His name shall be called Wonderful

I am so greatful to my wonderful friend Jennie for posting in her blog about this amazing artist Mark Mabry. He is an inspired photographer who has created a photographic depiction of Christ's life, making the most beautiful pictures of the Savior I have seen. I really feel closer to the Savior when I look at the pictures he has taken and the way he has been inspired to protray our Redeemer. I first saw his pictures at a fireside for families involved in the production of Savior of the World in our stake. I was instantly enamored, and have been thinking almost daily of where and how I could get copies of these beautiful pictures. I hope to end up with all of them in my home.
Here are a couple that I love (as if I could really chose some that I love more than the others)

This picture is particularly significant to me because it reminds me of what Christ and I have in common: our love for the heavy laden. I am so grateful for opportunities to remember that His name shall be called Counselor, because He has counseled, healed and comforted me when others could not, despite their love for me. But because of His sacrifice, He knows perfectly each pain and confusion I, and we all, have suffered.


The Savior of the world is perfect in his example. I know this picture shows how the Savior did feel the day His cousin baptized Him in the River Jordan. Was I as happy as He the day I entered the waters of baptism?

He loves, He lives and He knows us each in ALL our trials and triumphs.
http://www.reflectionsofchrist.org/

Memo

In case you haven't heard... I am
SINGLE!!!!!!!
I got the word on Tuesday. I was at work and I saw that I had a voicemail, and little did I expect but much did I find! I called to verify that I understood, and sure enough I did. I was at the Nurses' station so I said "I just need you all to listen to me right now" and I told them and started crying then called my parents and cried and cried! I can't believe it's really here. It's really over. There really was light at the end of the tunnel, and I just walked right into it! So now the big question is: NOW WHAT?? I have been focusing all of my attention on one person/situation for 5 years. What do I do with all this extra attention and energy? I guess we'll see!


Well I just got back from NC where I spent Thanksgiving with my wonderful family. Here is some photographic proof:

As you might guess, Jenna, Sydney and I took more pictures than the rest of the family. :)

Happy Holidays!!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Hot off the press.. Jesse is back!!! Well, not HOT off the press, maybe luke-warm..he got home two weeks ago. He came and visited us in Blacksburg as a surprise, it was awesome!! I was so happy to talk to him, and hug him and pinch his little cheeks!

But, it wasn't all play: after two months' absence...it was time for work!


We did take some down time though..

well Travis and I did, but Jesse is a work-AHOLIC!

Welcome home Kan!!!

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

My friend Jordan and I went to see HSM3 on Wednesday, and we were the only two people out of three towns in the theater for it. It was awesome, we just screamed over Troy, clapped after each performance, and boo-ed Gabriella for stealing our man! Haha!! It was really fun.

We're all in this together!!!


Don't worry, sweet little Gabriella didn't cover her thighs the whole movie.. we even saw her panties!!!! But we just hate her 'cause we ain't her ;)

(click post title for some clips!!!)

Duke It Out.

Some things have changed since I last complained about not knowing what to do with my life. I was having multiple breakdowns a week because I couldn't decide what kind of nurse I wanted to be and I was feeling pressure to decide. As I spoke to my mom about it CONSTANTLY (Bless her) she said "You know Lindsay, everytime we talk about this you always come back to kids. You just need to do Pediatrics, and you can change later if you want to." So after thinking about it, I officially decided to do Pediatrics, and I am 100% sure that it is the right choice, I haven't questioned it for a minute.

The next daunting task was to decide where from the Virgin Islands to Alaska I wanted to work. I pretty much had selected Florida and NC as my top picks. Then I started thinking a lot about Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC. Then we had a Nursing Career Fair that I didn't want to go to but I did anyway because it was mandatory. And to my surprise there were a few NC hospitals and to my greatest surprised DUKE was there!! And they don't come every year. It was awesome, and destined. So, incase you haven't put two-and-two together, Duke is the expected destination.

A view of my future:

Now, the key is to get offered a job! They have a New Graduate Career Fair in December, at which point May graduates can be hired. You better believe I will be there, and you better also believe my resume will be plumped and polished!!!! Rumor is they love Radford Students, I hope it's true, because I love NC and more importantly I LOOOVVE children!!

Not to mention, Duke needs me, so I can just love on babies like this. But don't worry, I know not to kiss other people's children. Thanks to OB class. Although, who could resist that face???


And Duke needs me to play with and love on princesses like her:

She's a competition cheerleader, and is looking forward to the Olympics they will be having for the kids on the Bone Marrow Transplant unit :).

How can anyone resist these DARLINGS??

Wish me luck!

Three's company

One day there was a girl who loved baseball,

On that same day, there was a boy who played baseball. So, they fell in love.

And, since he's loaded he bought her a huge rock and they got married.
I guess it's safe to say, Evan knows how to round the bases..and he scored a homerun.

Take me out the Ball Game! Then Evan can take me out to Dinner.

I don't know how many of you really care about baseball, but in my life.. I would consider it easily in the top 7 things I love. And loving it is definitely in the top 5 requirements for my future husband. My team is the St. Louis Cardinals, but they didn't make post season (Next year boys!!) so I had to pick a post season team. Well it came down to Dodgers vs. Phillies, and Rays vs. Red Sox. I really didn't care about the NLCS, but I did about ALCS because I REALLY WANTED the Rays to win. They had the WORST record in baseball last year!! How could you not be excited for them? Plus, they feature my true love: Evan Longoria. And now.....in case you didn't know.. they are going to the WORLD SERIES. That is awesome. They have young team, and the franchise itself is relatively young. They are going to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. I am SO EXCITED. I really don't want to be a band-waggon fan, and I hope I'm not.. I am just so impressed by baby-faced players taking them from the bottom of the pit to the top of the pile. GO RAYS! (The Phillies won their pennant, by the way).

And here is a glimpse of my future, his name is Evan Longoria. He plays 3rd base for the Rays and I love him.
Give me a boy in a baseball uniform!

When you're on the right path, you find the right people.

Sorry I am taking forever to ever post anything. Nothing really that exciting is happening in my life. Nursing school is still going really well, and pretty laid back compared to last year. I've pretty much decided I am going to start out in Pediatrics (kids).. the question now is.. where to go? I am really hoping to go and work at the hospital at the University of Florida, and move down there with my girlfriend Alisa. But I don't know, there are some other potential paths my life could take. So speaking of Alisa, she is what inspired me to post today. As a preface, Alisa and I have been friends since we both came to school in 2005. She goes to Virginia Tech and I go to Radford (duh.) Anyway, since coming back this year, our relationship which as always been close, has become even closer. As an additional preface there are a couple of things about Alisa and I that make us very different from everyone else in 1. our peer group in general and 2. our peer group at church (she is also LDS). Alisa is an EMS (now doing ACLS which is SO AWESOME) and was a first responder to the shootings and VT, which means she has seen an experienced things pretty much noone else has (except for fellow EMS). I have the experience of marriage and divorce (which no, it isn't official.. bleh), which means I have experienced things pretty much no one else I know has. So anyway.. Alisa and I have life experience that sets us apart from our other friends and families, but fortunately for us we are in a place where we are able to be GREAT FRIENDS. And be such a support to eachother when no one else really can, because no one else around us understands the loss, grief, and need to rely exlusively on the Savior for comfort and peace. I am so grateful for her in my life and how people are put in our paths to bless us and for us to bless. Alisa has really been "my person" and I her's as we have stayed up hours and hours talking, laughing, consoling, counseling and searching together. I spend the night with her all the time, and it has been so good for both of us just to have the other nearby. So here are some pictures of my dear God-sent friend Alisa Nussman (who is a real hero!)

(our early days :)

And I just wanted to add a side note also about another DEAR friend of mine, Paul. Paul and Alisa are also best friends, so the 3 of us have really been so good for eachother this year and I am SO GRATEFUL for them, and excited about the fun times ahead. Paul is so good to us, and so kind to me and always willing to listen, advise and counsel. He is a worthy priesthood holder, who can bless us and teach us. I am so glad we are finally able to just be friends and not worry about other matters (namely: Mitch). Paul and I have also been friends since my freshman year but it was always a little inhibited, and I am grateful to see how true friendship comes through in the end.

I love you guys!!! xoxox

No directions and No driver

Ok sorry I haven't posted.. so with Kristy's encouragement here I am. I will just give you a quick debriefing.
1. I am situated in my apartment where I live alone. When I moved my stuff in it was NASTY. So they kind of cleaned it up, but basically I used every cleaner available and scrubbed everything 17 times. Since I've moved in I've had electrical outlets stop working, my stove/oven stopped working and by the time I get the new one I will have been w/o an oven for 2.5-3 weeks. And my toilet was actin' a-fool but I got that one figured out. I hated living alone at first but now it's fine, especially since I just stay in Blacksburg with friends half of the week.
2. Nursing school is moving pretty slow, which is fine I'm just not used to it. I have my first test on Wed. so we'll see how that goes. I am now more confused than EVER about what kind of nurse I want to be. But I think I will move to Florida.
3. Speaking of moving to Florida I called LDS family services to make an appointment with my counselor and HE has moved to Florida. So hopefully the new guy can figure out my life for me like Ryan did.
4. Church is going awesome/frustrating. I am having more fun than I have had in years passed buuuut I'm not officially single yet so I have to watch my P's and Q's. It's frustrating to feel like I have to have a chaperone.
5. My BFF Jesse is in Europe and loving the Orange Fanta, but I miss him SO dearly!! But it's been good because I would've hidden behind him instead of branching out and making awesome friends/kindling old relationships into awesome.
6. This year I have a goal to get RIPPED UP and so far I'm doing pretty well with working out, but without an oven I am struggling to get excellent protein.
7. My clinicals are Pediatrics, ICUs, and Nursing homes and the nursing homes are HILARIOUS.
8.I miss everyone alot and I will post more later. I really need to study!

"Bill" is short for "William"

This weekend my famalia and I went to Williamsburg,Va. Our Trip started with Busch Gardens. Bethany and I were punished right away for our typical assaults: (but the funny thing is, I didn't notice we had picked the "crimes" we did until afterwards.. it was fate!)


If you didn't know Busch Gardens is separated into 'countries.' Our Irish heritage couldn't be contained when we entered Busch Gardens : Ireland

The next day was designated for: Water Country USA. But first we needed to get some good ol' southern grub at Mama Steve's Pancake house. Yes that's the real name, and yes the waitresses wore aprons, bonnets and dresses.

Like I said.. our Irish heritage was uncontrollable.

BUT our Scottish heritage also made an entrance. The hat I am wearing has the family colors for the "Lindsay family" there was Lindsay stuff everywhere. And Cameron stuff too (my brother's name). So we are REALLY Scots.

We finally made it to Water Country USA where we were pleased to find Nick and Jenna! Or Jick and Nenna as we kept calling them all day. Ok, we didn't necessarily FIND them, it was planned. And a fun day we had!! Jenna and I were punished in Colonial Williamsburg. We also made the same poses without coordinating it. And Jenna is one-legged.


Dad and Nick matched and it was soo cute.

This is how Nick and Jenna met.

Then we went to Sno-to-Go which is a BOMB diggity snow-cone place we found thanks to Nick and Jenna. And we regretted taking pictures after water-parking. But for the sake of memories we endured.

YUM!

So that was my weekend!

I've been a Counting Crow

Well incase you haven't been counting days in my life... today marks 6 months. I have been pratically counting the minutes to this day which marks when my old life ends and my new life begins. And now that it's here it's 1. anticlimatic haha, but more importantly 2. Scarier than I thought. I was so excited to start new and fresh and now I'm terrified, or atleast nervous! Will I make new friends? Will boys like me? How will I tell weird boys I don't want to go on dates? Will boys even ask me on dates? Will I be lonely? Will i get attacked/robbed now that I live alone? Since I was 16 I've never done anything without Mitch. He was always around. I've never been at school without Mitch. I've never gone to Church without knowing exactly with whom I was going to sit. I've never wondered if I would have something to do or someone to hang out with. This year is going to be really different anda all my security blankets are gone!!! They called a new bishop (and my old bishop knew EVERYTHING.. I mean I lived with him during alot of it), my BFF Jesse will be in EUROPE (I'm happy for ya suga, even though I complain). Mommy and daddy won't be around. And I'll have NO roommates...something I swore I would never do. My clinical BFF Ashley is no longer in my clincial group and I am in a whole new group with people I don't even know, etc etc!

Me&Jesse aka Kanye

Me&Ash

Me&Rooms

So now the day I've been waiting for is here. And I want to rewind and start over. Maybe to March 2007 when I decided Mitch was right for my life. My next beau will have a current temple recomment and go ON HIS OWN. Will have a stable financial background and future. He will love his mama and the Lord. And he will be a hunk-o-juicy-meat. By that time I will have waited long enough for babies, so I want them to be pretty!! ;). I think those are reasonable requirements.

I know it will all turn out ok, but for now.. I reserve the right to be scared!

The Best of Friends

I am a really lukcy girl. I have lots of wonderful people and experiences in my life. The other day I was reminded that in my life I will be "loved by many, will love many and have friendships unnumbered." I know I love many, so I hope that the other half of the promise is honored. Of all of the friendships I enjoy there are some that I not only enjoy but I treasure. I have some of the best friends and I wanted to tell them how much I LOVE them and share just a little bit of the special relationship I share with them with you. This will be a tad long. But aren't all my posts?

Kristy Cook (formerly Kristy Pickeral, or Krispy Pickles ;) )

Kristy's family and my family met in Hawaii when our dads were in the military. Our parents became dear friends as well as us kids. Especially Kristy and I (and our big sissies Adrienne and Kaelyn). Kristy and I would enjoy the typical life of a child eating frozen vegetables, swallowing mouse trap pieces and wandering around barefoot. After my family left HI when I was 4 Kristy and I spoke once when I was nine. I didn't see her again until their family decided to come and pay us a visit when I was 13. It was like we had never spent a day apart. We had everything in common from LOVING dolphins and whales, the color orange and chicken and broccoli casserole. We MUST have been friends before we came here and we will certainly be friends long after we leave. Forever, to be precise. I love her! She is symbol of strength in many ways. She has suffered great loss but has always smiled (and I always noticed). I know that when I talk to her I will be happier when I get off the phone, and I count down the days until I get to see her! She is the best mom to the cutest little boy and will be an even greater mom to the cutest girl when she gets here. Here's to thousands more years of kindred spirits! I love you!!

Lauren Bales aka the BOMB

Lauren is my cousin, my sister, my best friend and my late-night lighthouse. I can remember many conversations spent in the still and dark of the night when no one else was around to talk it out, and frankly.. I didn't want to talk it out with anyone else. Lauren and I haven't always been 'best friends' you see, atleast we like to say that so we can tell our awesome story. We were playing outside and Lauren was trying to talk to me and I was just singing so she popped me in the face to get my attention and I laid a good one back right across her face. Ohh man we were so mad at eachother and Lauren even told me she HATED me and that I wasn't invited to her bday party anymore. Well, the next time I saw her she said sorry (so did I) and gave me a best friend necklace.. and well-the rest is history. Lauren is the person I always want to talk to first..whatever it is. She had I have shared so many of our experiences together and have had surprisingly similar life..issues.. at the same time. Even now though our situations are rather different, in many ways they are much the same. This has made it possible for us to always be able to support eachother and Lauren has been one of my greatest supports. I want her to be happier than anyone on earth and I am so excited for what lies ahead for her (and us) but don't know what I will do if she leaves for a mission! Who will I talk to at 3 am????? I am so happy that we are bound together eternally! I love you!

Adrienne and Bethany aka Broom-broom and boop

These are my sissies. I LOVE THEM. I am so happy to have sisters!!!! What a blessing for girls to be able to have their bestfriends within their own families. Adrienne is my big sis, we weren't always best friends either.. but what siblings are? I am so happy we decided to grow up and get along because it is so awesome. Adrienne is a strong head on strong shoulders and has been able to comfort, advise, guide and listen to me in a way that no one else could during the darkest times of this year. She has help to restore hope and confidence and reminded me of the importance of an eternal perspective. I have learned a lot from her and I know I will continue to. I love you!! Bethany is my baby sister. I can't accept that she's 18. I specifically remember when we were younger holding her little hands and thinking "I wish her hands could always be so little" I didn't want her to ever grow up! I have always been her protector and she has always reciprocated. And while we still get annoyed and snip I wouldn't change anything out. Together we can enjoy a corny movie and doing ridiculous things like 'dance-fighting.' I can't wait to see her come out of her shell and be so fabulous! I love you!!!!

All of my cousins!!!!!!!!!!! Well, all my Holden cousins!

All my girl cousins!!!!!! (except Brittany and Alison)

I had to include these pictures as well because while distance and circumstance has not made is as possible for me to spend as much time with some of my other cousins I love them so much!!! And miss each of them and want so much for each of us to live on the same street forever. Brittany, Jenna are beautiful, fabulous and so much fun. Whenever I see Brittany and Jenna.. no matter how long it's been.. it feels like we've lived next door to eachother our whole lives.. we never miss a beat. And I love to see how we are much more alike than different. Hayley and Kirsten are so hilarious and beautiful. Annie has been as Lauren would say "exactly what our family needed. She's has all the qualities none of us have." And while I haven't spent much time with Alison I adore how she adores my darling cousin Anthony and I am so happy to have her in our family! And the newest addition is Erika, and I have great anticipation about the new friendship ahead! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! (well... gals :) )

I got served!

I am so excited about this that I want to share it, especially since (as far as I know) mostly/only girls read this... which means I will be well understood, and this will be so appreciated and ENVIED! ;)

So, friday morning mom and I drove up to Kensington, MD to go to the Washintong DC temple, because we try to go each week.. preferrably together.

When we got there, they were paving the upper part of the parking lot and so we had to go towards the back and didn't think much of it so we parked and walked up to the temple doors.. to find them gated and LOCKED! The temple was and HAD BEEN closed!!! We had no idea.. we felt pretty foolish and disappointed. Our trip all the way to the Temple was in vain.
Well, anyway... so we got back in the car to leave and mom decided we would stop by FairOaks mall to make Bethany an appointment at JCPenney's for Senior pictures. I didn't feel like going home just yet, so we stayed and meandered around the store. Once we found the women's department it took us straight to the shoes where they were having a GREAT SALE!!! And I mean.. great! So here is what I bought on our rerouted trip to the mall:




Sooo the point of this is.. this ENTIRE PURCHASE: Two HOT shoes, a pair of randomly found black pinstripe trousers that fit like a GLOVE, two shirts, a bangle and a necklace came to a STYLISH total of: $40.40!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Lord certainly blessed us for our efforts to serve him... the effort turned out to NOT be in vain!! Though it may have contributed to vanity :). (No way!!)