Angel Kisses

While 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.

October, November, December, January & February

March - Clare Irish 5K Race

April - Hawaii 

May - Soccer Mom

June - six days before my little girl was born...a couple last walks in the field.

So when Carrie House 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.

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. 

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. 

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.

So this week, when Facebook's "On This Day" shared this wall post, 

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. 

She always did like to have the last word.

Christmas at the Eisenberger's

Only a handful of Christmas cards were mailed yesterday....after the pick up time so you probably won't receive them until after Christmas. 

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.

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 your view into the mail and school papers piled high on the dining room table. I don't feel as bad doing this since it is 50 out. 

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 more excited of his adventure home than Santa's arrival. 

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....

There's a lot of pressure 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. 

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 whatever be, be. 

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.

And if you need some extra prayers...I woke up this morning 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....


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. 

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. 

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.  
Love, 
Jesse, Katie, Gunner, Gauge & Mae

Our First Week of School

It'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!

What a week it has been....to sum it up in a couple words...Exhausting. Energizing. Emotional. Exactly where I'm suppose to be!

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!

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!

Gunner & Gauge - 2015

Thanks to Ms. Melissa for capturing Gunner & friends.

And despite their whining, Mrs. Judge grabbed a couple pics for me! 

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 :). 

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. Follow us on Facebook if you get a second - you'll be able to see everything we're up to! 

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. 

Using our shop for labs, the students worked in teams...possibly some future engineers!

As fun as the first week was, it was also filled with a ton learning experiences...more for me than the students. 

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! 

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.....

And now I'm off to tackle a house that may have accumulated more dirty dishes and clothes than I realized we had.....

Our first day of school picture! My mom even gave me lunch money. :)! 

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!