The Muench Bunch

 The Buhr’s without the girls, came to our house for a New year’s Eve party. I wish I had taken a photo of our spread of food because we had a lot of yummy snacks, shrimp, lil smokies, sausage and cheese, chips and salsa, cheesey prok dip, jello fluff, and lots more. They arrived at 7 and we went right to eating and visiting. The kids headed downstairs for lots of play. The nerf toys were the biggest hit, the bow and arrows, and guns. Later we played a game of Pictionary. This game goes back to the 90’s and it was a lot of fun. At 10:00 we started a movie that Mark and Dan have been wanting to see. We missed it in  theaters  and so we watched it tonight. I could only watch about 10 minutes and I knew it was not a movie for me. I can only handle bad language for so long and the gruesome violence was more than I could take. The movie was “Fury” a war movie. I started a “Home Alone” movie in the basement with the kids. Jayden spent a lot of time working on her bedazzled horse halters, si

 The month of December has been relatively mild, only a few skiffs of snow, temperatures staying above 30. Today we got a blast of  cold and woke up to -12. BRRR it is so cold out.  The boys have been spening the night at grandparents. They take  turns  by  themselves  at each grandparents. They haven’t been home much and the little the they are together they pester one another and bicker a lot.  Jossie and Jaynie rode horses with Jayden.Jossie had not riddenin years and was full of funny questions. She was so afraid she would not be able to balance and use her legs properly.   We had Jaynie and Rylie spend the night one night. They had a lot of fun playing and being creative. The even had there own version of nerf gun war capture the flag, the flag was a smurf.  Jayden too has been on the go. She had a youth group sleep over at her leaders home with about 6 other girls. Then she went to Makenna’s birthday where they went out to dinner in Des Moines and she spent the night. They can’

Christmas morning Mark was up first and made himself a coffee around 7:30. It didn’t take long for the kids to hear and wake. Jake was last out of bed. We all entered the living room together and the kids were all smiles when they saw the tree. I heard, "cool and just what I wanted." Santa brought a new saddle for Jayden that she had picked out. A record player for Jacob, and a New Holland planter set for Luke. Santa did well. From stockings to gifts, the next hour we took our  turn  opening gifts. I tried to keep gifts in this order, something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. I thought that was a wonderful way to keep it in perspective. The last was a big one they all got together, a chicken coop. I guess we will be  raising  chickens and laying some eggs. I felt spoiled with my gifts. Mark picked me out a top, earrings, and  turquoise  necklace. Jayden made me a cute spa bucket full of goodies she hand picked. I also got a western

Christmas Eve we drove to my parents to start the day in celebration of Christmas. along with Alice and Wade’s family. We started with lunch and goodies. Not long after, we started in on gift opening. There was quite the array of gifts. The kids got so many things I can’t tell them all. Jake got a BB gun. Jayden got her new bath robe, and Luke got a bow and arrow nerf set. Everyone got a lot of nice things. Later the kids played down in the cold basement. The doors to the basement are like saloon doors, so naturally they were playing saloon with a restaurant inside.  At 5:00 we headed into town for the candle light church service. After that we went back to Aunt Alice’s for a soup dinner. It was nice to have her back this year at Christmas, it has been a really long time. We had a nice meal together, then she had more gifts for us. The boys got what I call wolf fur pillows and Jayden and Alivia got super soft sleeping bags. They rolled around in their new stuff. Last, Grandpa sat wi

Christmas vacation  officially  began with an early out from school. Once Luke was off the bus at 1:30, we were on the  road  headed to Williams. The kids had a sleepover with Auntie Alice. I think she was just as excited as they were. She had been planning the evening out and Alivia was there too. She made ebelskivers and  Swedish  pancakes for the kids for supper. Luke loved his meal! They played games and watched movies. We were all worried that Alivia would stay up all night. The night before she had a sleepover and didn’t sleep a wink and today she slept the entire day until she got to Alice’s. It sounded like all the kids hit the pillow around 11PM and were pretty sound sleepers. I think the kids had a great time and made special memory with their great Auntie Alice. 

 Jayden came up with the idea to make fleece blankets for Christmas gifts. She decided to make them for Aunt Carina, Great Aunt Alice, Grammer, and Mawgee. She picked out fabric for each person and went to work. Instead of the popular tie blanket, she sewed her blankets with the sewing machine and cut strips. She did it all by herself. They turned out great and she wrapped them in gift bags for Christmas and couldn't wait to give them. She is so creative and always amazes me. Not only is she talented, but also very thoughtful.

Our 2014 Christmas Photos, I am BLESSED!

Jayden has been making candy and cookies non stop for the past 3 days. She has really gotten into our tradition of making Christmas goodies. I think this year we got a little carried away. We took our goodies to several  neighbors . We met new neighbors that live where Artis and Bob Bakley lived, just southwest of us. They have 5 kids that have been homeschooled until recent. They have tons of horses and ride.  Hopefully we will get to know them. I regret not taking a  photo  of our goodie assortment, but here is a list of some of the goodies: frosted cookies, gingerbread cookies, rolo pretzel bites, almond bark pretzels, peanut clusters, fudge, peanut butter cups. 

I take an annual phot of the boys wearing Mark's shirt and tie. This is the 2014 photo.

We wrapped up our homeschool semester. Wow, it really flew by for me. Jacob read Shiloh and The Cricket in Times Square and did all his language lessons through their study guides. He learned about all kinds of topics from mammals, fish, to metals and rocks in Science. He is working on long division and multiplication. He learned about Indians, Gladys Alward, and Eric Lidell. He is reviewing states and capitals. He also did cursive, typing, and a bit of Spanish. Whew, that really sounds like a lot. Jayden has read The Swiss Family Robinson’s and The Giver along with Language lessons. She is doing Biology and finds it  challenging and it is . Learning about Protista was not a fun chapter.  Her book reminds me of my college Biology book. She just finished learning all about the cell in great depth. She is doing Algebra and works through the tough stuff. She is reading and studying about missionaries in different countries along with US history. The story of Gladys Alward we very interes

Tonight was Luke’s Christmas program, this year held it in the Burnside gym. The parking was awful, many lined the highway ditches. The gym was packed bleachers and floor. These are all just  Southeast Webster Grand elementary kids and parents. I cannot imagine if Praire Valley kids were combined. When you see all those kids up on that stage, it sure doesn't seem like the numbers are dwindling. The program was a play and concert. The same skit was put on when Jayden and Jacob were little. I think the music teacher does it every 4 years. Luke and the first grade boys dressed in construction outfit. The program was cute and the kids were entertaining. Luke was so proud of his concert and had been talking about it for weeks. Both Grandparents came to watch too. Dad has been getting around more all the time. He lost a lot of weight and still gets tired easily. It is just good to see him feeling better and with a smile.

My bible study has finished and tonight was Jayden's last Escape group, I decided to tag along with Luke during AWANA. He ran some relay races during game time, sang songs for Jesus' birthday and even got a cupcake. The kids K-2 each held a cupcake with a candle and sang in the dark. That was a little scary.  He did his verses and finished his book. There are 3 books for each year, K-2. Luke is in book 1 because it is his first year and we worked hard to get him through it so he could start on the first grade book. He did great with his memorization and can recite a lot of the verses he learned this year. He can recite the books of the New Testament. He has some nice jewels on his vest too. He is not only learning and memorizing verses, but he learning God's word and what they mean. These truths hopefully will stay in his heart forever.  .

 After all these years, Daisy finally got her own dog house. We have had a couple different ones that she would not go in. She always has wanted to be as close to the house as possible and sleeps curled up under our front door. A few years ago I got her a dog pad that she sleeps on by the front door. She sleeps there year round and in the garage when it gets frigid. With the frigid days in November, I wanted to get her a dog house. The boys gladly helped assemble it. Jake was excited to have a job and did most of it. Once her house was ready, we put it close to the front door and put her pad inside. it took three nights of sleeping on the cold pavement in front of the house before she finally curled up inside her new home.  Jayden started on her baking cookies and candies. We bought lots of supplies for baking and she has been anxious to get started. This year the boys did not want to help, so it was all Jadyen and some help from mom.

Stratford had a community Live Nativity at the three churches in town.My parents came down to it also. Some of it was outside with a live Nativity and  we walked to one church.  The final church as the Baptist church. Luke has been attending church with Karen and Orrie lately and has been practicing with the Sunday School classes. He has been enjoying Sunday School with the Paulson kids, especailly the girls. He sang with the girls, along with Olivia and the Bauer boys.   Orrie was one of the Three Wisemen in the story. I thought it was very well done.  There was an array of cookies to enjoy at the end. Mark has been doing well, he walked with crutches, but really didn’t need them much. He went to church in the morning and tonight he rested. He still gets pretty worn out.