Headed to Championships!!!!

Our Junior High Point Champion has decided to take it one step further and is now headed to the Championship Dressage Show in May!!!!! WOW!!!! Not bad for her 1st year showing???!!!! Marissa has worked so hard this year training in dressage and all that work has finally paid off big time! Apparently it's very similar to other sports in that you compete at these shows and then if you qualify you can compete in the championship show among other qualifiers! Well, Marissa had a minimum score to achieve and only had one more test to take when that day arrived! It was the 25th of October and we had a wedding to attend later in the day but altered our schedule so she could compete and possibly qualify for this wonderful opportunity, to compete at the championships (which for the 1st time in 5 years will be held in Medford). So, she headed out to the arena and began her test when all of sudden the bell rings and the judge says "she needs to start over, she's doing it wrong". Well, you can imagine we are confused as we know she is doing the right test and come to find out they are actually confused. No big deal she explains to them what she is doing, they get the right test out and tell her to begin again and they are sorry....so my concern is "great she will be very nervous now"....well not Marissa she is calm as can be. She begins again and does one of the best rides she has ever done....her instructor says "that was brilliant" words I have never heard her say....she then says "you are gonna make me cry, you couldn't have rode any better today" absolutely incredible!!!!! We are so very proud of her and her accomplishments in such a short amount of time, she is just a natural with horses and she is so patient and kind with them, she is truly gifted!!!!

It's Official Now!!!!

No more level 5 training 7 for Becca!!!!! The long awaited time came and went and Becca not only made it to level 7 she took 1st place not only on all around but all events but one and scored well above her minimum requirement!!!!! CRAZY GIRL!!!!

It was October 31st at her gym when she came out on the floor...her first event was vault, she did fabulous and scored a whopping 9.6!!!! HIGHEST EVER VAULT!!!! I guess you could say "Jeff fixed her vault issue" hee hee. She then went on to beam and scored a 9.3, then it was on to bars...keep in mind she just got her baby giant within the month prior to this meet and her flyaway only a week prior to the meet!!! She did a beautiful practice and we were so excited....we knew she could pull this off with a low score on bars so I wasn't too nervous really, and then the salute and she was going....she did great until right after the baby giant....she somehow got stuck???!!!! It was actually a bit comical really we just watched her teeter totter back and forth and then she pulled it off!!! She still scored an 8.25, and let me tell you we were content with that. The last event was our favorite...floor! She was standing there waiting for the salute and all her team mates (down to the Rising Stars....ages 4-5) were screaming "Go Becca" it was so surreal!!!! Then it's her time, she came out and just knocked it out of the park!!!! Her teammates crowded around her with hugs and waited with her in front of the scoreboard as one of her best friends presented it......9.45, that was the BEST meet ever, you couldn't ask for a better team....so supportive and sooooo sweet!!!!!! There you have it....36.55!!!!

I have always thought she was a talented gymnast but with the right coaches and team she has gone above and beyond my expectations!!!!

We're on our way to Arizona now!!!!!!

Outside my window...I am enjoying the wonderful fall colors of the leaves!!!!


I am thinking...of how little time I have to get prepared for the holidays!


I am thankful for...all the blessings God has bestowed on me!


From the learning room...it's pretty quiet, girls only did basics this morning as I was sick this weekend and today and have yet to prepare their lessons.


From the kitchen...I see a few dishes from the day and those large zucchini's I still need to chop up and shred for freezing!


I am wearing...purple lounge pants and a white long sleeve top


I am creating...my schedule for the week


I am going...to rest today in hopes of getting better so we can return to our normal life tomorrow.


I am reading...The girls history books to get caught up with what they are studying this week


I am hoping...my girls stay healthy and Rame and I get better soon along with everyone else that is sick these days!


I am hearing...the crackling from the fire and the girls talking.


Around the house...I see our wonderful fall decorations and a semi clean house thanks to my girls :)


One of my favorite things...relaxing with my family by a cozy fire.


A few plans for the upcoming week...

• Bec has an orthodontist appt tomorrow



• 4-H planning meeting Wed night with Marissa & Amelia



• Girls are spending the afternoon with Amelia to do some party planning and just have some fun



• Marissa has a horse show on Sunday



• Wedding on Sunday for Lori & Mike

A picture I thought I would share:

Marissa and Tez....Junior Champion!!!!!

Hosted by Peggy@ http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/************************


Outside my window...it is sunny and probably warmer outside than it is in my house, typical!


I am thinking...what a wonderful day this is going to be.

I am thankful for...my girls and I going to church this morning, makes for a lovely day!


From the learning room...it's pretty quiet considering it's Sunday, but I will be preparing lesson plans later this evening.

From the kitchen...I see the dishes from a fast breakfast this morning and large zucchini's I need to chop up and shred for freezing!

I am wearing...tan pants and a warm burgundy sweater


I am creating...this new post to keep up to date for Suz who has challenged me to post at least once a week!


I am going...to head outside and stack many, many pieces of wood before the rains hit this week.


I am reading...The Innocent Man, the same book I have been trying to read for nearly a year!!!


I am hoping...my kiddos and family stays healthy, Bec was sick last week with a nasty cold.


I am hearing...Spongebob Squarepants and the crackling of the fire.


Around the house...I see many things that should be put away...been a crazy week and I haven't been home much so today we will spend cleaning up and decorating for fall.


One of my favorite things...relaxing with my family by a cozy fire.


A few plans for the upcoming week...I plan to hit the books hard this week to catch up from last, I'm getting my hair cut finally on Tuesday, hoping to visit with Rame's sister and hubby who are down from WA and enjoying the fact that I don't have to work so many hours this week!!

Here is a picture I though I'd share...


The girls and I taking a break during our falls hike :)

City Family Turned Country Family, Take 1

I always look forward to the first fire of the year, there is just something about that crackling fire in our wood stove that just makes my home really feel cozy!!!! We love sitting by the fire in the morning while we are working on our school work, it's just one of those "perks" of homeschooling, in our jammies, curled up with our history books and hot chocolate!!! Well, on this particular morning we had exactly that....a cozy fire, the girls were curled up in their blankets and reading away with their hot chocolate! Last year I had finally, after a lot of coaxing, convinced Marissa that she "wasn't going to die or burn the house down" if she added wood to the fire as it needed it. This year, I would regret that!!!! Anyhow, back to the story, I decided I would take this opportunity to take a shower since everthing looked under control (or so I thought). Keep in mind that although the living room is very warm this time of year the rest of our house is very difficult to keep warm due to some air flow issues (yes, we are working on that, along with EVERYTHING else). Ok back to the story, I came out of the bathroom and thought the hallway felt very comfortable. I then went into the kitchen which was also feeling a bit toasty!!! That is when I saw it....the wood stove, through the glass I saw the raging fire!!!! I must admit it glowed a nice shade of red!!! I said to Marissa "did you add wood to the fire?" she replied "yes and mom it's a bit warm in here don't you think?". Now, let me set the stage a bit more for you....we have been working on our siding on our house (replacing it that is) along with replacing most of the side of the house (that's another story) and as we are removing wood some of it we kept (2x4's), cut in a nice size and decided to use it for kindling...which we ALWAYS run out of (again, another story....I have a nice scar for that story). Okay, so you got the picture right??? VERY dry (30 years dry) 2x4's!!!! We all know how well those burn!!! If not, you will soon! Back to the story....I then asked her "how much wood did you put in there and what wood?" she replied "about 5 or 6 pieces of 2x4's all I could fit"!!!! Okay so we have a temperature gauge on our fireplace and it read 500 degrees (translation....VERY HOT). So, being that it's early in the season, things are not real wet outside so my concern (among other things) was that the chimney that went outside would catch the trees above it on fire!!! So, I continuously went outside to verify that we weren't causing a forest fire and inside to check the rising temp....now approaching 700 (translation....it doesn't go any higher, you can figure that one out). Okay, so to make this VERY long story shorter???? I ended up removing flaming pieces of wood, took them outside, buried them in the dirt and threw water on them. Meanwhile, my smoky the bear dog was nervously circling it as he always does with our fires (the ones we are allowed to do) and our new kitty was walking through it!!!! Our animals are a whole different story!!! So in the end, I was sending smoke signals and praying the neighbors didn't call the Fire Dept to save me!! It all worked out, but was just another story to add to my collection!!!!! Why is it I am hearing the tune "Green Acres" in my head right now??? Just another day in the life of the Dossers...city family turned "country family" or trying!!!

Becca's Giant :)

Well, she finally got her giant by herself on strap bar, she has some help on the swings, but did manage to get one if you watch closely (the last one) by herself! Not bad for her 3rd time on strap bar and without a pit!!!! Becca was one of 2 girls from the "training 7" group to be asked to come on the optional only days and be an optional (quite an honor considering she was a level 5 in February!!!) it's happening so fast but she is loving it! Enjoy the video!

A Family Affair-Boatnik!

Becca's Coach Jeff
Doing jumps on the flatbed in the parade
Coach April, just being April :)
More fun jumps on the truck!!!
Marissa and I having fun :) :)
So we have lived in Oregon how long and have never been to Boatnik!!! Crazy as it seems, but I lived in AZ for 19 years and never went to the Grand Canyon, so I guess missing Boatnik isn't all that nutty just the norm for me.....anyhow here are some fun pics from our experience in the Boatnik parade!

Becca on the News!!!

As many of you may know I have taken on a full time job this year "Fundraising"!!! Now, I have never been a fundraiser person so to speak but this past year of putting my hubby and my whole family on a VERY tight budget has forced me to either fund raise or pull my kids out of their extra curricular activities, so I chose FUNDRAISING! With the help of my VERY dear friends Colleen and Annette we put our heads together in December and came up with some great ideas for fundraising! Okay, so we have had bake sales, car washes, we have sold pizza cards and in the midst of all this have been running regular ads in Craigslist asking for soda cans and water bottle donations (we pick up and recycle) cuz as you know we get .05 for every can or bottle which does add up believe it or not. Well, crazy as it seems a sportscaster for the local news spotted our ad and was intrigued! He called us and wanted to interview the girls! To make a long story short we hit the big time and landed a spot on the local channel 10 news last Thursday night!!! This was such an incredible experience for the kids, they loved it and it made what they were doing a little more fun. The 3 girls have been working so hard lately at all these events and have so many more to do this summer that this was some recognition for their hard work!!! Check them out using the link below, they look sooooo cute :)

http://www.ktvl.com/search/?q=gymnasts+get+creative&fistype=site

Sorry, you will have to cut and paste this link as I am not smart enough to figure out how to make it just a click away....sorry about that!

Life on a Farm or Not

So, Last week when I left to take Bec to gym we were having quite the wind storm. Things seemed okay at home, but poor Marissa was a bit concerned about the trees around us and all the wind. I had been at gym for about an hour and thought I would give Marissa a call to be sure she was okay. I called and she answered the phone but had a quiver in her voice. When I asked her what was wrong she replied "Barkley just killed Lilly". Let me clarify something for those who don't know who Barkley and Lilly are. Barkley is one of our dogs (large lab mix) and Lilly is/was one of our chickens (yes they are all named). Sooo, it's not like we have a ton of animals but I always say my brain holds a lot of info and things that aren't earth shattering kind of get put in the back of my brain and sometimes it takes things a while to process in there. Sooo, back to the story, as she said this I am struggling to try and remember what animal Lilly is. I knew it wasn't the other dog or the horses but wasn't sure if it was a chicken or a rabbit. You have to understand she has wanted to name an animal Lilly for some time now; she had a rabbit pre named Lilly until she later found out it was a boy when it became Bam Bam. Okay, back to the story...finally it hits me it's a chicken and then it hits again...oh man that was Marisssa's "show" chicken. Yes she is going to show chickens (we are real hicks out here). She was devasted and I felt so bad as I wanted to climb through the phone and give my daughter a big hug! Fortunately Rame was home with her and she handled it very well. The saddest part for me was that she was riding her horse and witnessed it all and couldn't make the dog stop. I know that must have been so hard for her to watch :(.

The good news is that Rame fixed the hole (we think) that the chickens escaped from and so far we still have all 5 left. Marissa is working with another one to take to fair and actually is planning on taking 3. So, all in all things worked out, but what a thing to see. Life on a farm!!!!

My Junior Champion

Kisses to Tez from the Trainer

On April 27th Marissa participated in a large League Dressage Horse Show. She not only rode 2 tests that she had been practicing for but at the last minute (the day before) she was asked to ride another test she had never done for a rider that was sick. Well, she did FABULOUS!!! Her scores were 68%, 63% and 62%, good for 1st place, 4th place and 4th place. These are terrific scores considering she has only been doing this for 1 year and a half!!!! We then found out afterwards that she had the highest score of her class, good for Junior Champion!!!! Isn't she something? I have truly been blessed with very talented kids!!!!

Whew, it's all over!!!!!

A Proud Mama!!!!

Just like camping!!!

After a busy week my hubby and Marissa were so sweet to surprise Bec and I not only with a yummy turkey dinner but a fire in our fire pit out front ready for us to make some yummy smores after gym tonight!!! What a sweet hubby and father to be so thoughtful after working so hard today around here! We have always said that although we work very hard around our home inside and out we try to be sure and take time to spend it with our kids and enjoy the time we have; they will be out of the house before we know it!!! We are very fortunate because we have this wonderful fire pit in the front and we live in such a beautiful area it is just like camping all the time out here! Needless to say the girls had fun and we had some tasty dessert this evening! On to a fun and exciting weekend as Marissa has a very big horse show on Sunday! Will definitely post pics of that!!!! Wish her luck since she is doing not only the 2 tests she has studied but another one she has never done, should be VERY exciting!

How does our Garden Grow?

Every year I am late planting my garden. Seems like everyone else has theirs going strong or at least going and I am saying "oh should I have that planted already?". Well this year I decided I would get on it right away and see what happens. I figure if it freezes again and I lose stuff no biggy I will just replant and if it doesn't well I am ahead of last year! So, I had purchased some plants a couple weeks ago and just kept them inside in my garden window (my "greenhouse" so to speak) and needed to get them in the ground before it was too late. I managed to plant some seeds as well and let's hope something decides to sprout or it's back to the nursery and we'll go back to purchasing plants (which is what I have much better luck with). So far we have planted: Lettuce, Romaine, Green Leaf and Red Leaf, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Spinach, Cabbage, Broccoli, Cucumbers (lemon and pickling), Onions (Walla Walla and Green), radishes, Corn (Yellow and Bicolor), peas, Zucchini and beans. I will be planting tomatos when it warms up a bit (too early for those) , peppers, watermelon, potatos, of course pumpkins and I still have to get some carrot seeds in the ground. We have a nice grape vine (it lines the garden) and we are gonna take a stab at making some wine with some help from our neighbors. I am hoping to get my spices planted this week still or weekend. Anyhow, not much to see but here is the garden as of now :)

Strength in Faith

So, this weekend we attended the memorial for our dear friend Joyce. I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive about attending this and having my girls come as well, but in my heart I knew it was the right thing to do. We arrived about 2 minutes late, thank goodness they hadn't begun yet. We were going to sit in the back and as we were arranging some chairs Buck, Joyces' son motioned for us to come over in his direction and he proceeded to sit us at the family table where he, his two sisters (Robin and Lori) and his father (Larry) were seated. What an honor it was to be called to sit with them as we just met this family 4 years ago when we moved in our home in Wimer. I can remember the first Christmas here when we wanted to give them a gift but decided to bring them some cookies instead as we weren't sure if they celebrated Christmas or not; you just never know and we wanted to be respectful if they didn't. It's crazy now to think about that because the faith in this family is incredible and the strength they have obviously is because of that faith! The service was beautiful, sad, happy, enlightening, uplifting and just a bundle of emotions. I think it was probably the most emotional ceremony Rame had ever been a part of. It brought back so many emotions beginning with the loss of my dad, my brother, grandfather, aunt, Tina and of course the years we watched Jim fight for his life!! We remembered Joyce and actually got to know her so much more through the service and realized just how much the family means to us and how much we mean to them! It's a bit crazy as we casually say our hellos through our fences always there to help one another with their animals and sometimes going several weeks without even a hello, but the strong friendships/bonds and feelings we have for one another are there without any words being said, they are just known in our hearts. They have touched our family in a way that I can't describe and I know they have had so many tough times over these past years we have known them, but the love and family bond they have always come through . I know this family will do just fine but just have that small hole in their heart, that empty chair at their table and longing to see that smile each day that only Joyce can fill and give. They will have their time again together shortly as our time here is really so short and our eternity in heaven is really when our life begins!!!

We love you Joyce you are an inspiration to us all and you live forever in your children!!!

4-H Stuff

One of our favorite things we are involved in is 4-H, the girls love animals and so this was a perfect fit for them when we moved out here! The girls projects are mainly rabbits, but Marissa has added Poultry and both girls have also added photography to their growing projects! We joined this group when they first began 3 years ago and at that time there were only 6 members including Marissa and Becca! Our group is growing and we now have 13 members!! The first 2 years we were learning the ropes and just trying to keep our head above water so we didn't take on any service projects or community service! This year as we have grown our group is getting older and wiser and they are very committed to giving back to our local community! Our group has adopted almost a mile of our road by our place which we clean up quarterly, the kids are mentors at the local elementary school to 1st graders, we have worked for Salvation Army during the holiday season as bell ringers and most recently visited the local Retirement home to spend some time with the older generation and let them hold and pet our adorable animals!!

We are rapidly approaching the most important time of the 4-H year and that is our spring fair which is when the kids get to show their animals and hopefully take home the champion showmanship award or breed award! The kids work very hard in preparation for this and keep very itemized and detailed records of their projects including inventory, balance sheets and financial statements; it's really quite involved, but a great learning experience in my opinion! My girls love 4-H probably more than they loved Girl Scouts and I didn't think that was possible. I am happy that they are able to continue participating in this wonderful club and I am pleased to be helping as their co-leader!

Fun Spring Break :)

Okay, so we enjoyed a fun week and even if we had wanted to get some schooling in we probably wouldn't have had time. First off Bec's gym schedule was changed and she attended on M/T/W/TH and T/TH were 11-3 so that kinda took up those days. Marissa enjoyed spending some time at home alone just doing what she wanted and what 14 1/2 yr old wouldn't enjoy that?
Unfortunately her bunny was due to have babies during Spring Break and although she did none of them survived with this cold weather; it was very sad! Marissa has decided after trying to breed this bunny so many times that breeding just isn't her thing and she plans to fill her empty (baby) cages with new bunnies of different breeds to add to her 2 other rabbits and leave breeding to some others as it's not her thing.
We had a fun filled weekend planned to end our Spring Break as Marissa headed off to work at the ranch (her full time passion) Bec and I headed into Grants Pass for friend fondue party! What fun, I have never had a fondue party and it was a hoot!!! We had so many wonderful foods to dip in our yummy cheese and chocolate sauces and the girls were just as hyper as could be! It was fun for us moms too as we had a few hours to just hang out and visit (a rarity for us).
Saturday we were up bright and early to Grants Pass (yet again) for our car wash. We put together a fund raiser car wash (we are doing as many fund raisers as we can...bake sale last month and another this coming month) to raise money for our kids competitive fees and for me I am hoping to raise enough for Marissa show fees as well. Anyhow, we set up at Abby's Pizza from 10:30 until 4 pm and made over $100. All in all it was a profitable day, but a bit cold.
So, now are back to reality of school and baking for our upcoming bake sale Easter weekend! Marissa has a league horse show at the end of this month and between those things and 4-H we should keep pretty busy I'd say!
Have a wonderful week and let's hope we get our plants in our garden this weekend as they are taking over my garden window!!!!

Just an update

Well, we have been so very busy over here, what else is new right? This past weekend we spent Sunday in Medford at Marissa's horse show! She did fabulous scoring a whopping 72.8% on her first ride and a nice 69% on her 2nd! She took 1st place in both rides...no surprise there with scores like that! Needless to say she was thrilled as was her trainer! We are so proud of her and her accomplishments in such a short time (only 1 year of training in Dressage riding).

Becca is adjusting well to her new gym in Grants Pass and the coaches just love her! It is so wonderful to watch...she is just thriving there and I know although it was difficult for her to leave the only gym she had ever trained at this turned out to be a perfect fit for her and she is definitely where she should be. She is loving the opportunity to train with the optionals especially since they range from level 7's up to level 9's!!!!

As for Rame and I we are just keeping busy as usual with our many projects around here. We are excited to add to our farm 6 baby chicks!!! I think we are now at the limit of animals we plan to have out here. We are busy trying to get our garden ready to plant this spring and making plans for our big house project and when Rame will take his "vacation" in order to begin this project! Never a dull moment out here that's for sure!

For now, that should bring you up to date and I hope to get back on keeping my blog up to date....well that's the plan anyhow!

Preparing for Lent

We have been very busy preparing for Lent this year. We have decided to make a Lent Calendar and Lent Folders to help my girls (and myself) in an effort to strengthen our faith! Our Lent calendar marks the beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday) and continues through the end of Lent (evening of Holy Thursday) and through the Triduum and Easter! Since Lent is a time for Prayer, Giving Alms and Fasting these are our plans for this Lenten Season: Each day we have items we must count and we will put the corresponding # of pennies in our rice bowl to be given to the needy at the end of Lent (our church will collect these). We are also picking one item from our pantry each day and putting those in a box (haven't gotten around to setting one up and decorating it) and those will all be donated as well. We have specific prayer intentions we will be making each day during Lent as well. To add to our traditional fasting we have decided to give up candy and sugar items every Sunday (which for us will be quite a sacrifice). I have included pictures of our Lent Calendar and the girls Lent Folder they are in the process of creating (these are called lapbooks or flapbooks). My girls have recently began making these in our homeschooling (history mainly) and they are similar to scrapbooking so it's right up their alley! Well, I must get them some "late" lunch so I will end for now.

Cookies, cakes or sweets anyone???

What a better way to earn some money, but to have a bake sale right? Well, we got together with some friends and decided to have a small bake sale on Valentine's Day. We did great, we earned over $300 and the girls had a great time! We are planning another one just before Easter and maybe will be doing a car wash in March. Hey, we have to find some way to earn the money to keep our kids in gym and horses!!!! Looks yummy huh?