High-energy boys center of family

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GARWIN - Whether it is a high-energy night playing at home or a quiet time fishing on a pond, the Teske family goes through it all together.

Jeff and Megan Teske of Garwin have three boys - Brock, 6, Noah 4, and Colin, 2. They are the Times-Republican Family of the Year nominee for November.

Megan admits having three boys can at times be challenging.

"Having three boys with lots of energy and very different personalities it's a struggle sometimes, but we have a lot of fun," she said.

The Teskes love to be outdoors, attend Christ Lutheran Church in Gladbrook and support GMG high school athletic and music events.

"We do everything together," Megan said.

Jeff is a science teacher at GMG High School and Megan is a physical therapist assistant at Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center Rehabilitation.

The family was dealt a setback this past spring when Jeff was diagnosed with testicular cancer. They said they have always cherished their time together but dealing with cancer helped them realize to never take anything for granted.

"I think our perspective is a little different," Jeff said. "The little things don't matter as much."

Megan said she would not let the cancer define them as a family and Jeff said he did not want to feel like a victim.

He said the cancer is cleared up for now after a summer of chemotherapy treatments. Megan also has a new outlook on life after dealing with the setback.

"It puts life into perspective and makes you enjoy every day," she said.

Megan said it didn't affect the children too much although at times they wondered why their daddy couldn't wrestle with them.

The couple are both from Fort Dodge and started dating while working at the Village Inn there - Jeff was a host and Megan was a waitress at the restaurant. They like to return to Fort Dodge to fish at Jeff's parents pond in the area.

"I like moments when we are doing something outside," Jeff said.

Voting for the Family of the Year will take place in December. Look for a ballot in a future issue of the Times-Republican.

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Contact Andrew Potter at 641-753-6611 or apotter@timesrepublican.com