times, I would have given anything to listen to her advice and to be with her one more time. Yet, at the same time it seems like yesterday we were <a href="http://kteisenberger.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-aunt.html" target="_blank">celebrating her</a>. Life goes so fast.<br>
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As we share Mae's birth, we are extremely thankful for God's grace, amazing friends and family and the many lessons life teaches us....through the hard times and the amazing times...at the end of the day we know now more than ever that we have each other and we feel blessed to have one more.<br>
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I just hope time can crawl by a little right now....I'm loving all the cuddles.<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Special thanks to my mom who rocked the labor and delivery photos!<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">That moment when they hand you your daughter....</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I met Dr. Traenkle three days before, when I came in for my weekly check in. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">She filled in for Dr. Moossavi, and though I will always love Dr. Moossavi, </span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Dr. Traenkle made labor and delivery just as enjoyable ....the drugs may have also helped! </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Allison was the junior fair queen when I was the senior queen. We were 4-H members together. Her sister and I have been friends for 20 years. Our families have worked together on activities and events in the agriculture community. I took her engagement and wedding photos. We've shared so many memories together...and now Mae's birth. It was comforting having her in the room...talk about how life goes in circles... I'm thankful she is part of our circle. </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The boys were not exactly sure what to think of their baby sister, but they've adjusted well. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Don't let them fool you, but they're completely in love.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This woman....if I'm even half the mom she is, I'll consider myself a success. </span></td></tr>
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</div>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-28870091690536806742013-07-07T15:38:00.000-07:002013-07-07T15:39:46.572-07:00One year later....I run to escape.<br />
<br />
I use to think I should run for a cause; for people who couldn't run; for a healthy lifestyle; for the chance to motivate others to run. Superficially, I run so I can eat more, get "free" shirts at races with my running buddies and wear sweet colored shoes that cost more than any other pair of shoes I own.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2Jkb-jguGawV_Z66U8pfQlVREZCYxfcm6aHiUVKplOekptaiNNYjoMhvSuLjKiFW-swzWOxaothQaI926MSFPwzRfWd0h835hw2dPr6Y0YNlxMMULkNh-JeoS70XvsXFGVD5YxCZ1Fo/s1600/1003088_10200780092496358_1321556774_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2Jkb-jguGawV_Z66U8pfQlVREZCYxfcm6aHiUVKplOekptaiNNYjoMhvSuLjKiFW-swzWOxaothQaI926MSFPwzRfWd0h835hw2dPr6Y0YNlxMMULkNh-JeoS70XvsXFGVD5YxCZ1Fo/s200/1003088_10200780092496358_1321556774_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running Buddies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCdRiIXB2HaTvpzZPSAY51qPFSPgl1DNUzCsHav4fq06wPRUDPcPr35zg0Xo0Lkh-YHdxjs6Iu-6H6PVzDy-4ypkUzr-1DDqykZ2xXp76Q0albJHspiqFyE1Ah0h8rcmbioiVDUIPrLM/s1600/1010446_10151420250412531_1147930901_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirCdRiIXB2HaTvpzZPSAY51qPFSPgl1DNUzCsHav4fq06wPRUDPcPr35zg0Xo0Lkh-YHdxjs6Iu-6H6PVzDy-4ypkUzr-1DDqykZ2xXp76Q0albJHspiqFyE1Ah0h8rcmbioiVDUIPrLM/s200/1010446_10151420250412531_1147930901_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We like to color coordinate :)</td></tr>
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<br />
Selfishly, I admit though. Over the last year, I realized I run for me.<br />
<br />
Sure it's awesome if my family comes to watch a race with their signs saying "My mommy runs faster than yours". I always look forward to seeing old friends and making news ones while warming up for a 5K. And keeping those people who can't run in my heart while I run, sure motivates me during those days my shoes feel like dead weight. But let's be real here - I am not this crazy runner who averages 50 miles a week....we're talking 10-15 on a good week. There are no 20 mile weekend runs for fun on my calendar. The reality is....I won't ever be a spokesperson for the running industry because I basically put on shoes that the local running store suggested, hit my running app and let the Pandora stations fill my head. No funky gadgets, no concept on pacing, no in depth knowledge besides putting one foot in front of the other. Yet, for 20 to 60+ minutes or more, I escape....<br />
<br />
One year ago tomorrow my <a href="http://kteisenberger.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-beautiful-day.html">Aunt Casee</a> passed away.<br />
<br />
I miss her. <br />
<br />
A colleague told me that when life gets all shook up, it should be my goal to work hard and get back to neutral. It is in those moments of time you'll learn how to make your neutral even better than before - that you will come out with scrapes and bruises but your perspective will be so much greater and your appreciation deeper.<br />
<br />
Having someone close die shakes your world. Yet, I believe in death and God and that there is Heaven - so her actual death didn't shake my world.....her not being in my life anymore did. I didn't have a sounding board anymore, I had to find a new one or two. My personal fan club lost its president and since she knew more than anyone that life revolved around me, it clearly impacted my spirit (LOL). Her absence at so many activities seemed awkward, even though everyone has tried so hard not to make it that way. And I'm sure for the rest of my life, when her name is mentioned my heart will drop a little.<br />
<br />
So this past fall as I tried to get back to neutral, I struggled. Life became a complicated, stressful mess- like life can be sometimes. So what does Katie do when her plate is already full and stressed to the max.....ohhhh she adds ones more thing to the table.... So I figured why not run a marathon??!<br />
<br />
I needed to do this though - to regain some sort of control. After eight years of marriage, two kids, and switching jobs; I lost myself along the way. I had gotten so use to everyone around me just always being there and going along with what they said or suggested I forgot I had my own opinion. I forgot how to challenge thoughts, confidently offer my opinions and aggressively seek what I wanted no matter the objections.<br />
<br />
During the 16 week training - while I enjoyed beautiful winter runs, catching up on my favorite shows on the treadmill, watching flowers bloom on spring days and fitting my miles in no matter the arrangement of my schedule - I would drift away from everything and daydream. Sort out reality. Brainstorm a new approach. Think of how life would be this way or that. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxVVzG9IbtBT5n1v8SbN8l9_zzT-GPpgDaB3eA7FRXgIOW3KBXE3PGFL5vTEbUoMn7EBsKpt9fyw5QlGezdZjdvvSF8cSb-f51pydni51giB_KyQskYrEoPr5RNcls66x5oV1VAEI-KA/s1600/734882_10151454962039054_1989968986_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxVVzG9IbtBT5n1v8SbN8l9_zzT-GPpgDaB3eA7FRXgIOW3KBXE3PGFL5vTEbUoMn7EBsKpt9fyw5QlGezdZjdvvSF8cSb-f51pydni51giB_KyQskYrEoPr5RNcls66x5oV1VAEI-KA/s320/734882_10151454962039054_1989968986_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#GodsAmazingWork </td></tr>
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And when I came up on mile 24 of the marathon, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvrST-X0Op8">"Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish Heart Mafia</a> came across my earphones. I just became completely overwhelmed with emotions.....in that moment I felt Casee - like she was running beside me...part of me laughed actually because she never understood why anyone would run unless they were being chased or for ice cream LOL.....but I knew she was there, and as clique as it sounds, it was if she kept her promise of being my fan club president and was cheering me on. Not just to finish the marathon, but to cheer me on to keep moving in this new neutral I had found. It's awkward, complicated, ambitious, challenging, lively....but best of all it's me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys and I at the finish line of the Bayshore Marathon. <br />
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Accomplished my goal of under Four Hours -3:51.43<span style="color: #444444; font-family: proxima-nova, Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;">.</span></span></div>
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So tomorrow, I'm not going to dwell on what happened a year ago. I'm not going to be sad that she's gone. ....I'm going to lace up my shoes, embrace my new neutral and escape....<br />
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....to dream about what it will be like when I see her again in Heaven.<br />
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Special hugs and thoughts to everyone thinking about Casee today, tomorrow and everyday. Over the last year, our family has heard so many wonderful stories about how she impacted so many and how she continues to impact those who are faced with difficult situations. You are amazing and appreciated.<br />
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<br />kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-88436563426469575802013-01-17T02:42:00.000-08:002013-01-17T02:42:11.679-08:00Aunt Casee's Headstone Unveiling <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This past Sunday, as a family we saw Aunt Casee's headstone for the first time. When Uncle Tim asked me to prepare something to say, my heart fell.....I was honored, but you just try to stay busy and not think about how much you miss someone, when they're gone...and since we never went to the cemetery at her funeral, I've never connected her there.....until Sunday and that's just a place - for now - that I refuse to associate her with...nevertheless, reality is she's gone physically. Yet as my family stood together, I couldn't think of a better place for all us to be together honoring her as we saw her beautiful headstone. </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After myself, Uncle Tim and my cousin Wyatt said some words, we let balloons go, like we did at her funeral. My son <span style="text-align: center;">Gunner has always looked at my Facebok cover photo and asked how the balloons got in the sky and why he didn't get to send a balloon to Aunt Casee. So I was thankful we did this again at her headstone unveiling from age two to my Grandpa's age - we sent them as a family.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>I have always loved this phrase...<br />and what an amazing reminder when the boys come visit.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>What I shared on Sunday....</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The last six months I feel like I've been in a fog - trying to figure out this idea of a new normal without Aunt Casee. I've found myself questioning why her - why did she have to go through all of that and leave us, what I feel was way too soon. I've sat in my car and cried wishing to talk to her one more time to help me process a difficult situation. My heart has ached when I couldn't celebrate something awesome with her. And yet at the most unpredictable times, a song has come on the radio. Someone has said something out of the blue that just makes me know she had a part of it. There's these little moments that I hear her voice and just feel peace. And I hope we all feel more and more of those reminders as we start finding our new normal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I have been shown over the last six months is that God is in charge and we totally have no say in the plans He has. Which sounds like we have a conceited God that only thinks of Himself, but I believe we have a God that knows far more than we could fathom and we have to trust Him in His plans.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizvGKXRGzi67SyKfM3LGYKiR8Y39eXEYxWXRVMPZKrJZ58uK1pw13o7LkClbIth-2bjrnm7oDEvI7kjZ_sf6H3D7dBqiA6OZifRlAVkc42YzlOLC-gVTiLF8EeK7YI2Mnwy3FIkwU96ws/s1600/casee-1322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Just doesn't seem like long enough.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though His plan for Casee was not what our's would have been, I trust His plan to have her in our lives, as brief as we think it was, was perfectly thought out Planned to show us how strong we are as individuals, but even stronger as a family. I know that as we get busy with our crazy day to day lives, her spirit will nudge us to send a text, write a card or stop in to just say hi. Her willingness to help others will inspire us to help others more. Her competitive drive will keep us fighting no matter what we come against.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I think we will be okay. Actually I know we will be okay. Because I can hear Aunt Casee saying...."We were never normal people... why should we start trying to find normal now?"</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">From my all time favorite movie, Hope Floats - "<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will... "</span></span></b></td></tr>
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kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-39155796847452470142012-08-27T20:56:00.001-07:002012-08-27T21:06:01.030-07:00It Gets EasierIf by easier you mean you've cried so much, your tears are no longer visible? Then yes, it gets easier. If you mean your body aches so much you're numb, then yes it gets easier. When easier means you hold on to some one's embrace while your body shakes with emotion and you just hope that if you squeeze them tight enough she'll appear for one last talk then yes, by all means it gets easier.<br />
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The reality is, it's harder. The week after her death, I actually did okay. We were all still actively including Casee in conversations as things were sorted out. I didn't talk to Casee, but it was kind of like we were on a long vacation and didn't have a chance to text or chat.<br />
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Then another week or two went by, and we started to find "normal" again....one night I sent a text to Matthew, Colton and Caleb asking if they wished we could send texts to Heaven....they're pretty strong those three and I'm thankful for close cousins. I know we all talked to her about life happenings and in July we all had big things going on... if we could have had one more text, one more chat at night things would have felt more complete, more finished after sharing with her.<br />
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And I think the farther away we get from her death, the more real it becomes. Her photo is tacked by our wall calendar. I see it everyday. She watches the boys play on the floor and listens to dinner conversations. I caught her face tonight, at dinner and it took sooo much strength to not fall to pieces.<br />
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Because the first week or two it's okay to have break downs, but crying uncontrollable in the parking lot of Meijer's - to people passing by might seem slightly odd. To call her phone just to hear her voice, may be a little out there, but thankfully I can do that in private (because if she answered the phone I'd probably not want to be in public at that moment - I need a laugh here :)!)..... Answering "doing awesome" with a smile when someone asks how's life, knowing full well it's a lie And driving by her old home in Winn, with no toys scattered, no boys playing ball and no gold trailblazer outside leaves my heart empty - I want to bop in there, sit down on her couch and just be in her presence....just be with her....it would make everything easier.<br />
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I believe in God. I understand we die, it's part of life. And if death doesn't at least make you look into what God has going on, then I'm not sure what will - because without Him I think this would be even harder. Yet, I'm still a very broken human - like everyone else and I still ask why. Why did you do this to us? Why did it have to be her? What are we suppose to do now? And how the hell do we find a new normal? What if I don't want to accept this new normal? Did you not think of us God? What are we suppose to do?? What were you trying to teach us? I pray for all kinds of great things, good things, wonderful things and this.... this is what you decide? You take my aunt away? Because of some stupid disease that for some reason we can't figure out how to cure? WTH God...WTH....if Heaven could receive texts that's what I'd send....ironic, sarcastic....but a darn good question.<br />
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I've sat here for a half an hour...staring at the screen - re-reading the post... it's now midnight and I should be sleeping, but I haven't been able to sleep....thoughts keep running through my mind and as much as I try to think of something else, I find myself back to so many questions.....and now I have no idea how to settle my brain and wrap this post up.....because I guess at this time I have no answers, I have no fool proof plan to take the hurt away....and the reality is I probably never will....so this post ends unfinished, just like so many things left unsaid, undone, untied after we lose someone we love so much.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite photos...I miss her smile.</td></tr>
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kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-40380929743365942032012-07-19T09:52:00.002-07:002012-07-19T09:52:30.249-07:00One Hundred Grand!$100,000....One hundred grand....wouldn't it be nice to go out to your mail box and open an envelope with a check for $100,000 (with no disclaimers of having to sit through a presentation on a time share or bring in a key to see if you're the lucky winner!)<br />
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Yesterday, I posted the question on my <a href="http://on.fb.me/z98vmU" target="_blank">Eisenberger Insurance Agency Facebook page,</a> "What would you do if I gave you $100,000?" LOVED the answers...pay off the mortgage, take a vacation, donate to a worthy cause, support your child's education, take another vacation...you can do so much with $100,000.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Danielle Cole - You're the winner of the $25 Meijer Gift Card!!!</b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Yet, what if I gave that money to your family after you passed away? Stick with me here.....death isn't fun, but it's real and always better to be prepared than not....so would you change your answers? Some of you may not change anything - the hundred grand could pay off debt so the family doesn't have to worry about it, or be put towards college educations for children. Others may say, well that's not enough if they don't have my income as well. <br />
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Whatever your answer, the point is.....if you were told today you have a terminal illness would your family be prepared? If you stopped at the same stop sign you've stopped at everyday since you started driving, but didn't see the car coming when you pulled out, would your family be prepared?<br />
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As I sorted through photos of my Aunt Casee to help make her slide show, I smiled when I saw photos of her at age 10 with big orange curly hair, "stylish" sunglasses and her huge smile as she posed for the camera. She didn't know then at a week shy of her 41st birthday, she'd leave behind two boys and a husband. I remember one photo she looked miserable...she was pregnant at Wyatt's birthday and just ready to have what I thought was a watermelon, later it would become Rayce....but she was at the point where she didn't care how it happened, she just wanted him out. (Mommas will understand what I mean here :)!) I still smile though, because what an awesome time in her life....the new little person that would be brought into this world for her to love. She didn't know she'd never see him graduate or marry. <br />
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Now, I don't know if Casee had life insurance or how much, though I'm sure she was prepared with all the means possible to give her two boys the most amazing life, even if she couldn't be there to watch them herself. And wouldn't you? If you couldn't walk your daughter down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams, wouldn't you want her to buy the most beautiful dress possible. If you couldn't be there to watch your son graduate, wouldn't you want to have left behind enough so he could go to college without stressing about how he was going to pay?<br />
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Maybe you're not married or don't have kids....but are you healthy? Isn't that something worth insuring too?<br />
I read somewhere how good health provides you with freedoms you take for
granted until your good health has turned poor. When you're healthy and
young, getting sick and preparing for death is the absolute last thing
on your mind. You'd rather spend time and money on fun things to do with the people you love. You're also busy just keeping up with day to day decisions and tasks....but once you're told you have a terminal illness, it's
too late. Which is ironic, because we all know we're going to die - it's
a fact of life....so the question isn't are you going to die?
It's...when and will you be prepared?<br />
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I'm working on a series of blog posts to help us all work through life insurance and be prepared no matter what happens tomorrow. My husband and I have various life insurance policies (you can read about how we decided on what coverage to have <a href="http://kteisenberger.blogspot.com/2012/03/my-coverages.html" target="_blank">here</a>). We are also in the process of finishing up our wills, my friend has shared with me her "If I Die" document - all that important information someone needs to know, and I've started thinking about what I want my funeral to look like.<br />
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Death is too real to me at the moment. When your world is rocked and you realize you're not immortal (pretty close to perfect, but not immortal LOL!), you start looking at what's important - showing and sharing love to your family, providing them safety and necessities, setting them up for the best possible future no matter what happens along their journey.....<br />
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I hope you follow the posts, comment, start discussion, add your thoughts and insights - it's how we learn, how we grow and how we heal....thank you for letting me use this blog to heal....<br />
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<i><b>Post production note :) ---</b></i> I was having a hard time Monday night, everything kinda just came down on my heart...it was the first time I could actually just let go and grieve.... I sent my cousins a text, "Anyone else wish you could text up to heaven?" My cousin Matthew responded saying she motivates him to keep studying for his HUGE dentist exam. He then sent me a text later saying, "You know as soon as I sent you the text "My Wish" came on the radio (the song played with her slide show at the funeral) and then as soon as I got out of the car I saw Dylan at the library (one of our other cousins). She's for sure looking out for us." I responded "If a margarita machine shows up at my front door I'm gonna freak :)!)" Margarita machines welcome :)<br />
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<br />kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-10928499656832237202012-07-12T20:06:00.003-07:002012-07-13T14:13:39.138-07:00What A Beautiful DaySeveral years ago, my dad and I were driving through Shepherd on a dark, dreary day. There was a funeral in progress, I turned to my dad and said "Crappy day for a funeral." Without missing a beat he said...."well not too sure there is ever a good day for a funeral." Point taken :)....<br />
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Yet, on Sunday, July 8th it was a beautiful day....a tealish, blue sky was filled with white comfy clouds...the sun was bright but at times hidden and a slight breeze made the summer heat warm but bearable. It was the best day I would ever hope for to celebrate my amazing Aunt Casee...the day she passed away.<br />
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I said in my last post, that on Sundays the entire family would come over and have dinner at Grandpa and Grandma's...it was just what we did. My grandparents would get up early and fix amazing food....and if you didn't eat Grandpa would ask you if you were sick because there was just something wrong about not eating two helpings of his homemade noodles, baked beans and freezer corn. And thankfully, we weren't to the point of running the roads to practices or games, because our bellies were so full we wouldn't have been very productive. Sunday's were days to just be with each other, reconnect and focus for the week ahead.<br />
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How fitting for our family - a Sunday - of all days....a Sunday where the entire family was at Grandpa and Grandmas with no place to run off to, but to just be with each other, reconnect and focus for the week ahead. This Sunday though, not much was said, not much needed to be....<br />
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And as we watched the food start filling the refrigerator and counter area, our family started to see how many other people also share their love through food. :) ... At one point, my Uncle Tim and I laughed because we were asked about five or six times if we had ate anything for lunch - at about the eighth time, I looked at him and told him - "please just eat a damn sandwich" :)...but so many took time out of their busy lives to pick up food, water, paper products, munchies and then did it again for the funeral dinner...<br />
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And on Wednesday, July 11th it was a beautiful day....a tealish, blue sky was filled with white comfy clouds...the sun was bright but at times hidden and a slight breeze made the summer heat warm but bearable. It was the best day I would ever hope for to celebrate my amazing Aunt Casee...the day we said our final good byes.<br />
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A week ago, I wrote a blog after we found out she had two weeks to a month to live....it was a blog from my heart, a blog many would read....one I would read at her funeral, one I'll carry with me to read over and over again....I honestly don't know if Casee ever read it or had it read to her - I couldn't do it myself, but I know she knows how I feel about her.<br />
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And now I know how so many others feel about her. I still haven't been able to make it through all her friends' Facebook posts on her wall because I just start crying. Listening to the stories bounce off the walls at the funeral home and while sorting photos for her slide show - oh so much laughter, so many memories to write down and have forever. <br />
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Yet, I feel like the funeral was the easy part - we were able to laugh and cry and be together with so many for four days straight...but what about now? When we go back to work, head to the grocery store, sit at a baseball game, celebrate her birthday this Sunday, the list goes on....I feel like there are a lot of dark and dreary days ahead....<br />
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But then my five year old Gunner gives me a fresh perspective...After trying to figure out how to tell him what was happening, I told him the truth, that Aunt Casee had died and she was going to meet God....his eyes got so big and he had a huge smile come across his face. Without missing a beat he said "That is so cool Mom."....... It took all I had at that moment to hold back tears and just give him a big hug while saying... "Yeah, buddy it is." Point taken. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm going to miss you so much - Sending you my love.<br />
A balloon send off on a beautiful day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-13782406658048981302012-07-02T06:32:00.000-07:002012-07-13T14:12:59.585-07:00My Aunt...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_zVVTgtVsltS4Jnt9a8wKTU-b61Eaf1urVeOdwlq6oHCzAMrznSX0xrZidKz2dcCj4M6jbiPha7rawMn3ckiXAr9f0DMsCveuUnKBPzuMxGUd0QnIrsWiG1MB-Zfw39Bbk2OU9tRpr0/s1600/casee+and+boys+fall2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_zVVTgtVsltS4Jnt9a8wKTU-b61Eaf1urVeOdwlq6oHCzAMrznSX0xrZidKz2dcCj4M6jbiPha7rawMn3ckiXAr9f0DMsCveuUnKBPzuMxGUd0QnIrsWiG1MB-Zfw39Bbk2OU9tRpr0/s320/casee+and+boys+fall2009.jpg" vca="true" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>One of my favorite photos :)</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My aunt has two weeks to live….at best a month…If my Aunt Casee was 89 and had watched her third grader and seventh grader develop into successful, loving men with lives a mother could be proud of then it makes the next month a little easier. Yet, Casee is only ten years older than me and at 40 it seems to be cut way too short. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">She has battled cancer….not just battled but kicked it’s ass time and time again….she’s done it because of her will power and some would say her stubbornness….but cancer seems to never back down….it’s hid for a while, making life manageable and at times close to normal, but the last six months it’s come back to a point that draws her earthly presence to a close. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Ms. Josie and her momma...a fine companion.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the favorite niece (she would chime in here…”Honey, for 29 years you were the only niece so I didn’t have many options.”) and not being that much older than me….Aunt Casee serves as the go-between …..She is the adult, young and cool enough, whom I needed to help explain my mother’s good intentions. I think I speak for my cousins and brother on this…you can always call her, text her, instant message her, email her, or stop in and just chat with her for a good conversation and discussion about important life decisions without feeling parented, but accepted and loved just as much as our parents do. You have no idea how much I'm going to miss that. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVP7YxS1M3jgofxZzNBzTx-CthvzC1-m3RkGBY4TggUAs0sjmtmz2w_yYzLwEJ3HCPPM_6z7kpoIfEz_VqpPjLr0C05xuBniODOsDi5DPyiwnKVFVH0wqk_T3hz3CO_0EHvTlJ6-WhknQ/s1600/casee+christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVP7YxS1M3jgofxZzNBzTx-CthvzC1-m3RkGBY4TggUAs0sjmtmz2w_yYzLwEJ3HCPPM_6z7kpoIfEz_VqpPjLr0C05xuBniODOsDi5DPyiwnKVFVH0wqk_T3hz3CO_0EHvTlJ6-WhknQ/s320/casee+christmas.jpg" vca="true" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The annual Christmas family photos </b><br />
<b>will never look the same.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">She also was the aunt at every baseball game. Rain or shine, sick or healthy, hundreds of miles away or out the backdoor of Grandpa Bums she had her lawn chair, pop and respective school shirt on. She knew every kid on every team, she cheered them on, laughed with parents, high fived coaches and joked with umps. She was the smile you needed after a bad play or the loudest cheer you heard after one of the boys struck someone out. Talk about having a number one fan…she was it and then some. And no matter what happens within our family regarding baseball whether there will be a major league game in our future or while her boys play catch outside Grandpa Bum’s backyard – I know she’ll have the best seat in the house. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, most people know how close our family is…to a point a little scary </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">…but growing up, we’d spend Sunday afternoons having dinner at Grandpa Bum’s house. Casee still lived at home when I was little. She’d come downstairs, just rolling out of bed at noon to have lunch and be teased by the uncles about the previous night’s festivities. I also remember going with my mom to take pictures of her at her senior prom, watching her in the band, talking about boyfriends and even once bringing a boy to Christmas…poor guy never stood a chance </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> See it takes something special to make it in our family – you either need to be able to give it right back when crap is given to you or loud enough so people will hear you. You stand the best chance if you’re both– it seems we all have pretty loud voices and are a tad sarcastic with an odd humor. But together, we get each other. Our family calendar this year has the slogan. “We may not have it all together, but together we have it all”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We often tease each other about having friends that aren’t family…”You what? You’re going shopping with someone you’re not related to? Are you okay??” – see a tad sarcastic and oddly humorous </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Yet, thanks to Facebook – we, as a family, can see how blessed Casee’s life and journey has been with the many hundreds of Facebook messages and posts and how much impact she’s had on so many friends </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="_GoBack"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">inside and outside our family. </span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDAjojyo_oSVK9wFQ8Xjy7nFTYklq7QYd6qMEw-WB-574BFjZf26MGCjQeZnrU8uN9OS9yTbLn5w65Ihee34h94TNeUVpPAoputMox0E9q-O-0z_c23nPjXZ2-4hD7oQJgwK1hjllIhk/s1600/casee+relay+for+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDAjojyo_oSVK9wFQ8Xjy7nFTYklq7QYd6qMEw-WB-574BFjZf26MGCjQeZnrU8uN9OS9yTbLn5w65Ihee34h94TNeUVpPAoputMox0E9q-O-0z_c23nPjXZ2-4hD7oQJgwK1hjllIhk/s320/casee+relay+for+life.jpg" vca="true" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Casee with Uncle Trent and Wyatt </b><br />
<b>during the Cancer Survivor Walk</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And as we celebrate Casee, please continue to pray for her that the next two weeks or however long she has is peaceful and filled with love. Pray for her two boys Wyatt and Rayce who will need reminders throughout their life that God never makes life fair, He just makes it worth it so I pray they always find peace, love and kindness and that they show others how to do the same just as their Mommy did. And pray for my Uncle Tim as he moves forward to be the mom and dad of these two little guys. Give him the strength and patience of two people and show him the love he needs through this all. Also say prayers for my family – my Grandparents, my aunts and uncles, my mom and dad and all my cousins and my brother…. this is the first loss we’ve had within our immediate Loomis family and just thinking about not having someone there seems so foreign….I’ll miss her Hamburger Helper dish to pass and not being able to draw her name for Christmas gifts or sharing the latest gossip… I’m just gonna miss her so much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">At times like this I hear people say, "don’t let this test your faith or this really makes one question their relationship with God"….well that’s far from the truth. The reality is we all die, death does not test faith – it just provides us with another reason to grow and trust in God. The crappy part about being human though, is that God doesn’t usually tell us when our time to join Him is coming. And there could be discussion on if you’d really want God to tell you or not. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For some, like Casee, He’s shown a little peak of His timeline and we all know it’s close….and what an amazing opportunity for so many to celebrate the awesome aunt, mom, sister, daughter, cousin, wife, friend that she is, while she’s still here and can read Facebook posts and texts, while she can see you at the lake and hold your hand, while she can watch her sons run around and smile knowing they will be surrounded not only by God’s hands, but by a whole community who will see to it that as she looks down, sitting next to God’s side, she can watch them grow and develop into successful, loving men with lives a mother will always be proud of.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A family photo to cherish forever.</b></td></tr>
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</div>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-51476843868853395642012-06-07T13:42:00.000-07:002012-06-07T13:44:13.812-07:00Career Closet<span style="color: black;">The cool thing about my job is that I get to work with amazing organizations and businesses providing a one-of-a-kind, needed service to the community.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">Over the last couple of weeks, I have had the opportunity to work with the Women's Resource Center of Mid Michigan - a group of women who <strong><em>strive to change women's lives</em></strong>....pretty powerful statement. A statement I know they live up to through a project called the Career Closet.</span><br />
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<span style="color: indigo; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: black;">The Career Closet provides professional clothing for women returning to the workforce or advancing in their careers. Women are able to select gently used business clothes at no cost. Items include suits, dresses, slacks, blouses, skirts, shoes, purses, etc. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: indigo;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">Tuesdays from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. &</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: indigo; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: black;">I stepped into the Career Closet, housed at Drs. Wassenaar, Frutiger, Wassenaar,and Moeggenborg, directly across the street from the post office in Alma, and was overwhelmed by the amount of suits and scrubs available for this community. And let me talk about the shoe ROOM - ROOM...and entire room of SHOES...I could have stayed in that room forever. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: indigo; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: black;">But what really impressed me was that everything was donated - from the clothing to the clothing racks and from the office supplies to the actual room itself. What was a dream a couple years ago, is now a full service, one stop shop for woman returning or advancing in their careers - for free - right here in our community!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">And then I find out that every person "working" the Career Closet is a volunteer - giving of their time to organize, sort through, coordinate outfits, rotate seasons, help women find an outfit that boosts their confidence and self esteem....How awesome is that!?!? Just an amazing service.</span></div>
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If you have been spring cleaning and find yourself with a pile of nice business clothes to donate somewhere, please consider bringing them to the <a href="http://bit.ly/KLpMD6" target="_blank">Career Clo</a>set. You can feel good knowing that a local woman is benefiting from your generosity. </div>
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<br /></div>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-26568914934787815912012-05-21T10:44:00.002-07:002012-05-21T10:55:33.989-07:00A Letter You Should Read<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcGG9t0erAhTtIGlHLLvA5SpwathRnxrfV1itEji_pdX3M6FhAI6l6zWUglQvyiPQ_YykaoIQSr31i45xsaWWg9ZEhf6Sdg-BjrepXPxUvg7XtZ-yJboOiy5-P4ntw7TfkTIkL0D0IV0/s1600/mailbox" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcGG9t0erAhTtIGlHLLvA5SpwathRnxrfV1itEji_pdX3M6FhAI6l6zWUglQvyiPQ_YykaoIQSr31i45xsaWWg9ZEhf6Sdg-BjrepXPxUvg7XtZ-yJboOiy5-P4ntw7TfkTIkL0D0IV0/s320/mailbox" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One piece of mail you'll want to open....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To Whom It May Concern;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You and I have a common Purpose in this world. It is your job to provide food, clothing, shelter, schooling, medicine and various other necessities for your loved ones. You are busy doing all of these things while I lie in your safe or file cabinet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must have faith and trust in you, for out of your earnings will come the cost of MY upkeep. At times I may appear to be somewhat worthless and unnecessary to you, but some day (God only knows when), you and I will forever change places.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When you are laid to rest, I will come alive and do YOUR job. I will provide the food, clothing, shelter, schooling, medicine and the necessities your family will continue to need, just as your provided them today. When your work and toil are done, rest assured, mine will begin. Through me your hands I will carry on. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whenever you feel the price you are paying for my upkeep is burdensome, remember, I will do more for you and your family than you can ever do for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you'll do your part, I guarantee that I will do mine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sincerely, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Concerned because you do not have life insurance? I'd love to help you through the process.</span></div>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-43970140697629386562012-05-03T12:43:00.001-07:002012-05-03T12:43:24.367-07:00I Like to Move It, Moooove It<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
Six hundred elementary students + a nice sunny day + moving and groovin tunes....throw in a love of nutrition and exercise and you'll find yourself smack dab in the middle of <a href="http://www.michiganfitness.org/aces/" target="_blank">A.C.E.S. - All Children Exercising Simultaneously. </a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Presenting the check to P.E. Teacher Mrs. Hammond </strong><br />
<strong>and two representatives from each classroom.</strong></td></tr>
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Over the last two days, I've had the AWESOME experience of leading elementary students from Carrie Knause and Nikkari (St. Louis Public Schools) Elementary Schools in various exercises while joining an estimated 400,000 participants from 1,000 schools in Michigan. </div>
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ACES in <postalcode w:st="on">Michigan</postalcode> is coordinated by the <a href="http://bit.ly/KgLFu5" target="_blank">Michigan Fitness Foundation</a> and sponsored by <a href="http://bit.ly/JFGwsU" target="_blank">Farm Bureau Insurance</a>. This is the 14<sup>th</sup> year of support from Farm Bureau Insurance which allows the Michigan Fitness Foundation to provide free materials to plan the event and to distribute stickers and educational newsletters. In addition, when a Farm Bureau agent sponsors a school a $250 check is provided to purchase health and wellness items for the students. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Did you know Chocolate Milk is an </strong><br />
<strong>AWESOME Post-Work Out Drink!</strong></td></tr>
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Growing up in the St. Louis school system I didn't just want to donate the money, I wanted to be apart of it - I mean who doesn't love to exercise with energetic youth....talk about motivating you!!! So I enlisted my mom to contact <a href="http://bit.ly/Ktp4nP" target="_blank">Dairy Farmers of America</a> and have 20 gallons of <a href="http://bit.ly/KgNirq" target="_blank">chocolate milk</a> donated for Nikkari Elementary. Then she called <a href="http://bit.ly/IH4kz2" target="_blank">United Dairy Industry of Michigan</a> and they donated 300 gotMILK? pencils for Carrie Knause. Finally, we had two local <a href="http://bit.ly/h7w0GI" target="_blank">FFA</a> students - Hunter Hrabal and Jessica Sherwood suit up in the UDIM dairy cow costume and exercise with the groups!! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00OH7MqSyLHHG_ntf6ynkP7NcSdH9PDoEwqcOSi7Q8s-kEHw7Nezgf-69nSHyEDq8bhHV68Ov8CY3OoDulpCf8wdGZmUPkZroOgJPMCPk_j87W9LDUxAFYRf56mV7Xvw4yP3-gfJ3hwQ/s1600/ACES+boys+working+out.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00OH7MqSyLHHG_ntf6ynkP7NcSdH9PDoEwqcOSi7Q8s-kEHw7Nezgf-69nSHyEDq8bhHV68Ov8CY3OoDulpCf8wdGZmUPkZroOgJPMCPk_j87W9LDUxAFYRf56mV7Xvw4yP3-gfJ3hwQ/s320/ACES+boys+working+out.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>These boys are movin' it with their punching bag techniques!</strong></td></tr>
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What was great to see was all the teachers serving as amazing physical fitness role models as they danced like snakes, punched with power and ran in place with style. Their support, along with their amazing P.E. teacher Mrs. Hammond's commitment to educating the students about healthy lifestyles is monumental for their future. I hope they all pursue health lifestyles and continue to move it, moooove it for years to come!!!</div>
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</div>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-24853384539385994122012-04-02T06:01:00.001-07:002012-04-02T06:01:50.778-07:00Life Insurance As My Child's Savings Account?? <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6uELb0YU2JWuRb9X8Do8LAWx8ComV5SZCh5e8VtcrU2fGXDLjJE2ZMcnhc1S2A0G92LlTtPrx-qU2DgwUVuFbiHvQWyU-sMjG_P2sRCSG7JowHqwDEwx5xsAmaeCtvjYDtigd2onB9c/s1600/halloween2-0055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dea="true" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6uELb0YU2JWuRb9X8Do8LAWx8ComV5SZCh5e8VtcrU2fGXDLjJE2ZMcnhc1S2A0G92LlTtPrx-qU2DgwUVuFbiHvQWyU-sMjG_P2sRCSG7JowHqwDEwx5xsAmaeCtvjYDtigd2onB9c/s200/halloween2-0055.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Gauger - Our super polite, fun loving, <br />
life rocks little guy.</td></tr>
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My husband, Jesse, and I started putting money into a bank account about a year ago for each of the boys. We would put birthday money and money from our paychecks. It averaged out to about $50 a month for each boy. Once they finished college or a trade school, they would then be given the money to help with student loans, a down payment on a home, a wedding....whatever they wanted (approval by mom and dad required though :)!).</div>
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Then I started looking into whole life policies. Whole life is permanent insurance. <a href="http://bit.ly/Ht2a2x" target="_blank">(Find out lots more here!)</a>As long as you pay the premium, you have insurance until you're 100. In addition, whole life builds cash value which you can take loans and withdrawals from. The death benefit also increases overtime - they're really a cool way to own your life insurance. I also saw them as a way to generate more for our sons' education/life than by just putting money in the bank.</div>
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Gunner and Gauge both have $100,000 whole life policies. Gunner's started when he was four and we pay $566 for the entire year, so roughly $47/month. For Gauge, since we started his when he was two, we pay $540/year which equates to $45/month. Together, we're paying less than $100 a month and we've given our children some amazing options.</div>
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<strong>Option One:</strong> <strong><em>Cash out the life insurance policy at age 25 (I'm guesstimating this will be when they have either finished college or a trade school and join the real world of adulthood). </em></strong>Gunner would have approx. $15,000 built up in cash value and Gauge would have $17,000. They could surrender the policy, giving up their death benefit and take the cash to use for whatever they choose (with mom and dad's guidance).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gunner - Our <span class="queryn" id="queryn">perceptive, analytical </span><br />
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<strong>Option Two:</strong> <strong><em>Continue having life insurance without ever paying a premium again.</em></strong> After a certain point in a life insurance policy, the dividend you're accumulating is actually more than your premium you're paying. So you can take the dividend and use it to pay the premium, and never pay again. Gunner could stop paying on his policy at the age of 28 and Gauge at 25, they would continue to have life insurance and their cash value would grow - not as rapidly, but it would still be there to provide my grandchildren a wonderful future if something were to happen.</div>
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<strong>Option Three: <em>Become the owner of the policy and take over payments.</em></strong> Now this is where I want to be like.....why didn't anyone do this for me?!?!?! Talk about securing a future. If both boys continue to pay the $45-47/month payment when they reach age 70 Gunner would have $228,000 built up in cash value and his death benefit would have grown to $381,000!! Gauge would have $242,000 in cash value and have a death benefit of $400,000. No matter what their health is at 70, they continue to pay the premiums they received at age two and four....now that's one heck of a savings account.</div>
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The reality is this is a life insurance policy. It's meant to financially take care of loved one's left behind. Most people don't want to fathom putting life insurance on their own children.... I understand, I get it. Yet, if something did happen wouldn't you want to celebrate your child's life without putting canisters at the gas station or holding dinners to raise money? Wouldn't you want to take some time off work to grieve and start putting the pieces in a new formation in order to move through life with out worrying about losing your job too? And wouldn't it be awesome if you never, ever use this and help your son or daughter put a down payment on a home or provide for your grandchildren long after you're gone.</div>
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<strong><em>...That's creating a legacy....</em></strong>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-57391749875763895632012-03-23T12:25:00.001-07:002012-03-23T12:29:18.888-07:00FREE GAS CARDS -- WHAT!??!?<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HA_oMV9vtdjhZE9nYweyoqYfuQlQM-jSITFUMSfq6pTWQRLbP9AA7yPg-u8rHedzwXzBmH8PjzJhIVOwtLqaSa38kC_G5uuIYRKujd-jQhFNKg435t3R0uVILQYT6fUM5IkrLrUJ9_A/s1600/fuel+gas+images.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HA_oMV9vtdjhZE9nYweyoqYfuQlQM-jSITFUMSfq6pTWQRLbP9AA7yPg-u8rHedzwXzBmH8PjzJhIVOwtLqaSa38kC_G5uuIYRKujd-jQhFNKg435t3R0uVILQYT6fUM5IkrLrUJ9_A/s200/fuel+gas+images.JPG" width="142" /></a>I've always listened to older, wiser family members says....."I remember when there was penny candy." "I remember throwing five kids in the back of the car with no seat belts, and we're all still alive." "I remember when........" Well my remember when is when gas was $1.20 and we all flipped out! If you had told my 16 year old self I'd now be paying $4 a gallon I would have laughed in your face.....who is laughing now??</div>
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Well in hopes of helping a little bit with the "historic" gas prices, I'll give you a $10 gas card for each referral you send my way who becomes one of my clients. You'll also receive another $10 gas card for each life insurance policy your referral(s) invest in. There's no limit to the number of referrals you send me - so you could possibly fill up your vehicle on referrals alone for 2012! Who is laughing NOW :)</div>
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Feel free to print off this <a href="http://bit.ly/GJsRP3">pdf </a>or email me with contact information. Haven't had an insurance review yet? Refer yourself :)! Then you can say... "Remember when we first joined Farm Bureau, gas was $4 a gallon back then!"kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-63872605271589509762012-03-14T07:26:00.001-07:002012-03-14T07:31:37.622-07:00My CoveragesContinuing to simplify my life by combining all my blogs into one....here's another post from my old insurance blog :)!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UR0zsjbMAINnPmNHulMQ2jO3S-zDSTwOVqteBTqnf3SKyX4W2oSU3Y8h_5OHO7qIZmbpG5bFn_5OkRM_lWZ26busRKUySqFrfMKVhP5k5BHL9Gy4PT182Ekh_9uvCfP80QvvyqMh5Zo/s1600/Final+photos-0842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UR0zsjbMAINnPmNHulMQ2jO3S-zDSTwOVqteBTqnf3SKyX4W2oSU3Y8h_5OHO7qIZmbpG5bFn_5OkRM_lWZ26busRKUySqFrfMKVhP5k5BHL9Gy4PT182Ekh_9uvCfP80QvvyqMh5Zo/s320/Final+photos-0842.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>My husband and my boys' role model.</strong></td></tr>
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Early on, one of my bosses told me to put my own house in order as far as family protection. He asked, "How can you really sell something you don't own and believe in yourself?" The day I wrote the check to pay for my first month's premium made me choke up a bit. Not because of the premium or it was money I really would never see the benefit of....but because I knew if I left the office that night and didn't make it home, Gunner and Gauge (my four and two year old boys) and my husband Jesse, would financially be okay. It made me realize what legacy I would leave for my family.</div>
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My boys could continue sleeping in the comfort of their own beds, they would have enough to at least pay off the mortgage, take care of my funeral expenses....well let me just stop there. Why don't I just share with you the family protection I have and the reasoning behind it. </div>
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First let me say, each family has a different need, a different budget and a different scenario. So my protection plan may not fit your family's needs, but if you're a bit like me, I still like to know people's reasoning so I can better formulate my own.</div>
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Tonight, I'll start with my husband Jesse's coverage. He has a $500,000 10 year term policy. He uses tobacco, so his premium is a bit higher than mine. His premium is $79.17/month. </div>
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So why did we go with this policy?</div>
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He's young with two little boys and a super fun wife (I added that in there, but he would hopefully agree :)!). If he didn't come home tonight and Farm Bureau delivered me a check for $500,000 - we decided I would pay his funeral expenses <strong>$12,000 for a decent funeral</strong>, pay off the mortgage <strong>$132,000</strong>, pay off my car loan <strong>$15,000,</strong> pay off my college debt <strong>$20,000,</strong> set some aside for the boys' college educations <strong>$40,000</strong> and that would leave me with about <strong>$280,000</strong> to cover his contributing income for four and a half years.</div>
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Term is great because it provides maximum coverage at a fraction of the cost of whole life. Now term is like renting. We only have this policy for ten years. Once the ten years finish, he has no more coverage. It also does not generate cash. So we have small premiums, receive maximum coverage and walk away with nothing after the term. </div>
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The catch is within those ten years, we'll slowly convert portions of the policy into whole life insurance. Whole life is with you until you're 100 and generates cash you can use while you're alive - say for retirement. Next year, we could convert $50,000 into whole life and continue to have $450,000 in term. The plan would be by the time the ten years are done we converted a good portion, if not all into whole life. </div>
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Basically, Jesse and I made the choice to have a lot of coverage while our children are young in order for him to feel that his family would be taken care of, would have time to grieve and would be able to continue living the life he works so hard to provide for us. Why? Because he loves us.</div>
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Has this scenario put your brain into over drive? Curious to learn more - I would LOVE to sit down and discuss the perfect plan for your family. Tomorrow and Wednesday we'll cover my coverages and Thursday we'll discuss Gunner and Gauge's life insurance policies. </div>
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Thanks for reading! And make sure you're not just insured, you're covered!</div>
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ktekteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-65943391540578360952012-03-08T05:29:00.000-08:002012-03-12T10:31:16.152-07:00SimplifyI have a sign above a door in my home that says Live Simple....one would think if I focused on the saying a little more I would have found time to post at least once on here since LAST August - but none the less I'm going to try hard and simply focus on making sure something gets up on this blog at least a couple times a week - from insurance to sharing insight into my family to posting a couple recent photo shoots - you're going to see a little of everything. For the next couple days I'll be reposting from the insurance blog so I can merge it onto this main blog and then see what happens from there - I hope you follow me and share your comments and questions.I hope you enjoy and find a way today to do one thing a little more simple.<br />
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A Blog on Insurance? </h3>
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Yeah..... I know it's probably not the first words you type when looking for an inspirational blog to follow.....but stick with me here... <br />
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If you know me, you know I love social media....and this blog has been in the back of my mind since August 1, 2011 - the day I started my new career as an insurance agent with Farm Bureau Insurance. I have been trying to figure out how I could connect a blog with what I do (aka put my journalism degree from MSU to good use!) So why not kick off the new year with another way to connect with people.</div>
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You don't have to be my client, you don't even have to ask for an insurance review (though I'm always willing to give free reviews!!). My intent is really to just share what I do - since insurance can be "scary, intimidating, the elephant in the room, ignored, worthless, confusing, piling up on my counter or just thrown in a folder in hopes I never have to see it again" - all descriptions I've personally heard. </div>
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For most people, insurance is something you don't want to deal with nor see the value in it until you need it. Others can't seem to get enough protection based on a life experience. Everyone sees insurance differently. This blog will show you how I see it, as I sit next to people like you trying to sort through it all. </div>
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I hope you follow me, if nothing else to feel like you're not alone when you don't understand something. I hope you ask questions and add experiences. I hope you feel different about insurance every time you read it. I hope you just read it. :)</div>
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Happy New Year!</div>
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kte</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8F0BNVm86CxTXf6W5CJU4oMwtJ_3VsDQ_XtT1bUnZgIrvm7eiVEaNCfLu7IBL3AQFhLn6lVj660NZHP4THgwARtFDAvjufsEKgEk6gitMCCLyEeHwqaxcspdYRW8c-W-ObqtfbufhY6g/s1600/Katie+Eisenberger+Farm+Bureau+Insurance+Head+Shot.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; height: 201px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 133px;"><img border="0" closure_uid_l0kbfr="2" height="200" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8F0BNVm86CxTXf6W5CJU4oMwtJ_3VsDQ_XtT1bUnZgIrvm7eiVEaNCfLu7IBL3AQFhLn6lVj660NZHP4THgwARtFDAvjufsEKgEk6gitMCCLyEeHwqaxcspdYRW8c-W-ObqtfbufhY6g/s200/Katie+Eisenberger+Farm+Bureau+Insurance+Head+Shot.JPG" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I promise I'll have way more fun looking photos too :)!<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Katie Eisenberger, Multi-Lines Agent. Office: (989) 681-6000 Cell: (989) 400-2434 Email: keisenberger@fbinsmi.com</span> </td></tr>
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</div>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-68776508853529638952011-07-08T08:41:00.000-07:002011-07-08T08:45:38.466-07:00To My 4-H Family and Supporters<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6Q3Vuyqfo1GmUO6QNyuguTasnSPri5E54SxDZKLPK3RP3bMTivp5my-XSDzDWDiIidzHPzqw99hBMoJLNXyAILeLV9fAc-UkfMQg2Jwcik6ssohJppbeXp6zQx377nZqhnTofeGYhvY/s1600/Blog+Post-0270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC6Q3Vuyqfo1GmUO6QNyuguTasnSPri5E54SxDZKLPK3RP3bMTivp5my-XSDzDWDiIidzHPzqw99hBMoJLNXyAILeLV9fAc-UkfMQg2Jwcik6ssohJppbeXp6zQx377nZqhnTofeGYhvY/s320/Blog+Post-0270.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm the one in the long sleeve denim, jeans tucked into her boots<br />
with an extremely flustered face - I took feeder calves the next year.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">When I was nine my sheep got loose five times in the judging ring. FIVE TIMES in just 15 minutes. Not my most shining moment.....but </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I never guessed that 4-H would provide much more than a livestock check and memories of me chasing that dang sheep around the ring in front of a packed audience. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">A large part of my foundation began sitting around the Jasper Township Hall making crafts, going to other families home's to learn about livestock, spending time with friends at camps, working on our club's talent show plays and ultimately building life skills and developing relationships that I still hold very close today. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WR3FfCoaqZRhFM6qirvti6TZcSb6RxlPolXbU93OJZHLRDfui_JXa7-lDWpq7jKRc1xVewGR5Wz7Dp5bK5zvEsrzpZwHl3haKVq39n1K6ZICh8maJAA4Ld0zRq89cjRIeEL-ZSxlsG0/s1600/Blog+Post-0272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WR3FfCoaqZRhFM6qirvti6TZcSb6RxlPolXbU93OJZHLRDfui_JXa7-lDWpq7jKRc1xVewGR5Wz7Dp5bK5zvEsrzpZwHl3haKVq39n1K6ZICh8maJAA4Ld0zRq89cjRIeEL-ZSxlsG0/s320/Blog+Post-0272.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our club performed the Big Bad Wolf for the <br />
county 4-H talent show. I'm in the black and pink dress and<br />
super cute permed hair :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Seven years ago, when the job opened up for my home county's 4-H agent position, I knew it was the exact job for me. I have had the honor of working with some amazing young men and women of Gratiot County. Amazing doesn't do justice to what these youth can do - they have inspired me, made me laugh, challenged me to take programs to the next level, taught me how to just sit back, relax and enjoy life - yeah they're that cool and I care so much about them.....</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">And my leaders, who have been through seven years of my wild, crazy ideas - thank you. Thank you for believing in them, not looking at me crazy when I shared them (at least not in front of me :)!), </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">helping me work through them </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">and among it all....becoming some of my closest friends. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fj_-aKzspEJVPZofjCPF2bqUmX7MZ7DmNpLSiSDEb46S3zQwNoEtlGjyjDDM8Yh6TVdOB98T_y6Ym7FkHNVCY9EvJ8daqUvlKJSP9Yn9T1-H7MDfI-dvTO0bhyfesoWO-1zcXAfrYsE/s1600/6568_124284274053_691754053_2278116_2014543_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fj_-aKzspEJVPZofjCPF2bqUmX7MZ7DmNpLSiSDEb46S3zQwNoEtlGjyjDDM8Yh6TVdOB98T_y6Ym7FkHNVCY9EvJ8daqUvlKJSP9Yn9T1-H7MDfI-dvTO0bhyfesoWO-1zcXAfrYsE/s320/6568_124284274053_691754053_2278116_2014543_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our family at Gauger's first Gratiot County Fair for Youth -<br />
he's the one passed out in my carrier :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Together we have built a strong foundation for our youth and I know you will all continue developing the incredible young men and women we have i</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">n </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gratiot</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Co</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">unty. On a personal note, you've been with me through some major life changing events including my wedding and the births of my two boys. My son Gunner will probably always walk around the fairgrounds like he owns it and both have enjoyed spending time playing with and learning from their 4-H family. Thank you for having such a positive impacted on my family and I. We will always be grateful.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">So saying all this....many have heard, but I wanted to make the announcement....</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Recently, I accepted a position with Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan as a multi-lines insurance agent. My last day as the GC 4-H Educator is Sunday, July 31 and I will begin my new position on Monday, August 1 in St. Louis at the Reichard Insurance Agency. To clarify, Monte Reichard didn't hire me, he's serving as my mentor. We are both employees of Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan. He was gracious enough to open up office space and offer his resources and experience to help me get started. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">MSU Extension is currently working on what our county's transition, so I do not have a timeline of what it will look like. For now, many of the pieces will be picked up by the local office - whom which, our program would never have been as successful as it has become and I will always owe them for the many times they've stepped up to the plate to help with whatever was going on in 4-H land. I'm confident you will continue to receive the quality response and resources you need as MSUE moves forward in hiring someone.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">And though I'm extremely excited about taking this new career path, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/gratiotcounty4h">Gratiot County 4-H</a> is my home and I will continue to be a resource, volunteer and supporter. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Thank you for allowing me to consider you all family. I have grown and been motivated by each of you. And so much more importantly, together we've built one AWESOME youth program for this county.</span><br />
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</span></span>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-11263250397915354192011-07-06T11:07:00.000-07:002011-07-06T11:07:51.128-07:00Sweet Summer Time<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhyphenhyphenlOYi0J5YoC6cWZLQIonRkbia0FZ6C2LYnQBw6r4qoGu6eITETS9XvGZ085CzC-0qaGNaRfQ81cyBd9j90puj0qHEEmAljOu9jKlsWMmSMpGNuFa8Fgm1-slDh5gLyHRBMoKJqdIFw/s1600/blog+photo-0736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhyphenhyphenlOYi0J5YoC6cWZLQIonRkbia0FZ6C2LYnQBw6r4qoGu6eITETS9XvGZ085CzC-0qaGNaRfQ81cyBd9j90puj0qHEEmAljOu9jKlsWMmSMpGNuFa8Fgm1-slDh5gLyHRBMoKJqdIFw/s320/blog+photo-0736.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy got the jeep running - Who looks the happiest!? :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This weekend I did something I haven't in a long time. I put my phone away, closed my computer lid and literally laid by the pool and lake all day for three days.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWxKZwrEkBr14XVAaiCIB2khUBG31NA75c2IAc1di9LyUGm-p84jAqcPEBjXYRENBbtdhg7IEWgRtqiSNzeswqa2FjXK0WYawekCVF1aqSrtSilNmXv_HZAWaIp1ll8y5nrL_7fpyRkA/s1600/blog+photo-0698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQWxKZwrEkBr14XVAaiCIB2khUBG31NA75c2IAc1di9LyUGm-p84jAqcPEBjXYRENBbtdhg7IEWgRtqiSNzeswqa2FjXK0WYawekCVF1aqSrtSilNmXv_HZAWaIp1ll8y5nrL_7fpyRkA/s320/blog+photo-0698.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby Emma enjoying the pool in style.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I don't remember the last time I've went more than an hour not checking my email, responding to a FB message or seeing what's happening on Twitter. I felt like my in-home tether was lifted and I simply enjoyed face to face conversations without sharing my thoughts or feelings through acronyms and emoticons. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Did I miss an opportunity to catch up on photo editing? Yes. Could I have become more comfortable using Twitter. Sure. I probably should have even answered emails in a much more timely fashion. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIjCWvqcx9Nz8HeIC6shG0pYLUqiby_4aRvrBSMM1xJlIbe2y6gZgk4iU1sJWJT2E6LKtTr28hI-FkWTpjdURs7sXf_LgyAKvDrbRv2mmhdhD8Di2Mcwj7eeYTTZSgjpYURppX6y0hJo/s1600/blog+photo-0724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIjCWvqcx9Nz8HeIC6shG0pYLUqiby_4aRvrBSMM1xJlIbe2y6gZgk4iU1sJWJT2E6LKtTr28hI-FkWTpjdURs7sXf_LgyAKvDrbRv2mmhdhD8Di2Mcwj7eeYTTZSgjpYURppX6y0hJo/s320/blog+photo-0724.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing with Uncle Teddy and Mason.</td></tr>
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</span></div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">But I would have missed splashing around in the pool with my boys, niece and nephew. My eyes wouldn't have seen a beautiful fireworks show on Lake Isabella. Squishing my toes in the sand wouldn't have been as childlike if I was connected to my Blackberry rather than my four year's hand. And finding Gauger dirty</span></div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> from head to toe with sand in every crevice wouldn't have been so funny if I had spent my morning </span></div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">reading blogs instead of getting dirty right next to him.</span></div><div style="font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIvgAusGVmWlfO7q7LjfqpSPjuZgT1C1ic2s3YpLVC2IkckhljNplgT6Gyt9YNvgYirj5sBYDQGPyyllorGbkmQzWJ6U7-HqTF-xQDWbG7WEbP4USb1smH1hXozp_AzOzZBAHP89eife4/s320/blog+photo-0678.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="212" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jesse and Gauge with our nephew Mason<br />
and his Uncle Eric.<br />
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</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">I needed a couple days to shut down the technology to remind myself that social media can only bring you so far. It will never make the level of impact riding with the jeep top off, tasting a juicy brat with all the fixings, laughing hard with friends and family or hear the loud boom of an actual fireworks show. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Here's to many more weekends of cutting the cords and enjoying people, places and objects the way they should be - in person!</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-1184346720446330782011-05-30T18:35:00.000-07:002011-05-30T19:08:09.939-07:00Mushrooming 2011<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLYxc2EVY5cU8m6UNz_cs2GQIJdYNfApz17iOvhUVrtM8RfDnuZJBbxqrOlhctl98tHQg-wK5s57GcW-FUkoEm3qT3un2x6BuY3Rfu1kxCoYCNr-84Xz0c1UNU2pXOyC-mhrB1JaJ96o/s1600/Mushrooming-0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVLYxc2EVY5cU8m6UNz_cs2GQIJdYNfApz17iOvhUVrtM8RfDnuZJBbxqrOlhctl98tHQg-wK5s57GcW-FUkoEm3qT3un2x6BuY3Rfu1kxCoYCNr-84Xz0c1UNU2pXOyC-mhrB1JaJ96o/s320/Mushrooming-0002.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading up th hill with daddy.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Did you know that mushrooms grow by Ash trees? I did not until today. I did, however, know that an HHR should not be used as an off road vehicle to find said mushrooms.... unfortunately, my husband didn't know this tidbit of information and only five minutes into our hike on a two track in Roscommon County, we bottomed out on some deep sand. Now for some reason, it was the vehicle's fault....not my husband's.<br />
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Yet, despite <s>our </s>the HHR's mishap, Jesse, the boys and I enjoyed an afternoon of mushrooming. We didn't find many, eight total - but with two little boys we found a whole lot of porcupine poop, tons of bugs, three toads, a slug, a couple great walking sticks and lots of other kinds of mushrooms...all in all it was quite a successful day with two little boys zonked in the backseat most of the way home.<br />
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I did feel a bit guilty picking the mushrooms. They seem to have this mystical quality about them, as if magic trolls set up home within the mushroom village....but then I rationalize my "giant" like ways and think if the trolls are so magical they'd figure something out....they probably would try some of the magic words my husband used on the SECOND time <s>he</s> the HHR bottomed out....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbYrCiZxvaHDvTdYf2q6-gV1q9m2V15YOCSmENuBHskH4pmMGWQPeMyvDEG2wwCReQmUflg7vIi3O1CfvGtKOcyEZjEYyc998dTi3TDB7g2gv8LY2__8F1jtfiM5oDu8lWwdYCLLsB9k/s1600/Mushrooming-0006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbYrCiZxvaHDvTdYf2q6-gV1q9m2V15YOCSmENuBHskH4pmMGWQPeMyvDEG2wwCReQmUflg7vIi3O1CfvGtKOcyEZjEYyc998dTi3TDB7g2gv8LY2__8F1jtfiM5oDu8lWwdYCLLsB9k/s320/Mushrooming-0006.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;">Can you see the toad?? - From a four year old perspective it's pretty up close and personal :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5608876018451487555.post-86986438559187183952011-05-24T21:41:00.000-07:002011-05-24T21:45:22.487-07:00One Foot in Front of the OtherToday I started training for my first marathon....before you go... seriously Katie... one more thing, when are you going to fit this in...you can stop yourself - my husband has already rolled his eyes at me once, if not several times....but it's a priority to me....actually it's my privilege.<br />
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Now I'm not the coolest, hippest looking runner with new flashy clothes, shoes or gps training devices. I have decent running shoes, I listen to Pandora on my phone while the stopwatch application keeps my time and my clothes are just anything that doesn't restrict my running. Nothing extraordinary.<br />
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I did start running my <a href="http://bit.ly/klCVN9">fair share of 5K's</a> in college, took some major time off during my wedding and two pregnancies, then got back on "track" to complete my first <a href="http://bit.ly/l1nMKk">half-marathon</a> in under two hours last fall.......which was the coolest runner's high I've ever had.....<br />
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Runner's high - it's the adrenaline rush after you've accomplished a half mile run or 13.1 miles....a feeling of accomplishment, pushing through the cramps and mental weakness, getting over to the other side where you walk around afterwards like... yeah I'm amazing...You can only experience it.<br />
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It's also healthy to get out and do at least.... at LEAST...30 minutes of fairly intense <a href="http://bit.ly/iL9hIS">exercise</a> DAILY. This isn't your stroll around the block looking at the neighbor's lovely spring flowers. This is a pumping your arms, increasing your heart rate, leave those flowers in the dust kind of movement.<br />
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Also, setting a goal, working through obstacles and celebrating successes as well as achieving the goal are all huge life lessons I hope to teach my boys. Maybe someday they'll make the connection as they lace up their running shoes.<br />
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You can also eat more after you run than before....another reason I eat ice cream every night after a run - yes, I realize this might be counterproductive....but I also have a fairly tight relationship with <a href="http://bit.ly/kQlcvz">Ben & Jerry</a>, the Blue Bunny and <a href="http://bit.ly/jMDVBb">Country Fresh</a> and I'd rather just give in then fight temptation :).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJa97yB0MDUfQ6kr3DnCZWtP1ec1lYAyVQrgKu7-bawnDmHiZKGV5RbpToKvxlxebbg8skVv_lGR27bdTxsuZxlJU1UkpL87zfJ74HudkSI3VoYESq9RyKZnkXCBL-lDcn9FF1q7VUTE/s1600/Casee+and+Grandpa-0162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJa97yB0MDUfQ6kr3DnCZWtP1ec1lYAyVQrgKu7-bawnDmHiZKGV5RbpToKvxlxebbg8skVv_lGR27bdTxsuZxlJU1UkpL87zfJ74HudkSI3VoYESq9RyKZnkXCBL-lDcn9FF1q7VUTE/s320/Casee+and+Grandpa-0162.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two I think about every time I lace up my shoes...<br />
Aunt Casee & Grandpa Bum - beating the odds daily.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Seriously though, there are so many amazing reasons to encourage anyone to run....but my reason is so much more. I have family that will never run again. Cancer has taken away their lung capacity to breath deep. Cancer has taken away the movement in their legs. Cancer is a bitch. It's an awful way to say it, and I'm usually pretty smooth with word choice, but I have no desire to give cancer the time and energy to come up with a considerate, romantic way to capture its raw approach to essentially turning lives upside out and inside down. It's awful. It's unfair. It's nondiscriminatory. It shows no empathy or sympathy. It's a bitch.<br />
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So God has given me lungs to breath deep. To handle the cold winter runs and the hot humid ones as well. He also blessed me with two legs that move, maybe not as fast as the competitive side of me would like, but when my mind tells my feet to put one foot in front of the other, they follow directions.<br />
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So I have no excuse to not lace up my shoes everyday to train for this <a href="http://bit.ly/iWv4tV">marathon</a>....because someday - looking at my family's health history - I may not have this privilege. And to waste what I have at this moment in my life would be so irresponsible...because so many would and have died trying to get just one more chance to put one foot in front of the other...kteisenbergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15107178745181906756noreply@blogger.com0