The Muench Bunch

12/31/16 Our good friends the Buhr’s joined us for New Years Eve in Des Moines. It turned out to be a blessing for them to get away from home after all their family extended family drama.  For their stay, they only had baby Abby and Lizzy with them. We started out with a few hours at the mall, then met Buhr’s at PF Chang’s Chinese restaurant. We had an hour wait to be seated and ended up spending 3 hours there total.  Abigail slept the whole time. She had on the most adorable oufit down to red patten shoes. That little darling is going to be the most well dressed little girl. Eating out took most of our evening and made the rest of the night go too fast. Back at the hotel the kids had an hour in the pool. After clean up we sat and snacked until the ball dropped or the star rose and we rolled in the New Year at 11 and 12. 2015 was a good year, many happenings, and memories. 2016 A new year, what will it bring?

Jayden is a hard worker. There is not a lazy bone in her. She may get tired at times and likes very much to sleep in if ever she could. She is all about horses. She is constantly learning all she can about horses and barrel racing. She spends many hours with her horses riding and caring for them. She does horse chores morning and night. She is always willing to help when asked by her Grandma or Dad to do about anything. She is a good student, works hard on her subjects and keeps working at it until she figures it out (Chemistry and Algebra). She has her licence and is a good driver. She enjoys hanging out with her friends and has avoided boys. She is on social media and has her phone at all times. She is crazy about her new pup named Tuff. She has trained him herself likes to take him places. Jayden is smart, responsible, kind, and beautiful inside and out.

Jake is my thinker. He is always trying to figure out what year a vehicle is or what make and model. He likes to know what the interior looks like. He likes to know details. He loves to draw anything with wheels. His drawings keep getting better and the details are outstanding. He is very talented. He also loves to drive anything that has wheels that he is allowed. From mowing to 4 wheeler, gator, tractor, truck, tahoe.... He loves a Pacer and will tell anyone and knows a lot of facts about them. He is a big eater and healthy eater. He would chose apples, popcorn, asparagas, cheese and cherry tomatoes over cookies and candies any day.He is a funny kid, but can be very serious too.

Just a few fun photos of Luke. He is always farming and takes it very serious. He is particular about his clothes and has to look the part. His favorite attire is cowboy shirts. He also has certain favorite hats, Chevy, Hooey, and John Deere being the top picks. He is a fun kiddo that makes you laugh and smile. When he gets angry and is in a mood, look out. He is a picky picky eater, but loves his sweets. He is bright, well spoken, and mature. He likes to read and do math. He can really carry on a conversation with another adult and sounds so grown up. He adores his Dad and Grandpa and loves to spend time with them.

Jayden went in for a job interview right before Christmas and she was instantly hired. She started training at her new job right before Christmas at Clark's grocery store in Ogden. I am nervous for her as her boss sounds strict and intimidating. She is feeling very overwhelmed because she has to know and do so much. We thought she might be stocking shelves and helping with little things. She will be the main checker, and when she is not busy, she has to stock shelves, clean, answer the phone. She also has to handle cigarettes, lottery tickets, and pop can redemption. I know she can handle it if anyone can. I think it is the ideal set up. She is close to home, can drive herself, she can work just a couple days a week and can have spending money. It gets her out of the house and will keep her from being bored and on her phone/computer at home. I hope it goes well and will last. Her first 2 weeks she had to work 4 days each in order to train. She is already getting the hand of it. I m

12/28/15 I stayed home and hibernated as it snowed and blowed outside. Cold blustery in the teens and snowstorm was the forecast. Mark had to take care of his cattle. The kids and I tried to get the house back to order. I worked all day and only made a dent in the mess. Jayden did a major clean of her room. We all have too much stuff!!  Today a train jumped the tracks in Ogden and tore up the new train crossing they have been working on all year. I was just telling Jayden a couple weeks ago how I don’t trust trains and I never get very close. If I am the first one at a train crossing I will park about 3 car lengths back, 2 car lengths from the white line where you are supposed to stop. I don’t like trains and for that very reason. It was at the exact crossing in Ogden that I told Jayden, this is as close as I get. 

Allie came back to see her new sister in October after her mom just had a baby girl. Allie wants to move back to Iowa. I worry about her mom taking advantage of her all over again. I do not think it is the best idea. Allie has gotten along so well once  her mom was  incarcerated  and far away. I don't know what will happen and pray for the best in her decisions. Allie moved back the week after Thanksgiving and had a job interview with a nursing home in Ft. Dodge. It took her a month to get the job, due to her past background check, relating to her mom's arrest. Also she had to take the physical twice. I was so worried she would not get the job. Thank fully, praise the Lord she has started a new job, is living in Harcourt with a cousin, and has started seeing a guy that has a good reputation. We are hopeful and praying for her. 

 I 12/26/15 Christmas is over and I look back over the past 48 hours and wonder just like the lyrics to the song”Where are you Christmas, why can’t I find you?” That song keeps playing in my head as I think about our Christmas’. The abundance of gifts have gotten out of control. The kids come to expect so many, everything they ask for and more. The gifts are the main focus of Christmas. How do we change it? Each year I try to buy less for our own kids and try to keep it simple. Try to focus more on giving and how we can give and serve in various ways like Operation Christmas Child, World Vision, and making baked goods for neighbors. Focusing on Christmas and how truly blessed we are and how Christ came to this earth for us is where we need the main focus.. But on that very special Christmas Eve and Christmas day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. "Where are you Christmas, why can’t I find you?" Rylie spent the night at our house. Today, thevboys played out in the snow

12/25/15 Christmas morning Mark and I were up at 7:30 and woke the kids by 8. I love that my kids have never been Christmas morning crazy waking up at wee hours in the morning. Outside the window, it was a winter wonderland outside with fluffy white snow everywhere. The kids waited in anticipation in the hallway so all 3 could enter together to see what Santa left under the tree. A splint boot bag full of horse supplies for Jayden, Star Wars Legos and a vintage camera for Jake, and a drone for Luke. Everyone was excited. We opened stockings, then gift after gift. Mark wanted to move things along because he had cows to feed and lots of snow to push. Jayden got the most special gift from her Dad, her calf roping sled, also fuzzy UGG style boots, a vest, clothes.   Jacob got his new .22 shotgun. He and Mark went to town the day before and picked it out together along with shells and a case.  Luke got a pair of Twisted X shoes, clothes, a punching bag, and some small toys. He was most ex

Christmas with the families on Mark's side has changed so much over the past 3 years. I have really noticed it this year. We went from little girls filled with the excitment of Christmas to teenagers. They would come dressed in some new outfit they got for Christmas and tell each other about their favorite gifts. Then they would go and plan together with props and outfits and put on a Christmas play. Now the girls are growing up and 5 of them are in college. The talk is all about boyfriends, weddings, college,and name brand clothing. The adults complain about how much our dinner costs, some cannot wait for the gifts, and some boast about getting exactly what they wanted for Chritsmas because they picked it out. This year for the gift exchange I got socks. Not really sure if it was meant to be a joke, cruel, or maybe they really truly thought I needed socks. It just doesn't feel like much thought goes into the gifts anymore. I gave a gift in honor of each family through World V

Christmas Eve morning was white from the day before. Today big fluffy snowflakes were starting to fall once again making everything so pretty. We were not supposed to have a white Christmas and everything had been so dull and brown.  By the time we got on the road to head to Williams there were winter weather advisorys saying travel not adivsed in our area. We pressed on and headed for Williams taking an extra 25 minutes to get to my parents. We arrived for lunch of ham balls made by Peepaw and all the fixins. Then presents from Grandma and Grandpa. The gifts seemed to keep coming and coming. Goodies for everyone and gifts from Aunt Alice, who is staying warm spending her winter in New Mexicao. Next we went to Wade and Carina's. That gave Luke some time to step outside and catch some snowflakes on his tongue. The snow was coming down in giant white fluffy flakes. More presents were exchanged, then a soup supper and games.  The boys got a toy farm service truck that is a lot like Ma