WHO STOLE THE COOKIE FROM THE COOKIE JAR???

I BET YOU WOULDN'T HAVE GUESSED HER!!!  I layed her on her tummy and tipped her basket of toys on its side so she could play a while... I kept walking by her not even noticing what was going on.  Then I got a closer look and realized she had eaten most of an oreo cookie.  Her brothers like to leave treasures for her all around the house!  I guess it could have been worse!

Forgot another thing we did in October...

Just came across this picture and I wanted to post it!  We went bowling and to dairy queen with the Dykstra side!... We had given Glen and Alice a Bowling Certificate either last year for their birthdays or for Christmas... We can't remember because it was so long ago!  Anyways, we finally went and the kids had a blast... they all stood in a line next to the ball machine the entire time waiting their turn!  It was pretty cute!  Back Row, Avery, Riley, Logan, Lane, front row, Gannon, Griffin, Danya, Demi and Kenya.  (Gunnar, Tyra, and Daylin not in the picture)  The adults bowled also and did really good for not going very often!  Fun Times!

PUMPKIN PLAY AND THE REALLY LONG POST!



I figured I would wait to post all the pumpkin stuff together.  So here it goes.  This is Griffin's field trip to Boxes Berry Farm.  The kids got to do a train ride, wagon ride, pick a pumpkin, snack time, and play time on the play ground.  The kids had to pick a pumkin they could carry themselves.  It was great getting to see the kids in his class and meeting some of their parents!

                                     

The Stoney Ridge Trip... Tyra 6 months

One family photo... Gunnar was pretty excited about the tractor ride.  The kids really enjoyed watching the apple sling shot.

Gannon's Field trip to Cramer Farm!

His Friend Brody Bouwman, and Cousin Trey!  Both Griffin and Gannon decided to pick the biggest pumpkin they could carry... So who ended up carrying it around. Yep,me!

Snack and Story time.

Oh yeah, this is our new pet Silver.  They were giving away Free Kittens on this field trip, so we ended up with one.  At the time it seemed like a good idea... Actually its going good... Gunnar is really into her and carries her all over the place!



Gunnar and Silver!



                                             

   

                                              

                                              Our Annual Pumkin Carving Party is Growing... Which is great... but so many  kids and so many people I feel like I barely got the chance to talk to everyone.  Kids from left to right...

Jermaine Zoerink, Paetyn and McKinley Cowden, Gannon, Tyra, Gunnar, Klayton Jackson, Griffin, and Kennedy Jackson.



 My boys working on their pumpkins... Griffin actually carved his own pumpkin this year FROM START TO FINISH ALL THE WAY BY HIMSELF.... I really need to get a good picture of him with is pumpkin before it rots.  He worked on it for a good hour and a half and he was really proud of himself.  He keeps asking if he can carve another one... but the mess is cleaned up and I really don't want to do it again :)  Maybe next year!



                                   

Some of the group... Left to right, Kylee and Darrell Visser, Jermaine Zoerink, Kyle Jackson, Grant and Tyra, Matt Berendsen, Lara and Aaron Bogaard, Nathan Zoerink, Kyle and Jennelle Boon.

                                          

                                      

                               Amy Jackson, Kylee Visser, Lynzi Cowden and Paetyn Cowden!

Most of the carved pumkins!  October has been a busy month to say the least!  Hot lunch in Griffin's Class the end of September, Griffin and Gannon finishing up YMCA Soccer, 2 field trips, a few doctor trips because Tyra had another ear infection, Stoney Ridge, A Pumpkin Carving Party at our house with 22 adults and 10 kids, A Birthday Party for my Father, and Mother in law *Happy Birthday Nana and Papa*, a Unique FX reunion with great friends and all the kids... A couple trips to Costco with two broken cell phones, one broken toilet (Gunnar thought it was a good place to put his tractors... I thought I got everything out of the toilet before flushing it... but I guess something was already up there that I didn't know about... so the toilet is still not fixed)... I told Grant if its not fixed by tomorrow I am calling a plumber... He says he will get a snake tomorrow...( I will let you know what we find up our toilet)  One working toilet and 4 boys in the house doesn't work very well!,  a new Kitten... Helping with centers in Griffin's class on Tuesday, coffee with friends on Friday, 50 loads of laundry, 10 lunches to make (Grant and Griffin's everyday), 5 dinners to make for the week, at least 50 diapers to change this week, SERIOUSLY... my kids have never had the constipated problem! Memory verses to learn, reading to do, oh yeah, we already have the "christmas" Cd from church so the kids can start working on their christmas program songs... One of the songs is called "back to the manger"  we have this cd playing in our car,  Gunnar is a very loud singer and sins "Going back to the Danger"  (good thing he is not actually in the program, although it would be cute)  Gannon had a birthday party to go to, Griffin had a birthday party at the skating rink... (first time skating, I guess he did pretty good)  Griffin and Lane keep telling Shannon (my sis in law) and I that the girls chase them and kiss them at school... But Shannon talked to their teacher and she said the kissing is going both ways!  Watch out girls!  I didn't know this stuff happened in Kindergarten! :) ... Hmm... I think the list can keep going, but I am sure its getting boring!  I know my life with 4 kids is not going to get less busy... its all a lot of fun... But I think we will really try hard NOT to make plans for next weekend... Oh yeah, its halloween... so one night will be a fun filled evening of dressing up the kids, buckling and unbuckling the 4 kids 50 times to TRICK OR TREAT, then finding them eating their candy the next morning at 6 am.!!! Costume Pictures coming next weekend.  Hopefully this week will be a little more laid back ( I think I say that every week)... I am pretty for sure Tyra started crawling a little bit today... So I guess that means getting out the baby gates, blocking off the stairs and checking for any little things the boys lay around that she could choke on! Hope everyone has a great week!  Happy Halloween!  *Little side note I don't want to forget... Grant has always had a rule "We can only turn on the heat from November through January" *to save money! (which we all know its cold in october and all the way to March)  Two nights ago he turned on the heat ONLY in Tyra's room... Treated like a princess from her daddy already!

A little bit about Gannon

Gannon is 4 years old.  He has always been pretty independent as far as doing things himself... "I do it"  he has been saying that since he was 18 months old.  At 18 months old he wanted to get undressed himself, and get dressed himself.  It was very annoying at times when we were in a hurry, but he did do it.  He will work at things for a long time until he gets it right.  At 18 months old he would also hang from a door nob with one arm and reach up with the other arm to unlock a dead bolt.  My dad came over and had to put special locks on the tops of all our doors to the outside because he was always escaping! Now Gannon climbs in trees all the time and sometimes gets stuck.  One time I was watching through the window and saw him hanging upsidedown from a tree hanging by his pants!  (no joke)  So just because I have a fenced in yard, does not mean that my kids are safe!  On the other hand Griffin and Gunnar are not made this way... they like help and get frustrated in a hurry if things aren't working easy for them. ( I think they get it from their dad... Grant is not a mr. fix it)  Which I think I have finally come to terms with... he may not fix things, or get things done.  But he is the best dad in the world to our kids and gives them more attention and play time than any other dad I know!  This post is a reminder for me #1 because it is time for me to start pushing Gunnar to start undressing and dressing himself.  #2 because now Gannon is 4 years old and just learned how to tie his own shoes!!!  He learned last week...  we had ordered some books through school, and one was how to tie your shoe... I ordered it to try to teach Griffin how to tie his shoes.  But of course Gannon has been our child who has always been in love with hand cuffs, ropes, chains... anything that has to do with "getting locked up and trying to get out"  (he always wants us to tie him up, so that he can try to get loose)  Anyways, Gannon was the one who was interested in the book.  The side of the book comes with a picture of a shoe with a red and blue lace in it. So as I was getting ready to go somewhere I was in the bathroom and he was messing around with that book... So I showed him a couple of times how to tie it, and all the sudden he walked into the bathroom and said "mom, look I did it"  I wasn't expecting it to be right, but when I looked it really was right and it was pretty tight.  I couldn't believe it!  Once Griffin saw that Gannon did it... he tried too, but got frustrated right away and started crying because his little brother did something he couldn't do (it doesn't happen very often around here, so I thought it was pretty funny) :)  Griffin is slowly getting it, but he is left handed so it is a little harder for me to show him.  Alright I have rambled on, but I know these little milestones in our kids lives I will forget if I don't write them down!

BACKYARD BOYS AND BED HEAD GIRL!!!

I told the boys they could go outside to play while I watched them through the windows... and pretty soon this is what I found... so I snuck up on them to take a picture... as you can see they thought they were in trouble.. even Griffin's face on the one below he looks confused "like why is she taking a picture, we know we aren't supposed to be doing this"  It was cute for a while and I let them have their fun, but later when I checked on them again, they had brought the hose into the garage and they were hiding from eachother trying to spray eachother.  Then the fun was over and no pictures were taken!  They soaked everything in the garage!  So if anyone who reads my blog ever gets a chance to get out to my house... forgive the yard... we definately don't have one of those "nice Lynden yards." However we do have 3 boys that will eventually be doing most of the yardwork, for now this is how they do it!

And this is how my little Tyra wakes up every morning.  Her hair has tons of little swirled up knots in it!  She must be a wild sleeper!  I am getting a little nervous for 6 months from now if her hair grows this much more... how many more knots I will have to deal with.  She doesn't seem to mind me going through combing them all out in the morning.  She will be a tough girl!  This is all new for me...  glad I only have one I have to do this to in the morning!

Just had to take a picture, because I know I will forget these days if I don't! :)

six month tricks

Tyra is into sucking/biting on her toes and feet.  I don't think any of my boys ever did this!  Another thing she loves to do is making juicy fart noises with her mouth.  Its already obvious that I won't be able to keep her super girly for very long with all these boys in our house!

I truly cannot believe Tyra is 6 months already!  Again she is still such a good content little girl.  I was hoping to get some better pictures than these of her dressed up for her 6 month pictures, but we always rushing out the door to get to church in the morning.  So hopefully I can get a few more soon!