Baby

So, I know I'm not so good at updating my blog. Who wouldn't be if it took 2 1/2 hours just to do one post with pictures because of crummy internet? But, I did promise that I would at least do a post about what we're having! YEAH!!! We found out today that we are having a baby GIRL! We are really excited...especially for Tessa. Now SHE, too, will have a "same-same." February 9th is the due-date and everything looked great on the ultra sound today. She's a little small, they said she'd be in the low 7 pounds when she's born, but heck...I'm okay with that!

Arizona

Austin and I have been planning to go back to Arizona to visit people from our missions for over a year! Well, it finally happened and we had a BLAST!! We started off by spending time with my family in Surpirse: Napoleon and Angie Jones and their kids Shana and Shaun, Devon, Katie, and Sam. We got to see Sydnie and Spencer for a few minutes too, so it was great for me to get to see them all. They had never spent time with Austin and I and so it was great for me to see them hit it off. We arrived in AZ Saturday afternoon and then went out for pizza and bowling. It was great fun! I probably shouldn't say this, but since it is MY blog, I am going to say it anyway....I beat my husband. I had been talkin' "trash" for a couple weeks about being able to beat him, so I was pretty happy that I actually backed it up :)

Angie took me to get my very first, EVER, pedicure! It felt so nice and I loved the results: cute toes and soft feet.
Mine are the ones on the left.

We made chocolate oreo truffles. They were a big hit at home and at Shana and Napoleon's work!

Austin, Samantha, Shana

Napoleon, Angie, Devon

Katie, Vi, Austin, Devon

Angie and Napoleon also took us out to dinner for my Graduation. It is so nice to have such wonderful family to spend time with. We laughed a lot and spent a lot of great time together. It went by way too fast.

Wednesday, we left Surprise to go to Buckeye and spend time with Austin's family, the King's. It was great to see them and spend time getting to know them better. Rick and Kim took us to Scottsdale to one of our most favorite Restraunts: Maggiano's Little Italy! It is so so so delicious.

The King's were pretty busy with some other responsibilities, so they let us borrow their car for an afternoon. We went and visited more of Austin's friends in the Surprise area, and since we were close again, we met up with Angie and Napoleon one more time for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

Shana, Napoleon, Angie, Vi, Austin, and Shaun

We had so much fun on our vacation! We feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to serve missions and to make such great friends while we were there. I am thankful to my family and friends who supported me on my mission and who made it possible for me to be there!

Graduation

April has been busy, but so wonderful! I graduated with my Bachelor's Degree in University Studies. It's been a long time coming, but it was worth it! My pictures are not photographer quality, but I'm not a photographer, so I guess it's okay.

It was really fun to have so much family come for my graduation! I received lots of phone calls, too. Thanks for the support, everyone!

Yes, my husband is THE cook!

Austin and I celebrated one year of blissful marriage on the 13th of December, 2009. I seriously can't believe it's already been a year! And maybe I exaggerated a little with the "blissful" part because there have been some moments that weren't so blissful. However, it has been a WONDERFUL year and we have been blessed tremendously. I am so thankful for my wonderful husband and I love him so much!
Speaking of how wonderful my husband is.... We were at a Christmas Eve party at my Grandma Teichert's house and we took Austin's chocolate truffles for our contribution to the goodie table. When word got out that he makes them from scratch, it was also discovered that he does 75% of the cooking in our house. Which leaves me with a meager 25%! I told my astonished family that it is true...he really does do the majority of the cooking in our house. They seemed floored by the fact that there is a Teichert woman that doesn't just rule the kitchen! Don't get me wrong, I CAN and DO cook, but Austin just LOVES it and he is really really good at it. Ladies, I doubt any of you would argue if your husband took over in the kitchen and came up with amazing meals! I certainly don't complain. So...here's the proof....

This is one of my most favorite meals EVER! It's a salmon steak with a salmon "paste" that makes the hasbrowns stick to the steak. Then it is smothered in a lemon tumeric sauce and garnished with chopped green onion stalks. The bread is garlic bread brushed with a balsamic-olive oil mixture, topped with slice tomatoes and parmesean cheese and toasted in the oven. And the corn came from my mom's garden. Our plates are enormous so the presentation looks a little scanty...

Austin is an amazing cook and he loves to make things up. Here are a few of the things he has made for us:

Chicken breasts stuffed with feta, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach; Chicken Pesto Linguine (he got the idea from an amazing Italian restraunt called Maggiano's); Salsbury steaks and rice, Russian Chicken, Fish Tacos, Crepes, Aebleskeever (ebil-skeevers); Tomato Chicken, and several others.

And here's the proof that I do the cleaning! I whip up clean dishes almost as fast as my mom does these days! Oh wait, I have a dishwasher....CHEATER! I could NEVER beat my mom in a dish-doing race. The apron was a gift from my mom's homemade Christmas and I love it! Thanks, Mom!!

I guess you could say that we're not the "typical" family; however, I'm sure that will change when we have children and I'm not in school and working as much. I am also so grateful for a husband who loves me and who loves to share his talents with me!