Summer Time & the Living is Easy...

...it may be "easy", but it's sure HOT too!! Wow, this has been a scorcher of a summer - by far the hottest one we've had since I've been a resident of Birmingham! Not so good news for our yard & flower beds - I hope my little spurts of watering will be enough to save them.

This summer has been a very relaxing one - since we got back from our beach trip around Memorial Day, we've been keeping it close to home. In an effort to stay close to the nice air-conditioned house, we've been spending a lot of time cooking & doing inside projects. Last weekend we did a big BBQ for JD's mom & sister - we had all the 'fixins... pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, slaw, baked beans, & a new blueberry dessert recipe that I wanted to try - it was YUMMY!! I will need to post it for you to try! Everything was delicious & we had enough leftovers to feed the neighborhood!! Looking forward to re-creating this menu when we host Supper Club later this month!

JD & I have also been trying to focus on "healthy living" this summer - eating good foods & getting lots of exercise. We joined the local JCC back in April & immediately fell in love with all it had to offer - cardio machines, free weights, TONS of fun & interesting classes (including SPIN & ZUMBA!!), indoor & outdoor pools, etc... I've been impressed with our continued devotion to the "J" each week!!


We also recently purchased BICYCLES!!! And we are absolutely loving them!! We started out doing short trips in our neighborhood (which is the perfect area to ride - lots of looping side streets), but have recently started charting out courses beforehand & venturing out farther in the community! We have made a few rides up to the local Winn Dixie to pick up the bare essentials (milk, etc...) - oh!! Did I mention that my sweet husband bought me a basket & installed it on my bike?!? What a thoughtful guy :) Earlier this week we even went as far as Otey's in Crestline Village (for those of you unfamiliar with the area, it's about 3.5 miles from the house) to stop in & have a beer before heading back to the house. JD has joined an online program that allows him to track his courses, distance, time, etc... & it will save our paths so we can repeat them later - Through this site we have signed up to start a challenge of 120 miles in 30 days!! We start on Monday, so wish us luck!

Here are pictures of our bikes:




Some upcoming events for the Bakers are...
*JD's cousin, Janet, is getting married this weekend
*Trip to Rosemary Beach in FL with "Mom & Dad Goodroe" later in the month
*Supper Club at the Bakers
*2 Baby showers for a co-worker (Karen's baby boy is due Sept. 30!!!)
*Birmingham Phi Mu Alum Membership Drive in September
***AUBURN FOOTBALL KICKS-OFF ON SEPT 4***

As always, things are staying pretty busy for us - but we are really enjoying our summer together :)

Until next time...

peace & love.

Oh, & of course - WWWAAAARRRRRRRR EAGLE, HEY!!!

one more thing...

I was on my computer & I found a couple of pictures of us I wanted to share...

vIvA LaS VeGaS!!!!

Love is in the air, you hear the swooshing of taffeta with every step, & Cannon in D is on repeat in your head... that's right - it's wedding season!

To get this season started, my dear friend & college roomie, Lauren, got married a couple of weeks ago in Selma. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremony & reception at an old plantation home - the perfect setting for a truly Southern wedding. Not even a rain storm could mess with their perfect day! I wish she & Lee a lifetime of happy memories!

Next up, in early August, JD's cousin Janet is getting married here in Birmingham! She & her fiance Bradley are such a fun couple - we are looking forward to the wedding festivities!!

Kicking off the Fall, our good friend Liz is getting married on Lake Martin!! I was honored when Liz asked me to be a bridesmaid & I'm looking forward to the bachelorette party, showers, etc... So much fun!! We are really excited for she & Richard - they are a perfect match & I know they will have a lot of fun together!

Wrapping things up will be the Flory nuptials!! That's right friends, it's official - we're going to LAS VEGAS this Fall for SARAH & DARON'S WEDDING!!!! The official wedding date is Sunday, Nov. 14 at the MGM Grand - it's going to be super luxurious & FUN for all!! I'm ready to pack our bags today & hit the road, but there is much to do before then... starting with their engagement party next month!

On another note, my cousin's wife had a baby girl this week - welcome to the world, Lexi Pinkston!! Can't wait to meet you on our next visit up to Chi-town! Congratulations to Jamie, Renee, Jake, & Ashley :)

JD & I have signed up to be volunteers at the Greater Birmingham Humane Society!! We completed our orientation & are looking forward to training in the near future! We figure that we have a lot of love to give & there are a lot of animals who need some - rather than bringing them all home (which was our original idea - not very practical...), we thought we'd devote some time every month to the GBHS! I urge all of you to find a way to give back to the community - you will find it is extremely rewarding!

Mom & Dad are making their way down the second leg of their "Midwest Tour" - they started by driving to Chicago to help my aunt & uncles get my grandmother's house in order to put on the market; next stop is Farmington, MO to visit with Mom's aunt & cousins; the last stop will be to visit my mom's brother, Uncle Joe, in Mountain Home, Arkansas. Wishing them safe travels until their return home in the next week!

Happy early Father's Day to all the dad's out there :)

Not much else going on with the Bakers - until next time...

peace & love.

SPRING has SPRUNG

Hello All - hope everyone is experiencing as good of weather as we are in Birmingham! Sunny & hot (almost 90* today) - with a slight breeze. Too nice to be chained to the desk, if you ask me :)

First & foremost - I am so tickled to report that my very best friend Sarah got engaged a couple of weeks ago!! She & her FIANCE, Daron, have been dating for 5 years - I am able to recall that because they met while working together at Brick Oven Pizza Co. in Auburn, which is where & how JD & I met! I know she is going to have such fun with wedding planning - & that they will have a lifetime of love with one another! Couldn't be happier for her to have found such happiness with a great guy like Daron! Congrats guys :)

Not a ton to report here... I traveled to Boston a couple of weeks ago for a work conference - my first time to "bean town" & it was lovely!! I spent most of the week in a conference room, but I did try to sneak away & make the most of my trip - I did the historical walking tour which hit up all the "hot spots" of downtown Boston, saw Feneuil Hall & did some window shopping, spent some time in Boston Common, took the "T", had a beer at the bar that inspired "Cheers", & much more... While in New England, I was able to rent a car & drive up Hwy 1 in to Maine to visit one of our hospitals in Portland - such a beautiful drive! I must-do for anyone in that area!

Last week was my friend Natalie's birthday -we celebrated with our friend Julie, who drove over to visit from Atlanta! It's always good to catch up with my girlfriends...

JD has final exams this week for his first term at Troy - already knows that he made an A in his Info. Systems class (yay!) & will know about Econ later in the week! He's been working so hard & I know he is looking forward to a *brief* break until his next term starts.

We did a little bit of yard work this week - mostly just putting straw in the beds & pulling weeds... nothing exciting, but wow what a difference it makes! JD & I have been brainstorming this week about inexpensive improvements / projects we could do around the house to give it a little "face-lift"... toying with the idea of painting a couple of rooms or maybe we will go ahead & reorganize our laundry room? Hmmm...

Mom & Dad are coming to visit this weekend - I hope the weather holds out because we bought tickets for the Birmingham Barons baseball game Saturday night! It's nothing like catching a Braves game at Turner Field, but it will scratch that summertime baseball itch if you've got it!

I guess that's all I have time for for now - until next time...

peace & love.

Baker Babies

Hello All - nothing new to share this time, just wanted to share some photos of our "babies" : Aja, Benny, & Luna

Seasons of LOVE

hey out there!


I come to you after a long break from blogging... I want to start this blog post by paying tribute to my late Grandmother who passed away on January 29. Mema was an incredible woman who lived a long life of fulfilment - anyone who lives to celebrate their 91st birthday can certainly say the same. Although Mema will be missed greatly, I know that she is in a much happier place now, dancing with Papa up in Heaven...

I hope that everyone had a great Valentine's Day! I, myself, spent the day of love with my husband & his family and friends on the streets of Mobile - celebrating JD's favorite holiday, Mardi Gras!! Amongst the beads, parades, & Moon pies, we were able to get in a nice sushi dinner to celebrate our love - so nice!! > It's always a treat to spend time with my in-laws & this Mardi Gras was no exception!


In other news, I've got a birthday coming up! Next Tuesday will mark the 26th year of my life & I am looking forward to getting together with friends & family to celebrate! Mom & Dad are coming over from Social Circle this weekend for some pre-birthday fun - Mom has even agreed to bring the 'fixins to make my favorite dinner - her chicken pot pie :) YUM! Then the following weekend JD & I are taking a trip up to Nashville, TN to visit with some of my FAVORITES!! It will also be the weekend before my bestie, Sarah's, birthday - so I'm sure we'll be doing plenty of celebrating there too! Nashville - I hope you're ready!


JD is getting ready to start his first term at Troy University in the middle of next month. I am so proud of him for working so hard to pursue his degree - I know it's been tough for him to balance school, work, a family, & hobbies, but he is doing great!! He is definitely an inspiration for me to go back to school...

I have volunteered to hold an Officer position for the Birmingham Area Phi Mu Alum group for the coming year - tonight is our first Officer meeting & I am looking forward to seeing what's in store for me! I have been looking for ways to be more involved in groups outside of work and home & I think that this will be a great group to work with!


Work continues to be busy for me, so I'm afraid that this is all I have time for...

Until next time...

peace & love

Snow Day?

Hello again - I'm sad to say that it's been snowing off & on all day here in Birmingham and, unfortunately, I am writing this posting from the work-place :( I know, there should be a law against working on these rare snow days in the South - but alas, here I am...



Nothing much new going on with the Bakers - we have been enjoying having our evenings & weekends free since the chaos know as "the holidays" has ended. We've vowed not to leave the city limits until Feb 1 - at the earliest! We are planning a trip to Nashville at the end of February to visit some good friends! AND it will be the first time we get to see SARAH & DARON'S NEW HOUSE!!! We are so excited for them - I know it was a long hard road to get there, but well worth the worry & the headache! Can't wait to see what they've done with the place!!



Tonight we'll be glued to the TV like every other red-blooded Alabama citizen to watch the Crimson Tide take on the Longhorns for the BCS National Championship. You won't hear me say this often, but ROLL TIDE!! Make our state proud!



Until next time...



peace & love