Dueck's Roost

So I see the chairs and the snacks and the two kids waiting patiently in the shabby grass, but what on earth are they waiting for? An improptu broadway production in the backyard? Guess nobody thought to send me an evite. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Gotta love good 'ole school concerts! Fancy dresses and hairdos. Parents with overly large smiles. Mass amounts of pictures and home videos. Cute songs and wiggly bodies. And, of course, the funny kid that always puts on quite a show ... there's always one of those! James ... Mae ... And Porter ... Next year we'll add one more to the list. Crazy! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Wanna know what happens when you layer no fewer than 15 family room pillows atop one hearty sofa, and garnish with three very excitable (and perhaps just a little picture-happy) kiddos?! Not to mention a side of baby. Oh, just this of course. And of course this ... Whats more amusing (to a 20-month old) than a kid-made landslide! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

So neither Kevin nor I had ever played or even watched this strange sport called lacrosse before. But for some reason (now forgotten) we thought we'd-- that is, the boys--would give it a try this year. You know, just to see how they'd like it. But really, was their liking it ever even a question?! We're talking chest and shoulder pads, protective helmets, and big long sticks that one can use to block, push, hit, oh, and of course catch. We're talking fast and crazy, and physical enough to satisfy even James' fighting spirit. In short, Lacrosse has earned a spot alongside basketball as one our favorite sports! Yep, despite the 25 minute drive to practice (ugh!) i think we're hooked. Pretty sure this one is in for the long haul. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Are our children so darn physical (random pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, scaling doorways, climbing everywhere we go, etc, etc, etc), because for fun we take them to do things like this ... And this ... Or do we take them to do this ... Because we know they're so physical?? Oh, the deep questions of life;). Mae kickin it in a dress. A girl's gotta keep up with her brothers! Just love these guys! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Take one baby, two big brothers, a seriously handsome dad (oh, yeah!), and a tired and hesitant mom;) ... I'm sure I'm there somewhere. Then take a heavily forested 4-mile trail and 3700 feet of elevation gain. Finally consider cooler temperatures with every foot gained, a consistent rainfall of melting snow, and most importantly two cold little hands. And here's where such a group finds themselves only two miles into the hike (that is, after descending the two additional miles off of the mountain). It's okay, Little J. Your comfort was worth the early descent. Besides, what kind of people pack an 18-month old for eight miles to the top of a big, cold mountain and back????;) - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

At our house we love teachers! Pretty much all of them. Even the grumpy ones--it's a tough job!! But especially the life-devoting, awe-inspiring, example-setting ones. Definitely them. What a difference they make in the lives of children, sometimes thousands. Fortunately for us, we've had the privilege of interacting with several of these exceptional individuals in the past five years our own children have attended school. Thank you for caring about the next generation. We really appreciate you! - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

April General Conference this year was as fantastic as always (for those who don't know what this is, you can check out Mormon.org or LDS.org for more info.). Usually I would love to spend some time thoughtfully considering what I want to say about the newest General Conference and reflecting on how inspiring it was. Unfortunately, I don't exactly have a lot of time at the moment for contemplation, but I can't let an opportunity pass without re-stating how much we love General Conference weekend, and how grateful we are for a living prophet and apostles. Here we are as a family gearing up for the Sunday sessions (Papa D. is busy in back cooking a delicious breakfast. Thanks, Pops!!). So I'm not gonna lie. As much as I love conference, it is still something of a challenge to get much out of it with lots of kids in the house. Which is why one of my favorite things about conference is that I can listen to it over and over and over again from my iPad!! Yay, for modern techn...

Check this kid out. He is a baby. Turned vampire (courtesy of his older siblings). And he's stinkin' cute! I don't think he'll suck your blood. But he may take a bite--just for the heck of it, or sometimes if he's grumpy. Just ask these guys ... But they love him anyway. He's worth the risk of a few bite marks. Especially with his stylin comb-over. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad