The Muench Bunch

Paula and Jess have been two of my best friends ever. We go back to elementary school with memories of childhood memories, playing on the farm, riding bikes, riding horses, Sunday school, conformation, ballet, 4-H, and many other good times. We have stayed friends through high school even when we had different crowds of friends. Through college and now motherhood. Even though we don't talk frequently, we try to get together once a year and catch up. We are all in what seems the busiest times of our lives with young children involved in so many activities. It is fun to get together and share stories, advice, and laughter. This weekend we met in Des Moines and stayed at Jess's sisters apartment. We had lunch, went to the mall and got our nails done. We went to a truck food fest in downtown. They had an array of food truck vendors and a crowd that was almost more than the area could handle. Being in that kind of crowd made me so uncomfortable! Not the number of people, but the typ

Daisy has been so good with the new puppy. She is like a grandmother, so gentle, yet plays. She doesn't growl or get mean. The puppy is all play. Everyone is enjoying him, even if he unties my shoelaces constantly.   Today we took Daisy in for a body trim. She jumped in the car as soon as she saw her blanket on the seat. She was so excited to go somewhere. I had all the kids with me and even cousin Rylie.  We dropped her off at 10Am and she was not finished until 3:00. I took the boys to swimming lessons. Because swimming is over the noon hour, it always makes lunch complicated and early. We had lunch and went to a park to kill some time. Daisy had quite a time and now looks like a very different dog. Hopefully this will keep her nice and cool during the hot summer days. One last stop on the way home for tropical snow cones!

To end the homeschool year, the Ogden homeschool program had a fun day planned at a camp in Boone. The kids and I had a picnic lunch, saw a demonstration on dutch oven cooking and enjoyed a dessert. Then the kids got to participate in wall climbing. At first Luke wasn’t sure, but he ended up trying it 4 times. What a cool experience!

May 25 Memorial Day weekend was Tuff N Nuff rodeo in Dayton. There was a rodeo Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We went Saturday and Monday. Someone took some awesome shots and posted them on facebook for us. Very cool. On Monday Jayden's friend Makenna decided to start running the rodeo series too.  She had her boyfriend along too. The two of them are attached at the hip. I don't like to see girls act like they are married to their boyfriend at such a young age. I feel bad for Jayden as once again, she is the third wheel. I wish Jayden could just enjoy having a good friend. It doesn't bother her like it does me, she has a good attitude about everything. The ground was pretty wet and sloppy from recent rain. Jadyen ran Tex and he runs so fast to that first barrel that he doesnt rate and makes a wide turn. He still did well and placed. Later Alex S. rode a bull. This was only his second time riding and he rode so well. He did an amazing job hanging on with each buck and twis

It was a rainy Sunday morning. After church and some lunch, we went to pick up Jayden's new little puppy. She has been searching for just the right pup since the beginning of the year. She came across a blue heeeler, Austraillian shepherd mini mix. I have tried to encourage the retrievers, but she had other ideas. I hope this breed is not going to be a problem.  It is her pup and she is paying for it, caring for it, and training it. She picked, in my opinion, the cutest pup of the bunch. Her pup is a little merle male with red and brown spots. I think he looks like a chocolate chip cookie and we should call him Chip. He rode home in Jayden's lap and the boys could not keep their hands off. He is only 6 weeks old and awful cute!!

Thursday we completed our last dayof school!! Wahoo it felt good to  finish  a school year.In the evening we had a 4H horse project meeting. Jayden has to take her horse to so many meetings in order to participate in the fair. The early years were needed and fun, now we basically get her attendance points. Friday the kids had Grandparent day( And Aunt) for school. At the end of the year I like the kids to have a little show and tell of what they have done during the school year. Jayden and Jacob made French Dip sandwhiches and all kinds of sides. We also got a Dairy Queen ice cream cake requested by Jacob.  Mark came in from the field to have lunch with us too. Luke still has school until Tuesday the 26th. This will be his last day of school as a first grader and a public school student. Next year he will be home with us!

Ephesians 6:10 Be Strong in the Lord and Mighty in His power. I love that the end of Jacob's science chapter for the year talked about living for God and not for Man. It talked about satan tempting and how to protect yourself. As we talked about each piece of armor and what it represents, I had Jacob draw them. He did an amazing job. What a great visual and place to end the year. Ephesians 6:11 Put on the Full armor of God, so that you can take a stand against the devil's schemes. Belt of truth Breastplate of Righteousness Feet fitted with readiness of peace Shield of faith- extinguishing devils arrows Helmet of salvation Sword of the spirit the word of God

This week started with cool weather  on Monday,  2 Days ago it was 80 and humid and I had the air condition on. Today it is very windy and 46 degrees when I sent Luke off to school. It is cooling off in the house and I will probably have to turn the heat back on. It has been warm up and cool down weather all April and May.   I get tired of my complaints about horses. I also get tired of our numerous disappointments they bring us. We brought home two horses from the Minnesota horse sale. Jayden and I have been riding them to see what they will be like for the boys. The roan has a lot of spunk and is not for a beginner rider. The sorrel horse seems quiet and good temepered. He is thin and I recently noticed globs of snot in his water bucket. That worried me enough that in the night I woke from my sleep and could not stop thinking about it. I called the vet and she diagnosed the horse with Strangles. Thud, my stomach dropped as my fears had come true. This is a nasty contagious horse s

When Jacob was in 3rd grade, his school teacher lined up a mentor for Jacob that likes to draw. She told me that Nathan was one of her former students and reminded her so much of Jacob. Jacob was always drawing on his papers and not staying on task. Having Nate come draw with him gave him an incentive to get his work done. He enjoyed his time with Nate drawing pictures with him that year. Around December, this year, I contacted Nate and asked if he would be interested in drawing with Jake once again. And so it began that once a week or so, I take Jake to the Dayton library where he and Nate drew for an hour. Jacob really enjoys his time talking makes and models and drawing with Nate. I can tell Nate is enjoying it just as much as Jake. They entertain one another. They go back and forth about Pacer's. Recently, Nate showed Jake his shop and what he is currently working on, He restores vehicles, adds a different body or engine. I am glad that Jake has the opportunity to draw with som

It has been a long time since I sat the kids down and divided up their money. They have been earning a lot of money lately for different things. Jacob gets paid to pick rocks, mow for us and Grandparents, and wash vehicles inside and out. Jayden picks rocks, babysits, helps Grandma with household chores, and cleans at the shop. Luke picks rocks and helps with small chores where he can. Grandpa Po paid REALLY well for rock picking this year. I had the kids sit down and count their own money they have stashed in their rooms. We took 10% and put it in an envelope labeled “Give” for the church. The rest they put in envelopes labeled “Save” and “Spend”. Of their 10% ,Jayden had $75 in her give, Jacob had $32, and Luke $9. I am so proud of my kids for working hard and giving some of their money to bless others. Jacob wants to put all the rest in the bank and open a checking account.

 The week started with an Ogden homeschool Food Fest. All the homeschool families that wanted to participate had to pick a country to display and make a food from that country. We could not decide on a country so the kids and I each put in 3 counrty choices and voted. We pulled the country Chile out of a hat. We looked up desserts on the internet and found Empanadas. They are a pastry type treat. You fill a dough with jelly and bake it and coat in cinnamon and sugar. We made a display with some interesting facts. Chile is 80%  mountains , spanish speaking, has a woman president, location of the Easter Island, and a month ago had a massive volcano erupt. It was fun for the kids and I to learn of the country. I had all 3 kids get in on making the Empanadas. At the Ogden school there was only 4 families that participated. It was cute and simple and fun. We got to taste different snacks and even had a homemade piñata. Mark and his parents came also.