A New Introduction for New Friends

Hey y'all! A few new friends have found their way to this little ol' space of mine here on the internet; so, I thought I'd take a few minutes to introduce you to myself - the Momma of the Lu Crew! 

Hi! I'm Lindsay. I am... 

• 37 years old (and literally have to stop and think every.single.time. I am asked how old I am). 
• a Christian. My husband and I found our place and our faith as a married couple when we lived in Atlanta at Buckhead Church, and I truly began to know and form a relationship with Christ under the amazing pastor, Andy Stanley. That church is what I miss most from Atlanta. But luckily, we've found a new church home over the last few years after moving to Fort Mill, South Carolina. Some of the greatest and deepest relationships we've grown here have come from our church friends. <3 
• a wife of 13.5 years. My hub and I met our senior year of college (Go Tigers!). We dated for a year, were engaged for a year, and will be married for 14 years this summer. We were both born and raised in South Carolina (save the two years I lived in Toronto, Canada, as a child), lived in Atlanta for nine years after getting married, and moved to our beloved Fort Mill five years ago. Clay is my very best friend. He knows my secrets and my struggles, my joys and my despair, and loves me through all the many mistakes I make. He works incredibly hard to provide for our family and support our community, and I am so proud to call him mine.
• a momma. I have four children I absolutely adore who teach me the meaning of grace, patience, imperfection, and unconditional love every day. Banks is my oldest. He is 8 years old and has the sweetest heart. He is kind and athletic, smart and energetic and made me a momma on a Tuesday evening back in September 2009. Raleigh is my first daughter, who is now 6 years old. She is the definition of sugar and spice - she can be sweeter than sugar but also knows how to push buttons like no other. She is graceful and friendly, shy and nurturing, and she made my dreams of having a daughter come true just over six years ago. Harrison is my 3-year-old entertainer. He loves making people laugh with his huge personality. He is fun and mischievous, adorable and friendly, and I don't know what I'd do without him making life more interesting every day. Bella is my youngest little lady, who was born of my heart in May 2015 in Inner Mongolia, China. She was mine, and I was hers, from the moment she was born. It just took us 26 months to find one another. She is affectionate and joyful, resilient and determined and the six months we've had her have been the best (and hardest) of my life.
• an unexpected stay-at-home momma. My dream was never to stay home with my kiddos. I ALWAYS envisioned myself as a full-time working momma...until I actually became a momma. Then, my dreams shifted and with them, my job description, thanks to a very loving and supportive husband. 
• a former pediatric neuropsychologist. I have my doctorate in child and family psychology and specialized in pediatric neuropsychology after completing an internship at the University of Minnesota Medical School and then a residency at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, where I was hired on after completing my post-graduate training. While there, I specialized in working with kiddos with epilepsy (often intractible; often surgical candidates) and also worked on the comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation unit evaluating and treating children who were recovering from things like traumatic brain injuries, strokes, brain tumors, shaken baby syndrome, and much more. I am also trained and experienced in treating children with emotional, behavioral, and neurocognitive disorders, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, learning disabilities, etc. My passion was conducting neuropsychological evaluations for all kinds of children, of all different ages, with all kinds of conditions affecting their cognitive functioning, ultimately helping to formulate recommendations and treatment plans to help them acheive their potential both in and outside of the school environment. I loved my job. But I loved being home with my babies more. One day, I'll return to the field. That day is not today. <3
•  a proud daughter, sister, and aunt. My dad died when I was 9 years old, leaving my awesome momma to raise her four young kiddos on her own until 17 years ago, when she married my stepdad - the love of her life. My "side" of the family is often referred to here as BLOMPS. I have five siblings (three biological; two step) and between the six of us, there are 14 cousins (and my 8-year-old Banks is the oldest cousin!). It is loud and crazy and FUN when we get together! I also hit the jackpot and have the two greatest "in laws" on the planet who I adore, as well as a brother and sister "in law" and five more nieces/nephews from my hub's "side" of the family. Family is everything to me, and I just love getting to spend time with mine!
• a friend. Oh, how I love my girlfriends. I have been incredibly blessed to meet so many wonderful women at different stages of my life - childhood, college, and now, as a momma. I value these relationships so, so much, each different and valuable in their own way. I just don't know what I'd do without my girls. 
• an enthusiast of several hobbies. For example: Barre. Exercise and good health are important to me because (1) I want to live a long and healthy life alongside my loved ones; (2) I want to feel fit and healthy so that I can keep up with the little circus I manage on the day-to-day; (3) I need to stay sane; (4) women in barre classes are so supportive of one another; (5) it's fun pushing my body to see what it can do. I am also a lover of baking. I baked and decorated over 1500 cookies to help pay for our adoption of our Bella. Because I am a perfectionist (oops - haven't mentioned that lovely trait yet), each set takes me many, many hours to complete; so, I haven't had the time to really get back into the kitchen again. But. I hope to again one day! I also love being able to use creative outlets: I love to write (duh) and I love to craft and create. 
• someone who is a perfectionist (I have diagnosed myself as having OCPD). I also have anxiety and take medication to help manage my symptoms, as well as use several of the techniques I used to teach others when I was a practicing psychologist. Anxiety and depression run deep within my family, but I am happy to share that mine is usually well-managed. 
• someone who looooves beach trips in the summer, Clemson football, the quiet time I start my days off with each morning, an enthralling book, shows like This Is Us, Parenthood, and Friday Night Lights, dancing, a good adult beverage, crab legs and mashed potatoes and gravy, a good devotional, organization, being punctual, and any and all sweets. 
• not someone who enjoys cooking. In fact, I despise it - every single part of it, from the planning to the shopping to the cooking to the plating to the serving. I do enjoy family dinners, though, and we make it a priority to eat together almost every single night (and I'm not a total loss in the kitchen - I do love baking, as mentioned above). I also do not like condiments (I'm a'lookin' at you, mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, and the like), being late, nor staying up late.
• the creator of this blog, that I started 5+ years ago as a way to document the day-to-day comings and goings of my family; as a way to encourage others who were in the throws of wrestling with their faith; as a way to virtually scrapbook this life I am living; and most recently, as a way to advocate for adoption. (Note: If you ever have any questions AT ALL about adoption, please reach out! There are too many children in this world without families. Is your little one waiting for you? Don't be scared! Reach out. Let's talk! I promise to always be honest and to share the good, the hard, and the beauty of it all). <3

And that's me, in a quick, bulleted nutshell. Welcome friends, new and old! I so appreciate you stopping by and supporting my little corner of the world. If you're ever around my sweet little town, let me know so we can grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and I can hear more about YOU. <3