BEFORE AND AFTER

Tuesday morning Griffin got 4 teeth pulled out!!  His two front teeth and two extra ones (one still was up in his gums)  The dentist said he did great, and I asked Griffin if it hurt and he said no!  He got a couple stiches where the extra tooth was that they had to dig out of his gums.  He was crabby once we got home, which the dentist had warned me after the medicines start wearing off sometimes they get cranky.  But besides that he did great!  Grant took the day off of work to help out which was really nice! All in all I don't think Griffin thought it was all that bad to lose his teeth because the tooth fairy came!   I know this second picture looks pretty bad... but they said by 3 weeks his gums will be straight across and should be completely healed!  They hope with in a year his front two permanent teeth should drop down into place!

MOUW FAMILY CHRISTMAS

Our family at my mom and dad's house for Christmas

Tyra 8 1/2 months

Tyra & Cousin Aubryn Camping ( 1 1/2 years old)

Grandma Deba with the kids

Me and My sisters!  So Excited that our sister Darlene and her family could come up from California this Christmas.

Where the adults sit and have dinner... The kids tables go down the hallway

Gannon with his Imaginex space shuttle

Gunnar with his shaking Tractor!

Gannon and Grandpa Rick with Gannon's transformer.  We had a great time at the Mouw Family Christmas.  Each of the boys got an Imaginex toy, Griffin the navy boat with airplanes, Gannon the space shuttle, and Gunnar the Toy Story 3 land fill.  Tyra was sleeping through the opening of most of the presents so I didn't get any pictures of her with her presents... but she got a little cabbage patch doll, and a stroller that she can now push all around the house!  I don't think it will be too long till she is walking!  One of the highlights of this Christmas party was all the grandkids played CLR.  (the one where each person starts with $3 and you roll dice to see where you have to put your money, in the end someone wins the Jackpot.)  Mikiya won round one, and Griffin won round two!  You would have thought he won the lottery.... a whopping 34 1 $ bills!!!  Which is the lottery to him, because $34 means he can buy a DS game!  We have been having so much fun with Chad and Darlene's family here for Christmas!  We really miss them!  December has been a very busy month with all the programs, parties, Christmas decorating, shopping and baking,  Griffin and Gannon have been doing Karate (which I gotta get a picture of), Grant coaching basketball and us going to the games, we got Gunnar potty trained finally! AHHH, sigh of relief... my last BOY potty trained!  I always am looking ahead thinking its going to get a little less busy, but it never ends up that way :)  Oh well, I guess I like things to look forward to!  Merry Christmas!

DYKSTRA FAMILY CHRISTMAS

From top left to bottom right.  Avery, Lane, Riley, Logan, Griffin, Demi, Gunnar, Danya, Nana, Tyra, Papa, Daylin, Gannon & Kenya.

All my boys got "high jumping shoes" in other words Nike Shox!  I think this was Gannon's favorite present!  He loves new shoes!  He wore them all night and would see how fast he could run and how high he could jump! 

Gannon again with the new shoes!

Gunnar hidden behind his new remote control truck!  All my boys got remote control trucks!  Gunnar has been playing with his all day today... even though they each got their own.... they all happen to run on the same signal!!!  So they still end up having to take turns.  They are really powerful remotes, even if one kid is on the driveway outside with one, if another one does one in the house, they still end up controlling eachothers!  We will have to wait till the weather warms up a bit to go out with all of them and see how far apart they really have to be to not pick up eachother's signals.  They love them anyways!

This is what all of us kids and grandkids got for Papa and Nana this year.  The costco teeter totter!  (nana has been wanting one for the kids for a while) The kids played on it all night with just minor injuries :)   They had fun turning off all the lights and had the disco ball lights going in the basement while they teeter tottered.

Oh yeah, we played some games too!  The kids played gestures for a little while... but they were a little anxious to open presents.  Grant and I brought this game along (picture above of nana & papa starting off the game) thanks to our friend Kyle Boon for always coming up with these great games. :)  I don't think this game has a name yet, but I am naming it "Shake your balls till they drop!"   (object of the game... can't use your hands, just have to wiggle your hips till all 6 ping pong balls come out of the klenex box, first one out of balls wins) Papa and Nana had some creative moves on how to drop their balls.  We did guys vs. girls  spouses competed against each other.  We kept track of points between the guys and the girls... what was on the line for the winners and the losers?  Winners would get a whole day of pampering from the opposite sex at Crescent Bar this summer... Sad to say the girls LOST!  Have fun playing pickle ball at Crescent Bar guys... I think that will be your pampering, and we are the ones who cook everynight anyways :)  Maybe we will have a double or nothing match at Crescent Bar!   Grant and I are going to introduce this game to the Mouw side this year on Christmas eve.
I didn't get any good pictures of Griffin or Tyra at the Christmas party... Tyra went to sleep early, I thought/ think she has been teething, but finally after another sleepless night again last night I decided to bring her to the doctor to see if she had another ear infection... Yep, double ear infection, both ear drums bulging!!! UGH... At least she is going to see the specialist now, and should be able to get tubes in her ears in about 1 month!!!  Praise God for good doctors and cures for this type of thing!  Just pray I can get the antibiotics down her throat... she has already puked once with me trying to give her the medicine.   Thank you Nana and Papa for all the gifts and another great Christmas party this year!  We love you!

OUR FAMILY CHRISTMAS!

We did our own family Christmas a little early (as usual)  I am an early shopper and so everything is always ready ahead of time and we are too excited to wait!  Plus grandpa rick and grandma deba's Christmas is usually Christmas eve and the kids get spoiled with lots of toys!  So if we wait to give them our presents till Christmas morning its total overload!!!
Griffin 6 1/2, Gunnar 2 1/2, Tyra 8 months, Gannon 4 1/2!

Tyra loved her stuffed bunny that came with the blanket we got her... We don't hardley have any stuffed animals around our house so she must have thought it was something fun and different!

Gunnar's big present was the big fire truck!  He can store his little cars in there and steer it around everywhere!

Tyra's musical scooter she seems to like!

Gannon got what him and Griffin have been asking for all year... A DS!!!  We teased Griffin and said they had to share it, he was okay with that but seemed a little dissapointed... So what did we find hiding in the corner... ONE more present for Griffin!  Another DS!

And as you can see they were as happy as can be!  Now off to the Dykstra side Christmas party tonight!  Tis the Season!

FINALLY CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!

I figure I better stay caught up on all the blogging before the family Christmas parties start.  On Thursday I had to help in Griffin's class... Yep, they got to make gingerbread houses, and they got to decorate them however they wanted!  They also played musical chairs.

He did pretty good I think!

Friday morning was the elementary musical.  It was pretty cute.  I could tell Griffin wasn't enjoying the little white cape they had to wear.  He doesn't like things around his neck.  We all were waving at him, and of course Griffin had to pretend he didn't see us and wouldn't wave to any of us!  Pretty typical for Griffin to do. :)  Someday maybe he will claim his family!

Finally we are officially on Christmas break!  No more class parties, programs, packing lunches or getting up really early!!!

Gannon's Preschool Program

Of course boys can't just sit for a long period of time without touching their neighbor... at least this was before the program started!

Very bright lights were shinging on them at the High School Chapel

The program was adorable!  The preschoolers did so good doing all the motions and singing the whole time!  For some reason Gannon kept looking at the kids to his right the whole time... I am not sure if he could see teacher melinda over top of the girls bow in front of him :)  Griffin and Gannon also had their Christmas program at church on Sunday... I actually didn't get any pictures of that one, but they both did good and it was also a very good program!  Two classroom christmas parties and one more school program till we are OFFICIALLY on Christmas break!  I can't wait!

CHRISTMAS TIME IS COMING...

First Christmas Party of the month and many more to come!  This is the De Jager Christmas party... always the first Sunday in December.  This picture is of Grandpa Kakie and his Great Grandkids (except for Jeff and Shannon's 4 kids).  Grandpa Kakie has been fighting cancer I think for the past 1-2 years... he stopped all his treatments about 6 months ago and his last scans came back that the cancer hadn't spread or grown any further!  Praise God he is here to share the De Jager Christmas party with everyone and he seems to be feeling great!!

Grandpa Kakie and his 5 kids!

Tyra 8 months old with her Christmas outfit!

Griffin-6, Gannon-4, Gunnar-2 and Tyra -8months

One Christmas Party is over.  Lots more to come!  Plus all the kids Christmas programs, basketball games, karate starts this week for Griffin and Gannon!!! Busy month but it is lots of fun!  Hopefully we can hold out all the way till December 25 to give our kids their Christmas presents!  (I don't think we have ever made it to Christmas... Grant and I just get too excited)



OTHER CHRISTMAS CARDS

This is the Dykstra Side grandkids.  And Glen and Alice's Christmas Card picture!

One of the first attempts of our christmas card picture.

CHRISTMAS CARD 2010

Our Christmas card for 2010... There are always HIGH HOPES AND DREAMS you have for your christmas card... But I have realized when you have 4 small children... When you got a picture with all 4 looking, its just going to have to work!

A LOT TO BE THANKFUL FOR

Mouw side Thanksgiving dinner. Griffin didn't want to take a picture so he is shooting something at me with his spoon.



We woke up to snow on Thanksgiving morning!!!  Daddy took the boys out for a ride in the truck and to go get the newspaper.  The boys and I played outside in the snow for a couple hours trying out their "new" snowboards I bought for them last year at Target on clearance for $6!!   Gannon did really good on his snowboard, he would make it all the way down our hill before he would purposely fall over so that he wouldn't hit the fence!  This was my attempt at a cute snow picture before heading to Papa and Nanas for our 2nd Thanksgiving meal!

Right after all the kids were done eating they headed outside!!!  They all stayed out for 3 hours!!!!  Daddy and Uncle Greg pulled them behind the 4 wheelers on tubes and sleds!!!  They had a blast!

Gunnar loved riding on the 4 wheeler with Grant!



We were spoiled this year and we got to go to The Mouw family the night before thanksgiving and the Dykstra family on thanksgiving day!  TWO TURKEY MEALS!!!

WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR:
Lots of family on both sides living close by
Health & Happiness
Love
Our four healthy kids
A warm house
Freedom to go to church and worship our LORD!
That Jesus died on the cross for our sins so we can have eternal life in HEAVEN!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!

PILLOW PETS!

THANKYOU NANA!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Nana took the kids to Fred Meyers and Mc Donalds and to her house to play in the icey cold weather!!  What a nice Nana my kids have!  Pillow pets are a little animal shaped pillow with a velcro closer... So they can be rolled up a bit, and used as a pillow.  Every kid is wishing for a pillow pet right now... It went from silly bands to pillow pets!  Griffin already asked if he could bring his pillow pet to FUN FREE FRIDAY (show and tell ) at school.  They all wanted to sleep with their pillow pets... So we agreed... of course as usual a couple kids got out of their beds... all we had to do was threaten to take away their pillow pet for the night and they were sound asleep!!! Thankyou Nana! 

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT OUR NANA:

~She has slumber parties with us

~If our mom and dad are being mean to us, we call her, and she comes right over to pick us up

~She lets us bake with her

~She lets us wear REALLY cool clothes if we run out at her house 

(Carla's old clothes that she says are our daddies old basketball clothes)

~She gives us unlimited amounts of chocolate milk

~She lets us SNEAK candy at her house

~She has taught us some "dutch" words:

Butzy (bath)

back-a-packa (back pack)

crocadoodles (crocs)

"the yadahoosas are here"  (that means we are coming over... the crazy kids)

Panakukas (pancakes)

Smuts and Smuts (oatmeal)

~She lets us "play doctor" on Papa puff's back

~She plays games with us

~She turns on the Wii (game cube) downstairs for us

~She doesn't tell our mom and dad what we broke or colored on at her house... till months later, if ever

WE LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH NANA!!!!!!  THANKYOU FOR THE PILLOW PETS!!!

PILGRIMS AND INDIANS

Griffin's kindergarten class did a little Thanksgiving program and Feast!  It was very cute.  They sang about 4 songs... my favorite sung with the tune to jingle bells... dinner bells, farmer yells, turkey got away!!! It was adorable.  They also recited most of Psalm 100, with sign language... his teacher says they will know all of Psalm 100 by February!!! (Griffin furthest one to the right of the picture)  This is the only picture I got because I was video taping the whole thing for Grant to see.  He is learning sooooo much in kindergarten already! 

Heres a small list of funny things I want to remember...

One night I told Griffin, "no more PSP today"  he said "mom, stop treating me like I am a one year old!"

He comes home every day from school SUPER DIRTY and his sox and shoes SOAKING wet and STINKING!  He just put a hole in his second pair of shoes for the school year so far!  They play soccer every recess, rain, snow or sunshine! *To all the teachers...My son does own jeans... I just don't dare let him wear them to school!* (afraid they will come back stained and with holes)

He wants to lose a tooth soooo bad that I told him the dentist was going to pull one out after Christmas and he was happy because his cousin Lane already lost a tooth and the tooth fairy gave him $5.00!  (Griffin really is getting 4 teeth pulled on Christmas break!!! His two front teeth, plus 2 extra ones he has...one is still up in his gums above the other extra one!)  Hopefully it doesn't ruin his Christmas break.~Thanks Shannon... Now I am going to have to fork out $20 from the tooth fairy!    Griffin finally got 1 tooth when he was 1 year old... so who knows how old he will be when one of his really falls out!  Every day he is convinced that his tooth is wiggiling... everyday its a different tooth.

I haven't asked him lately who or if he still has a girlfriend... I will have to ask him soon!

TYRA 7 MONTHS

Our sweet little Tyra is growing up soooo fast!  I truly can't believe that she is my BABY!  She is still so so so good.  She cracks up when we tickle her with our feet, when she sees the kitty, or when her brothers run up to her and say boo, and when auntie Shawna pretends she is a duck!  I would really love to freeze her right now, but its not possible.  Good thing every stage gets more and more fun!

THE HEART BREAKER

Griffin is in Kindergarten this year all day everyday in Mrs. Thomas's class and we have heard from the teachers that this class is not one of those classes that the boys think the girls are gross or the girls think the boys are gross... supposedly they all like each other. I finally started to ask Griffin questions about the girls because my sister in law Shannon Dykstra filled me in that the girls chase the boys at recess and try to kiss them.  (her son Lane is also in the class)  So I asked Griffin and he said that yes they chase him and kiss him and I asked him if he kisses them and he said no.  So periodically I will ask him if he has a girlfriend and usually he says yes, its Abby and Abby is Lane's girlfriend too.  So I had to help in Griffin's class a couple weeks ago and Abby happened to be in our group.  Griffin would copy EVERYTHING Abby would do to her paper and they would just look at each other and smile. ( I was dying inside, it was so funny to watch that)   Other girls would come up to Griffin and whisper things in his ear.  So last night we asked Griffin if his girlfriend was still Abby and he said "no, we broke up"  So I asked "did you break up with her or did she break up with you?"  and he said "I broke her heart,  Oh and she threw up during rest time."  I was trying not to laugh because I didn't know he knew what breaking up was or any of that.  (and I am also wondering what the throwing up thing had to do with it, if she threw up and he thought it was gross so they broke up, or if he really thought he broke her heart and that is why she threw up?  I may never know!  So then I asked him if he had another girlfriend and he said yes and I asked who and he said Kali.  And I asked if she had kissed him before and he said yes!  I cannot believe this is happening in kindergarten... its all fun and games right now but someday its going to be scary!!!  I guess I will have to pray a lot!  We asked Gannon if he has a girlfriend and he gets pretty embarrassed about it and says he can't remember her name.  And one more thing... Gunnar has a girlfriend he sees every morning of the week.  She rides on Griffin and Gannon's school bus.  I would guess she is in junior high, she rides towards the back of the bus... she started waving to him the week of school while we are waiting for the bus to pick up the boys.  So we told him it was his girlfriend and now every morning he talks about his girlfriend and he says " I go wave to my girlfriend"

THE DYKSTRA ZOO



Happy Halloween!  This year all the kids were some sort of animal!  We have Gunnar-2 the chicken, Gannon-4 the shark, Tyra-almost 7 months the kitty, and Griffin-6 the dinosour/lizard/comodo dragon?  We weren't 100% sure what his costume was, but it was cool and scary!  We started out the afternoon/night at 3:00 going to Nana and Papa Dykstra's, then to Grandpa Rick's and Grandma Deba's house for dinner.  We drove to Auntie Marge's and to Grandpa Kakie's house.  Then we went Trick or Treating walking around homestead!  The kids did great this year!  They got good at YELLING Trick Or Treat when someone came to the door and saying THANKYOU after they got candy!  They went trick or treating with their cousins Easton, Kiya and Reese Nyhoff!  Some of the funny things were...  This REALLY old man came walking up to his (glass) door they were trying to trick or treat at... But he was old and waddled and had really wild sticking out everywhere hair... so by the time the old man got up to the door to open it, all the kids ran away b/c they were scared!  He did kind of walk like a mummy.  We felt bad so finally Uncle Mike walked the kids up there and the old man did have candy ... it just took him a REALLY long time to get it!  Of course Griffin would hang behind the pack the whole time b/c some people were dressed in scary costumes when they opened the door to give out candy.  We had told the kids that we could go to a haunted house (Tommy Zylstra's Garage)  and while we were trick or treating thats all they talked about ... Gannon wanted to go to the "smokey house"  (spooky house) and Griffin wanted to go to the "hunted house"  (haunted house) ... so finally the Grand Finally was going to the HAUNTED HOUSE.  Gannon made it through with Grandpa Rick and of course Griffin didn't go in, he just peaked through the doors and that was enough.  Gannon kept saying " I scared Tommy I said BLAH to him"  Next year I want to go again and scare Tommy, when can we go to the "smokey house" again.  (Tommy had a scary mask on and was hiding in the garage)  We also stopped by Auntie Jennie's house on the way home at about 8:15!  All their baskets are SOOOO full!  They had a great time and are already talking about next year's costumes!



Some of the Mouw cousins... Gunnar, Crew, Griffin, Reese, Brooklyn, Tyra, Trey, Gannon, Easton & Kiya

The kids with Great Grandpa Kakie