The Muench Bunch

 Alicia turned 29 this month. We met her family at Hickory Park in Ames to celebrate her special day. Everyone loves Hickory Park at birthdays with the great food, ice cream desserts, and sung too. We were at the restuarant for 3 hours and it wasnt even that busy. Sonce COVID, the restuarant has a new owner and always seems shor of staff. It is really sad, hopefully they can get back in the game. Ali has been working full time and being a mama to Bridget and Andrew. Their home life with their mom is chaotic and there is a lot of tension between families. It comes out in the kids behavior and Ali has had many ups and downs. She loves the kids and likes to spend time with them and make them feel special. She made a snowman with Andrew. She said it was the first snowman he had made and he was cherishing the one on one time he doesn't get often. God has blessed Ali with a wonderful husband and an instant family. She has also done a wonderful job making an effort to stay connected and b

 It was wonderful to get out of the cold for our Florida trip, but it makes you more aware of how miserable and cold Iowa winters really are. We often ask, "Why would anyone want to live in Iowa?" We also think God did not intend for people to live in such extreme conditions.     Luke got a few ski/snowboard trips in during the winter. Friday evenings you can go 2 for the price of one. Luke asked cousin Rylie to join him and they had a good time together.

 While we were enjoying paradise on the sunny beaches of Marco Island, Iowa was having bitter cold temps. Not only Iowa, but all over the country. February 11, in Fort Worth Texas a strip of 35 freeway was covered in a layer of ice that once one car slipped and slid, it was an instant domino collision. Cars had nowhere to go, nowhere to stop, but into the vehicle in front of them. The cement barriers on the side of the road only made matters worse. Cars, trucks, and semi's slammed into one another. It was a horrible scene with 133 cars piled. 6 deaths, thankfully no more, but dozens of injuries.  Feb 16, 2021 A deadly winter storm pummeling the country's South and the heartland left millions without power in Texas early Tuesday and spawned a possible tornado that killed at least three people in North Carolina. More freezing weather and dangerous travel conditions were predicted in the coming days. he suspected tornado that hit North Carolina's Brunswick County around midnig

       Feb 7-13, 2021 Mark & I took a trip to Florida. We enjoy winter vacations so much. They can be so relaxing, motivating and restoring. It is good physically and mentally, when we return home it helps us to get through the rest of the Iowa winter. The sunshine and soaking up some Vitamin D is just what the doctor ordered. This time it was just the two of us and went farther south than we had ever been, to Marco Island. We arrived on Sunday just before dark. Walking off the airplane into the warm humid air was wonderful. The sun was shinning as we loaded up our rental car and drove an hour and a half to our resort. We stopped for a quick meal on the way, as we had missed lunch. Our resort was not the 5 star of the area, but it was a very nice one. All the resorts in the area were classy, elegant and nice. Our room was spacious with a kitchen, sperate living room, bedroom, and a balcony with pool/ garden view. We could see some of the ocean as well.             Our days consiste

President Trump Introduces New Public School Prayer Guidance By William Addisonon January 18, 2020 On Thursday, it was National Religious Freedom Day — and President Donald Trump made sure to leave his mark. During an Oval Office gathering that featured Christian, Jewish, and Muslim students who were discriminated against because of their beliefs, the president signed a memo promoting religious freedom in the classroom, according to the Christian Post. It was announced that the United States Department of Education, headed up by Secretary Betsy DeVos, will be sending out letters to education leaders and administrators across the nation, reinforcing that they cannot disallow students or teachers from praying in public schools. The Department of Education noted that this measure is being enforced to “further safeguard students’ constitutionally protected right to pray in school.” While behind the resolute desk, Trump said it was “unacceptable” that students and teachers have been discrim

  Did you know that there is a direct correlation between the advent of social media and rapid growth in anxiety and depression? I am not in the least surprised. What’s even scarier is that teens spend an average of nine hours a day online! I have parental controls on both boys phones. It limits the amount of time on the phone, limits internet time, and filters adult content. I just don't think kids and teens have enough self control. It will only get worse once they are older and have all access. Even with the limits, I still think the kids are on them way too much and I see so many unhealthy habits. In this modern age it is a reality and almost impossible to ditch the phones. I wish we could go back to the days when cell phones did not exist, people had face to face conversations, called each other on the phone, shopped in stores, sent birthday cards, and children played with toys instead of electronics. Social media is  influencing and brainwashing our kids to think a certain wa

As schools across the country plan lessons for Black History Month, one public school district in Iowa is skipping past Dr. King’s “Letter from a Birmingham” Jail and preparing to teach children as young as four to celebrate queer-affirming transgendered minorities and learn they come from a white, wealth-hording, nuclear family.  Young America’s Foundation, the conservative student group, was tipped off that the public school district in Ames was preparing a “Week of Action” Feb. 1-5 using classroom materials (pictured above) pulled straight from the Marxist-inspired Black Lives Matter organization. The Ames Community School District is promoting “Black Lives Matter at School” on its own website.  Ames, a university town home to approximately 65,900 residents, has a population that is 80% white. The small city’s Asian population (11%) outnumbers blacks (2%) as the second-largest minority, 2018 census figures show. The median household income is $46,127.  News of the week-long lesson p