This Week in a nutshell!

Jamie is doing great again - she finally has her spunk back and looking great again!! YEAH
She is easing back into sports at school - has track and soccer going on at the same time - she has a game tomorrow but since she hasn't practiced yet - she is not going to this one and we will see about next week - Marcus is trying to help her with strength training at home - fun to see them at it together - Marcus is tough on her if she isn't doing it right - fun to watch - and by the way I need to do it also - can't keep up with either one - I think that I am aging some :(

Mike leaves on Senior Serve with the church group on Tuesday - 13 seniors and 4 adults to Texas to build fences and do a little site seeing - should be a good time and warm weather!

Jamie asked grandpa Dale to go on Daddy date night for Gems Tuesday night since Mike leaves at 5:30 and the date starts at 7 - grandpa was thrilled - it's a Mexican theme!

Jamie has Easter break Thur, Fri, and Mon. - Marcus has break Fri and Mon. - both are looking forward to that as well.

We have Good Friday service Friday night and Easter dinner by Mom on Sunday. Mike cames home on Monday sometime.

Wishing everyone a very BLESSED EASTER!

Baby number 2!

My sister Becky - had her baby on Thur, March 26 - a BIG BOY - 10lbs.3oz. - 22 1/2 inches long - his name is Brendan Dale and he is doing great !

Kaylee born 2 1/2 weeks earlier looks like a peanut next to him - WOW - she drowns in newborn clothes and he hardly fits in 3 month clothes.

Yes - I am a very proud aunt - again - and he is fun to cuddle with!
Grandma and great-grandma is pretty proud also!

One more update on Jamie - she got worse over the weekend again - so we went back to the doctor for the third week in a row - She still has mono but got strep throat back on top of it - her throat is also swollen shut - they gave her a shot - put her on a steriod, antibiotic again and perscription pain meds - WOW - she has had a tough go - I hope this is the last round - I don't think that she will make it to school much at all this week - we will see what next week brings!

Altena Update

This weekend we are headed to Ankeny, IA for state AAU Volleyball tournament. We are leaving at noon on Friday and the tournament is all day on Saturday and then we will be headed home again!!

Jamie has had a rough week again - remember bout a month ago she had strep throat - well last week Monday she was complaining of her throat again and there was Influenza going around here - we took her in on Tuesday and they tested her for influenza came back negative YEAH(i thought at least at the time) and said she had tongsilitis??? not sure on spelling sent us home with an antibiotic. She was on this medicine all week and Monday morning this week she and I were having breakfast and she turned her head and it looked like she had a golf ball in her neck so I said something is still wrong here and she was still complaining bout her throat hurting (CRAP) so I took her in again and they did blood work - well Jamie Marie has MONO :( we cancelled all of her activities for the week (after many tears from her) and she has rested all week. Doc said she may play volleyball this weekend as much as she can tolerate ( if I know her at all she will tolerate it the whole day) So tomorrow we are off to Ankeny and Jamie is going to play and I think she is getting better each day this week - I let her sleep in in the mornings and bring her to school when she wakes and put her to bed early and we are pumping lots of vitamins. Just say a little prayer for her this Saturday and hope she has a good day - THANKS!

Marcus is staying back and taking care of the house and Paco - Mike and I have dinner reservations with Burt and Betty on Friday evening - Jamie will stay at the hotel with her team and have pizza. Good weekend to be gone its only suppose to be around 40 degrees here - I am really ready for the spring weather.

PACO is 4 today!

The smile and his eyes tells all - Marcus was WAY excited to have a puppy!

And Jamie too - what a cute puppy - can we take him home!

And we did - Paco was right at home immediately and has been ever since!

We went and showed him off to everyone - just like having a new baby - everyone loved him!

Now, he is 4 today and everyone still loves him and he is spoiled rotten just like everyone else.

I am on my way out the door to take him for a walk - it's 55-60 degrees here today so we are going to take advantage of that.

P.S. Wishing Tim and Lanette a very blessed Anniversary today as well!!!!

Kaylee Rae Dykstra is here!

Amanda is the one on the right - Due April 5 - well that changed!!

Amanda went in for an appt. on Tues and was checked and dialating already - they did an ultrasound and found baby to be breech. She went in Thursday morning to try and have baby turned - they put her on a monitor and found out she was in labor - dialated to 3-4 already - tried 45 minutes to turn baby and couldn't - checked her again and was at a 5 - didn't want baby to go down in birth canal - so did an emergency c-section and Baby arrived early by noon on Thursday!

This is on our way home from state basketball in Des Moines - we went straight to Orange City to meet Kaylee for the first time - she is ADORABLE of course and so sweet and small - she was 6lb.3oz. and around 19 inches long.

Jamie was too excited to - Amanda and baby are doing very well - and they went home on Saturday already - and we went shopping for baby in Des Moines and got her a swimsuit and sunglasses so she will be ready for the beach this summer.

Marcus is loving this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember that Marcus won this gun last year at the Sportsman's banquet in Sioux Center!!
It was a 12 gauge over-under!

Well, here he is again this year from Sportsman's banquet in Sioux Center - this year he won a Marlin 22 lever action rifle. His father and him just picked it up tonight and he is all smiles!!

Dad gives him money to buy tickets and dad buys his own tickets - Marcus tickets win - dad's don't. I told Mike that Marcus is going to want to go every year if this keeps up and so would I - pretty cool deal and lots of smiles too!! Fun time was had by all!

Dance like you do when nobody's watching!

This is an e-mail I just got - thought it was pretty neat - hope you enjoy!!

Five (5) lessons about the way we treat people

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my second month of college, our professorGave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student
And had breezed through the questions until I readThe last one:"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the Cleaning woman several times. She was tall,Dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question Blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if The last question would count toward our quiz grade."Absolutely, " said the professor. "In your careers,You will meet many people. All are significant. They Deserve your attention and care, even if all you do Is smile and say "hello."I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her Name was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain
One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American Woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway Trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had Broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.A young white man stopped to help her, generally Unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man Took her to safety, helped her get assistance and Put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his Address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a Knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a Giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A Special note was attached. It read:"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway The other night. The rain drenched not only my Clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying Husband's' bedside just before he passed away... God Bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving Others."Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those Who serve.
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, A 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and Sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in Front of him."How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress.The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and Studied the coins in it."Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the Waitress was growing impatient."Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins ."I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on The table and walked away The boy finished the iceCream, paid the cashier and left.. When the waitress Came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the Table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish,Were two nickels and five pennies..You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had To have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a Roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if Anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of theKing's' wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by And simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did Anything about getting the stone out of the way.Then a peasant came along carrying a load of Vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticeda purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".Being young, the little boy had misunderstood thedoctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.


Most importantly.... "Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching."