THE DUCKERS

3 little peeps dancing (if you can call it that!)

2010-12-02T19:36:00.000-08:00

A couple things I like about this video:

1. Tessa's cheesy grin at the beginning of the video. (she thought I was snapping a picture)

2. Tessa's CRAZY afro hair

3. Carson not being able to get in front of the camera enough....and his sweet dance moves. I need to steal some of those! ;o)

4. The Mario Bros 3 music in the background that they're dancing to. Yup! That's right, I beat it again in a just about 2 hours. I also love how my kids think I am the "best mom ever" when I do beat Bowser!

Enjoy!

Tessa jumping on Carson

2010-12-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the plethora of videos. The grandparents are missing their grand-kiddos and grand-baby!

Tess "playing the wii"

2010-12-02T17:41:00.001-08:00

Tessa and her gibberish (that's a word right!?!)

2010-12-02T17:37:00.000-08:00

this is for all your viewing pleasure, but Joni has been ON MY CASE (with good reason) for quite some time to get this posted. Here ya go!

-M

What I didn't tell you PART ONE

2010-09-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

We had Christmas. Yeah, I know....that was forever ago, but I never blogged about Christmas Day!

The tree after Santa came.

The boys' gifts from Santa. Boxing gloves and a boxing bag.

A crock pot to replace the one that broke
A book for me to read and get an escape from life.
Tessa opening her FIRST present on Christmas day

We played HIDE-AND-SEEK a lot. I found the boys a GREAT spot!

Tessa stared learning how to crawl 1.4.10 (7 months and 8 days old)

And she bonded with her brothers
THE SAINTS WON THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!!

Bryant wasn't too happy.......
But we sure were!!!!
(if you can't tell!)
Tessa would sleep in with Dad
And we played I spy a PHEASANT in the yard. (I would have loved to shoot it and eat it! hehe)

Dorian tied flies

And tied more flies...

Tessa was the cutest baby in the books!! Especially when she was all wrapped up like a pig in a blanket!!

(she continued to be a horrible sleeper during the night. She would wake up anywhere from 2-5 times a night)

We participated in Karate. Carson loved it, James never wanted to leave my side (still was too shy). If your in the Rigby area and want to put your kids in Karate contact me! This guy (Sam) is great with the kids and amazing at what he does (and it's quite affordable)!

We had St Patrick's Day. We loved wearing green and had green pancakes, green eggs and green milk for dinner.

Tessa started teething her little vampire teeth. (OUCH!)

And a little vampire was born!!!

And she loved to wait for Carson to get home from Kindergarten!
Easter Morning came!!
We found some eggs...
Checked out our goods...
posed for pictures....
And now I'm getting a little more caught up on this blog!!! Look for another post just like this one! COMING VERY SOON!!!

4 months later....

2010-08-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Finally I have a new post. I'm not promising to be better, although I want to be. I would hate to send out an empty promise of being a better blogger without the intension of following through with it. Hopefully I'll do better though!

Aug.24.09 - First day of Kindergarten

May.26.10 - Last day of Kindergarten

My oldest little guy is growing up too fast. He's such a blessing to have in our home! Love you Carson!

The Green Dresser

2010-04-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

I was on a photo walk with a friend this last summer and stumbled upon this!!! An affordable dresser. I promptly went home, had Dorian take a look at in and put in on layaway (my newest favorite thing because I only paid $15 at a time and it never seemed like I actually paid for it!!)

When we got it home we started priming it. Then Dorian had this crazy idea to maybe paint it fire-engine red!??! He was delirious obviously!! (which is so weird for him, because he usually has a great vision of things). We were thinking about going black for a while until I stumbled upon a friends blog that completely inspired me!!

This is what we finally decided on and we LOVE it!! Joni was such a help with decorating the top and was so nice to buy us the lamp as a wonderful and perfect gift for our new found love! :o)
This was the perfect piece for this spot in our house. We couldn't be more thrilled!

One small step.....

2010-04-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

Tessa has been taking her first steps this week. It's been fun to watch her grow and learn new things. Plus, she thinks she's pretty cool stuff when she's doing it. But, with all good things there's another side too. It makes me want to cry! She's growing WAY too fast, and sometimes I just want to be snuggling my little newborn again.
Enjoy the video that we captured yesterday (4.8.10)
Oh, and don't mind the fact that she isn't wearing any pants. She decided to puke on my floor and then crawl right through it (and play in it a little too). LOVE-LY!

When Granny and Papa came (beginning of March)

2010-04-07T18:49:00.001-07:00

For some reason, every time Dorian's parents come to visit I hardly ever pull the camera out. I think it has something to do with the fact the the trips are usually quick and somewhat action packed, and I just try to enjoy and soak in every second with them. I don't like to worry about getting pictures, but I do need to be a little better about it!

Here is Tessa snuggling with her papa

And her are the boys doing tricks with Papa. That papa sure is a lot of fun!!

9 month check-up (3.2.10)

2010-03-26T16:01:00.001-07:00

We waited for the doctor to come and give us her new stats. We were bummed that this time around our favorite doctor Stephanie was on maternity leave, but luckily she'll be back in the office by the time Tessa has her one year check up in just 2 short months (crazy!).

Here are the stats:

Height: 28 1/2 inches (80%)

Weight: 19 lbs 15 oz. (69%)

Head: 45 inches (78%)

And the good news??? NO SHOTS!!!! Even little Tess can be happy about that kind of news!

Oh the things our children say!

2010-03-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

JAMES (talking about Tessa..) INSERT TUNE (Pop goes the Weasel: that actual part): "she is F#*kin', f#*k-f#*k-f#*k F#*kin'!"

ME: WHAT!?!?!? (trying SO hard not to giggle...I wasn't too successful)

JAMES (laughing): starts all over again...

ME: Let's not say that. That's a really naughty word!

JAMES: Oh, I didn't know! (he really had NO IDEA what he was saying)

ME: I know. Let's just not say that anymore!

CARSON: What?!?! F#*kin'.......

ME: Yeah.....that's it! :o) Not anymore!!!!!!!! (ACK!)

I've never heard that word so much in such a short period of time in. And in my house of all places!!!

The Mardi Gras Box

2010-02-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

We just love it every year when an unexpected box arrives on our porch form our Aunt Sarah and Uncle Elroy! This is the 3rd year that the boys (and Tessa's first year) have received a box full of beads, shirts, treats, stuffed animals, light up balls and necklaces and footballs. The list goes on and on of the stuff that comes in the box. It is so fun to see the looks on their faces as we CONTINUE to pull things out.
Thank you Aunt Sarah and Uncle Elroy for going out of your way to make our kids so happy! We just wish you could be around when they opened the box. Someday (sooner rather than later) we'll get to go to a parade WITH you!
We love you and miss you all like crazy!

Love
Dorian, Melissa, Carson, James and Tessa

The kids and their loot!

Yet another Preschool Graduation and on his birthday!!

2010-01-29T07:35:00.000-08:00

11.5.09

James graduated from Preschool yet again! (lol)

Ellie seemed to make this whole experience of preschool without Carson a whole lot easier on James. Even thought half of the times I dropped him off they had to carry him away from me while he was screaming my name and reaching for me to take him back. It broke my heart, but I knew it was the best thing for him. The last couple of times he went, he got a ride from Ellie or Haylie. He'd leave the car and never look back. Guess I should've been doing it that way from the beginning!

James and Ellie

They sang Happy Birthday to him and this cute little girl wearing her princess tiara! Of course he was embarrassed!

my little 4 year old

Ellie, Haylie and James

Congrats James on yet another Preschool Graduation!! I'm looking forward to the next one this spring!

First Cereal

2010-01-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

Tessa's first cereal was given to her on November 4th.

{Tessa}
What is this stuff?

For me? Thanks Mom! This is so exciting. My first cereal....YUM!

wait and minute, hold on, WHAAAAAT is this!?!? This is not good. You actually want me to eat this stuff?

NOT happening! Thanks, but no thanks.

Lets just say Tessa was not fond of eating cereal or any other type of baby food for that matter. She is JUST NOW getting to the point where I'm not ripping my hair out from all the frustration of her not eating. She would spit it back out, or just not open her mouth to begin with! I've had to get to the point where I would just expect her to only eat about 4 bites. She's getting better though! It looks like all those nights of 4 bite-sittings are starting to pay off!

Hello!!! Late Halloween Post (W-O-W! That's late!)

2010-01-24T16:26:00.000-08:00

Halloween Night

Here are the boys OUt Trick-or-Treating

I dressed up like Dorian this year. All his clothes. I look like a creepy gay guy....

Carson's School Party

They got some cool toys and treats, and they had a Halloween Parade. I was in charge of an activity for the party, and I had lost my voice that day, so that was interesting, but the kids had fun playing "Goblin, Goblin, Ghost!" and dancing to some songs.

This girl is Carson's crush. She is the tallest kid in the class, while Carson is one of the shortest! lol

Ward Halloween Party

I only got a couple of shots of Tessa. They weren't very good since I didn't have a voice and couldn't communicate with Dorian on what I was trying to do. This is what we get.

Boo at the Zoo

My friend Jen and I went to Boo at the Zoo. It was pretty dang cold! It wasn't very busy when we got there so that was nice, but after we had gone through one time (15 minutes) it was busy and we were packing up to leave. I probably won't be going there again. So thank you Boo at the Zoo! You were fun while you lasted!!
This is when I lost my voice....it happened while I was driving home.

Couple's Halloween Party

Every month a bunch of our friends try and get together and have a couple's party. This month Somer was in charge, so she decided to have a Halloween party. Dorian and I went in our PJ's (the best I could get him to do) and I brought ranch dip and veggies. I made a hand coming out of the ranch. It looked cute....

Me, Tessa and Zack

Natalie and Chris

Marie and Drew (Jim and Pam from the Office Halloween episode)

Maryanne and Cesar

The food

Somer and Zack

Demery and Theron

Becca and baby Luke

Brian and James (Brian babysat for us)

Carson watching video games.....*sigh*...boys!

Wow! Halloween was so busy! No wonder I hadn't blogged about it yet! It was a little overwhelming.

Tessa 7 months old

2009-12-29T11:59:00.000-08:00

Video to die for!

We went to the Doctor on Dec. 17th and she had her 6 month check up.

Weight: 18lbs 1oz (76 %)
Height: 28 3/4 inches (99 %) DAD COULDN'T BE MORE THRILLED ABOUT THIS!!!
Head: Didn't write it down but was 70th %

This is on the 17th. She handled her shots great this time!

Other Tessa news....she has 2 bottom teeth!! They cut through on the 3rd of December

More Tessa News:
She's a sitter. She topples over now and then, but has mastered it this past week. You go Tess!

silly, silly boys!

CHRISTMAS EVE '09

2009-12-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

Tessa the Shepherd's little sheep

Ellie (Mary), Carson (Joseph), James (The Wise Man) Bailee (The Shepherd), Tessa (The little lamb)

The video. It's a little chaotic! Don't forget to turn my music off

Opening ONE present Christmas Eve

Tessa really concentrating on this new and exciting thing!

PJ's of course! Carson looks so excited (and he really was)!

Tessa's Pj's

Ellie's and JD's Pj's

Tessa and the paper

All the kids and their pajamas (they were kind of wild by this point)

And another. Love the matching girl Pj's Bowmans!!! Nice work!!

Merry Christmas '09

2009-12-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

Have a Holly Jolly Christams!

It's the BEST time of the year!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Misson to Catch up

2009-12-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

I'm on a mission to catch up on my blog before Christmas. That's a WHOLE lot of pictures and posts to come.
So here we go! Tessa started rolling over September 6. That was just a little over a week after she turned 3 months. You go girl! Although to be completely honest I was hoping she'd take a LONG time to catch on. I want her to grow up as SLOWLY as possible. Anyway, here are some pictures from that day and some footage of it too!

**** TURN OFF MUSIC FIRST!!! ****

*** If you want to read ALL the new posts, just keep scrolling until you've reached the "elf yourself" video! Enjoy.

The Many Faces of Tessa Jo...

2009-12-21T09:17:00.002-08:00

...within just a few minutes. She is girl through and through! Emotions FLYING!

The Way She Sleeps

2009-12-21T09:17:00.001-08:00

This is Tessa's typical way of sleeping (don't mind the CRAZY bed head!!!) Blanket in hand, thumb in mouth, blanket over the face. She likes to be all snuggled up!

It's a bird, it's a plane...oh, it looks like an...

2009-12-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

ARBY'S HAT!!!

One day I was at church and Tessa was sleeping and my friend Stephanie referred to Tessa's mouth as "the Arby's hat!" It really does share some resemblance!

The Cutest Kids EVER!!

2009-12-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

Well, at least I think so anyway!

Zucchini Mash Up

2009-12-21T09:12:00.000-08:00

Dorian wanted to be destructive....
Here are the results!

He has no consideration for the starving children around the world! :)
A perfectly good zucchini destroyed for his manly pleasures of destruction. *sigh* Boys!

First snow of the year

2009-12-20T23:05:00.000-08:00

Oct.4.2009

not too much, but the first snow nonetheless.

S'mores & Snacks at the Wilder's

2009-12-20T11:15:00.000-08:00

We spent an evening during the summer nights over at the Wilder's making s'mores and these other YUMMY snacks. It was fun. They are always a fun couple to be around. Thanks for having us you guys!

James with his yummy snack

Mike, Crew and Jaxon

Jenny, Crew and the Stuckis

Tess

Dorian, Carson and James

James enjoying the food! (just like his mama!)

the Ducker girls

Carson eating his food!

BEAR WORLD

2009-12-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

October 3, 2009
Dorian got tickets to get into Bear World for FREE!!! We let the boys each pick a friend to bring along and we really enjoyed a few hours of just having fun! I found it interesting that right before you go to drive by the bears they warn you that the bears have and could crawl up onto your car!! YIKES!!!

The boys looking out the windows at all the bears!! There were sooo many!

The Driver

The "backseat drivers"

Grizzly bear

Tessa, Carson, Nathan, James and Daison

Tessa the baby bear

The Petting Zoo

A MUST watch!

The Rides

Bear World was a HIT!

Bunco Night

2009-12-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

During the summer Dorian and I were invited to be subs for a couples Bunco group. I liked it so much I decided to start my own girls Bunco group. I have a blast going once a month! I really enjoy all the girls.
This was our second month doing it.

Lynsey Bowman's bunco!!! (We will call this a SUPER Bunco! This was before we looked the rules up online and found out you only play with 3 dice. haha)

Lynsey with her Super Bunco. It earned her a prize that night!! (she was the ONLY person to get a Bunco that night. Now that we play the right way there is a bunco being rolled left and right!)

A Gaming Family

2009-12-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

Dorian would think that:
"A family that games together, stays together!"

ps
Despite the look on his face, he's having a blast! :o)

Daddy's Little Girl

2009-12-20T09:25:00.000-08:00

She's SUPER cute

AND SHE LOVES HER DADDY!!!

Snug as a Bug in a Rug (times 3)

2009-12-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

These kids LOVE to get their snuggle on! And when you add a hug with your snuggle, we call it a huggle!

and just for my records, this was taken Sept. 17, 2009 at 7:22am

Can't stop laughing about this one!!!

2009-12-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

*** DON'T FORGET TO TURN MY MUSIC OFF!!! ***

We've got a thumb sucker!

2009-12-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

She sucks her thumb all day everyday, so I've stopped taking pictures, but here are a few just to demonstrate how much she loves her thumb. I don't have any pictures of this, but she even sucks her thumb in the bath tub. :)

Just home from Washington

Lounging with Dad

This is the day she stared rolling over

She used to sleep on her tummy

At the Wilder's making s'mores

WILD hair!

Talented and showing me she can do it while holding her head up.

In the swing. This is her typical way of sucking her thumb now. She loves to be holding her blanket (if she doesn't have a blanket, a sleeve, burp rag, sweatshirt laying on the ground or any other sort of cloth type thing will do) with thumb in mouth.

Lounging around with Dad

2009-12-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves! It was a nice summer day spent working hard outside. It sure was nice to come inside and just enjoy each others company. I sure do miss summer evenings.

WAY BEHIND!

2009-11-28T09:01:00.001-08:00

I have MONTHS to catch up on. It's a little overwhelming. Here are just a few random pictures of things that were going on in September. None of these were big enough to make their own post.

Dorian and a fish he caught. He did a lot of fishing this month.

Kimber holding a sleeping Tessa.

Tyler and Tessa meeting for the first time. She is quite fond of him! ;o)

A sleeping Tessa. Her mouth cracks me up!

Brian, Dorian and Tyler wrestling. This is all they seem to do these days.

Cute little Tess. ( 3 months old. Taken on Sept. 3rd)

A piggyback times 2!

Sporting their most AWESOME tie-dye undies!

LAST Washington post!!!

2009-11-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Finally it was time to go home. My flight was delayed a few hours (so fun with 3 kids, one of which was 2 months old). We played on the toys for a while before heading down to catch our plane. Tessa cried like a banshee when we first got on the plane, but that soon stopped, THANKFULLY! All in all, everyone was pretty well behaved, it was just such a LONG day (8 hours traveling).
I initially thought I would NEVER do this again, but now that months have past it wasn't so bad. I guess it seemed even worse, because when I got to Boise, my awesome friend picked me up in their truck to tell me that my car battery was completely dead and wouldn't charge. The next morning I was on the phone trying to find a new battery for the van.
It was just a little stressful, but so worth it to see my families and spend a little time with Leslie (she's a mad canner...lots of spaghetti sauce!!)

Carson and James playing on the toys

Carson was bored

His battle wound. It looks like the brick won! He fell straight on his face off the swing....OUCH!

Carson took this picture of me and Tess.

FINALLY HOME!!!

Thanks for a great trip Mom and Dad and Joni and Whitney!! It was so good to see everyone!

For Jen

2009-11-13T01:02:00.000-08:00

My friend Jen has been asking me to get pictures up of when I was a baby so she could compare Tessa's looks with my looks. I told her she doesn't look a thing like me, but decided to put the pics up anyway....JUST FOR HER!!! (and everyone else who wants to take a look!)

TESSA JO

MELISSA SUE

hmmm....Jen....maybe I was a little wrong...
What do you think?!?!
Tessa

Melissa

Tessa

Melissa

One of my last days in Washington

2009-11-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

I've almost caught up on posting from my trip to Washington back in August...I know...I'm just a little slow!

We went to the Alderwood mall. I got Carson some school clothes since he missed his very 1st day of school while we were away. Then we played. After that I headed over to my Mom's for the last time and hung out for a while.

Here are the mall pictures

Carson and Aubrey

Kissin' the cuz!

James (with Clayton) showing Grandpa his drawing

Carson's drawing. (the grey thing is a frog sitting on a lilly pad in the water)

My younger sister Megan with her little girl Aubrey born 5.23.09
and me and Tessa born 5.27.09
I hope these girls have fun being cousins!

Carson and Tessa loving each other one morning.

James Turns 4!! (11.5.09)

2009-11-05T15:33:00.001-08:00

It's weird this year. On one hand it seems crazy that James is 4 years old today, but on the other it seems like he should be turning 5. Only because he is the same size (if not bigger) than Carson. Plus we kind of hold the boys to the same standard. I think I need to sit back and relax and enjoy my James while he's little, because let's be honest, IT'S GOING BY WAY TOO FAST!

NEWBORN
11.5.05

ONE YEAR OLD

TWO YEARS OLD

THREE YEARS OLD
(Seriously?? I didn't take one picture of his birthday? HOW SAD! This was as close as I could get!)

FOUR YEARS OLD

HaPpY BiRtHdAy JaMeS DoRiAn DuCkEr
We love you

The Coconut and more exciting adventures...

2009-11-04T14:30:00.000-08:00

Carson was dying for Papa to get a coconut and crack it open and see and taste the coconut milk. So Papa tried....3 times, and every coconut was rotten. Such a bummer. Oh well, it was fun to crack it open anyways.

Tasting the coconut milk....DISGUSTING!!!! (because later we found out it was rotten...ewww!!!)

Chasing a crazy dragonfly. It was the funniest thing. It kept teasing the kids, and I honestly think they could've chased the thing for hours! (sorry for the footage....it might make you sick!)

James running after the Dragonfly

More pool fun

Ashley and Tessa

Uncle Erik (Dorian's best friends. We just call him uncle), Mercedes and Luke with Carson and James. SILLY FACES!

James passed out from too much fun

Carson Passed out from too much fun

Papa and Tessa swinging in the Hammock. I have a picture of every one of my kids in this same hammock with their papa!

Luke, Mercedes, Carson and James on the Hammock

Uncle Evan and Tessa

4 month check up (3 weeks late)

2009-10-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

We went to Tessa's 4 month check up on Thursday October 22, 2009. Here are her stats:

Height: 27 inches (98th percentile)

Weight: 16 lbs 9 oz ( seventy-something percentile)

She's growing good and she's getting big. She wears 6-9 months clothes and some 12 month clothes. I would appreciate it if she were smaller, but her dad is LOVING that she's tall. He wants her to be super tall so she can have an extra advantage when she plays volleyball. (silly dad!)

Tessa got 3 shots, and it was a rough 31 hours!!! (yes, I was counting)
She wouldn't stop crying, she vomited, had the runs and a fever that wouldn't go away even with the tylenol. She would cry if you moved while you were holding her, or just plain picked her up. She was acting like her body was so sore. I felt so bad for her (and me) and I'm not looking forward to giving her shots again....

picture: Tessa finally falling asleep after crying forEVER! We were both pooped.

reminiscing

2009-10-16T18:14:00.001-07:00

The Summer Tessa Started Growing...

picture by Lisa Stephenson

A nice hot day at my Mom's

2009-10-15T13:42:00.000-07:00

Thankfully my mom has a sprinkler. Thankfully my mom has a dog and thankfully my mom has a dog that is obsessed with trying to eat water!!!!
It entertained my kids for hours.

Maggie eating the water

James eating the water

Carson eating the water

"Best Brothers" lounging in the sun warming up.

Another Washington day (even more to come)

2009-10-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

It started out with Granny's famous pancakes. She made special ones for the boys. Their names...

We went to the neighbors house to rake a look at their coy fish. The boys thought that was pretty great. I was a little nervous that would take a dive in....HEAD FIRST!

That night I was able to go visit my friend Kalei. It was so good to see her and catch up. I felt a little bad though because her kids were still awake at 11:00pm! YIKES!

Fun at Granny and Papa's

2009-10-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

****4 new posts below!!!!!

Swinging on the Hammock. A favorite pastime.

Tessa sleeping

Playing in the pool

Popsicle break

Carson telling James to look in the hose while it was off. Papa turned it on and got James in the face. I've never seen Carson so excited to play a prank on somebody before!

Papa helped Carson climb a tree while we were visiting. Can you "FIND CARSON?" (I loved Where's Waldo growing up)

Showing their STRONG muscles after the tree climb.
Carson Sunbathing with his Frosty the Snowman

Carson & James with their new "FRIENDS" from Melissa Terry.

Tessa enjoying sleeping in the sun like her Granny

Soaking it all in!!!

We sure do *LOVE* our Granny and Papa's backyard. It's like a little piece of heaven on earth. SIGH.....

More...

2009-10-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

Lindsey and Tessa

Aubrey, Tessa, Steve and me

Tessa on Sunday

VIDEO OF TESSA (2 1/2 months old)
(it wasn't until this trip that she became a little more vocal. She especially LOVED talking to her Papa!) Although she didn't talk very much in this video. It's just a fun one.

The Castle Park in Washington

2009-10-13T15:15:00.001-07:00

This park was my favorite place to play as a child, but it has become pretty old and VERY dirty to say the least. There was garbage EVERYWHERE including:

pregnancy tests
condoms
and
condom wrappers.

The kids had fun anyway, and Carson decided to mark the area (pulling down his pants around his ankles and peeing on the toys). Don't worry! He got in some HUGE trouble. You'll see a picture of his LOOOOOOOONG time out. Thank heavens it hasn't happened since. I told him they'd kick him out of kindergarten if he ever did it again. How embarrassing!

Parker

Ethan (I don't have a picture of Lindsey or Clayton. She was chasing the little guy around, and was a HUGE help.

James

James peeking over the toys

James on the slide

Kate

Carson

Megan & Aubrey, Steve, Jacy and Kaija

Carson in time out

The cousins

The cousins: TAKE 2

More pics from my parents house

2009-10-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

Aunt Kaija and Tessa

Cousin Lindsey and Tessa ~ The Baby Whisperer

Grandpa and Carson

Carson and Aubrey (Carson is wearing Aunt Kaija's jacket!!)

Lindsey and Tess again

Uncle Steve, Aubrey and Tessa

A girl I visit teach brought this teddy bear made from bread over to my house while I was in Washington. It is so cute. I wish I could have eaten some, but only Dorian got to enjoy it.

Some Time with My Family

2009-09-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Tessa

Grandpa and Tessa

This is how we went everywhere for 10 Days. Let's just say it really is nice to have a van where the boys can't touch each other! toward the end of the trip they were even pulling each other's hair. Not fun in my book.

Tessa and Aubrey ( 4 days apart! :o) )
If you look closely they are dong the same thing with their hands!
I like to call them our little cheerleaders!

More in Washington

2009-09-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

Still the first day. The boys got home from their train ride, and I came home from my mom's house. Carson and James wanted to love on their sister. Then they went for a walk on the trail right behind Granny and Papa's house to feed the ducks and play on the playground. It sure is fun visiting!

Carson and Tessa

Carson, James and Tessa

James and Tessa (Tessa has a look of "WHAT THE HECK" on her face!)

On the Trail

Feeding the ducks

Thanks Papa for being so great and always taking them out on a walk. They sure do enjoy it!

When we went to Washington (Aug '09)

2009-09-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

Boise: Leslie's house

I love my friend Leslie for a few reasons.
1. She makes me laugh
2. She teaches me something new every time I visit her
3. She's always so willing to let me stay the night at her house and take me to the airport and pick me up again
4. She has a handy husband who saved my life this last trip and unistalled/installed a dead and new battery for my car.
5. I've known her for a while and she never has anything bad to say about anybody.
Love you Les!!
(i just wish i would take more pictures when i visit her...)

Macey Jo and Tessa Jo they are a year apart.
Macey just wanted to LOVE on Tess.
Leslie and Macey

The infamous picture in the cockpit. We love the Boise airport! They are so nice and we are beginning to form a relationship with the guy who takes our ticket before we board. He's there EVERY TIME!

DAY TWO
The Train Ride:
From Everett to Seattle

A guy that goes to Joni's bank got these glasses for the boys (right Joni??)

Silly Boys

On the train

eating their cookies they picked out for the trip

Carson is a new fan of Macaroons!

looking bored, but I'm sure he thought he was being funny

Carson and James looking out the window

In front of the train

THE BUS RIDE HOME:

Walking in Seattle to the bus stop

Waiting for the bus

snapping a pic of their granny!

Apparently they liked the bus ride more than the train ride....
hmm....
Weird. And the bus was so much cheaper!!!

Alli . Jenni . Andrea

2009-09-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

When Allison and Jenni came to visit
7.27.09

Duckers and the Hancocks

Ducker girls and Pratt girls

Tessa and Alice meeting for the first time
Alice is 10 days younger than Tessa. (Little Tess looks like a giant next to Alice!!!)

Thanks for stopping by on your way back to Utah. It was so good to see you guys, meet the baby girl and get Allison's sweet news of the new baby on the way!! ;o) LOVED IT!

When Andrea came to visit
8.9.09

Roman girls and Ducker girls

Aspen and Tessa meeting for the first time. Aspen was born the beginning of July.
As you can see, she really didn't care to look at Tessa too much. Maybe next time...

Andrea holding Tessa.

Thanks for coming over to hang out Andrea!! It was so good to see you and meet you tiny little baby. She is beautiful, you look great and I look forward to seeing you guys again. Hopefully in the NEAR future!

Huckleberry Picking

2009-09-06T18:53:00.001-07:00

Dorian took the boys huckleberry picking in the middle of August. It was nice to have it be just me and Tessa for a while. The boys had fun. They were supposed to be picking enough for me to add to another berry to make jam, but all that was brought home were the berries Dorian picked. Carson and James just ate theirs as they picked. Oh well!

Crawling up the trail?? Don't ask!

Looking for shells. They actually found a bone that will be blogged about later. But in the words of Dorian, "it was handcrafted by an ancient civilization made to tenderize meat."

The view

The bone...

THE VIDEO!!! Turn the music off first!

Look who got her ears pierced!!

2009-09-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

August 1st I went shopping at the mall with James, and came home with Tessa's ears pierced. I already knew I would be piercing them soon, and Dorian gave me the OK, but I didn't plan on doing it this day. It was a fun surprise for Dorian and Carson when they got home from floating the river. I love that she looks so girly even when she's not wearing a bow!!!

Ross Park/Dorian's Birthday (8.3.09)

2009-09-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

We went to Ross park for the second time this summer. We went on Dorian's birthday because he went fishing on Saturday, and his birthday was a Monday which made is a lot less crowded! He gets his birthday off at his work. It's like a holiday!!
Here are the boys swimming around. I wish we had taken more pictures, but I forgot my camera, so Dorian took some with his iphone. I promise he was there, but it was hard to take all the pictures we wanted when there were only 2 parents watching 3 kids!

Mom and Tess. She loved having her feet in the water.

The boys being silly while we were packing up to leave.

Pioneer Day Celebration 7/24/09

2009-09-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

Our Stake had a Pioneer Day Celebration Picnic. It was yummy, but not very many people from our ward showed up and Dorian got put on garbage duty. You heard it, instead of spending time with his family he had to empty all the garbages. Had I known this, I probably would've opted out of this church activity. Oh well, the kids had fun even though they were being so naughty and not eating their food.

Going down the fast slide

Going on a little train ride. Is it just me, or do they only do this is Idaho?

2009-09-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

SIMPLY MODERN MOM is having a giveaway!! Check it out!

Swim Lessons ~ July 20th-31st

2009-08-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

This was a while ago, but I'm just trying to catch up. The boys were in swim lessons every day for two weeks. They really loved it. After the first day, Carson came up to me and said, "Mom!! We get to come back again tomorrow!" I guess I didn't explain that it would be for more than one day. :o)
James was a bit hesitant to go the first day, but THANKFULLY the teacher scooped him up went in the water, and I quickly ran away. He was fine 2 minutes later. They were the bravest in their class but that came with negatives too. Because they weren't afraid of going under water, that's ALL they did. They would swim around and get into some trouble because they wouldn't stay on the steps and wait their turn. One day Carson was put in time out with the lifeguard. He made sure to tell me that the lifeguard wasn't scary and that timeout wasn't that bad. (Dang it! He's supposed to get scared so he'll behave!)

Anyway, here are some scary pictures of it all. Some are with Dorian's phone and some with my camera on, and since I couldn't use the flash, it turned out like crap!

Carson is standing in front of his teacher, Ashleen. James is bending over trying to grab the floaty right in front of Carson

James is bending over and hidden in this pictures and Carson is in the red, white and blue shorts.

Carson and James are the 2 kids farthest to the right!

Carson floating on his back

James floating on his back

My little boy is growing up!

2009-08-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

I woke Carson up this morning at 7am. He was not happy about being woken up because he said he was having a really good dream, and it wasn't over yet! We ate breakfast, got dressed, brushed teeth did his hair and then waited....

...waited for the bus that would take my little Carson into a whole new world. I hope he does well, and remembers everything I've taught him up until now. I hope he doesn't get picked on and that he never gets lost. BUT, these are all *wishes* I have that probably won't come true. One time or another something will happen. This is when I try not to think about the small things. It makes me cry. Good luck Carson! I hope you do well in school. I'll be here waiting for you EVERYDAY!!!!

Waiting to head out for the bus

My handsome little guy

Getting on the bus

His little eyes peering over the window and his tiny little hand waving good bye. He doesn't look too sure about the whole thing. This picture melts my heart, and I wished for a moment I could hop on the bus with him.

We were on vacation in Washington during back to school night and we missed his official first day of school (8/20/09). So James, Tessa and I had the pleasure of taking all of his supplies there. I let him ride the bus, so that he would be familiar with it before he was put on it to head back home. Carson was already in his classroom at his desk doing a puzzle. School was about 5 minutes from starting so I snapped a couple of pictures and said goodbye again. We can't wait for him to get home and hear all about his first day of school!

*yes that is a black eye! He fell of a swing flat on his face the day we left Seattle. Good war wounds Carson!

A little laugh

2009-08-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

**this may not be appreciated by all (mom?), but Dorian told me to check it out and it made me laugh, and you all know how I *LOVE* a laugh.

Tessa - 15 days old

2009-08-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Brittany took some pictures a while back of Tessa. These were the favorites. Thanks Brittany for being so talented and taking the time to capture this time in Tessa's life. You're the best!!

To check out Brittany's work go HERE

31 years later...

2009-08-03T07:25:00.001-07:00

August 3, 1978
Whitney Dorian Ducker lll

31 years later we got a handsome, hard-working, super smart, talented, loving, entertaining, helpful and full of life Husband, Father and Son!! We love you Dorian! Hope you have a fantastic Birthday!! We're so happy to be able to spend it with you.

Love us,

Floating Down the River

2009-08-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Carson and Dorian went floating down the river on the boat today. Carson had A LOT of fun in the beginning, but got bored of it by the end. Who can blame him. He is a 5 year old that was out on the river for at least 6 hours (but I think it was more) and it was during nap time. It's JD's turn next Saturday!

A Yellow Sally on Carson's head

Where they stopped to eat lunch and play in the water

Scenery

A tuckered out Carson.

After coming home and watching a little bit of TV, Carson was showered and off to bed. He gave me a hug and kiss and said, "Sorry I didn't spend a lot of time with you today." *SIGH*
I actually did miss him quite a bit.

to the Doctor x2

2009-07-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

here's a shot of our chunky 13 pounder!!! Look at those cheeks and that chin!

Tessa got her 2 month shots today. We were mostly really excited to see how much she weighs. Here are her stats:

Height: 24.5 inches (98th percentile)

Weight: 13 lbs even (92nd percentile)

Head: 78th percentile

She's a good girl and growing so big. She's a good eater and a good sleeper, and MOSTLY a pretty mellow baby. We love her and can't get enough of her!

Carson went today to get his kindergarten shots. He wasn't quite as brave as last year (he didn't even cry last time) but hey, shots can be a scary thing right?

Here are his stats for his 5 year check up:

Height: 39 3/4 inches (3rd percentile)

Weight: 35.8 (13th percentile)

Get growing Carson, or your little sister is going to be taller than you!!!!!!!! ;o)

Got Swine Flu?

2009-07-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

The SICKEST yet FUNNIEST picture I've ever seen!!!

Brothers and the Sister

2009-07-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

7.5.09 Blessing Day

2009-07-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

We blessed Tessa on the 5th of July (also my parents anniversary.) We were sad that none of our family could be here, but hopefully the pictures will make up for it a little bit.

Tessa Jo

I just thought this picture was too funny!!! I found it as I was cropping pics. (Look at her hand!!)

The Night of the Fourth

2009-07-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

We were able to go to the Bigelow's Hotel and watch the fireworks from there. You are so close your body and teeth rattle. It was so cool, and besides, the Bigelows are ALWAYS so fun to be with. Another plus was that there were a lot of kids for the boys to play with.

Penny and A WHOLE LOT OF KIDS thinking she's just the coolest person EVER!! Thanks Miss Penny and Dave for inviting us over. The food was great and the company was even better!

a picture of the fireworks we got to see! :o)
(Thanks Alli! I stole it from you!!)

Rexburg Parade: July 4, 2009

2009-07-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

We woke up that morning and headed over to Rexburg for a fun time at the Parade. IT was actually quite a LONG parade, and we left a little early and went to eat at Gringos. We haven't been there in ages, and we were able to go with some friends in the ward.

Tessa sleeping in the stroller

Carson waiting for Candy!

James collected ROCKS while....

Carson collected CANDY!!

Carson waving to the floats and people so they would throw candy at him!

James and Dad

The family! (i'm not sure, but this may be our first family photo. Sad huh!?! 6 weeks after Tess was born.)

A fun day Swimming

2009-07-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

This day we spent in our driveway, swimming in our pool. (Well, some of us spent it sleeping!! :o) )

Tessa's Ponytail

2009-07-10T09:28:00.001-07:00

So fun and so cute!! What more could a mommy want!?!
ONE MONTH OLD:

LONE PINE NURSERY: FREE FISHING

2009-07-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

A couple Saturdays ago Dorian took the boys to a local nursery for a free day of fishing. Last year Carson caught a fish and Dorian didn't. Carson STILL won't let Dorian forget about that day. So this year, everybody was excited to see who would get the fish and who wouldn't. Well, nobody caught a fish but James and Dorian had one on their line! James was excited to be able to feel what it felt like to have a fish on the line.
Nobody seemed to be catching fish that morning, so the kids got a little bored. This is how they entertained themselves:

A dead fish on the shore. They thought it would be fun to put dirt and worms on it.

Carson having a blast!

James putting dirt and worms on the fish. See his little tongue sticking out? He's REALLY concentrating!

Pink Condoms

2009-07-10T09:07:00.001-07:00

Before Tessa came along I was sitting at the computer when Dorian walked up to me and said, "Hey, while you're at the store will you pick up about 5 or 6 pink condoms?" All I could think was why the heck would he want pink condoms? My first thought was he must be handing them out as a "We had our Baby" gift. Pink for the girl and a condom for "I hope this doesn't happen to you?" Well, he quickly informed me that it was so he could tie some flies. Well, this was a before picture of the condom...I know you were all dying to see it!!!

AND...here is the finished product!! I wasn't sure what to expect. What fly needs a pink condom to make? Well, here it is: And I KNOW you were dying to see this even more that the first pic!! :o)

A little worm! And he's actually been catching fish with it! Good job Dorian.

A few of Tessa's faces...

2009-07-07T16:24:00.001-07:00

**Blog binge yet again. Keep scrolling down to check up on the happenings of the Ducker Family**

Sticking her tongue out

Her pooping face, and yes, there was a lot of pooping happening...

A Yawn

A smile

Goodbye Granny and Papa :o(

2009-07-07T16:17:00.001-07:00

The Boys

Joni and Whitney

Grandparents and Grandkids

Somebody said something silly.

Dorian and his parents

James took this one

Carson took this one! (Pretty dang good, although I did crop it to get a closer pic!)

Tessa and the Fam

2009-07-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Tessa with her Papa

Tessa with her Granny

Tessa and Daddy giving kisses

Cute girl!!

hangin' out with Papa!

Birthday Bikes

2009-07-06T02:49:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa (my parents) got Carson a helmut and kneepads/elbowpads for his birthday. We got him a bike. We couldn't leave James out his summer. Walks to the park just wouldn't work out unless they both had a rideable bike. So, James got a bike and helmut too! It was a lot of fun having Granny and Papa (Dorian's parents) visiting to help JD get the technique of riding his bike down. (he likes to pedal backwards which is a problem when those are the brakes!) Thanks EVERYBODY for a fun filled birthday.

Carson's NEW LOOK! Thanks Grandma-ma and Grandpa!! ;o)

Carson's Birthday

2009-07-02T16:29:00.003-07:00

Here are the pics of Carson's birthday. His Granny got him a cool Disney music player, movie player and books from Costco. Grandma-ma got him his Helmut and kneepads (good pics soon to come) for his bike that Mom and Dad got him. We went to Craigo's, his FAVORTIE pizza place for dinner. It was quite the day.
I would write more, but since I have 3 kids I don't have a whole lot time, and I'm lucky to be putting up this post!
We're glad you had a fun birthday Carson! We love you!!!

Sippy Straws! A MUST SEE!

2009-06-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

Granny got these fun little surprises for the boys. We all got quite the kick out of them, and can I just say that I laugh out loud every time I see JD in these glasses. He's my beautiful geeky boy! I just love it! ;o)

JAMES:

I also love to see Carson in these glasses, but he just doesn't look as geeky in them as James. It was so funny how we had to chant suck, suck, suck! He just thought it would be in his mouth instantly like a regular straw. Thanks for the good laugh Carson and James. But let's get real we wouldn't have been laughing without your WONDERFUL purchase Granny! THANK YOU!

CARSON:

My 3 little look a-likes!

2009-06-23T09:09:00.000-07:00

DAD

CARSON (I know what you're thinking. Why the heck is he on a PINK blanket? Who the HECK knows!)

TESSA (yes, she has that double chin too!)

the biggest similarities are in Carson and Tessa. It is so weird having 2 kids that look so similar. I went for 3 1/2 years having 2 kids that looked nothing alike. CRAZY!

Carson turns 5

2009-06-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday little buddy!
He's so excited to go to Kindergaten and be so grown up!
When he was asked what he was going to do today for his birthday he told us all, "Whatever I want because it's my birthday!"
...we'll have to talk about that one! :o)

born: JUNE 19th 2004

ONE YEAR OLD

TWO YEARS OLD

THREE YEARS OLD

FOUR YEARS OLD

FIVE YEARS OLD TODAY (how did this happen?)

Our Sunday Storm

2009-06-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

***I was on another blogging binge, so don't forget to keep scrolling down a couple posts to stay COMPLETELY updated!

JUST as Dorian was leaving for church the rains started coming down, and you would have thought that the floods were GOING to come up. About 10 minutes after they left....this is what was happening. It's just too bad that we had just spread more seed in our yard a couple days before. This is now the 2nd time we've had so much rain that it's washed away most of our seed into little piles all over the yard. This is so frustrating!! We just want a lawn this year!!!!

A nice hail storm for us on June 14th! Gotta love it.

There was still hail on the ground (just in little piles, in certain people's yards) Monday morning.

Here's a video of the storm:

Once again. My video doesn't quite do this storm justice.

Lovin' on the sister!

2009-06-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

It speaks for itself...

SWEET BROTHERS with their SISTER

2009-06-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry!! I just couldn't choose between the pictures, so you get them all. These boys are so in love with their sister. I love it!
Plus, I thought she looked EXTRA cute this day sleeping on JD! :o)

Finger and Toes

2009-06-16T08:23:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from when I painted Tessa's toes and fingers. I've already taken off the polish on her fingers. It was chipping and looked all messed up. I might just stick with the toes from now on. We'll see how bored I get I guess!

2 WEEKS

2009-06-10T16:13:00.000-07:00

Tessa is in the 60th percentile for her weight & head circum- ference and in the 95th percentile for her height (22 inches). We love that she's healthy and growing, but we, or should I say I, wouldn't mind if she'd slow that growing down. I don't want my baby to grow too fast! Especially since she's my last. :o) We just love that cute little baby girl! (JD's words)

Birth Weight: 8 lbs even
2 days ~ Going Home: 7 lbs 9 oz
5 Days: 8 lbs .5 oz
9 Days: 8 lbs 4 oz
2 weeks: 8 lbs 8 oz

And another video

2009-06-08T10:28:00.001-07:00

Carson trying to soothe Tessa. SOOO FUNNY and loving.

MORE TO COME...

Video of Tessa and James

2009-06-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is for you Joni!!!

a morning out

2009-06-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

We had an appointment to be somewhere at 9:00am, and I need to toot my own horn and tell you how we were all dressed and fed (well, I wasn't fed) and there ON TIME! Here's some pictures of our sweet girl.
*This was the day before I got the bright idea to paint her fingers and toes!!!! :o) SO FUN! So, stay tuned for pictures of that.
**Joni, I AM working on the videos. Sorry for the delay.

5 days....

2009-06-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

We went to the Doctor today. Well, really we just saw the nurse. Tessa weighed in at 8lbs .5 oz. Good eating little Tess. She's a good baby, hardly cries at all (although we *love* it when she cries. It's so girly!) and is a pretty good sleeper. For 2 days she had her days and nights mixed up, but I THINK we're getting back on track.
We love her, and we're all just soooo smitten by her. She could get pretty much anything from us. As James would say, "that Tess is a cute baby girl. She's so cute!"

*She has now received the nickname of bumblebee from James.

Daddy and Tessa share the same nose and mouth! ENJOY!

Mom and Dad pics

2009-05-30T09:18:00.001-07:00

~MOM~

BIRTHDAY!

ONE DAY OLD

TWO DAYS OLD! Coming home...

~DAD~

BIRTHDAY

ONE DAY OLD

TWO DAYS OLD! Coming home...

THE PRINCESS OF OUR HOME

2009-05-29T17:03:00.001-07:00

this is the blanket that James has had since he was a baby, and he has now given it to Tessa. The Dog is from Carson. See what I mean about having everyone wrapped around her finger already!?!

here's a pic giving her hair a little justice!

Tessa Jo Ducker

2009-05-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is what you get for now. I'm using a windows laptop, and I'm missing my Mac. So I'll update more when I get home. It's easier that way. She's finally here and we're all happy and healthy. I'm loving my little mini-vacation at the hospital. Thank you for all your help, love, prayers and concerns. You're all the best.

Right before we left from the hospital

Tessa Jo
May 27th 2009
8lbs 21 1/2 inches
1:24 pm

NOW WE HAVE A GIRL!!!! She's already got everyone wrapped around her little finger.

She passed her hearing test. I like this picture because she looks like she's rockin' out to the ipod or something! :o)

Finally

2009-05-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

It's baby day!!! We're on our way to the hospital!

Stay tuned for more....

baby...

2009-05-26T12:44:00.000-07:00

40.6 days pregnant.
I only slept 4 hours last night.
Dr. says:
Dilated=1
Effaced=40%
Induction date=Wednesday, June 3rd
Fingers crossed!
I don't want to go ANOTHER whole week feeling like this!
And I'd rather NOT be induced.

Our Memorial Day

2009-05-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

It started out with working in the yard, them a yummy dinner, and ending with a trip to the Ashton Dam. I hiked down and then up a super steep hill, and still no baby. The boys and I got to see a beaver and Dorian tried to fish a little. He probably would've stayed out longer, but I was ready to go home!

Here's a video of our trip to Ashton. This is Carson and JD's favorite song right now! They always say, "It sounds like Papa!" Probably because he always sings to it when it on. It's a popular demand by the Ducker boys!

ENJOY:

The iphone

2009-05-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

This is a typical morning at the Ducker house. The kids wake up, play the iphone while mom and dad sleep a little longer. They are just so cute when they get all snuggled up to watch each other play. I love them!

Baby Update:

2009-05-19T13:13:00.002-07:00

I went to the Doctor today. I am dilated to a ONE but still NOT EFFACED WHATSOEVER! He gave me the option to get induced tomorrow....SEEMS CRAZY!! I wouldn't even be late! I told him that I was hoping to go at least 7-10 days overdue BEFORE we set a date or anything. He seemed perfectly happy about that. He's pretty positive that he'll be seeing me next Tuesday.

Interesting FACTS:
I went into labor with Carson and James on a Saturday at 2:00am. Both times my doctors were out of town, and I got the on call doctor. Only fitting that I have this baby on Saturday seeing that my doctor will be out of town and well, it's a Saturday!! :o) But in all honesty, I hope he will be able to deliver my baby. He said no way am I having the baby this weekend. Hmmm....
Last time someone (my Mom) told me there was no way I was having the baby.....I had the baby!

So....here's to another week! :o)
I was really hoping to NOT have to get ready for church again.

MORE!!!!!

2009-05-15T19:43:00.001-07:00

39 weeks

2009-05-14T16:30:00.001-07:00

I am so much smaller than I was with Carson! Only 6 more day to go? Could be more, could be less....
Thanks Brittany! I had a lot of fun doing this.

*A side not to baby: 5.15.09 sounds like such a nice day. :o) We're ready for you! Don't keep us waiting too much longer. We're all super anxious to meet you.