2016 Christmas Letter

Hello from the Dykstra Family!

What a crazy year 2016 has been for us! Gilbert has been beekeeping, and he added onto his shed (with the boys' help). Gilbert and Donna planted, watered, tended, and harvested our garden. Donna and Rebecca went to a camp called Joni and Friends where they assisted families of disabled children. Rebecca got married! (Some said it would never happen, but I guess she proved them wrong!) Joseph is working as a computer programmer. Levi is working for a landscaper, and is in college for horticulture. Daniel is working for David who is a general contractor, and is in college to become an electrician. Nathanael is still being homeschooled.

In January, Jordon and Jessica had their 4th child, Isabella Cave.

In February, Micah Swab's courtship with Rebecca was announced. (For the uninitiated, courting is like dating, but with Gilbert and Donna being more involved, which they quite liked!) Micah asked for Gilbert and Donna's permission to court Rebecca several months prior. A few of the kids had suspicions that Micah was starting a courtship. We were all elated to have his suitorship confirmed.

March marked Gilbert and Donna's 31st Anniversary. They left the kids at the house (scary!) and went to a Bed & Breakfast near Plattsmouth, Nebraska.

May was a busy month! Levi graduated from High School, so we hosted a graduation party which featured volleyball and delicious beverages. Unfortunately Levi may have had a little too much of both, because about a week later, he was admitted to the hospital and had his appendix removed. Gilbert and Donna drove Daniel and Nathanael to the Lego Razorback competition in Arkansas where they competed with their FLL team. Jordon and Jessica moved to Glenwood, Iowa after Jordon accepted a job in Clarinda, Iowa. Seth and Laura moved from their apartment into a house, also in May.

Early in July, Micah proposed to Rebecca. She said yes, of course, and so we ate ice cream and watched the hidden-camera footage of the proposal. It was adorable! Later in July, we had a family from church camp in our back-yard. They had to move due to their husband's military job, and providentially their house sold more quickly than they expected. They were awesome guests, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together! A fringe benefit for us was, they took care of the house and dog chores while we went on vacation. In mid-July, we left on vacation to Alberta, Canada. We wanted one last family vacation before Rebecca left. We saw all kinds of wildlife and majestic landscapes.

In August, David and Ruth had their 3rd child, Jochebed Dykstra.

Late in October, our brave back-yard campers left for the outpost where they were stationed. It was sad to see them go.

Micah and Rebecca's wedding was in December. They were married in the oldest church in Nebraska. They will return from their honeymoon a few days after Christmas.

We hope you all had an awesome year too!

Love, The Dykstra Family