Little Teich's ...

A Teichert Holiday Carol

2010-12-18T16:19:00.006-07:00

Ah, the holidays. A time to celebrate family, friends and confront the guilt created from our lack of communication over the past year. So in great holiday song we sing:

- Here we come apologizing, Among the words so clean;
- Here we come a-wandering, From New Mexico we've seen;
- Love and joy come to you, From Ogden, Utah too;
- And God bless you and send you a Happy New Year
- And God send you a Happy New Year.

Okay, so the song may be cheesy but who knows what was “wassailing” really is anyway? Speaking of thoughts undefined... the last year for us Teichert's.

So this past spring Scott accepted a position as the director of admissions at Weber State University. We were all excited about the opportunity to be back in Utah, be close to family and again be Weber Wildcats but we also knew leaving New Mexico would be extremely difficult. Most people don't just move to a different state for a short year and grow attached like we did, but New Mexico really was a land of enchantment to us.

In July we moved back to Utah. We've been lucky that Scott's parents (Fred and Dalene) have opened their hearts and their basement as a place to land while we continue to sell our home in Los Lunas in a slow real estate market. We are enjoying being in our old neighborhood and re-connecting with life long friends which we made when we literally lived next door a couple of years ago.

The kids love being close to both sets of grandparents. Austin (5) started kindergarten at the elementary school across the street and loves bringing home new reader books and sounding out every word he sees. Allie (3) is still our little princess and loves telling everybody the same. She's 100% Teichert with the confidence and quiet humility we all demonstrate :)

Lisa is the glue that continues to hold our family together. She is a saint as she manages our hectic schedules while demonstrating diplomacy, patience and family ambition. Scott's loving his job and is actually considering getting back to our family pursuit of his Ed.D.

Certainly the past year has brought fantastic and major changes. We feel fortunate for the many opportunities and blessings the Lord has extended to our little family. May He continue to bless you and your family as He is the reason for the season. From our family to yours: Happy Holidays!

A Crest, a Cave, Tinkertown, and Camping

2010-05-22T23:26:00.003-06:00

Last weekend was Fathers and Sons Campout and boy were Austin and I excited. While the girls played with their girlfriends at home us Teichert boys headed for the mountains.After picking up our friends Michael and 'Than it was off to the Owl Cafe in Albuquerque. Who won't be ready for life in the wilderness with green chili cheese fries digesting in the stomach?Next we ascended the climbing road (NM536) up the backside of the Sandia mountain range to Sandia Crest, which looms high above Albuquerque.
At the summit we hiked to the old Kiwanis cabin and looked across amazing vistas and felt the winds persistand reminders that we wanted in no way to be as close as we were to the cliff edges.After our summit hike we descended in route to Sandia Cave. Austin and 'Than passed out and slept through the rugged 4X4 trail to our next destination.Discovered in 1935, the cave has been the center of incredible controversy regarding pre-Folsom occupation in the Northern Hemisphere. Today, the cave has been marred by graffiti but is still an awesome place for fathers and sons to explore on a quite Friday.
The cave goes back in the dark almost 300 yards and the boys were all little troopers excited to cut the dust with their flashlights as if harnessing the power of real light-sabers.

After dusting ourselves off and hiking off the trail it was on to "Tinkertown" and eclectic roadside destination not far from our camping spot.Tinkertown was the brainchild of Ross Ward, an amazing wood carver and humorist. At the musuem we met Mr. Ward's widow who told of his story traveling with the circus painting. When he was home in his mountain retreat he would carve and layout the most amazing "bottle village" and museum to the carnival and wild-west.Tinkertown is an amazing destination and is preserved by the love of Mr. Wards family and incredible imagination. I particularly love his quote, "I did this all while you were watching television." (For more information on Tinkertown visit here)Finally, we made it to camp, set up our site and enjoyed nature as only a five year old can do (by getting amazingly dirty, climbing on everything and making lots of noise).It was sure fun hanging with my little camping buddy. Certainly, we have camping in our blood now and can't wait to get out again!

Our Nuclear Family

2010-04-06T17:10:00.008-06:00

We were so disappointed to learn that we couldn't fly to California to visit the Jackman's because of blackout dates on our airline tickets. The kids were especially excited to play with their cousins, and Scott has been trying to get down to California for nearly three years now. Of course, we didn't read the fine print until late Thursday night as we were finalizing our packing. With bags packed and kids dreaming of an adventure we had to think fast.

Luckily, with an endless New Mexican "to-do" list we quickly brainstormed some ideas and apt. Kirk came to the rescue and negotiated a good deal on a hotel room in Socorro, NM. After waking to the disappointing news of not being able to fly to California the kids (and Lisa) humored dad with a reluctant excitement to be dragged onto another adventure in the middle of the desert. After packing "Monty" with the appropriate goodies and DVD's it was off to the Holiday Inn Express in Socorro, NM. While the hotel was probably on the higher range of our usual price range the prospects of an indoor pool was too alluring and who can turn down a full breakfast at a hotel?

The kids christened the room upon entering it by jumping on the bed and Austin did his famous "Daisy Dance" which is hilarious! In no time we were in our swimsuits and playing sharks, "puppies in water" and all sorts of aquamarine imaginary games. We had the whole pool to ourselves despite the hotel being booked for the weekend. After a night of sleep we all awoke with bright eyes ready for a huge hotel breakfast and a trip under Daddy's direction to "the middle of nowhere".Now when we say Daddy like to find things in the middle of nowhere we mean it. This time it was Trinity Site. Trinity Site is located in the heart of the White Sands Missile Range and is only open to the public two times during the year. Trinity Site where the first atomic bomb was tested on July 16th, 1945 after three years of secret testings as part of the Manhattan Project.

We were told that about 2,500 people visit the site, but we couldn't imagine who those people could be. I mean Trinity Site seemingly is in the middle of nowhere so imagine our surprise when we showed up to the military checkpoint and saw a long line of cars! After passing the checkpoint we drove for almost 14 miles through the north end of the range. We weren't allowed to take pictures and admittedly there isn't much to see but we did get a kick out of the Oryx crossing signs. African Oryx were introduced into New Mexico nearly 60 years ago but that's for another post.

Just as the kids reached their limit of being in the car we reached a massive parking lot next to more desert surrounded by a huge chain link fence. Military Police(?) guided us to our parking spot and soon we were making our pilgrimage by foot to the heart of the bomb site.

They had guides on hand explaining the mysterious Trinitite, a cool greenish glass which formed as particles of sand fused during the blast. Of course, you can only look at the Trinitite and it is a federal offense to take it home so we had fun reminding the kids that we could only look at it like a zillion times!They had on display the casing of a similar bomb which exploded in 1945. After wandering the site for a while the kids were surprisingly ready to get back in the car for the drive home. We stopped in Socorro again so Scott could get a picture of the oldest Catholic Churches in New Mexico the Old San Miguel Mission (1598) and then it was on to Sonic for some slushies and hamburgers. On the way home we had to stop and visit a bunch of longhorn cows. In the end it was a wonderful but quick trip in our own backyard. It's fun to just be with our "Nuclear Family" but we are still hoping we can make the trip to California sometime soon!

Birthday's 3 and 5!

2010-03-23T10:50:00.003-06:00

We are so lucky to have little Allie and Austin in our lives. Over the past two months we've celebrated birthday's and had a blast just being together as a family.

For Allie it was all being a princess. She loved her new Cinderella dress and picked Dion's (pizza) for her special dinner.

For Austin it was a new bike and Dion's for his special dinner.

We love our kids! Thanks Austin and Allie for bringing such joy to our family.

~Mom and Dad

Some deep and personal thoughts...

2010-02-04T15:14:00.008-07:00

Certainly the future will allow us the opportunity to see this period of our lives with greater clarity and understanding, but until then we walk forward with hope, faith, and resolve that all roads we are being asked to travel are for our experience and good.

Being unable to share some of our personal and professional challenges throughout the past several months with family and friends through our blog has been difficult but we appreciate the understanding and patience of those who realize that in most instances our disappointments cannot be broadcast.

Charles Dickens penned in the opening lines of Tales of Two Cities that, "It was the best of times and the worst of times." Such alliteration is also illustrative of our experience in New Mexico.

There have been (and continue to be) episodes in our experience here which can only be described as "the worst of times". But the price we've been asked to pay to grow ever closer as a family, realize the personal nature of our God, and rely more intimately on each other and the whisperings of personal revelation has been incredibly worth it. That our Heavenly Father has a plan for us we know.

Gratitude is ever extended to friends and family who support us even when we can't share all that we are experiencing. The next year will certainly bring incredible changes in our family, but we are incredibly optimistic and have a quiet assurance that all these things are for our experience and good.

Thanks for your prayers, faith and encouragement. We are so grateful for so much!

Seasons Greetings

2009-12-07T23:18:00.004-07:00

Dear Friends and Family,

We've fallen out of the habit of updating our family blog like we should. But luckily it's that time of year to start anew and commit to being better just in time for the jolly old St. Nick...

More posts to come soon. Rest assured we are well and having a great time as a little family here in New Mexico. Certainly we have so much to be thankful for.

May the spirit of the season bring joy to your hearts.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,

-Scott, Lisa, Austin and Allie

Play, play, play...

2009-10-12T21:29:00.003-06:00

When the Teichert’s play, we play hard! The last two weeks have been incredibly enjoyable as we’ve spent all the time possible with Fred, Dalene, Jeff, Jerry and Shirley.

Just as our tears were drying because Grandma and Grandpa Teichert and Uncle Jeff had to leave and go back to Utah, Grandma and Grandpa Milne paid us a wonderful visit! We got to eat the Duke City Pizza Special at Dion’s (Turkey and Green Chili), visit the children’s museum, have a “pool party” in our back yard, eat ice cream, visit the aquarium and botanical gardens, see the “Glowdeo”, ride a train and see the Mass Ascension at the Balloon Fiesta, eat Pasties, and sing Happy Birthday to Grandpa. Did I mention we just played and played and played?

Boy is it going to be hard to get back to the regular day-to-day… We sure love our family!

El Cerro de Los Lunas and the Village Idiot

2009-10-10T23:25:00.004-06:00

I’ve wanted to climb and explore “El Cerro de Los Lunas” (or for you gringo’s like me- that big honking hill/mountain that looms outside of my neighborhood). So last week, Lisa entertained my foolish ambition and let me wander on a mountain in the desert as long as I promised to be home by dinner.

Legend has it, or at least the kind folks at the Los Lunas Parks and Recreation informed me, that a local landowner donated over 1,500+ acres to the village as “a nature preserve” to be enjoyed by all those who wish to enjoy the rugged, desolate, steep, and rocky outcropping. (BTW-New Mexico likes to call cities “villages”- I guess hiking alone in the desert on a mountain makes me the village idiot?)

It probably took me about an hour to hike up crude trails and scramble up lava rock and dry beds to reach the summit; my “map” which was given to me by the Los Lunas Ranger upon request says the peak is 5,827 ft. Admittedly, I “meandered” quite a bit looking for petroglyphs and signs of ancient civilization, and spaceships. Although, I was bummed I didn’t get to see a spaceship I did see two C-130’s from Kirtland AFB fly overhead, which if you haven’t seen them they are huge!

On my descent, I stopped at the Los Lunas High School letters on the southeast side of the mountain and ran into a couple of high school kids ditching school. They were nice, just wanted to hide out for awhile… note to self, if you want to hide-out don’t pick a mountain face visible to the whole Rio Grande Valley…

After wandering for about two hours I found some really amazing petroglyphs which only increased my interest to take on the mountain again sometime soon… Of course, further expeditions will have to wait for another time.

Just so you all know, and in case you were wondering- I made it home in time for dinner.

What an incredible weekend!

2009-10-06T10:19:00.002-06:00

We had so much fun having Grandma Dalene, Grandpa Fred and Uncle Jeff come visit us this past week. We played and played and then crashed in front of conference... whew!
We got to go to the aquarium, botanical gardens, natural history museum, El Pinto, Balloon Fiesta, and eat yummy peaches! We can't wait to see them again, but boy are we all tired!

We love you family,

Austin & Allie

Family Fiesta 2009

2009-10-04T22:58:00.003-06:00

Boy are we missing our family already! Grandma Dalene, Grandpa Fred and Uncle Jeff came to Albuquerque to play this weekend and we had so much fun. I'll try to post more details but I wanted to quickly get a few pictures of Balloon Fiesta up... truly it was mass happiness! More to come...

Love you family!

Our Little Salsa Kid

2009-09-27T00:18:00.005-06:00

So proud of our little Allie who is truly New Mexican! On our last trip to the landmark El Pinto in Albuquerque she gobbled up two servings of salsa and chips while Lisa, Austin and I just stared in amazement... literally she about ate them all by herself- she just couldn't get enough. Red or Green chili? Who cares, as long you can down it with chips!

Every night is family night!

2009-09-26T22:02:00.006-06:00

Holy cow, how we've played here in the desert of New Mexico...and our new motto, "Every night is family night"!

This last week we enjoyed a spur of the minute trip to the base of Tome Hill to explore the statue, hike up some volcanic rocks and find bugs.
We hit the jackpot when we discovered a bunch of millipedes, Allie just thought they looked like worms with legs, and Austin swears, "there must be at least 25 legs on that bug"...
Of course we saw another beautiful New Mexico sunset, too bad the camera just can't capture the awe of the actual. Boy are we turning into desert rats!

Never too late to post an adventure!

2009-09-21T15:18:00.009-06:00

Admittedly, I’m in denial that summer is almost officially over. It seems like the season was literally stolen from me with the move to New Mexico and the start of a new job. Of course, summer never has been the same “lazy days” as they once were when we were kids… it’s hard to be an adult.

Fortunately when making the trip down to Albuquerque at the end of June, I was able to turn the necessary road-trip into a mini-expedition with my little brother Jeff- we had so much fun! I know I shouldn’t admit this but I was probably more excited for the trip down to Albuquerque then than I was about the new job.

For nearly two weeks Lisa put up with me researching just about everything you could possibly find between Salt Lake and ABQ, and I even put together a detailed agenda of our trip (thanks for reading it Jeff!)

Beginning with breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa Teichert’s on Monday morning Jeff and I drove straight to a little museum in Monticello, Utah where we were fortunate to find a detailed map of the “Cedar Mesa” managed by the BLM. I had hoped to be able to talk with someone “in the know” about some places I had wanted to visit…luckily, we found just such a gentlemen who had been a retired ranger in the area for nearly 30 years and he was able to “neither confirm nor deny” the existence and whereabouts of Moon House and other unpublished cliff dwellings in the area. After getting our bearings it was off to Edge of the Cedars State Park and Museum in Blanding.

We made it to the museum an hour before it closed which was perfect because we had the place nearly all to ourselves. The museum has a fantastic collection of artifacts, including pottery and tools- I was most impressed with the Macaw feathers (further proof that the Pueblo people had connections to Mesoamerica). Jeff and I then had a great Navajo taco at a little restaurant in Bluff, Utah which would be our last connection to civilization for the next two days…

Alone and isolated before sunset on the old Mormon road somewhere between “Hole in the Rock”, Jeff and I found ourselves our heads as our pride had lead our little truck too far down a torturous road to turn back and too far from civilization to be found for days. We prayed our guts out and found a place just off the road to camp for the night. There is something about being about to admire the beauty of endless stars in the sky and the realization that you can only see them because you are so isolated from anything!

The next morning we made our way to the top of the mesa where the road leveled out and soon our spirits were lifted when we realized we weren’t going to die! After driving several miles we found the “drill pipe” down the remote road which marked our stop and we began hiking toward a secluded canyon. Moon House is a sheltered and little-known 13th century Anasazi (or "ancestral Puebloan") ruin that is incredibly well preserved because of its isolation and limited documentation. The secrets of Moon House are best left for those who make the effort to find it, explore its beauty and respect its secrets. Half the allure of Moon House and sites in Cedar Mesa is its discovery and I’ll leave that journey to you! Suffice it to say it was an incredible and profound adventure for Jeff and me, and if you happen to find such a place in your lifetime please take only pictures and leave only footprints.

After exploring the canyons most of the day we were off to Mesa Verde… Jeff had the inspiration to have us stop at Wal-Mart in Cortez and buy tarp which proved fortunate as we had heave rains that night and stayed quite dry.

Mesa Verde is incredible. Waking up at the crack of dawn and experiencing the whole park until the setting of the sun, Jeff and I did in one day what most do in a week; we visited Long House, Balcony House, the Farr view sites, Cliff Palace at sunset, the Chapin Mesa Museum, etc…, etc… It was such an awesome experience to look across the canyons and pick out sites and structures that are probably yet to be excavated. Crashing into our pillow’s we were excited to contract Mesa Verde with what we had heard of Chaco Canyon.

Day three we were back on the road in search for further mystery and adventure. Chaco Canyon had its campground closed for renovation so we knew we would be traveling a little further than we would have liked but the beauty of desolate New Mexico is enchanting, soon we were on another dirt road in the middle of nowhere and we arrived at the National Park just as the storm clouds rolled in. Once again, we felt like the only people in the park and we enjoyed a “personalized” tour with an exceptional tour guide. Chaco Canyon is so unique and beautiful; I could spend hours describing personal thoughts and reflections but as with most places of antiquity interpretation is best left the explorer.

Driving into Albuquerque in a beautiful rainstorm Jeff and I were relieved to take advantage of the comforts of a nice hotel room. Soon we would have the cares of the world again upon us and I would be moving into my new apartment and starting my job but for one more day we played adventurers and explored Petroglyph State Park in the heart of Albuquerque suburbia. Literally within yards of North West ABQ lie thousands of petroglyphs in a few untouched desert canyons. The images were beautiful and it was the perfect experience transitioning me from the opportunity to appreciate the past and look forward to a new future.

Certainly there are many more adventures ahead but the trip down to Albuquerque with Jeff will forever be a wonderful memory with far too many stories to share…

Bandelier National Monument

2009-08-01T20:04:00.006-06:00

So two weekends ago I explored Bandelier National Monument by myself. The whole day was awesome!

On my way to the National Park I stopped outside of Sante Fe at a really cool swap meet on an Indian Pueblo. Wish I could have spent all day looking at the really artsy stuff but it was on to the exploration.

At the park I hiked the Main Loop Trail and stuck my head in a few cavets. I loved looking back over Tyuonyi and imagining what the place must have looked like when it was so heavily populated. Bandelier has the feel of a combination between Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde which makes it really unique.

About 12 miles from the main park is an area called Tsankawi which is far less populated. The place is amazing and off I went in the hot desert sun. When I started exploring Tsankawi I took off by myself and didn't worry too much about getting lost because you are literally walking in ancient paths... Of course, somehow I got a bit turned around and started to second guess myself. Then I got a little nervous when I saw storm clouds son the horizon.

So I said a little prayer and kept going... how did the Lord save the day you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked, after hiking a little further I ran into the first people I had seen for quite some time. It was a Girl's Camp from one of the Albuquerque Wards and they pointed me in the right direction. I guess the only people crazy enough to be exploring out in the middle of nowhere is us crazy Mormons.

Made it back to my truck and home safe, but I'll always get a little chuckle when I think about the randomness (and blessing) of running into a bunch of Young Women on a Girl's Camp hike in the middle of nowhere New Mexico!

Long overdue update...

2009-08-01T19:42:00.002-06:00

Well this update is long overdue... A million apologies but it's not like our little family hasn't been strung out over three states and facing major life changes! At present, I am typing in an Arby's in Albuquerque that happens to have free internet access (heaven help us if I spill Arby's sauce on my Mac!

Well since we last checked in I started my new job as director of Admissions and Recruitment here at the University of New Mexico. Coming down was an awesome experience that involved getting lost in the desert, spending quality time with my brother Jeff, discovering ancient and remote cliff dwellings and finding myself enchanted by our new New Mexico home. There really is something magical about this place. The sunsets are incredible (even through the Arby's windows!)

Lisa is still technically in Idaho preparing for the big move... I say technically because she's had the wonderful blessing of visiting family in Utah and attending the National Families Supporting Adoption conference this past week.

We miss each other like crazy and can't wait to be together this next month...

Certainly our faith has been tested in finding our new home, but our God is great. Lisa and I felt incredibly blessed to have found a home this past week. We are moving to Los Lunas which is actually 20 minutes south of Albuquerque and much easier to spell. I actually work on the south end of ABQ so my commute will be about 17 minutes! When we have the time there are so many little side stories to share about how we arrived at our decision. We can undeniably feel the Lords hands in making our move a reality and it has been so faith promoting.

We are already starting to come to grips with the reality of being so far from family and friends; luckily we have met amazing people here in NM who have taken us in and we are excited about our new NM family...

There are a gazillion challenges ahead at UNM but I love my job and feel blessed to be working there. I'm already feeling the Lobo pride! Woof, woof, woof...

There is so much to share... I've had some awesome experiences already that I need to post, but there just isn't enough time in Arby's!

Thanks to all who have had us in our thoughts and prayers. We feel so amazingly loved and blessed, and pray for you too!

-Scott

Conquering our fears, 20 years later...

2009-06-14T09:08:00.006-06:00

When I was about 11 or 12 our family went to Lava Hot Springs with the cousins. They have a 10 meter platform which terrified me! I was too chicken to jump off it... I'm proud to report 20+ years later... I mastered the highest platform at LAVA!

Memorial Day weekend was a blast. Grandpa Fred, Grandma Dalene and Uncle Jeff met us at Lava Hot Springs and we played in the water all day! Then we went to see the Soda Springs Geyser and had an impromptu pizza party! We ended the day exploring the wagon ruts and old buildings at the living ghost town of Chesterfield.

It was awesome to be able to spend time and play with family while we enjoy the freedoms that life in the United States affords. Our gratitude can never be enough for those who have served and paid the ultimate price for our freedoms.

Our Own Private Idaho...the Roadtrip

2009-05-10T20:12:00.008-06:00

Thanks to all the wonderful friends and family who have shown their love and support as we prepare to move to New Mexico.

There is an old adage that you don't know what you've got until it's gone; as for Idaho we've known we've been blessed to be in awesome part of the country but with little ones it's often difficult to explore this little "gem" state. Last week Grandpa Fred and Uncle Jeff watched the kids so Lisa and I could do a little road trip through central Idaho.

The highlights of our three day, whirlwind, central Idaho trip:
Day One...
Indian Springs, Massacre Rocks State Park, Registry Rock, Malad Gorge, Blue Highways (on cassette), Boise shopping (Lisa), the movie Earth,

Day Two...
AmeriTel breakfast (yum), Boise Temple, Famous Dave's BBQ, Horseshoe Bend, Scenic Drive, Sawtooth Mountain Range, Elk,Love and Logic (on cassette) Deer, Traffic Ticket, Sun Valley Lodge, bowling, Italian restaurant, rain.

Day Three...
Rain, swimming, main street diner, Craters of the Moon, Atomic City, rain,home...

We're sure glad to have had the chance to play tourists in our own backyard even if it was for a short weekend!

Major Announcement...

2009-04-29T21:02:00.004-06:00

Dear Family and Friends,

Many of you have sensed that some big changes have been looming on the horizon for our family. We are thrilled to announce that it's now official- our family will be moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

I am excited to confirm that I have accepted the position of Director of Admissions and Recruitment at the University of New Mexico beginning July 1st.

We have been blessed with a deep and abiding testimony that our Heavenly Father truly watches over his children and prepares opportunities that are beyond ourselves.

Now the serious work begins as we sell our home and make the move to New Mexico. It will be difficult to say goodbye to wonderful friends we have made in Pocatello, the last two years have been incredible, but we are excited to start a new chapter in a "land of enchantment".

Deep thanks and appreciation go out to wonderful friends and family who have had us in their thoughts and prayers.

Pocatello Hidden Objects

2009-04-29T10:44:00.002-06:00

In honor of our Allie who loves hidden object games, I’ve created this little game in memory of all the fun times we’ve had in Old Town Pocatello.

See if you and your little ones can find the following items which remind us of our time in Pocatello…

(4) clocks, Ronald McDonald, a red wagon, a basketball, an ice cream cone, a train, a Lego soldier, an Idaho quarter, an excavator, an Arctic Circle Shake, Cinderella, Idaho Potatoes, the Kindermusik logo, Lego Indiana Jones, Little Einstein’s, a John Deere tractor, a bulldozer and (3) Pocatello’s.

Good luck!

Starch, starch and more starch...

2009-04-28T16:05:00.008-06:00

I think our bodies are going to go through major starch withdrawals if we ever leave Idaho!

Yesterday for Family Night we stuffed our faces at the 5th Annual Great Potato Bowl Plus held at the ISU ballroom. In an ironic twist of fate, with gluttony we gorged ourselves on sample recipes from some of Pocatello’s finest restaurants with 1,500 other people in an event that benefits the Idaho Food Bank and the Family Service Alliance.

It was a riot! We got to eat potato pancakes, twice baked potatoes, potato bread, baked potatoes, pizza (without potatoes), BBQ and Buddy’s salad! Needless to say great times were had by all… Of course, all Austin and Allie will be able to remember is the pounds of popcorn they ate from the Popcorn shop!

Uncle Pickles comes to Pocatello

2009-04-20T22:22:00.004-06:00

This weekend was a zoo at the Teichert house...literally. Uncle Pickles (Jeff's newest moniker from Austin and Allie) came to visit and we had a blast! On Saturday we enjoyed the amazing weather and went to the Idaho Falls Zoo, visited Grammy and then Grandpa Mac's graveside. With constant laughing and joyful yelling the only quite time was the drive home when everyone fell asleep but daddy.

It's fun to play with Jeff. Allie clings to him and is his biggest fan and Austin loves it when Jeff makes him touch the ceiling. Where "Uncle Pickles" came from we just don't know but it fits him, he's cool as a cucumber and there is never a dill moment when he is around! (Okay, that was really bad even by my standards!)

Congratulations Uncle Buff!

2009-04-12T23:37:00.005-06:00

Congratulations are in order for our "Uncle Buff" who just found out that he passed the Utah Bar Exam! We knew you could do it!

Jeff with his "client" Scott over Conference Weekend

Na, na, na, na....

2009-04-08T21:31:00.003-06:00

Okay, so this arguably will be the lamest post as of yet but I had to share... the other day it was pouring rain and hail and I just wanted to get home after class. As I pulled into the garage I literally watched my odometer flip to 80,000 miles in front of my eyes... na, na, na, na...

Lamest post ever!

How do you spell that vacation?

2009-03-28T18:58:00.004-06:00

Last week Lisa and I went on a great little trip to Albuquerque, otherwise known as "the Duke City", or ABQ for short.

We had a blast and ate like kings! Ragin' Shrimp, Quarters BBQ, The Frontier... what a great time just to get away.

Of course, coming home to a big snow storm made us want to jump on the next flight back to the land of enchantment. Thanks be to grandparents who watched Allie and Austin while mom and dad played! It's nice to take a break sometimes...

57 minute road trip

2009-03-28T16:06:00.003-06:00

Austin and I hit the open road after work Wednesday... Austin's goal? To see wildlife, deer and a fox.

First stop, gas and treats. Austin picked chocolate milk and some licorice. Dad picked "snaps" and a raspberry Fuze. On the road Austin decided he loved Dad's snaps and soon was on a total sugar high (BTW, 4yr old and really messy candy not the best parental judgment). Soon we saw a whole field of wild turkey's, Austin loved yelling out of the car window and scaring them away. Then 10 miles back from home, we found what we were searching for! We must have seen over 100+ deer in the fields...um, Austin has now lost all interest in deer.

We never saw a fox... maybe 59 minute road trip next time?

Drums, Smash, another Birthday Bash!

2009-03-28T15:53:00.003-06:00

Austin turned four in March and the only thing he wanted for his birthday was to visit a music store. So off to Utah!

Our little musician loves instruments and in the guitar room quickly pointed out; "Dad that's not an electric guitar that's a bass guitar". After the music store we visited the HAFB Aerospace Museum and then it was Pinata time at grandpa and grandma's.

Thanks for being the life of the party Austin! We love you...

A bright star entered our universe!

2009-03-28T15:47:00.002-06:00

Two years ago a bright little star entered our universe! Filled with light our "little monkey" celebrated her second birthday in February. We had such a wonderful time watching her devour her birthday cup cake and scream with delight at new heart pajamas - who new clothes would be such a hit at this age?

Thanks for brightening our world little monkey!

Holiday Re-cap

2009-01-08T22:24:00.006-07:00

Okay, I'm already struggling with the new year's resolution to maintain the blog!

The holidays were phenomenal this year; family, friends, fun... Of course, the kids made it all magical, and two weeks of no real responsibilities was an incredible gift! Scott made it to the break on fumes, this past school semester and work have been a killer on us all, there is nothing like re-charging by spending time on what really matters. May 2009 bring all our loved ones the very best.

Hope ya'll enjoy the pictures- they're worth more than words...

How Grateful We Are...

2008-12-03T21:42:00.005-07:00

We had so much fun over Thanksgiving this year. On Thanksgiving day we flew to St. George..Austin loved the peanuts, Allie loved window shades, Scott loved lugging luggage, and Lisa loved just being out of the house! St. George was rainy but we loved seeing the Jackman cousins and Grandma and Grandpa Milne. We all stayed in a fun condo in a new Hidden Valley development. Thanksgiving dinner was at Ray and Sherry Milne's. We ate, played with toys, ate, played Nertz, ate and sat...

Friday we spent at the sand dunes. Allie loved being buried in sand while Austin loved being on a four-wheeler with daddy. That night the girls went to see the Secret Life of Bees and Grandpa, Rob and Scott played with the kids ate pizza, then they went to see the latest James Bond movie.

Saturday Grandpa took us to the Rosenbruch Wildlife Museum. Then we went exploring for glyphs and fossils. Grandpa got a flat tire in the dark but we made it back to town. For dinner we celebrated Scott's birthday by eating at an all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant. It's hard to believe Scott could eat so many crab legs! Then the Ray Milne family came to the condo for "golf", Settlers of Catan, and laughs...

Sunday we couldn't catch a flight out of St. George so we crammed into Grandpa's truck and drove to Salt Lake...we made the 9:00pm flight back to Pocatello, Austin fell asleep on the landing, we locked ourselves out of our house...but we were home!

What a whirlwind trip, but so much to be thankful for!

Something adorable this way comes...

2008-11-01T18:22:00.004-06:00

We had an incredibly fun Halloween this year. Allie was a porcupine and Austin was the dog that messed with the porcupine!

Thanks to Uncle Rob for creating Allie's costume it was adorable, and thanks be to the foam camping mattress that was turned into the quills in Austin's costume. Staci's Chili recipe was a big hit and our neighborhood was awesome.

If anyone needs more sugar please come to the Teichert's!

Adenoids, Tonsils & Sugar, Oh My!

2008-10-24T12:49:00.007-06:00

Well our little guy is almost back to his boisterous chipper self. On October, 9^th our little guy had his tonsils and adenoids removed. After two weeks of recovery he’s finally just starting to sleep through the night. Lisa has been amazing as she has waited on Austin hand and foot.

The surgery was a success and we are amazed at how quiet our little guy sleeps now! Poor Austin could literally peel the paint off when he snored and now we find him simply whispering to angels (ok, major cheesy hyperbole!)

Our special thanks go to our parents for their sacrifices in spending time with us and helping us tend our totally sugar high children! Austin could only have liquid and so we had a bunch of otter pops, juice, shakes and Jello. Of course, Allie got in on all the action without all the pain… I think for the first time in our married lives Lisa and I actually got tired of Arctic Circle shakes!

As you can imagine, with all the undivided attention its been hard to get back to normal at the Teichert house. The last week has been trying to wean ourselves from sugar, suddenly Allie is a two year old and has become very vocal about what she wants, Austin has a new sweet voice but has to have Little Einstein’s on constantly, Lisa is starting to catch up on sleep and I… well, I’ll think of how I am after this Otter Pop!

Potatoes and Political Preference

2008-09-26T23:22:00.008-06:00

Tonight was the much anticipated 1st Annual Neighborhood Potato Festival.

Imagine everything potato...a potato cooking competition, a mashed potato eating contest, a "throw-a-hot-potato-at-your-husband" contest, potato sack races and a the potato decorating contest.

A few of the highlights? Allie just loved being outside and spent the night running free. Austin loved the potato sack race until it actually started, then he cried when they yelled "go", and got upset when everyone took off and left him. He was however the first to the finish line- only because he didn't move and the race was up-and-back (we'll just have to train more in the off-season). Lisa nearly killed Scott when she threw a hot potato two feet from her dear husband from 30 yards away- a little pent up aggression maybe?

Of course, as a family we were quite proud to win an award for our entry in the potato decorating contest... We decorated four potatoes to look like the candidates in this year's presidential election. That's right all eyes were on this year's election! Featuring: "Spud" McCain, Potato Palin, Barack AuGratin, and Baked Biden as candidates coming from the field!

Only in Idaho can you have this much fun!

Happy 8th Anniversary!

2008-09-23T00:43:00.014-06:00

To the man I love (and wants everyone to know it):

After our first date, I declared to my best friend that I could marry him. My first impression of Scott has held true for over 8 years! He is truly an amazing person with such a compassionate heart. I was attracted to his confidence, kindness towards others, his faith and his fun loving way. Thanks for working so hard for our family and making us your top priority--even during the busiest schedule you've ever had. I love you Scotty!

Ode to a Passing Summer and Fair Autumn Arrival

2008-09-22T23:09:00.007-06:00

Boy, summer in Pocatello was the best two weeks of the year! Okay, so that's a mild exaggeration, the truth is- summer was way too short. Lucky for us we absolutely love the fall! And what better way to say goodbye to summer than to post a couple last summer pictures and welcome autumn with the South Eastern Idaho State Fair!

Hope y'all enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the saturated fat... tiger ears, cotton candy, candy apples, corn dogs, Indian tacos; "mmmm... deep fried everything!"

Our silent respects...

2008-09-12T22:22:00.006-06:00

What are we doing?

2008-08-26T22:08:00.007-06:00

Remember in Disney’s Emperor’s New Groove when Kuzco and Pacha are tied to log in the middle of river after a series of harrowing danger where they have barely come out alive and then they have the following exchange?

Pacha: Uh-oh.
Kuzco: Don't tell me. We're about to go over a huge waterfall.
Pacha: Yep.
Kuzco: Sharp rocks at the bottom?
Pacha: Most likely.
Kuzco: Bring it on.

I swear Lisa and I had the very same exchange in a glance tonight as we both realized life as we know it is suddenly heading for hectic, so I’m going to be quick to the point in this entry so keep up! :)

-School started this week- I’m taking two classes; Qualitative Research Methodology and Faculty Affairs (exciting huh!), Lisa is taking Statistics
-We both are going to start teaching the Adoptive Parents class again beginning in October so we are frantically preparing
-Austin loved going to the dentist and loves showing off his brushed teeth, we have a second doctor’s visit with him tomorrow to check out his adenoids (he snores like crazy)
- Austin is starting "joy school/pre-school" and both kids are starting Kindermusic again
-The kids have had colds this last week, Allie loves to make animal sounds and especially likes to growl lately
-Our garden is finally starting to come on and we are excited about the corn
-My five finger shoes came in the mail yesterday and I love them! (I’ll blog about them in the future)
-We had the Jackman/Milne’s over two weeks ago and we miss them big time already
-Work is really stating to get crazy will more focused responsibilities with recruitment, and then the travel season is upon us
-We’re still team teaching the 7-8 yr old's in Church and have a full class

Of course, we wouldn’t have it any other way than completely busy and hectic. We can’t believe even though life has been so challenging lately how good God is… Luckily the Olympics are over so we can get to bed to have the energy for all of this.

Big waterfall, sharp rocks? Bring it on.

P.S. Yes, I am bummed Bigfoot still is yet to be found!

To All the Cryptozoologists

2008-08-14T22:10:00.007-06:00

This post goes out to all the cryptozoologists lurking on the blog...

I'm sure you are as excited as I am about tomorrow's press conference where a body of a Bigfoot will be revealed. What an amazing week this has been; first the chupacabra caught on the dashcam of a police officer in Texas, then there was the the mystery of the montauk monster, and now the press conference on Sasquatch!

Of course while this is all in fun it does hit somewhat close to home; many on you know that Jeff Meldrum here at Idaho State University is a national expert on Bigfoot research. In our local paper here in Pocatello Meldrum explains his skepticism of tomorrows "news"; but as I go to bed tonight I can't help but wonder... what if? What if tomorrow we wake up and Bigfoot is real?! dun, dun, dun!

Teichert for President in 2048?

2008-08-12T10:55:00.009-06:00

Let’s fess up- haven’t we all done a Google search on our own name? Maybe, I’m totally egocentric, a bit paranoid, or somewhere in between but last week I did a search for “Scott Teichert” and found a plethora of references.

I’m fascinated how we think the cyber world seemingly erases our own anonymity. I was on a search committee and one of the other committee members mentioned they did a Google search on one of the candidates (something about that still doesn't quite sit well with me); there wasn’t anything particularly salacious, just a comment the person had made on a blog somewhere about their political preferences. Because the online reference was completely irrelevant I honestly can’t remember the specifics but it was an excellent reminder that our cyber lives are never really private.

Since I now have my own blog I thought what better place to categorically accept, deny or clarify the Scott we all see in cyberspace…and what would motivate me? How does Scott Teichert for President in 2048 sound? (Okay- not likely I’ll be 73 and I'm sure nobody wants to see me in the white house!)…Nevertheless here are some interesting references...

Scott Teichert Employment History

Announcing my move to Idaho State University
Where I fit in the implementation of a student software program at ISU

Okay there is a bunch of random meeting minutes and announcements about my time at Utah State, Weber State and Idaho State University. They are all rather mundane and random...

The literary genius of Scott Teichert

A memo I wrote about transfer credit at Weber State University. How I truly want to be remembered… the memo man!

Scott Teichert in the media…

This is an article in the USU student newspaper about the student team I was on that won a ‘Golden Spike’ (this one has a photo and boy do I look young, I think I still own that tie 10 years later!)
I’m quoted about the Ambassador program at Utah State University
My 15 minutes of fame on Pocatello local news!

Funny Observations

There seems to be a Scott Teichert who trains dogs and wins a bunch of awards… I’m still ‘hesitant’ of dogs and have been most of my life. From what I’ve learned RST’s dog Oliver is quite the dog…
There is also a Scott Teichert at FaceBook but that's not me... it was a sad revelation to know there are more Scott Teichert's out there. I guess I'm unique just like everybody else!
Yes, I must admit there is a picture of me in a Bear suit somewhere on the internet. But let me be clear it was when I was in college and I had internship during the Sundance Film Festival where I had to get into the suit for a now defunct dot.com company, (luckily there isn’t too much besides a bear suit that I am ashamed of from my college days).
There is also a picture of a garbage truck with my name on it if you dig far enough. While the truck doesn't actually say "Scott Teichert" any garbage truck with your name on it can't be good for the image...

Well there- I’ve come clean; I think that about covers all my references on the internet. Of course, there is are some references to a SirScott who builds mighty Lego pirate ships and can be found on certain Lego fan sites but I wouldn’t know anything about that would I?… Scott Teichert’s great in 48!!!

An Incredible End to 08/08/08

2008-08-08T22:53:00.005-06:00

Tonight my senses were completely overwhelmed. While the kids and I were watching the pageantry of the opening Olympic ceremonies in our bedroom, I noticed the walls taking on the most incredible orange hue as they reflected the sunset from the window. Immediately I grabbed my camera and headed for the front porch.

We've had a pretty powerful front heading across central Idaho tonight, the winds have been tremendous, but I couldn't believe how awesome the sunset was.

In the first photo you can actually see the silhouette of the sun. I don't know if I was just extremely lucky to grab this shot because I could only faintly see the sun in the other pictures. It seemed as if the whole sky was illuminated in the most beautiful of colors. What a great way to remember 08-08-08!

Camping on the Road Less Travelled in SouthEastern Idaho

2008-07-29T16:07:00.011-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, on the way back from Utah, I decided to explore and seek another “less traveled” route from Malad to Pocatello. As I was ‘wandering’ the valley between Arbon Valley and I-15, I was mesmerized by the beauty and scenery. This is truly God’s country. Eventually, the paved road I was on turned into dirt, and then simply disappeared in the middle of nowhere. Admittedly, I was a bit nervous because the sun was starting to set and I really didn’t have an idea where I was. Retracing my steps I soon came upon a bull moose, then surprised two whitetail bucks, and was a curiosity to a small family of red foxes (of all the wildlife none were of help in the directions department). I didn’t worry too much about being lost because there were plenty of abandoned farms and homesteads I could sleep in if I were in a bind and my truck had plenty of fuel. Finally, I found markers for the old Hudspeth Cutoff and an old dirt road that led me outside of Arimo. Soon I was back on the much traveled highway as the sun disappeared.

When I called my Dad to tell him about my little adventure he got excited because he “explored” virtually the same route a couple of weeks previously. (I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree...) We resolved to do a little camping in the area and last weekend returned to the area of our intrigue.

For our second trip we did a bit of homework and I purchased a map from the BLM in Pocatello and learned everything I could about the mountain range. Leaving Pocatello after a long work week we made it just north of Daniels Reservoir in about an hour. Originally, we tried finding access to the mountain range directly east of the abandoned schoolhouse in Daniels up Indian Mills Creek but after finding cattle fences impeded access to the canyon we moved north to the Tom Perry trailhead west of Wakley Peak.

Our campsite was perfect and Dad made some great steak and potatoes in the Dutch oven and campfire cooked corn. (We would have had shrimp but because of small mishap I dropped them in the fire missing the Dutch oven by a mile)! The next morning we bushwhacked our way up to the head of the creek and found a spring, and then it was up the mountain for an excellent view of the Perlite mine, the Daniels valley, Elkhorn Peak and Wakley Peak.

The whole trip was a wonderful chance to get out and explore the incredible beauty of South Eastern Idaho. If anything we learned is that there are endless trails and adventures just waiting for us…

Everybody loves a Pocatello Parade

2008-07-27T21:38:00.005-06:00

We found a great spot for the Pioneer Day Parade in Pocatello this year. I don't know if we've ever seen so much candy! It seemed every ward and stake in the Pocatello area had endless pounds of tootsie rolls and salt water taffy to toss. Allie especially loved the OtterPops. Austin has been tracking his bag of candy for a week now and it seems it is all he thinks about. Our favorite float was the statue of Chief Pocatello. They are going to dedicate the statue soon; it was awesome to see the beautiful Native American headdresses and pride.

After the parade we went the fairgrounds and had free Watermelon then bought ourselves an Indian Taco, shared some Chuck-Wagon Potatoes and homemade Sasparilla, and played in the petting-zoo and tee pee. The best part of the day? We packed it all in before naps!

Goodenough was good enough!

2008-07-27T20:50:00.002-06:00

For family home evening last Monday we explored nature. Just 30minutes outside of Pocatello and west of McCammon we found GoodEnough Campground. The area belongs to the BLM and has about 10 campsites. We loved the day use area that had a small sandbox. Allie and Austin loved playing in the water and with the horseshoes. Maybe next time we'll try some camping there. We ended with a little hike and thanked our Heavenly Father for such a beautiful world!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

2008-07-27T20:21:00.002-06:00

July 18th was ISU Night at the Idaho Falls Chukars. Austin loved the Cotton Candy and Allie flirted with everybody! We didn't quite make it through the whole game but we heard that the Chukars won...

Seriously over our heads!

2008-07-14T18:07:00.004-06:00

Okay, once again my ambitions seem to overpower my brains… I invited my folks up this past weekend and took Friday off in the hopes of building a small structure to bring needed shade to our patio.

My dream of a simple pergola quickly became another massive Fred & Scott Engineering Project; and after three days of heatstroke, endless trips to HomeDepot and Lowe’s, and countless “challenges” we now have a substantial structure in our backyard to give us needed shade… The structure is now standing- sure I need to brace it up a bit more; but with a bit of extra effort I predict we’ll be barbecuing by snowfall!

Partners in Crime

2008-06-29T22:47:00.000-06:00

A Camping We Will Go...

2008-06-29T21:35:00.009-06:00

Austin and Daddy went on their first Father-and-Sons camping trip with the neighborhood this past weekend. They had so much fun camping near Scout Mountain in Pocatello.

Daddy was excited to try out his new truck-tent and Austin couldn't wait for roasted marshmallows!

Austin says mommy can go camping when she gets bigger, but this was just boys and daddy's!

Stop Me in My Tracks…

2008-06-24T16:23:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I was completely frustrated. I had been working as fast as I could to get some projects done in the yard, snapped a sprinkler head, and little Austin was following me around rattling off a thousand questions a minute.

Finally in frustration I turned to him and said, “Austin, why are you asking daddy so many questions?”

“Daddy, I’m asking you questions because I love you.” was the matter-of-fact reply.

I was struck.

Maybe instead of acting like I know everything and always being in a rush I should thank my Heavenly Father for a wonderful family and start asking him more questions.

It gives new insight to Austin’s famous phrase, “So what’s your question?”

A Serious Question

2008-06-24T15:56:00.003-06:00

My heart has been heavy as I just read a story about an unplanned pregnancy and I had to take a minute to be serious…

Obviously, we have become a poster family for adoption. It’s no secret in our home. We can’t even begin to tell people how much we have been blessed with incredible children, wonderful birth mothers and fathers, and amazing birth families.

Our lives have been enriched by the life-long relationships we have built with our birth mothers; these incredible women are our personal heroes. I personally can’t get over their selflessness, and in light of all that adoption can be I also can’t help but wonder…

Why is abortion seemingly so easy and adoption so hard?

Okay, let me take a step back; I know abortion really isn’t an easy decision but that’s just my point. Abortion can leave permanent psychological and emotional scars; it’s the debate over the quality of the life of the mother and what really is human life. Abortion is all the other emotionally charged issues that divide society wrapped into one lightning rod issue; but my question to those considering it- why not adoption?

I’ve been fortunate to know and love both those who have placed children for adoption and those who have had abortions; I wouldn’t pretend to think that either decision was ever easy. Rest assured in both cases there is significant and real loss; but in my limited scope, the purposes of both fulfill similar hopes. Both with adoption and abortion the birth mother can rebuild and grow despite an unplanned pregnancy, and both options are built exclusively on the women’s right to choose.

I certainly don’t claim to know or understand why someone would choose one or the other, and I wouldn’t love anyone less either way. Certainly, only an all knowing God can judge the human soul. All I know is that one of my greatest dreams in life was to be a father and I will be forever in debt to two incredible women who used their inalienable right to choose to choose adoption.

You just won a drink from the firehose!

2008-06-15T13:07:00.012-06:00

Can anyone pass up a trip to the fire station? Not when your three and there is a possibility of shooting water from a high powered hose! Thanks to the heroes at the Chubbuck City Fire Department for keeping us safe and showing us around on a fun Saturday!

Memorial Day...

2008-05-26T22:10:00.004-06:00

We played hard today and were able to visit a couple of graves here in Pocatello before the rain really fell down on us. It's great to be so close to family...even if their on the other side :)

Lest we forget-

Adolph and Betha Teichert, and Lorenzo and Chloa Bailey (both are Scott's great-great-grandparents and are buried in the Pocatello city cemetery.

Weekend in Portland

2008-05-26T21:53:00.008-06:00

Lisa and I had so much fun this past weekend. We went to Portland, Oregon for my brother Jeff’s graduation from law school at Lewis & Clark. Jerry and Shirley (Lisa’s parents) came up from Utah to watch the kids and we flew out from Boise on Thursday. We spent the day hiking and looking at the sites on the Columbia River gorge. We spent the night at Doug and Rhonda Smith’s (Scott’s uncle and aunt’s) beautiful home and stayed up talking with cousins.

Friday Fred, Dalene and Jeff flew in and we toured the law school and spent time at our gorgeous hotel overlooking Lake Oswego. Saturday was commencement and again we just spent time on walks and lounging around by the lake. We could believe how green everything was, we were truly in the garden of eden!

We’re so proud of our little brother, and grateful that the Lord has answered all of our families countless prayers in his behalf! Jeff’s now preparing for the bar, and Lisa and I are back playing with the kids and living in the desert... but what a wonderful weekend.

Austin and Allie how does your garden grow?

2008-05-26T20:45:00.006-06:00

Scott had a green thumb when Lisa, Austin and Allie went to California to visit family. With hundreds of bulbs, corn, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli (an act of love by Scott) and zucchini it will sure be fun to watch the back yard this summer!

Backyard garden

A Journey Worth Appreciating

2008-05-12T15:58:00.005-06:00

The idea of hosting our own blog was always a decision built on good intentions unfortunately; we have yet to develop the discipline needed to keep up… I’m convinced the Lord blesses effort, and in that spirit we’re back with an update.

Looking back at our last entry, boy were we ambitious. Certainly over the past few months it seems we bit off a bit more than we could chew and often Lisa and I have looked at each other and commented that these have been some of the busiest, hectic and challenging times in our family. Of course, through it all our little family has been a strength and a joy. Heavenly Father sure has a way of helping us keep perspective and we have luckily seen his hand in our challenges.

Just saying the name Allie and we can't help but chuckle and laugh. Our little girl is so hilarious, funny and full of personality. Allie is so expressive and although she doesn’t say much by way of words, her expressions will sure tell you what she’s thinking. Allie has no fear and love being ‘flipped’ by daddy onto the couch and is always climbing something. She’s caught Lisa and me off guard because Austin just wasn’t as “adventurous/death defying” at her age. She’s starting to act like she owns the house and I think if this is even a glimpse of her at 14 we’re all in for a hilarious ride.

Austin, Austin, Austin- how could such a sweet little boy be such a terror at the same time? He is so busy! Austin loves trucks, dinosaurs, and asking constant questions. Of course one of my favorites, “Dad, do you think you could surprise me with a movie, maybe Curious George?” It’s not just Austin’s mouth that’s moving a mile a minute, the kid is lightning fast and loves to run around the house and be chased. Right now it’s a riot but I’m afraid soon I we won’t be able to catch him!
Now that the weather is starting to get warmer the kids just want to be outside 24-7. Austin and Allie love their sandbox and the clubhouse that my dad and I built with consultation from 57 German engineers; seriously, what a pain- but it has been an incredible investment.

Lisa is amazing. She’s had a busy semester finishing another math class. Her instructor commented that in all his years teaching he never had a student as dedicated to her studies as Lisa. She’s a phenomenal mother and friend; and she’s been the glue that’s keeps us together.

As for me, I have loved my classes in the Educational Leadership program but they’ve been a heavy load. My work at Idaho State University has been quite demanding because the university is continuing to adjust to new administration and progressive direction. There is an increased pressure because of declining enrollments, but I am confident that we can turn things around. Idaho State University is a wonderful opportunity.

In the midst of all our activities and challenges we can’t help but appreciate all our friends and family and know that there is a loving Heavenly Father who watches over us and wants us all to be happy. Life is a journey, sometimes the journey is difficult, but all the while it is worth taking.

Cabin Fever

2008-01-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

After a much needed holiday break coming back to the tundra of winter has been a real shock. We still love Pocatello and the town has been very good to us, but darn it's cold right now (maybe we born to live in the tropics)!

Lisa jumped back in to school, she's enrolled in another math class at Idaho State and is quietly conquering the math endorsement requirements. Austin also has started his second "semester" of KinderMusic. He's loving it because they are singing about trains and trucks. Scott's also dived back into school by enrolling in the History and Philosophy of Higher Education, and Finance in Higher Education- you would not believe the readings! And Allie? Well she is "schooling" us all. She is quite busy and is walking all over the place!

That's right, I said walking. Over the break Allie took here first steps. Now she is walking everywhere. When she falls it doesn't even phase her, she just jumps back up and she's off!

I guess we just love being busy, and our calendars are filling up... we can only hope to make it to spring because... we're tired of being cold!

Snowball Fight!

2007-12-20T00:16:00.000-07:00

Next on COPS: North Pole- When elves go bad!

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Twas the Teichert's Before Christmas!

2007-12-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, simply- It's hard to rely on our best intentions!

The past two months have been some of the busiest, most challenging months for the Teichert's in a long time. Chasing rambunctious kids, new job assignments, graduate coursework, math assignments, church assignments and the like- we are ready for the Holiday break!

Thanks to all our friends and family for their patience as we have been far from the "family of the year" for the past few months. We promise our intentions really are good, but if we've neglected the important things we're sorry.

Groveling aside... here's a Christmas/Holiday update-

Allie got her two front teeth for Christmas (the last front tooth came in last night) making eight teeth in all! Our little Christmas angel is so much fun. She's a real mamma's girl right now but loves to have Daddy rock her to sleep. She is still pleasant and full of personality. She loves to stand and Rock Around the Christmas Tree (and around all the furniture), which only means she's the next step away from walking. We are so excited to celebrate her First Noel and can't believe how lucky we are to have her in our home.

Austin is all boy and all independent! We hear, "I can do it!" five zillion times a day, except when he's eating and then he makes mom and dad feed him if he can get away with it... Talk about the life! Finally, Caillou has been replaced by Little Einsteins as his favorite show. Our Little Drummer Boy is quite the musician- he loves music, banging things, blowing things and just making noise. Mommy and Austin enjoy going to KinderMusic each week and singing songs endlessly! Hark those Herald Angels!

This blog is getting long... maybe we should have an Up on the Housetop Reindeer (pause)...

Lisa is a phenomenal mommy and wife. On top of keeping our family centered she enjoys teaching in the Primary and has been taking a Math class at ISU in pursuit of a Math endorsement (I swear it's the only teaching endorsement she doesn't have). Lisa is so incredibly patient with our beautiful kids, loving to their birth parents and more importantly forgiving to her biggest kid- Scott... The big question is how long can she function on the little sleep she gets, but loves getting things done when the kids are asleep, it truly comes upon a midnight clear! (Hey we're trying here!)

Scott, what can we say. Will we ever see him again? Scott was asked about two months ago to not only be the Director of Admissions at Idaho State but now he's also the Director of Continuing Education. He's been trying to get through two doctoral classes too. He wonders as he wanders out under the sky! Sometimes he wonders if there are enough hours in the day but if you ask him he's loving his life, and wouldn't want it any other way than busy!

So as you can see,

We are dreaming of a White Christmas, and can't remember a Silent Night since Austin and Allie came to our house Over the River and Through the Woods. While our Holiday wish is simple (we hope Santa doesn't bring a Hippopotamus for Christmas), we hope you
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Dashing through the Snow!

You Can Eat Mexican Food!

2007-09-24T21:00:00.001-06:00

I just didn't feel comfortable sharing this funny little episode in the last entry but...

I have a habit of telling Austin, "I'm so hungry can I eat your..."
Then he answers, "neck", and I proceed to tickle his neck.

Well on Saturday I was playing with Austin and said, "I'm so hungry, can I eat your..."
He quick responded, "No you can't eat Austin's anything, but you can have Mexican food!"

The kid is hillarious, and I think he has a thing for Mexican food!

Our Forever Family

2007-09-24T20:35:00.001-06:00

"She just looks different today." Lisa and I commented to each other as we sat around the dinner table.
Maybe it was the creamed ham all over her face, or her big two teeth grin, but something about her just looks different...

Finalization
On Thursday Allie's adoption became final. We went to the courthouse at 9:00am and met with our attorney and the wonderful caseworks who have been conducting our home visits. We were ushered into the courtroom and Allie fell asleep in my arms.
I took the stand and am pleased to announce that this time I knew my own address! (At Austin's finalization I couldn't get it right-how embarrassing!) The Judge asked about what Allie has meant to our family and if Austin had adjusted to a new little sister. Then from across the court the judge asked how old Austin was and he said two... and a half!
Then Lisa took the stand and told the court how wonderful it had been to add Allie to our little family and what a joy it is to be her mom.
LDS family services recommended that Scott and Lisa Teichert be granted full custody of Allie and the judge agreed. Next thing we new the gavel hit and Allie became ours legally! What an incredible excitement! Lisa's parents Jerry and Shirley were there and my dad Fred came up from Utah. My mom Dalene was there in spirit.
I was able to take the rest of the day off and we just spent it with family.
According to our lawyer and the judge, they love doing adoptions because it's an opportunity for the court to put families together. We were just so excited that the adoption is finally final!

"I love to see the temple-"
My brother Jeff flew in from Portland, Oregon and Lisa's sister Stacie flew in from Palm Desert, California on Friday so we spent as much time as possible with our siblings. I took the kids to Clinton and Lisa got a much needed break in Salt Lake.
Saturday the highlight of our year was sealing Allie to our little family in the Salt Lake Temple. Austin was so excited to see the temple and wear his white shirt and tie. We can't even begin to express our emotions as we sat in the sealing room with friends and family as our children were brought in. Allie looked amazing and Austin was such a little man. As the short ceremony was taking place we were all so excited and Allie just smiled. Lisa and I could quietly hear Austin singing, "I love to see the temple"... What an incredible feeling. There is just something about being sealed to your family, knowing that you can all be together forever.

Allie's Blessing
Sunday we blessed Allie in Shirley and Jerry's ward in Salt Lake City. Again, what an incredible support we received from friends and family. Allie's blessing was a spiritual experience and she was blessed with a sense of humor. We all know she needs one to hang with the rest of us!
Family and friends came over to the Milne's after church for a brunch and it was wonderful just to spend time with everyone. Allie was a little angel. When it finally quieted down my parents, Jeff, Stacie and Lisa's parents all enjoyed a Sunday dinner and talked. Soon Jeff and Stacie had to fly out, we had to pack the car and everyone was back home from the weekend by 11:30pm.
Work has sure been hard today.

After all the activity, Lisa and I are just incredibly amazed at how gracious our Heavenly Father has been to our little family. Seven years ago Lisa and I got married, two years ago we were sealed to Austin and hours ago Allie joined us forever. We are incredibly blessed with wonderful children and wonderful family & friends.

To all that gave their love and support in so many endless ways... Thank you.

Scott, Lisa, Austin and Allie

Allie and her great-grandmother Marjorie Teichert

Everybody Loves a Fair!

2007-09-02T20:58:00.001-06:00

We've had a riot this weekend. Grandma and Grandpa Teichert came up to Idaho and we all went to the Eastern Idaho State Fair in Blackfoot. Austin loved the horses, cows and especially the pigs. Allie loved being with her Grandparents and fell asleep through most of the day, Scott loved the super nachos and we all loved being together!

We had so much fun we're thinking about going back tomorrow. Now that's the perfect way to spend Labor Day weekend!

A Whale of a Tale...

2007-08-20T12:05:00.000-06:00

I've been dying to visit my brother Jeff in Portland, Oregon and I finally got my chance. Of course, we can't just visit and lay low, we are adventures...

So I fly into Portland on Thursday morning, Jeff picks me up at the airport and off we go to Seattle. After Pikes Market, the Space Needle and a huge clam bake we crash for the night in a hotel. The next morning we are off to Anacortes, WA. We tour the little town, climb the mountain, visit the point of deception and eat massive amounts of meat at the Eagles Annual Salmon BBQ.

Only after three pounds of ribs, chicken and salmon do we question our next adventure whale watching on the Pudget Sound.

With little digestion and a whole lot of faith we board the Explorer 3 and off we go on a seven hour adventure. Three in a half hours into our journey we find a pod of transient Orcas feeding on seals just of Sydney BC. It was amazing!

On the way back we saw the most beautiful of sunsets.

Saturday we wake up and head to Mt. Rainer on the scenic way back to Portland, and I swear we saw a Sasquatch near Mt. St. Helens. We arrive in Portland and pack in dinner and a movie. Sleep for a couple of hours and then back on a flight bound for Pocatello.

It surely was a whirl wind weekend packed full but it was so incredible to spend time with Jeff and throw caution to the wind. Now it's back to reality like a seal being ripped apart by Orcas, um... I mean like a fuzzy bunny putting on their slippers- sorry for the imagery kids!

Taco Salad Please

2007-08-14T23:37:00.000-06:00

So I take Austin and Allie to the store to give Lisa a little R&R tonight. We end up buying a belated birthday surprise for Lisa. When we arrive home I tell Lisa there is a surprise in the back of the car. Lisa asks;

"Austin, what did you buy mommy at the store?"
"Taco Salad", is the precocious reply.
With a big stupor she walks out to the CRV and sees a big package in the truck.
"Austin what's in this big package?"
Austin matter of factly, "Taco Salad, Mommy".

The big box is actually a stroller that hooks to the back of our bikes for family bike rides.

Where he got Taco Salad we'll never know!

We're related to who?

2007-08-08T19:12:00.000-06:00

We've had a whirl-wind couple of weeks since the last update. We're still unpacking from a big visit to Utah where we participated in the Herman and Minerva Teichert reunion, camping with Lisa's family in the Spruce's, hanging out with Lisa's sister Staci and the cousins and all out having a great time.

The Teichert family reunion was a blast. It started with the family descending on the BYU Museum of Art on the opening day of the Minerva Teichert "Pagents in Paint" Exhibit. The exhibit runs through May 26, 2008 and was phenomenal. There was a number of paintings the family just hasn't seen in quite some time so it was wonderful. We then spent time at the Heber Valley Camp which is one incredible retreat built by the LDS church up Heber Canyon.

After passing around Teichert family stories we loaded the CRV and headed up and over mountains to the Spruce's to camp with the Milne's (Lisa's family). The kids loved being outside and Austin especially liked climbing in and out of the motor home and chasing squirrels.

Well we are finally home now for at least a couple of somewhat quiet weeks. School starts at the end of August. Scott will be back in class and Lisa is thinking of a couple of classes to keep up her teaching certification. The kids are wonderful and full of life. ALLIE CUT HER FIRST TOOTH! Which explains all the "chomping" on our
hands!

Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with our friends and family. Especially Sammy Cropper and his sweet family. It was great to have the Mark Day family stop in as they passed through on their way back to Utah, (the invite is open to anyone)!

Wishing you all the Teichert best!

Our Life: The 60 Second Version

2007-07-25T21:45:00.001-06:00

If you are going to have a blog you should probably catch everybody up to date with your life, I'll just catch you up on the last year-

When we last left our heros...Scott loves his job at WSU, Lisa and Austin love Clinton, Utah. Austin loves the park. Scott's mom and dad build a house next door and move in, everybody is one happy family, Scott gets job offer in Idaho, can't pass up opportunity, family puts up house for sale, buys house in Idaho, don't dare talk to parents, Scott starts job at ISU, Lisa packs house in Utah, Austin plays in boxes, ***Allie joins family*** (bet you didn't see that coming!) Family moves to Idaho, everybody unpacks. Scott likes new job, Lisa likes new neighborhood, Austin likes new sister, Allie likes everything.

Now that we've caught you up... Let the blogging continue!

The Teichert's are now part of Cyberspace!

2007-07-24T11:30:00.000-06:00

Maybe it was the whole selling our house, starting a new job, welcoming a new baby, buying a new house, moving to a new state, starting back to school that had us stalling in the blog department but...we are pleased to announce, drum roll...

The Teichert's found their way onto the world wide web!

So friends and family, we'll try to keep you updated on our hectic lives, and try not to embarrass ourselves too badly with our technological naivety.

To cyber infinity... and beyond!