Healing Field

Saturday we went to the Healing Field at Tempe Town Beach. I have come to realize my children do not understand impact 9/11 had on our country. They know that 9/11 is Grandpa's birthday, they are supposed to wear red, white and blue to school, and some men flew a plane into the Twin Towers. I also realize that many years will pass before they do understand. They are post 9/11 children they will not know life any different- they won't know what it was like before. We have talked about how many people lost their lives- 2800 is a big numer. But children can't understand what 2800 is, honestly even I have a hard time grasping that number.

The Healing Field changed our perspective. 2800+ flags were flying, one for each person who lost their life. Each flag had a name attached, a yellow flag if they were a first responder and a teddy bear if they were a child. Andrew found 11 bears the youngest being 2.

I found myself getting a bit misty-eyed. 2800 flags is quite an impressive sight. But it was what those flags stood for that brought my emotions to the surface.

Although the boys just wanted to run through the rows of flags, which was quite an enticing prospect, ( you can't blame them) once we got them to understand and read about some of these individuals they walked though as reverently as boys can!! Hopefully some year, some day the memory of the vast field of flags will represent something more to them.

An ode to Legos

Brian forwarded this article to me today. The author sums up my feelings precisely-it's exactly how I feel about Legos, I just don't have the ability to write it as she does! Some of you may laugh because it sounds humorous, others may not understand it at all and a few of you will laugh because you, like me live this day and day out. (you know the sound the vacuum makes when you happen to catch a stray piece and then debate whether you should fish the lost piece out or just let it go to lego heaven)

Written by Tiffany Gee Lewis

One of the greatest joys of being a parent is in reliving parts of your childhood. What parent doesn't love playing with their kids' toys? I have a certain weakness for dollhouse collectables and Silly Putty, among other things. For my husband, it's all about the Legos. There are marathon Daddy-Lego playtimes on Sundays. Bedtime usually includes a riveting Lego City story.

I try and be supportive of this Lego connection, but my world of small playthings as a child never included Legos. So I must admit, the Legos are nearly doing me in these days. The minute my kids drop their backpacks in the laundry room, they are heading up the stairs to play with Legos. I look at all the rest of their toys, languishing forgotten on the shelves, and my eye gets a gleam. I am a mother who gets particular pleasure out of getting rid of things.

But the consequences of Legos hang heavy. First, they are everywhere: on the stairs, in the beds, under the beds, fallen in that space between wall and carpet. Piled in little piles on every table, waiting for their return to the mother bin in the bedroom. In shoes, under shoes, clogging the pencil area of the junk drawer, at the bottom of the laundry basket and swirling their way through the wash. We are awash with Legos.

I have such mixed emotions when it comes to this particular toy. Legos bring my children such joy. I love that my boys use their nimble little fingers to create some really fantastic structures. And they can be entertained for literally hours. They are superior, in so many ways, to other forms of entertainment.

But oh, the clean up! The sound of the entire Lego bucket being dumped makes me go limp. Even when we manage to pick them all up, those little plastic pieces are never really gone. I sweep my foot across the carpet and little Lego pieces pop up like gophers in an arcade game. I crawl on hands and knees before vacuuming, knowing that the favorite pieces are always the smallest ones. Yet, no matter how closely we clean up, each time I vacuum there is that familiar "chink" when a Lego gets sucked up and knocked around the internal workings of the vacuum. Then I stand there for a difficult moment, wrestling with my inner conscience and trying to decide whether that particular piece is worth disemboweling the vacuum bag. No piece has been worth it, so far.

My other issue with Legos is that they're just so breakable. I know, I know that's the point, but I have a son who builds Legos for every occasion: welcome home gifts, birthday presents, Father's Day and Mother's Day. (I got a multi-colored, Lego-sized jail cell this past May.) Inevitably, before the big event happens, these creations will come crashing to the floor, break to pieces, or get slowly deconstructed by a younger brother. Oh, the Lego-induced tears in this family could fill a small lake.Yes, tears. Tears of sadness, tears of pain.

Everyone who has owned Legos in their life knows that singular feeling of stepping with full force on a small red Lego brick and thinking, just momentarily, that you might never regain use of that particular foot. I've learned the technique of walking through a Lego-strewn room is to not pick up ones feet at all, but to slide, ice-skater style, across the carpet, parting the Legos with my feet like they were the Red Sea.

We're heading into heavy holiday and birthday season. My kids have only one thing on their wish list, and it's Legos. More Legos, to add to the already-mounting pile in their room. Like the three little pigs who set off to build homes of their own, we may someday amass enough Legos to have them build their own little huts. Until then, I will step lightly, vacuum carefully and clean patiently, working my way systematically toward Lego sainthood.

...and the rest of the summer

I had the boys help me write some of the captions on these pictures and My thoughts are in italics.



We celebrated our 12th anniversary in June and Brian got called as EQ Pres- (the fun never stops around here!) The Stake President and I got to have a little chat prior to his call ( I know a few of you have enjoyed this same pleasure!) I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful husband!

Brandon: I took this picture!



Brandon: It's my birthday. We had an Amazing Race around the house. My cake was ALL chocolate with cookie dough ice cream in the middle
Matthew: The Amazing Race was wild- we had kids all over the house running around.

We had a great time with Brandon's birthday- what else do you do with a bunch of boys in the middle of the summer and you just don't want to go swim????




Matthew: Zachary is trying to drink water out of the hose and he is getting soaked instead. This happens all the time.

Zach loves the water! He always wants the hose on- which alwasy results in the complete soaking of himself- but at least it dries quick!


Andrew: I love reading books and I like the pictures in them.





Matthew: Andrew's big book mess. He pulled the whole bottom shelf of books out.

Oh my dear Andrew- he really does love reading and I never want to discourage reading but this is what I come find in the boys room so very often. Ahhhh.... Also, he has taken to sleeping on the floor most of the summer so he can sleep under the fan. His blanket and pillow are amid the book stack. He has the bottom bunk and truthfully it is pretty hot under there, so I don't blame him, but it is just one more thing to clean up!



Brandon's braces. The 5th of August. They are orange if you want to see them.

Matthew: Brandon got his braces- this is the first day of school he has his braces on.

Thankfully, thankfully we got his braces on prior to school, since he didn't really eat anything for five days and was a little irritable!


Andrew: It's Andrew's first day of school and I'm lining up. I sit in the front row, the blue row. August 10th. The thing I love about school is PE and music.

A few days after school had started we were talking to Andrew about PE. The first day of PE they had played with hula hoops and he thought that was really cool. He was telling us that PE wasn't so fun that day. In response to our question as why it wasn't fun he said, " We had to exercise!"


Andrew: It's me and Zachary at Benjamin Franklin. It's my first day of school. August10.

Andrew: Its Andrew, Zachary, Brandon and Matthew. August 10

Matthew: It's our first day of school. Zachary thinks he is going to school. But in the afternoon he got pretty lonely and when he came to pick us up he got so excited, that he said OH BOY!

Zachary and I were driving to pick the boys up on the first day of school- he had been quite lonely all afternoon. Lest you think he takes a great nap and I have all afternoon to myself, I must set the record straight... I get maybe 1/2 hour nap out of him and then it's back to two year old antics. When the school came into view through his window he started screaming, Oh Boy, Boy, Boy! I'm grateful at this point he loves having them around. I'll admit I kind of missed them all too.

it's the real thing.

Family. it's the real thing. We got together with Brian's family in Duck Creek, UT for a week in July. Dawn and I, who were the lucky planners of this years reunion had been trying to come up with something to put on a t-shirt when we ran across an old photo of her wearing a Coke jacket with the words- it's the real thing- written on it. Because Grandpa White worked for Coke the Teuscher kids always had a few Coke things to wear through the years, so it seemed like a fun idea to use. Half of Brian's family we hadn't seen since the last reunion two years ago- his family is spread all over the US. We had a great time together. I know it sounds cliche- but we really had fun together. I hope all the kids realized that family *is the real thing*- it is where they will find the greatest happiness in their lives. I know my kids came home happy and with a week full of fun memories! ( and so did Brian and I :-))



On the last cast of the evening Brandon finally caught a trout. You can't beat a smile like that. A boy and his first fish.

Matthew and his catch.

Andrew- with the first cast of the evening- reels one in- it is so typical Andrew!


Dawn whistling in Zachary's ear with a reed. Zachary LOVES Dawn. She really is his second mother.

Cedar Breaks. Pictures from these National Parks that we visited hardly do them justice. They are places you have to experience to understand the magnitude of their beauty. When young boys are visibly impressed and express such you know that it truely is.

Teuscher Family 2009


The Cousins.


We divided everyone into teams and had various activities/competitions thruought the week. The highlight at the end of this activity was the Coke/Mentos experiment. (Andrew is in the orange bandana)

Aspen Mirror Lake was a ten minute walk from the cabin. The kids all loved hiking up and playing on the rocks, finding sticks, fishing or finding fishing supplies discarded on the banks to use in their fishing store. These abandoned finds were then sold to the younger cousins, who thought it was cool to buy something from the store. The money was then taken to Ace Hardware ( 2 minute walk up the road) for brand new fishing hooks. At least the money went for fishing supplies and not to the shaved ice right next door!

Walking to the lake. James, Matthew, Andrew, Cassidy, Brandon, Noah.

We hiked a portion of the Narrows in Zions Canyon.

The dot in the middle right of the picture is Brandon's head, who despite the mucky water decided floating was the way to hike!

This is what Zach thought of the magnificent scenery!

We played frsibee golf at Brian Head one morning. Brandon teeing off on the first hole

Finished with three holes! It took us an hour adn a half to get us through three holes!

And just like the photos we took of the national parks we went to, these photos don't really tell the whole story. You have to be there to experience it. I guess that is why pictures are priceless. They remind you of the feelings you had and bring you back to those moments. Thanks family for a wonderfully fun week! We love you all.

Overheard...

Sunday evening as we were eating dinner and discussing the children's lessons at church that afternoon Andrews turn came around. He told us they had talked about the 2000 stripling warriors. Brian asked him if he knew what the 2000 Stripling Warriors had done in order to come out victorious.... his response.... they used their secret attack mode. Maybe we'll have to discuss some practical applications of "secret attack mode" at a later date.

We obviously don't get many "girly" sayings around our house, but as I came down into the kitchen the other day the boys were putting together some new Space Police legos and discussing new shirts they would like. One said," I want a shirt that says, I heart Snake." Another said, " I want one that says, I heart Kranxx." Another said, "NO I want one that says I heart Skull Twins!" Chalk that up to things they hear at school- they definitely didn't hear any I heart (whatever) around here. It was just amusing to hear the boys I hearting things! I guess it is better to hear Lego names than girl names, right???

The Fish

Matthew gets the Fish award for the summer. He was in the pool more than anyone! He improved leaps and bounds throughout June and July. Probably only Jenny will appreciate the improvement in the before and after photos! The most important aspect of the summer is HE enjoyed it. Korbin, one of his best friends swam with him and the two of them just had fun being in the water. They loved getting a ribbon after each race and we loved that sometimes they would be in the last heats which typically would have 3-4 swimmers instead of 8, and they would "emerge victorious" with a second or third place ribbon! It does wonders for the self confidence.

1st Meet- notice that white skin- and the googles must be 110% fully suctioned to the eyes so to leave large red racoon prints when removed.

Last meet- he is totally brown and not an ounce of fat

First meet- the whole head must be out of the water to get a breath! I was on the wrong side of the pool on the last meet to get an after shot- but the head turn was not so dramatic.

Churning those fists as fast as possible!

Finally.....a straight arm!

4th of July

We headed down to San Diego for the Fourth. We even did another 5K along the coast. We brought the scooters for the boys this year in thoughts they would stay with me while I walked with Zach. But I should have known they do have thier fathers DNA which amounts to a fair bit of competitiveness. Instead they were zipping along far faster than I anticipated. Thankfully there were enough adults running along they could keep an eye on them. Matthew who seems to posess a greater portion of Teuscher DNA insisted that he could scooter the whole 5K. As he passed me on the way to the finish at Uncle Sam the surfer, I tried to get him to walk with me back to the end. "NO WAY, " he screamed as he passed me, " I need to get third in the ADULT race. (Last year we had an adult race and a kids race- hence his comment) I give him credit- he did it!- and he was exhausted the rest of the day!

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We spread mulch all around mom and dad's yard and swam the rest of the afternoon.
NOTHING beats homemade ice-cream for desert on the 4th ( or anytime else for that matter)

All my bags are packed (away ) and I’m ready to (stay)… I’ll take a bit of liberty in changing some John Denver lyrics… we are winding down to our last week of summer and we finally got the suitcases packed away and I’m happy they are going to be there for awhile. It happened to be one of those summers where we were gone and then home, gone and then home.. you get the idea. We hit our favorite summer places New York and San Diego and then threw in a family reunion in Southern Utah. Matthew busied himself with swim team while we were here and showed his quiet determination throughout the season. We spent most days in some sort of water- whether the pool, the water parks, splash pads or sprinklers- there is no other way to get through these scorching days! So here's to the joy of summer vacation..... and the thought of getting the kids back in school (I'm quietly excited :-))

vacation

We felt like Noah this year in New York.....it rained and rained and rained AND rained. We had to get a bit more creative with things to do.

Thankfully it was sunny one afternoon so we could head for the beach!We got smart this year and actually brought some bigger shovels so we could make some BIG castles and forts! It was most fun to be able to hide in them!

We hunted for Goliath the 100 year old turtle that lives in the duck pond. Everyone spent the entire time hanging over the edge of the bridge dangling reeds in hopes we could entice Goliath out.... the kids persisitance paid off and Goliath appeared.

The boys wrote, directed and made costumes for a reinactment of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year between the Red Wings and Penguins. Andrew was Marc Andre Fleury, Matthew was Nicholas Lindstrom and Brandon was Sydney Crosby. Notice Andrew's great goalie stick- I guess lacrosse has a dual purpose. They even covered a lantern in foil to hoist above thier heads- I think it was their favorite part to lift the "stanley Cup" above their heads.

The reinactment even had some cross- checks!Thank goodness for well placed mats!

The beach umbrellas even got used as the goals.


They built a fort on the hill-- they roasted hot dogs and marshmallows in their fire pit. Played in the forest and even fell a tree.