The Muench Bunch

>6/30/16 This week was our Spring Lake cabin stay. I packed so much stuff in the pickup that I had to squeeze the boys in the front seat together. We were busting at the seams. The back had all the bikes and more.They were excited and so was I. This is my kind of fun.  Back in Februaruy I rented two cabins for 4 nights. I wanted one cabin for our family and the other cabin, Mom & Dad, Wade & Carina, and Aunt Alice could take turns staying in. Last year everyone thought the cabin was so neat and wanted to stay. It sounded good until the week of. I had to reschedule things and say no to events in order to commit to the stay. It seemed like everything was going on the week I had reservations.  I made it a priority and was going to Spring Lake no matter what.   My parents and Alivia, stayed the first two nights. Carina and Alice came down for an afternoon, but nobody could stay the last two nights. After 3 nights, the boys were starting to ask to go home, so sadly, I made arrang

6/25/16 Jake had been asking his Dad if they could get “The German tractor” AKA the international, running. Recently they charged the battery on it and got it running. Jake drove it in circles around the driveway with Mark sitting on the wheel well. I do not like cables tractors. Jake was pretty proud and excited. On Saturday, Mark blocked out the day to spend with Jacob working on the German tractor. Mark said as a young boy there were so many times he wanted his Dad to help him or show him things and he never took the time. Mark is not going to let that happen. They took the tractor to the shop and changed the oil and filters together. Several days later, the took it for a spin and Jake got to work the arena. He was all smiles.

6/24/16 Another very hot and dry week, too hot for this early in June. The grass is starting to fry and get crunchy. This week we had Vacation Bible School at Cornerstone in Ames in the evenings. Luke attended officially as a third grader. He sounds so old these days. Jacob was a helper for the first time along with many other 180 kids. The first night he was a helper with 1 st grade kids and decided he didn’t like that much at all. He didn’t care for little kids hanging on him and pestering him. The final nights he got to help with games with one of his good friends from small group and his leader Alex “Guns”. He really enjoyed that. The theme this year was “Submereged” and going deeper into knowing God. The decorations were outstanding as always and the skits were cute, funny, and professional. During the song and worship time, Luke would run to the frontm just in front of the stage to sing along and do the action moves. I am telling you, that kid has the groove. When he hears musi

Mark has had a very rough week, in fact he told me this was one of the worst weeks of his life pertaining to markets. He is so knowledgeable about markets, he reads them daily, sometimes hourly. He studies them and the past and trends. He makes decisions with his corn and cattle based on them. We are in the start of a drought and he has been trying to predict the future, which is completely impossible and we are always reminded who is in control. Mark beats himself up when he doesn't make the right choice. His father doesn’t help matters either. He will remind Mark for months and years of what he should have done. Farming is stressful and hard. Farmers work so hard and yet get paid so little. It blows my mind that something that provides for the entire world, food, is valued so little. People such as actors, athletes, singers, and coaches get paid millions of dollars for entertainment. We could survive just fine without those things, but food on the other hand, people cannot survi

6/21/16 Today search and rescue found Colin Murphy. Early Sunday morning he was swimming, jumping off the Lehigh bridge during Lehigh River Days and drowned. Colin Murphy was 23, young, kind, happy, and full of life. He had the biggest smile that was full of joy. I never saw the guy unhappy. Mark and I first met Colin riding his horse at a Ranch rodeo and team penning. He had a horse and gave it a try. He really enjoyed talking to Mark. Over the years if he saw us he made sure to go out of his way to say hi and asked how everything is going. He would see us down at the arena and pull in just to visit. If it was just me he would ask how the old man was doing. He joined the Dayton police crew and it was hard to take him serious when we would see him in full uniform and driving a cop car. The first time he drove up to us in a cop car and we saw him get out, it was kind of comical. He was too full of smiles, too kind to be a tough cop. My boys eyes were wide in awe and in fear of this guy

6/18/16 Jacob is one busy boy in the summer keeping up with all the to do’s. He is pretty amazing, not complaining. He mows our yard and his grandparents yard every week. He enjoys mowing, so that really helps and gets paid $8 each time he mows our yard. He also goes over our yard with a grass sweep pulled behind the 4 wheeler to collect all the grass. He picks up rocks in the spring and helps with the cattle on occasion. He is responsible for chicken chores. Today, he is learning how to rake hay with the 4850 John Deere. This was his first job at driving the tractor without anyone in the cab, He loved it and felt pretty good about it.   Jake has been after his Grandpa Muench's chevy truck. It is old and missing the muffler. it makes quite the noise when you rev the engine. This is the first truck Jake has driven and the only one he can see the road when driving. He loves that truck and gets to drive it on occasion down the gravel road. He just smiles when he is behind the wheel

6/16/16 The heat is on!! June has started with a heat wave. After the first week of June the temps rocketed in to the 90’s and has been there ever since. It is way to hot, way to early. We are not enjoying the heat and it is frying things. Twice this week storm clouds gathered and rain came down nearby, but not here. I really hope and pray we are not in for a long hot dry summer. Mark  predicted  a drought this past winter. He has been talking about the  drought  ever since. I think he is right on. Wow this week. I am trying not to use the word busy, but my week was another full one. I am really trying to lighten the schedule, but it isn’t happening. Tuesday through Friday swim lessons, 5-6. Monday we took Jayden to Omaha for her follow up doctor appointment. We made a stop on the way and found the boys a saddle that we will all share. Tuesday I had bible study in the morning, ran some errands in Ames and met with Angelia for a couple hours at Tropical smoothie. Wednesday Mark and Jay

6/17/16 Tonight was another IRCA rodeo, this time a little closer to home in Adel. The whole family went and Grandma & Grandpa Wahlert along with Alice came to watch. They are Jayden’s biggest fans. It has been a very hot week and the sun was hot until the sun went down. She brought Tuff and found out dogs were not allowed, so he had to stay tied at the trailer. Jayden got to run in the performance and was up third for the night. Her time was smoking fast and held for awhile. She ran a 16.16 and the fastest time of the night was a 16.07. That is fast and close. The girl that is leading IRCA and leading URA(United Rodeo Assoc) had a 16.08. That is pretty impressive. Ace ran flawless and fast. It was a really good run and I was in awe at the end of the night when I heard all the times. He just amazes me. He is such a good ol boy. Of course it can’t all be easy and simple. He has started resisting going into the arena. It is hard to know if he is sore or if he is just getting gate s

The first week in June, our mama cats each had their baby kittens only a few days apart. They are still kittens themselves, almost a year. One had 5 and the other had 6, for a total of 11! They are so colorful and cute. They are young new mothers and kept taking each others babies. After a couple days of that, I decided to put them all in a big box together and they were happiest. I took a sweet photo of the two mamas together with all 11 babies.We shut them in the garage to keep them from moving and hiding them. It got so hot in there one day I couldnt find the babies. The mothers moved them behind some boots on the cool ground. It has been fun watching the kittens each day. I grew up watching litters of kittens grow and now the kids get to experience and enjoy it. It has been several years since we have had a mother cat have kittens. They grow and change so fast.

6/10/16 I want to underwhelm my schedule and not be so busy. I am actually going to a bible study called “Crazy busy”. I just don’t know how to not be so busy. This week is a blur and I have gone to bed every night at 11 and got up in the mornings around 7. There are not enough hours in a day.  Monday we ran some errands before swim lessons. Swim lessons are the next 2 weeks in Ames from 5 to 6. Tuesday was morning bible study, afternoon appointment with contractor about renovating our laundry room area and adding a sun room. We have tossed the idea around for three years. I am ready to get it going and Mark is ready to forget the whole idea. It is so expensive and I get that. We have an elaborate shop and office and horse arena.  This is our home where we live and spend the majority of our time. It just seems our home should be comfortable and the most enjoyable.  In the evening it was swim lessons, which is 3 hours by the time we leave the house and return. Then at 7:30 Jayden gave

I got the kids up early for a summer morning at 6:45, so we could be in Ames for the Informed Choices Walk for Life. The walk supports Informed Choice,s a place for pregnant mothers to be informed of their decisions regarding an unplanned pregnancy. They have a 90% survival rate when mothers attend the clinic. Planned Parenthood on the other hand support abortion and does them like going in and having a tooth pulled. It is really quite sad. Informed choices also has Charlie the mobile unit that goes around as a traveling van for exams and ultrasounds. Walk for Life is a great cause I feel strongly about. Today, Luke brought his scooter and Jayden brought her dog Tuff for the walk. We got to enjoy a huge pancake breakfast before the walk. We also met up with our friends the Buhr's. We had a nice time visiting during the walk that started at Brookside park and went along the river. We even ventured a little farther from the route to get a fun photo. It was another picture perfect day

Its like a rodeo dream. I can remember my first big rodeo check. I can remember placing at a rodeo and winning a rodeo. And then beating the girl on top. It is a feeling like no other. Now, I get to be the mother of a competitive rodeo girl. The good Lord has given her a wonderful horse and she is doing amazing things with him. It does not come easy, he is not automatic, and he doesn't just work perfect every time. Jayden has put many hours into Ace, training, conditioning, feeding, and loving. She treats him better than herself. She makes sure he is getting the best in feed, supplements, and special therapy. When I occasionally help with chores, I mix her grain with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. it is quite the concoction for improving his feet, hair coat, stomach ulcers, topline, muscle, etc. She puts her horse in a stall if it is too windy, too cold, too rainy. He gets a blanket on if it is chilly or the flies are biting. He also gets to wear magnetic boots befo

Allie has had frequent stomach problems over the years and lots of trips to the E.R. She recently discovered her gall bladder has been giving her trouble. Allie had her gall bladder surgery on Wed. Today Jayden and I took her balloons and flowers. She had been staying with her mom until now. She looked great and got up and moved around with ease. I think she will do great and be able to start her classes on Monday. I just hope she will start eating better. Like my Dad, after his surgery the doctor told him he can eat whatever he wants. These are educated professional doctors and they tell patients after having gall bladders removed they can continue to eat whatever. Nobody on this planet should eat whatever they want. In general people consume more nonfood items, meaning those things that dont fall into the food groups(junk food), than food items. Why not as the expert, take the time to explain what they should be eating and what they should not. After having a gall bladder removed tha

  The Ogden homeschool group has gotten to do so many neat things, thanks to the director Lisa. Today was the year end fun day and it was great. The boys and I went to Sunstream camp between Ogden and Boone for zipline and archery. It was the most perfect day sunny warm, no wind, and no bugs.  We had a group of around 15 kids. We all geared up including myself for the zipline. I had no idea what to expect and loved it. I didnt think Luke would actually do it, he surprised me. He is very cautious and leery to try things that look scary. Our first of 5 ziplines was 100' in height and 200' in length reaching 22 mph. Jake and Luke hooked on to the zip line and were off without any worry. It was so cool to see them zipping along suspended over trees. It was really quite fascinating zipping over the tree lines in a valley of trees. It was fast, but not crazy fast.We zipped from one area to another going through 5 lines. The last was the fast one reaching up to 45 mph. The instructor