Dietikers cherish each day with grandkids

By: 
Hannah Gray
Express Intern

     Grandparents Day is just around the corner (Sept. 9) and Connie and Dan Dietiker of Monticello are proud to be a part of a family consisting of three of their own grandchildren.

     The Dietikers have two grandsons, Camden, 3, and Coleson, nearly 1, who are the sons of Cassie, their middle child, and one granddaughter, Nora, 3, the daughter of McKenzie, who is the youngest of the Dietiker family. Connie and Dan also have a son, Zach.

     They said they were both very excited when they learned they were going to be grandparents for the first time.

     Cassie had planned a Christmas surprise for her parents to tell them she was pregnant with her first grandchild, Camden. However, the secret was accidently revealed to Connie ahead of time when they met each other at the hospital one morning when Cassie was going in for an ultrasound and Connie just got off work.

     “I found out about three weeks before Christmas, so I had to keep the secret,” Connie shared, “but they put blue balloons in a box for the reveal and gave me and Dan a picture of Santa holding the ultrasound.”

     Since the days each of their grandchildren were born, the Dietikers have always offered a helping hand to their daughters. From making meals and babysitting, they are happy to lend their time.

     “I just want them to know we’re here to help when they need it,” Connie said.

     The Dietikers are pretty traditional when it comes to spending holidays with their family. They enjoy doing Easter egg hunts, dying eggs, decorating cookies, sleigh riding and other fun holiday activities.

     Sunday get-togethers and visiting family are also traditions the Dietikers cherish.

     Connie also mentioned the kids refer to her as “grammy,” while their great-grandma is “grandma” so it’s easier to decipher which one they’re talking to.

     Dan has a love for the outdoors and sharing it with his grandkids is very important to him. He takes them fishing and boating and is excited for the day the kids are old enough to go hunting with him.    

     The three kids especially love to ride on the Dietikers’ golf cart and look forward to the spring when they can get it back out for them to ride again.

     Dan and Connie treasure their grandchildren and the time they get to spend with them, reading books, giving baths, and playing around the house.

     They agreed that as parents a lot of time was put into working and trying to make a living, but as grandparents they can relax more and make time to absorb moments with their family.

     “We just take time to spend with the grandkids,” Dan commented.

     They hope to teach their grandkids the importance of family and to always remember where their roots are from.

     “No matter how bad things get in life, they can always come home to us, we’re always here,” Connie shared.

     Together they have many memories from taking trips to Adventureland and the zoo to singing and fishing.

     The Dietikers say the grandkids always want to learn and take in everything that goes on around them.

     “Life would be boring without them,” Connie said.

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