It's Muller Time

All Quiet on the Home Front.

Muller's — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:55:11 +0000

Well, we have been quiet for quite a few weeks. Call it busy or laziness, we just haven’t had time to get to the computer to chat about stuff happening in July. We spent the 4th with friends and family, lighting fireworks off that were probably illegal in most states. It was fun though. Shortly there after, Josh actually had two Summer camps to be at in the month of July, first was blogged about here, “Camp Rising Sun” and the second was the High School session at Ponderosa camp. We had just one short week between the two. It was really difficult on the family, well just mom and dad. The girls on the other hand kinda liked the idea of not having Bubba around. We were all really happy to have him back though. He had a wonderful time at both camps and it seems to us has matured almost over night. While he was gone, the girls soaked it all up, swimming, visits with family, Cliff’s [local amusement park] and much, much more. It has been a great July for us. We are contemplating one last trip to Denver before the Summer closes down. Nancy is not looking forward to end of Summer, but is wondering what the school year has in store. She recently took a day course with RCI [the company that she contracts for] that just made her love for the work she does increase ten fold. It is a great thing to not look at your job as work. Tim will be one year older at the end of the month and is not looking forward to that… Even though we have been quiet, it hasn’t been quiet around here.

CAMP RISING SUN

tn3kidz — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:49:48 +0000

What an awesome opportunity for our son Josh to serve!! A special friend of ours (camp director and cofounder of CRS) invited Josh and a friend to be peer mentors for Camp Rising Sun. Camp Rising Sun is an overnight summer camp designed for individuals with autism spectrum disorders(ASD) and their typically developing peers. Located in the mountains 45 minutes from Albuquerque, the camp’s mission is to provide a summer camp experience for kids on the Autism spectrum; provide an opportunity for students and professionals to gain experience working with those diagnosed with ASD; and provide respite for parents and caregivers of individuals with ASD. Well Josh just returned with great memories and a new perspective about teens with autism and aspergers syndrome. Together the peer models and the campers learned to do new things…kayak, camp, zip line, walk along rope courses high in the timber, build things, create, and make new friends. It is a blessing that all the Muller kids feel very comfortable with children with disabilities. Nancy has always brought the kids to work with her so they could be peer models for her special needs students. This camp experience was fun and different, but not scary by any means for Josh. He looks forward to the opportunity to serve the camp again next year if they ask him to return. There is a hint that he would even like to be a counselor one day for the camp when he is old enough. For a mom who is an OT…this makes me smile!!
(Click on each individual picture to see them in full.)

A Special Visit to Denver

Muller's — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:14:03 +0000

First Summer road trip is in the books. We could not have asked for more! Denver is a short 7 hr road trip from Albuquerque. Short is not what Sarah would call it. About every half mile Tim got a, “DAD! ARE WE THERE YET?” or “DAD, Is this Denver?”. To which the answer would come, “I’ll tell you when we are there.” It didn’t curb any of the questions. Aren’t family trips in the car great? Our family was on a mission to surprise Grandma Judy for her “29th” birthday, but like all surprises go, it didn’t go undetected. Nancy’s brother Brent was also headed to Denver with a few of the cousins for the big event. Grandma and Grandpa AND Cousins (unfortunately Blake and Aunt Maureen were absent), can anyone say AWESOME! We spent a few days in Denver before the party. What a great city! We visited some restaurants that we don’t have back in Albuquerque, and took in some sites downtown at the 16th Street Mall. This year around we also did something really, really fun. We went to a little town outside Denver called Golden, where they brew Coors Beer. What a fun adventure that was. Grandma’s party was a little wet from all the rain and hail that visited the city that day. Enter in Grandpa and Josh with all your rainy days solutions. They made an outside porch into an indoor porch with make shift walls and space heaters. Thanks to Grandpa’s planning, the party was a huge success. There were good friends and family with great stories about Grandma (all preserved in a memory book). Surprise or no surprise it was great to have family together again. Grandma Judy, may every year be as celebratory as your “29th” birthday! One of our friends in NM said, “that Judy is one spunky lady”. We would have to agree!

Are You Smarter Than a Kindergartener?

Muller's — Sat, 29 May 2010 06:03:03 +0000

Sarah is now officially in Kindergarten. While our other two kids are riding high that it is summer…Sarah is wondering when she gets to go back to school to her new class. She was so disappointed that she missed her graduation from pre-K. When the stomach flu hits, it has no mercy. Her teacher Mrs. Reinert made a special book for all her students summarizing their busy year. She was so excited to receive “her gift” the next day from her tearful teacher who was sad to see her go. Aside from the occasional reports that she likes to be the ring leader at recess, she was graciously awarded Christian example of her class. There are so many students who deserve that honor, so we are extra proud that she was chosen. Tim and I say it often, but Albuquerque Christian School seeks to teach our children what matters most….Jesus. If you ask her what her favorite class was…she will tell you “Bible”. She could retell a bible story with every detail. It was neat to hear! How fast they grow up.

Riding out of eighth grade in STYLE.

Muller's — Sat, 29 May 2010 05:36:07 +0000

Eldorado…here he comes. Today was bitter sweet for Josh (heavy on the sweet). He officially is a 9th grader!! Albuquerque Christian School has been a wonderful learning place to grow in his faith, his knowledge, and to make good friends; but it is now time to practice all what he has learned in the real world. The kids were escorted in a stretch limousine to Natures Point clubhouse in Tijeras Canyon for their end of the year party. They played games, ate a lot of food, and shared stories together for the afternoon. The mission trip really bonded this group. I know they will miss that closeness. Three of the nineteen (and two hopeful transfers) will be moving on to Eldorado High School with Josh. We are so proud of him! In his final year, he represented his school as the student council president, finished strong on the A/B honor roll, and spiritually grew into a young man. With a little education from the professionals, he even cleans up nicely. (Tuxes were the attire that the boys chose to wear to their graduation ceremony). Eighth grade graduation wasn’t the BIG one though…four years from now will be worth the invite.

Some are Silver, This One is Gold.

tn3kidz — Sat, 29 May 2010 04:42:10 +0000

“We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.”

This week has been one of highs and lows for Ashlea. Ashlea was awarded a position on student council never been given to a sixth grader before (what an honor), she made all “A” honor roll, and she was voted as Christian example of her class (as was Taylor). What a great start as she enters into middle school!! On a sad note though, she also said “farewell” to her best friend that has been at her side at ACS through good and bad times since kindergarten. It’s not that they will never see one another again…their paths to middle school have just changed. Ashlea will continue at Albuquerque Christian School and Taylor is going to start Madison Middle School. It was a sweet sight to see them hugging with crocodile tears running down their innocent faces, making promises for future tomorrows. Thank goodness for cell phones, e-mail, soccer, and sleep overs to make up for time that will be lost from being at different schools. You do not see genuine friendships like these two at such a young age every day. It reminds me of special friends from years past, that even time, hasn’t withered that bond. What a blessing!

Our Little Radical…

Muller's — Wed, 19 May 2010 01:07:09 +0000

Some might see the title of this post as strange or that somehow we are trying to make one of our children into some type of crazy extremist. We just want you to know that we are doing nothing of the sort. This is the name of Ashlea’s Soccer Team. As most of you know, she has been playing for 7 years now and has high aspirations for her soccer future. We are very proud of her diligence, perseverance and skills. She is always talking soccer and trying to absorb all that she can as a player. Her new coach is challenging her and the other girls in ways that they have never seen or expected. When they were first connected to the new coach, they were a little behind the other teams that they used to beat on a regular basis. They all had a lot of work to do to catch up. It was a tough year of practice and game play. But with all hard work the pay off was so very rewarding. They entered a tournament this last weekend with hopes of more development in game play. Some new girls joined us as “guest players” [Side note from Nancy: These are girls on other regular opposing teams that play as guest players for our team which adds a different dynamic to the game.] Despite the obstacles, the girls did AWESOME! As a matter of fact, they WON!

Radicals, the Muller’s are so very proud of you! Ashlea your on your way girl! Or should I say Mia…

Is it Summer Yet?

Muller's — Mon, 17 May 2010 21:46:00 +0000

Wow! We knew that New Mexico weather was bad, but we didn’t know that it would be this bad and this bad for so long. The winds have been around 40 to 50 mph, with some heat then some cold along with those winds. Makes for an interesting morning on trying to figure out what your gonna wear for the day. The only thing that we have is that the Summer break for us is just around the bend. It can’t come fast enough though. We can’t get ahead of ourselves, because we still have so much to do for the remaining School days. For Nancy, this is by far her busiest time of the year. She has so many Public School kids that need their [AWESOME!] OT to bring their year to a close. This requires a great deal of paperwork, more than usual. It’s the time of the year that Nancy doesn’t like what she does for a living and those that know her, know that she LOVES what she does. Josh is graduating from 8th grade this year, so we are fighting that “Cruise Control” mode. He is really excited to say the least. All the 8th grade kids have decided to dress up for the graduation. Josh and Dad get to rent his very first tuxedo. Blue vest and blue tie, really sweet looking. Also matches the School colors. Ashlea and Sarah just want to know when is the first time that they get to jump into a pool. Uncle Ed is going to get us a room at the Casino down the way, so it feels like we are on a vacation. Again, Summer can’t come fast enough! Warm weather, loving family and pool side. It sounds like a good Summer. Come on SUMMER! HURRY!

All Good Things must come to an End

Muller's — Tue, 04 May 2010 04:51:31 +0000

Unlike years past, where about this time we are usually finished biting our nails and are looking for flights and hotels [for 5] to Washington, D.C..we are now twiddling our thumbs, thinking what should we do with our time? Although it will be a big savings to our pocketbook, it has taken a big pep out of our step. Josh has dealt with defeat in a very Godly manner. He sent e mails to the gentlemen who helped him with his interviews and they shared these kind words with him:
________________________________________________
Dear Josh,

I am so sorry that you did not make it to the national competition. Your website is so much improved and certainly more than “eye candy.” Yes, it was a broad and difficult topic to cover in 1200 words, but I think that you did an excellent job. I especially liked the way that you used your interviews not only to create connective tissue, but also to make the case for the impact that maps have had and continue to have. I honestly think that judges had little understanding of cartography; they just didn’t get it.

I am proud of what you produced and you should be too. I am happy that I could play a small part in its creation. Keep up the good work, and I hope that you do not lose your interest in maps.

Sincerely,

Dennis Reinhartz
Emeritus Professor of History
The University of Texas at Arlington

___________________________________________________
Joshua – thanks for the note. I’m so sorry you weren’t able to advance to the Nationals. Indeed, cartography is a complex topic, and what you have done is worthy of pride. I’m pleased to have been able to help you, but disappointed that I couldn’t help you discover the formula to distill all of that complexity into 1199 words!

My best wishes to you in your bright future… Hopefully in the fields of cartography and geography. I’d be honored to continue to guide you towards that goal.

Alan
President of the Cartography and Geographic Information Society
______________________________________________
His kind teacher had this to say:
Dear Josh,
I’m so proud of you and the young man of God you are. You know how to shine in victory and in defeat. God loves that. I don’t understand the judges’ decision, but I trust in God, as I know you do. Not going to Nationals this year in no way lessens the “impact” you’ve had on our NHD program at ACS, and the “change” you have helped bring about in the website category as you have been involved from the first year of inclusion as a project category. You are admired and respected for your work ethic, your character, and your leadership. I will forever refer to you as my first student who went to Nationals in the website category (and in 6th grade, no less). Josh, I am extremely and totally proud of you. May God reveal to you what He wants you to see because of this experience. May you know His peace.
Much love and blessings,
Mrs. McKenzie
___________________________________________________
With all that said, God has us right where we are supposed to be, doing what we are supposed to do. We are very proud of Josh and his accomplishments. This by far was his best site ever. Who knows…maybe next year…It’s Ashlea’s turn.

Josh’s National History Day Site

Muller's — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 22:35:55 +0000

We have been mentioning it and mentioning it. I think about 4 or 5 of the Muller-Time blogs contain some mention of this mysterious site that Josh has been creating for National History Day. This will be his third year to compete in web site design. The theme this year is “Innovation in History: Impact and Change”. Never before has anyone been able to view his work unless he showed them on his memory stick. Now the organization has made it accessible on the web for all to see. Tim says to just click on this picture and it will take you to the site that Josh has created for his state competition entry. Click on and learn something new about Cartography