I spent the afternoon on Sunday at this amazing rescue, and I am impressed with the kind of dedication they have for these animals.  They are working extremely hard to get the ranch fully functioning and to where they want it to be.  They are always looking for volunteers to help around the ranch, not only for helping with the horses but to help with grading land, digging trenches for water and electrical, fencing, building the structures and planting trees.  They are working to make this an amazing place for both human and horse alike.  They offer trail rides and lessons, and have a wonderful little potluck on Sunday afternoons where you can get together with other horse lovers and spend time getting to know them, helping around the ranch, and loving on some gentle giants.

If you would like to make a donation to Oak Meadows/The Blue Pearl Project, you may do so through there website at www.oakmeadowsranch.com.  In the next week, we will also have a donation button available here on the blog as well.  All donations made through the blog will go to helping Oak Meadows Ranch and the Blue Pearl Project continue there mission.

If you have any questions, please get in touch with the wonderful staff at the ranch via there website, or send me an email and I will help you out if I can.

This year, we did a few different kinds of cookies as well as a home made peppermint hot cocoa mix for each of the families.

Starting in a clockwise direction, we did Magic Cookie Bars, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peppermint Hot Cocoa, Coconut Macaroons, Christmas Tree Brownies, and Sugar Blossom Cookies.  (Each link will take you to the respective recipe…or they can be found in My Kitchen).  A few of these were a first for me, like the coconut macaroons, but the ones I made for the first time turned out quite amazing.  The only other cookies not listed or pictured were our yearly Sugar Cut-Out Cookies.  I made some amazing ones this year with beautiful royal icing designs, and forgot to get pictures before I packaged them up for everyone.

Christmas this year was quite for the hubby and myself.  We spent the day at my Mom’s house in Orange County and went to see Les Miserables and a cute little theater up there.  The movie was absolutely amazing and I was so excited to see it.  I was on the edge of my seat the entire movie.  While it isn’t the Les Miserables I am used to, it was beautiful.  It gave me goose bumps, made me cry, and had me cheering (in my head of course) right along with the revolutionaries as they took their stand.

Needless to say, once the seasonal store I was working at closed on the January 2nd, I was more than happy to take a few days to finally kick my feet up and relax a little before I jumped back into my life head first.  That same day, I got sick as a dog, and while I am up and running now, I am still lacking in the energy department as well as the sleep department (no thanks to a cough that just wont go away no matter what I take for it).

I am hoping that in the next few days I get back fully into the swing of things, and that the posts I have needed to finish so I can share them with you get done.  On a side note, Happy 8th Anniversary to my hubby.  Love you!

Check back before the weekend for another awesome post about what 2013 is bringing into my life, and what I am putting into it myself.  I hope you all had an amazing holiday season with your families.  Did you make any resolutions for the new year?

Finding the words to express the pain, the aching in my heart, and the sorrow I feel for the families of all those affected by this unthinkable loss has been no easy task for me.  I have cried for all those affected by this unfathomable tragedy, knowing the pain that these families are feeling, deep within my being.

It has been almost seven years since tragedy struck my family and tore from us three of the most beautiful angels, and the pain, while it gets easier to navigate, never truly disappears.  My husband and I both know the pain of losing children, and even though we were never able to hold them in our arms, the pain of knowing they would never cry, never call us ‘mom’ or ‘dad’, never need us to protect them from the storm, it is numbing.

I know that the pain these families are feeling has no comparison, but know that you are all loved, and that there are so many amazing people in this great big world holding you in their hearts, thoughts, and prayers.  My deepest sympathies go to all those affected by this tragic event as they find the strength to move forward to remember and celebrate the lives of those taken so suddenly from our lives.  Know that they will always be in your hearts.

The Turner Family

Halloween Pinata Cookies

I would typically use a basic sugar cookie recipe for this, but I used the packaged mix that only needed a couple ingredients to make as I was short on time and ingredients.  I used basic food coloring to color my dough as follows:

Orange:  1 drop red, 2 drops yellow

Black:  3 drops blue, 3 drops red, 2 drops green

To get the darkness of each of the colors, I just kept adding these combinations until I got to a good color.  It took about 10 rounds to get the black to the color I did, and as it sat, it darkened a bit more.  I used a basic icing to “glue” each piece together, and numerous different candies to fill the cookies (i.e. mini m&m’s, chewy lemon heads and friends, and even a milky way by request).  I would love to hear about your experiences if you guys try these out.

Happy Halloween to everyone!  I hope all you readers on the East Coast are staying safe, and continue to be.  And a special early happy birthday (10/31) to my FIL, Don!  I hope you have a wonderful day.  Love you!

Thank you and good night!

I am joking, of course, but in all seriousness, if I could pick anyone to play me in a movie about my life, she would be it.  Her classic beauty, gorgeous smile, and subtle humor just keep me coming back for more.  Since I was young, Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961) has been an all time favorite movie of mine.

And who is this “I” that I speak of?  Well, my name is Lindsey, and I would like to welcome you to my little corner of the blogosphere.  I live to write, but would love for the reverse to be true as well.  I am a journalism major, and although I am not done with my degree yet, I am excited to be on this journey and to be able to share it with you (and even some of my writing if I can build up the courage to share it).  As you read more of my blog, you will learn a lot about me and my little family.  You will run across posts that will make you smile, laugh, and maybe even cry.

You are going to see a lot of posts about mine and my husbands journey to become parents and all that goes along with that; things like PCOS, weight loss, and adoption planning.  I also love to cook and so I hope you will make your way over to my kitchen for some wonderful recipes (and I would love for you to share some of your favorites with me).

So, who would you cast to play you in a movie about your life?  I can’t wait to hear who you would pick!

Go here to learn more about me and my little family.

Welcome to the new and improved site.  I hope you can find your way around easily while I get everything situated for you.  Check out this weeks new vlog, and let me know what you think.  Check back tomorrow for some updates.