Sharing information about living for Christ, our family, home schooling, parenting and anything else. A tea time chat type of site. "The horse is prepared for... battle, But victory belongs to the LORD." Proverbs 21:31 NAS Bible http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:12:00 -0600 Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:12:00 -0600 Spring into Fun Show Horse Gaming Show Saturday, March 28nd   Frontier Park/Pierce County Fairgrounds Registration:  7:00 am (Come Rain or Shine) Classes begin @ 8:00am Sponsored by:  Horsewise & Otherwise 4-H Get rid of your cabin and barn fever by springing into the next show season.  Come stretch your legs and flex your horse and have fun doing it.   Helmets and Boots required (under 18).   Try something new! Instruction and demonstration before each class. Whether you’re Novice or Experienced, Gaming or Performance come join in the fun of exercising your horse.   High point awards!   Concessions available. Receive a DISCOUNT for pre-registering_ $ 4.00 a class or $25.00 for all day.  (Includes Fun Games and $5.00 non-refundable  handling fee). Same day registration $5.00 a class or  $30.00 for all day (includes Fun Games).  Any questions call Lori 360-832-6744  or Shelly 253-843-0567. Pre-entries must be postmarked by March 23rd.       _____________________________________________________________________________ Check one for High Point: ____Beginner: (any age)   ____ Jr.(3rd-5th)   ____ Int.(6th-8th)   ____ Sr.(9th-12th)   ____ Adult  (Walk/Trot/lead line) Check class(es):  1.  ____Key Hole   ____2.Flags   ____3.Figure 8  ____4.Pole bending  ____5. Barrels   ____6. International Flags *** Fun games to follow as time and weather allows *** Pre- Classes___ at $4.00 ______ Exhibitor_________________________________            Pre-All day or $25.00__________                                     (includes Fun Games) Horse____________________________________                classes_____  at $5.00_________ All day for $30.00____________ Total Amount Due $___________ Phone number: __________________________                                                          (includes Fun Games) Signature (required) ____________________________           (Parent if MINOR)  ______________________________ Make checks payable to: Horsewise 4-H. Mail entries to:     Horsewise 4-H Club  P.O. Box 1628, Eatonville, WA 98328.  (Fundraiser for Horsewise and Otherwise 4-H Club.) The above signed agrees; that exhibitor named on entry  enters at his/her own risk & releases PC 4-H, PC Fairgrounds & Horsewise 4-H from any liability  or damage to horse and rider, equipment or property.  Exhibitor agrees to abide by all rules both  written and announced.    http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/659231/ Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:12:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/659231/ I'm not sure if this award will post here for me but my friend, Sunshine gave me this lovely, sweet award! Thank you! You can check out her blog at: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Carrots/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/649928/ Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:48:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/649928/ We are go to have the Rummage/Tack Sale on Saturday, Feb. 7th from 10:00 to 5:00 pm.  It will be at the Country Schack Gifts Shop at 4020 224th St. E., Spanaway, WA 98387.  We are looking for any items that people would like to donate to the benefit of JayDeen, Aubrey and Crystal.  All proceeds will be divided between these three that lost their horses in the barn fire on Dec. 11, 2008.  There were costs that were incurred that we would like to help out with- besides their hearts being broken. If people would like to bring any of their items to the Horse Leaders Meeting this Wed night Jan. 21st that would be great or they are welcome to bring them to the Country Schack at 4020 224th St. E., Spanaway, WA 98387 anytime.  Please call Jaenette 253-250-8533 for directions and drop off.  Items to be delivered that day can be brought in from 8:00 to 10:00 am on the 7th.  On the same day there will also be a Chocolate Contest and vendors for the Chocolate Festival- This is a Heart Association benefit.  So if you have nothing to donate please come and and support both benefits and have fun. If you have any questions, please call me at 360-832-6744 or email me at lqgsunshine@aol.com or go to the Website at www.countryschackgifts.com . All items that are donated that do not sale you are welcome to pick up at 5:00 pm that day or they will be donated to the Salvation Army.  This rummage/tack sale is not in place of our Horse Dept. tack sale to be held in March. Thank you all for your wonderful support of these 4H people.  Let's bind together to help heal them. Sincerely, Lori Grohs, Horsewise & Otherwise 4H Club http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/647410/ Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:04:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/647410/ I LOVE THIS ONE!   Your Horse is Your Gift   To have a horse in your life is a gift. In the matter of a few short years, a horse can teach a young girl courage, if she chooses to grab mane and hang on for dear life. Even the smallest of ponies is mightier than the tallest of girls. To conquer the fear of falling off, having one's toes crushed, or being publicly humiliated at a horse show is an admirable feat for any child. For that, we can be grateful.   Horses teach us responsibility. Unlike a bicycle or a computer, a horse needs regular care and most of it requires that you get dirty and smelly and up off the couch. Choosing to leave your cozy kitchen to break the crust of ice off the water buckets is to choose responsibility. When our horses dip their noses and drink heartily; we know we've made the right choice. Learning to care for a horse is both an art and a science. Some are easy keepers, requiring little more than regular turn-out, a flake of hay, and a trough of clean water. Others will test you - you'll struggle to keep them from being too fat or too thin. You'll have their feet shod regularly only to find shoes gone missing. Some are so accident-prone you'll swear they're intentionally finding new ways to injure themselves.   If you weren't raised with horses, you can't know that they have unique personalities. You'd expect this from dogs, but horses? Indeed, there are clever horses, grumpy horses, and even horses with a sense of humor. Those prone to humor will test you by finding new ways to escape from the barn when you least expect it.   Horses can be timid or brave, lazy or athletic, obstinate or willing. You will hit it off with some horses and others will elude you altogether. There are as many "types" of horses as there are people - which makes the whole partnership thing all the more interesting. If you've never ridden a horse, you probably assume it's a simple thing you can learn in a weekend. You can, in fact, learn the basics on a Sunday, but to truly ride well takes a lifetime. Working with a living being is far more complex than turning a key in the ignition and putting the car or tractor in "drive." In addition to listening to your instructor, your horse will have a few things to say to you as well. On a good day, he'll be happy to go along with the program and tolerate your mistakes; on a bad day, you'll swear he's trying to kill you. Perhaps he's naughty or perhaps he's fed up with how slowly you're learning his language. Regardless, the horse will have an opinion. He may choose to challenge you (which can ultimately make you a better rider) or he may carefully carry you over fences - if it suits him. It all depends on the partnership - and partnership is what it's all about.   If you face your fears, swallow your pride, and are willing to work at it, you'll learn lessons in courage, commitment, and compassion in addition to basic survival skills. You'll discover just how hard you're willing to work toward a goal, how little you know, and how much you have to learn. And, while some people think the horse "does all the work", you'll be challenged physically as well as mentally. Your horse may humble you completely. Or, you may find that sitting on his back is the closest you'll get to heaven. You can choose to intimidate your horse, but do you really want to? The results may come more quickly, but will your work ever be as graceful as that gained through trust? The best partners choose to listen, as well as to tell. When it works, we experience a sweet sense of accomplishment brought about by smarts, hard work, and mutual understanding between horse and rider. These are the days when you know with absolute certainty that your horse is enjoying his work.   If we make it to adulthood with horses still in our lives, most of us have to squeeze riding into our over saturated schedules; balancing our need for things equine with those of our households and employers. There is never enough time to ride, or to ride as well as we'd like. Hours in the barn are stolen pleasures.   If it is in your blood to love horses, you share your life with them. Our horses know our secrets; we braid our tears into their manes and whisper our hopes into their ears. A barn is a sanctuary in an unsettled world, a sheltered place where life's true priorities are clear: a warm place to sleep, someone who loves us, and the luxury of regular meals. Some of us need these reminders.   When you step back, it's not just about horses - it's about love, life, and learning. On any given day, a friend is celebrating the birth of a foal, a blue ribbon, or recovery from an illness. That same day, there is also loss: a broken limb, a case of colic, a decision to sustain a life or end it gently. As horse people, we share the accelerated life cycle of horses: the hurried rush of life, love, loss, and death that caring for these animals brings us. When our partners pass, it is more than a moment of sorrow.   We mark our loss with words of gratitude for the ways our lives have been blessed. Our memories are of joy, awe, and wonder. Absolute union. We honor our horses for their brave hearts, courage, and willingness to give.   To those outside our circle, it must seem strange. To see us in our muddy boots, who would guess such poetry lives in our hearts? We celebrate our companions with praise worthy of heroes. Indeed, horses have the hearts of warriors and often carry us into and out of fields of battle. Listen to stories of that once-in-a-lifetime horse; of journeys made and challenges met. The best of horses rise to the challenges we set before them, asking little in return.   Those who know them understand how fully a horse can hold a human heart. Together, we share the pain of sudden loss and the lingering taste of long-term illness. We shoulder the burden of deciding when or whether to end the life of a true companion.   In the end, we're not certain if God entrusts us to our horses--or our horses to us. Does it matter? We're grateful God loaned us the horse in the first place.   Author Unknown   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/643596/ Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:23:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/643596/ .hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { font-size: 10pt; font-family:Verdana } County activates emergency center as rivers rise Pierce County opened its Emergency Operations Center this morning in preparation for predicted flooding on three local rivers. The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the rivers in Western Washington, including the Puyallup (above), Carbon and Nisqually rivers in Pierce County. ORTING: 700 Orting-area residents urged to evacuate homes SUMNER: Sumner advises some residents to get to higher ground CLOSED: Roads, highways throughout region under water PASSES: Avalanches, mudslides close all three mountain passes SHELTER: Shelter opens for displaced Pierce County residents SCHOOLS: Stormy weather prompts school closures, bus changes BLOG: Get updates on road closures and flooding on the Lights & Sirens blog   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/642524/ Wed, 7 Jan 2009 16:06:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/642524/ URGENT INFORMATION: I just spoke with the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department. If you need to evacuate or know of someone that needs to evacuate and have animals Frontier Park (This is a park on Meridian just north of the Graham Safeway on Meridian and 224th. It is the at the next stop light north of 224th) is being opened up to house animals. From Nancy S. at Pierce County Extension  Michelle at JMJ Stables in Graham, WA also has called and she has places for animals too. Sometimes she says Frontier Park fills up. Call 253-222-6816 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/642517/ Wed, 7 Jan 2009 15:54:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/642517/ Greetings, We would like to organize a rummage/tack sale.  The proceeds would go to Aubrey, Crystal and JayDeen.  So if people are going to be going through their closets and barns soon, please keep in mind that there will be a fire victims rummage/tack sale. The sale will probably be in early February. Exact date and location to be announced.  Thank you to all the 4-H Clubs that have been very supportive of these people. Sincerely, Lori Grohs, Horsewise & Otherwise 4-H For more information please contact Lori at: lqgsunshine@aol.com Here's a link to one news story covering the barn fire:   Fundraiser For Barn Fire Victims http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/639203/ Fri, 2 Jan 2009 12:57:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/639203/  Christmas Blessings in the Lord! Love, Bernie, Marie, Nate & Joy Roxy, Ima, Snickers, Spike, Thumper & Miss Kitty http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/634548/ Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:32:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/634548/ We are easily entertained 'down on the farm'. We had fun with these three roosters, so I grabbed the camera to capture a bit of the action. Thank you to our dear friend, Nancy, for sharing her wonderful critter farm with us! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/633047/ Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:01:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/633047/ Hi Everyone,  There was a barn fire last Thursday that took the lives of 15 horses in the Summit area of Puyallup/Tacoma, WA.  Four of those horses were 4-H horses.   However, Horsewise 4-H club along with friends of Horsewise are hosting a Memorial Service on Monday, December, 22nd for all the horse owners that lost horses.  It will be held at Real Life Family Center on 176th and 28th Ave., Spanaway, WA at 7:00 PM. There will be a silent auction and a gift box for donations for the fire victims. There are financial needs that need to be met. All proceeds will be divided and there will be separate envelopes for those that would prefer to designate who they want their money to go to.  But foremost, your attendance would be wonderful.  Please notify your friends because I don't have everyone's e mail address.  I know a lot of you have asked me what you can do, so that is why I have sent out this bulk e mail.  We need to get the word out. Thank you for all your support. Sincerely,  Lori Grohs, Horsewise & Otherwise 4-H lqgsunshine@aol.com http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/632743/ Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:47:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/TroopersForChrist/632743/