The Muench Bunch

After church on Sundays each family member gets a turn to pick where we eat our lunch. Today was moms turn and I chose Old Chicago pizza. I have grown to love the place. Back at home we saddled up the horses for a nice sunshiney day of riding in the arena.  We did some barrels, poles, and roping. Later, Jake rode Tex by himself and went on a ride to the old dog house place together. It is neat to see Jake getting used to riding more. It is not his favorite thing, but at least he is willing.

 Harvest is still going strong day in and day out. Mark fields averaged 160 bushel. They have been going hard without a break. Most falls there are rain days that vie them a break in the action.  Everything is so dry and dirty. I am running meals out to the field daily. We have Mike, Cory, Linde, Mark, Orrie, and Tony helping. That makes for a lot of hungry men to feed and a lot of food to prepare. These photos were taken by Mike from his cell phone. 

Our kids have fallen in love with a little orphan kitten we saved. Little miss Princess has become our inside outside kitten. She is so sweet and has the sweetest meow. The kids bring her in the house in the mornings and right after they get home from school. They like to watch her play with toys and chase things around. She is so cautious not to use her claws or bite you. She likes to take long naps in the house and the kids sit her on their lap while watching tv. Jayden made an entire cat home out of boxes for her. She is a pretty nice cat and i wouldn't mind having her a full time house kitty if we can just convince Daddy.

Today was Luke’ s pre-school field trip to the apple orchard. We went to Ft. Dodge where they have an apple orchard, pumpkin patch, and all new play area. It was a chilly morning starting out in jackets. First we got a tour of the apple cooler, cider and juice maker, sorting machine, apple slicer peeler, and pie making center. Luke was very attentive paying attention to every detail. Next we got on board the pumpkin cruiser and each kid got to pick out their very own pumpkin. It was a fun day for Luke and I. On the bus ride home Aleah sat with us and they made plans for her to come to our house soon.

 I had several appointments scheduled, started with dermatology, trying to get rid of my 37 year old acne. Next I had my hair colored which takes a little over 2 hours and is around $100. What we women go through to look good. I grabbed some lunch with very little time to spare. I had a dentist appointment in Boone at 1. I went to my favorite restaurant “Noodles and Company” because I love all pasta. I ordered some dish tomato basil something … and ordered it to go so I could eat it on the way to Boone. While driving I opened my container to find soup. " Soup! I don’t even like soup! Ugh!" I was so hungry  my stomach hurt  and I had to eat. I am the kind of person that can never miss a meal and I have to eat on time or I feel sick. My next problem, soup was too hot and extremely hard to eat in the car. My solution, add ice from my pop and drink it with a straw. I do not advise this to anyone, but in a desperate situation it did work.  My dentist appointment was rather depre

This morning before school Jayden got all dressed up in her new outfit. I fixed her hair by giving her some soft curls. She looked very pretty.  She wore a darling dress style top with little leggings and finished the look with tall gray boots. The girls are to dress up on game days.  I couldn’t help but think of all the girls today that are wearing the short short short dresses. It makes me sad that they think they need to wear such clothes to look and feel pretty. There are so many 12 and 13 year olds wearing these tiny skirts, I just don't understand. The parents are the ones to teach them modesty or else they will never know any different.

Productive day… Luke spent the night at my parents, the others were in school. I scrubbed my kitchen floor, on hands and knees. I cooked tomatoes and made homemade salsa. The sun was shinning and warm, so I took a nice ride in the field and ran a few barrels on Traveler. I made lunch and took it to the field and did all of this before noon. Next I cleaned Dakota's messy stall, fed her and headed to Dayton to pick up Jake and head to Blairsburg for Jayden’s volleyball game at 4. It was the first time in 19 years that I have been back inside my old high school gym. Carina and Alivia gave us a tour of the new elementary. Wow, it has really changed. The high school just combined with Webster City and the elementary size classes are really falling.I am not sure how they will keep it going.  The school brought back a lot of memories and it was neat to see old teachers still there, Mrs. Greenfield-band teacher, Mr. Meyer-math teacher, Mrs-Smith 5th grade teacher and volleyball coach who

 Jayden’s volleyball game was at the Praire Valley elementary which I discovered is in the middle of nowhere! It is a long ways north and west of Gowrie, we arrived with 5 minutes to spare and Mawgee went with and was nervous we wouldn’t make it on time. I always plan my time down to the last minute. i don't like to be late for things, but I also don't like to be early. I like a 5 minute window either way. The game was 2 wins 2 loses. Mawgee took Luke home for the night. He begged her for a donut. He has been asking for a donut for about a month every time we pass a Casey’s. Mawgee got him his donut and she said he was the happiest boy ever. 

 The boys went with Dad to church and had a nice day with Dad out for lunch and just relaxing at home. Jayden and I had a youth rodeo in Dayton and her last serpentine performance. We got ourselves up bright and early horses loaded and on the road so we could make it to Cowboy church at Dayton 8AM.  When we unloaded the trailer there was white frost on the grass. Jayden and I had warm coats and gloves on, it was in the 30’s and slowly climbing. Serpentine was first and that went well.  From there it was not a good day of competition. Jayden had been practicing the last 2 weeks on Tex. She rode yesterday and was feeling very confident. During barrels he dodged the second barrel and got a no time. On to flags he darted in on her in the flags too and got another no time. She was getting frustrated with him and decided to do poles with Jessie. It started out looking really good, but once she gets off in her timing, she knocks and she knocked two poles- no time. . Last was goats and was e

This week seemed extra busy with running and going places all week and they days seem a blur.  I have been helping with the computers at the shop. It is never simple when it comes to computers and I seem to spend most of my time on hold with some customer support tech agent.  The guys have been going hard in the field. and quit around 8PM.  Jayden had volleyball games Tues and Wed after school. Jayden had her friend Cheyenne over Tues and Wed.  Thursday was bible study day and supposed to be grocery shopping day. I left my purse at home and had just enough cash to buy gas so I could make it home. Carolyn invited me out to lunch and so kindly paid for it because I had no money. I felt like a real heel!  Vet Jessica came to look at our high maintenance heaving pony Dakota. She now will be on special expensive senior feed, more steroids for breathing, and I will have to water her hay down every feeding...fun. I took suppers to the field and squeezed in a devotion night with the kid

Today was a day off from school, so we planned a fun day of it.  Jayden had Cheyenne spend the night and brought her horse. Today they went to the arena for barrel and goat tying lessons. Back here they rode in the arena ran barrels and poles and just had fun together. They watched some heartland horse shows. The boys spent the day in the field riding in semi, grain cart, and combine. Rylie was in the field too and Luke wouldn't leave his side. he wanted to do everything with Rylie. Eventually the boys all ended up here to play.   I made supper, the kids all ate, then Mark took the meals to the field for me so I could take Cheyenne and her horse home and get our kids showered and to bed for school in the morning. It was a fun day and it went fast. 

 Travler was lame so we put him in the stall for 3 days. Dakota has been breathing so poorly and losing weight we put her in a stall. After buying loads of saw dust and grain, feeding them, cleaning stalls, and giving medicine, I am realizing how high maintenance they are becoming. . Jayden helps when she can but with volleyball, that isn't too often. Jayden had a home volleyball game and the girls did really well. The are improving more all the time. Right from volleyball, we loaded the horse and headed to serpentine practice. My mom and Aunt Alice were here for the game and Alice watched serpentine while mom stayed with the boys.

Mark was up in the early hours of the morning with the grain dryer technician. The boys spent the night and couldn't wait to get to the field. We don't normally work on Sundays, but with the dryer problems and moving corn, Mark decided to keep going in the field. Mark finally got his dryer working in the middle of the day.  Since we were not going to church, Jayden and I decided we would go to the team penning in Dayton. We had a good time, I rode Tex, she rode Jessie.  There was a small rough crowd. None of Jayden's friend s and no kids, but she did great and had a good time. We were both on a few teams and did the draw pot where you are paired up with someone. She won the draw pot with a high school boy for her partner. Jayden had a slight advantage due to her aggressive horse. Jayden would ride up behind a steer that she was after and Jessie would bite it on the rump. It was the funniest coolest thing. The steers were getting harder and slower to move. Her horse helped

It was a lovely fall day, the men were in the field harvesting and I took the kids to my parents for the day. They got to ride with peepaw while combing beans. We are now in our third year of all corn, so it is a big deal for them to see the beans being combined. We saw Alivia and each kid picked a pumpkin or gourd from Carina's pumpkin patch. We saw Wade & Carina's new house addition that is coming along fast. On our way home we stopped to see Auntie Alice. It was a nice day with family. Back at home the kids were anxious to get in the field and ride. We didn't get back until 7:30 and it was getting dark. They boys ended up staying  all night at Grammer and Po's. Mark stayed up for his grain dryer technician to arrive in from Indiana. This grain dryer has been such a headache for everyone.

Jake came home from school with some good news, he won his homecoming poster contest. He was very excited. The night before he was all worried bout it at bedtime. They chose one kid from each grade in elementary. They announced the winners and awarded them at a pep assembly. They displayed the posters in the high school for the week and had them on display at the homecoming game. Jacob told me he wanted to win so his older cousins and Jayden would get to see his poster at their school. He was very excited about his work. He drew a station wagon pulling a hay rack with cheer leaders and football players along with the Eagles fireworks and lots of details. The grain dryer has not been working and Mark has been working endlessly problem solving. It has stopped harvest until we get it running.

We are no longer doing AWANA, the church quit offering the program. Cornerstone also quit their youth program, so we decided to turn our Wednesday evenings into Devo night. I started with the “fruits of the spirit.”  Tonight we talked about love, watched a DVD with the fruit of the spirit songs, and made get well cards for Ila. She is a lady from the Stratford church that is so kind and adores the kids. We send her photos of the kids a few times a year and she loves it. She was recently in the hospital.

9/11will always be a day I will recall where I was, what I was doing, and how I felt watching the live covereage.  I felt very emotional this year when I watched the live recap from 9/11. I had never seen the live coverage since the actaul day.  It made me feel sick to my stomach and very sad.  Oh the meals begin, took Mark lunch, fixed supper, ran to get Jayden from volleyball, delieverd 4 meals to field, came home fixed dinner for the kids and I. This is pretty much how life will be for the next month. Mark’s first field of corn is yielding about 120% and 23% moisture. The yields are expected to be very low this year from the drought, and yet better than anticipated. 

Jake  went with Karen after school and to the field. My mom, Luke and I went to Jayden’s  Volleyball game in Coon Rapids.  They played 4 games all losses. They were not having a good serving night and that really hurt them.  Still enjoy watching them learn.

 Mark and Jake started a new group for kids 3 rd thru 5 th grade at our church. They meet between services and have a bible study. I think it is great for the two of them in so many ways. After church, we rode in the arena. Jayden and I set up the barrels and the poles. We rode Tex and Jessie and switched. Mark rode Traveler. Mark is getting used to riding more all the time, taking it slow as his hernias heal.  Mark and I roped the hot heels a dozen times. The boys, they were happy to play in the dirt. 

 We started the morning taking the kids to the shop office and working on computers. Mark seems to think I am good with computers and all the technical stuff. Computer servers make things much more complicated. In the afternoon we dropped the boys off at the Ferrari’s for a few hours to play. We asked if they could hang out there for awhile, it has been over a year since they have been to their house, so the boys were thrilled.  Jayden, Mark, and I went up the road to the Anderlik timber are and went trail riding. We even rode out on the sand bar and ran our horses along the"beach". It was the perfect fall day, warm and sunny. 

In the wee hours of the night around 1:30 AM, all three kids had ventured into our room to sleep. It was really thundering and crackling loud. After awhile we heard the hail slowly turn into loud pounding hail. I had recently started watching old episodes of "Little House on The Prairie  with the boys-they really enjoy them. We just watched one recently about Pa losing his entire wheat crop to hail. So, the boys knew what hail meant and that was all I could think about was our corn. We have had a dry drought all summer and now hail. The hail pounded and we turned the deck light on and watched it pound down. The hail was larger than a quarter and steadily came down for a few minutes. I had never seen hail like that before. Surprisingly enough our carn was not damaged, praise the Lord.

 After school Jayden had her first volleyball game. Our whole family was there to cheer her on. Even though there are some farmers starting in the field, Mark is waiting for his corn to dry some more. The volleyball game was in Madrid. The girls did pretty good for only having 2 weeks of practice.  I was glad Jayden's team had uniforms with long shorts. There are so many teams that wear the tiny, just barely covers your butt cheeks, spandex shorts because that is the trend for volleyball. I really don't thin kits necessary or appropriate. Jayden played good, she had good bumps, good serves and the team won 3 of 4. It was fun to watch her and her team. I haven't watched a volleyball game in ages. Things have changed a lot in how they score and play. 

 Jayden got to be in the Dayton Labor day parade as a flag carrier. She has wanted to ride a horse in the parade ever since she was a little girl. Tex still looked clean and his mane was still banded so we just had to add some glitter to him and he was all set.  The grandparents, Mark, and the boys all came to watch the parade too. There were a lot of horses in the parade. Jayden carried a flag and rode with the wranglers members. After a quick lunch at the Danielsons, it was rodeo time again. Jayden carried the sponsor flag in the rodeo after calf roping and this time made a nice perfect fast circle. She had a fun weekend being part of the big rodeo. Jake’s feeling so much better, we plan on sending him to school tomorrow. He finished a lot of homework that was sent home for him, but he has a lot of tests to catch up on. He bounced back pretty fast with his medicine.