School is starting to become insane now. I had my first exam in metabolism this past Thursday and it just jump-started everything else. So many assignments, readings and papers in the next 3 weeks before Spring Break.

This week was a good week if you are a Duke fan though. My Blue Devils managed to squeak by Carolina with a game winning shot in the last second. I couldn't be a happier fan :)

Beautiful.

It's Valentine's Day this week and Thomas and I aren't doing that much this year. We decided to not spend money on gifts for each other this year and just stay home and make dinner. For dessert we are having chocolate dipped strawberries and red velvet hot chocolate which I'm mighty excited about. We really thought to make this low-key because I really feel like no gift could compare to the one I got for Christmas. :) Plus, as long as we are together, that's all that matters really.  I really feel like we need this time together more than anything. I feel like I've seen him lately but we have lacked making the most of our time together to talk. We've gotten a bit frustrated lately, either its me or its him and it really all boils down to the fact that my school has kicked up a notch and his student teaching is so time consuming. I'll be glad when we are both on the same kind of schedule. But for the time being, let's just focus on having a great Valentine's which I'm sure we will.

I just want to share a picture. It cracks me up for multiple reasons. We had just finished eating waffles and she was super happy she had a piece of waffle. Thomas' hair, his expression, Luna's expression and then her perfect ear that never is down. :) She's amazing.

She also had a very lazy week. Never wanted to leave the bed.

3 Weeks down.... 14 more to go

-blog w/ date ideas


So, we are done with Week 3 of Spring Semester and it doesn't feel right that it is almost February. The thing is before we know it, it will be March because February go by faster than any month. I have a metabolism exam in a week and a half but I'm not worried. So far this class has felt like a review and I am familiar with everything we've gone over so I'm not that worried about it. I am also shadowing a dietitian on Monday and Friday, which I'm excited about!

So as you know, I'm trying to get back into my good eating habits and work out more. Kelsey and I were doing fine for a month or two then we got sidetracked by school and other things. We have been trying to get together to go running but something always seems to come up. I think we will get back to our running plans after the semester but for right now, it's our own exercise plans we need to focus on. So lately I've been doing more strength training, mainly focusing on my triceps because I feel like that part of my arm is a problem area for me. It's also where I look the biggest in pictures and I don't want that issue when I have to take pictures in my wedding dress. I've been also doing these daily workout plans as well. I even did The Fitnessista's Winter Shape-Up 2012 last week.  I'm sore but I'm loving it.

However, my workout didn't happen yesterday due to Thomas and I being busy pretty much the entire day. We first went to Winston for a large bridal show at the convention center downtown. We went a little later than it said to avoid the massive crowds, which worked but to be honest, these things are all the same. I had the same people ask me for my information that I talked to a month ago at the other bridal show. They don't understand that I am only here to look around and get ideas for vendors. I did talk to a florist I liked which was located in Winston so I was happy about that. It also gave Thomas and I a great chance to look at some examples of Save the Dates and invitations. We found only one style we liked and it was at a place I was thinking about so it worked out. We are not even close to that part of planning but I like to have ideas of what both of us like. I'm glad we can decide on things so easily too. I think that's why we have so many ideas already and in the end I feel we just really want the other to be happy with the wedding. I really like to have Thomas' input on everything so that he is as happy with it as I am. This is why I love him.

So after eating a load of cake, we left the bridal show with ideas about a florist, invitations and who made the best cake.  Since we were in Winston and I wanted to go and show my mom our venue choice, The Millennium Center . We even ran into the owner which is awesome because he is super nice and it was great to talk to him in person. We then decided to drive through Old Salem to pick out some spots that would be  good for taking photos. I  really wanted to scope out a First Look spot. I envision a spot that has a couple of trees and Thomas is standing there blindfolded behind one tree and I walk up and hide behind another  and then he takes the blindfold off and I peek around the tree and then we walk towards each other. Old Salem is the perfect place for this and I found the spot right before we left. It's right in front of the Salem College building. I am so excited to have found it!

Just imagine it's summer and there are more trees that you can't see in this picture

I found a new blog on Pinterest and I think it's such a neat idea. These 6 sisters decided to create a blog together and I've enjoyed reading it today!

 One of the posts dealt with ideas for fun and cheap dates! I thought I'd share and maybe see how many Thomas and I have done and share the ones I hope we can do in the future! Here's the link to the post: 50-fun-and-cheap-date-ideas

#2 Make Homemade Pizzas Together

I've been wanting to do this for a while. I think this was actually my first idea that we could do on our first date but instead we chose to just order it.

#4  Try a new sport together.

First thing that comes to mind is Tennis! I like to play but I'm not very good at it.

#5  Have a game night.

This is something we just need to do more often. We love to play Scrabble and his favorite is Trivial Pursuit. 

#6 Be a tourist in your own city.

Thomas actually made fun of my mom  and I for doing this yesterday in Winston. :) 

Even in a city you've been to 1,000 times there is always something new to discover.

#10  Have a picnic.

We have yet to do this and I want to badly!!

#11  Go see a play.

I get the feeling that musicals aren't Thomas' thing like they are mine. But I hope that one day he will go just because I want him to. He may surprise himself.

#12 Stargazing.

One of my favorite memories from Maine this past year included stargazing. It was one of the most romantic nights of my life. It was around the time of the meteors in August so every night we tried to catch the "falling stars" but never saw one until we were driving home and were talking about us going back to school and how I was moving to Raleigh. I was really scared at this point. We only had a couple of more days in Maine then our summer was over. He would stay in Greensboro and I would move to Raleigh. This whole transition was about to happen. But then while I'm crying and freaking out, we suddenly see a huge falling star so clear and so bright. At that moment, we took it as a sign that distance wasn't going to matter because we loved each other so much. I will always remember that. 

#13 Go to a park

We have done this and it's fun. I love just walking around parks and enjoying the outside. I guess my goal with this one is to find some parks we haven't been to before.

#17  Go to a local sporting event.

Oh we are working on this one. We have talked about going to a Carolina Hurricanes hockey game, a race at  the Wilkesboro Raceway and I'm thinking we need to see a baseball game soon!

#23  Have a coupon date.

Oh Thomas and I have this covered. We are always trying to save money when we go out to eat so we try to go to places that we have coupons for.

#24  Volunteer. 

I think this is something I think about doing by myself. I never thought to include Thomas. Maybe in the future when we both have the time to commit to something.

#28 Take a drive.

One of my favorite things to do with him.

#29  Have a movie marathon.

We do this all the time with a group with friends. Maybe we need to do this more often with just us.

#31  Go bowling.  

I love bowling! Another thing I'm not that great at but I really feel like we would have so much fun.

#32  Make indoor s'mores and read campfire stories.

This is such a cute idea! I would trade campfire stories for poetry or Harry Potter :)

#35 Try a new restaurant.

We actually made a goal to try a new restaurant once a month this year.

37.  Restaurant hop.  Go to a different restaurant for each course of the meal.  Make three stops for an appetizer, main course and dessert.  Take turns picking where to go!

We totally need to do this!

#43  Take a hike.

I think this would be fun! I've got to look up some trails here !

#45 Visit a bakery.

You don't have to tell me twice! Thomas is well aware of my sweet tooth.

Happenings of the day

I feel like instead of writing long paragraphs, I'm just going to list everything out for this post.

1) I got an email from a dietitian a couple of days ago (!!!!) and this is very exciting because for the past month I've been trying to shadow or, if possible, volunteer with a dietitian to gain some experience in the field. I'm hoping the dietitians will provide advice and can answer any questions I have for them. I might find my mentor if possible! Let's cross our fingers this will be a good experience. I'm currently emailing this specific RD at Peak Nutrition and Weight Loss to come up with times for me to sit in on one-on-one counseling sessions and group classes. I'm really excited!

2) I've come up with a semi-decision on what to do after school. I have ultimately decided to just find a job after I graduate. I honestly can't come up with a way that we could survive a year without me getting a job. I'm going to be keeping an eye out on possible jobs until then.

3) Refund checks were issued today. That was nice to get this morning! My money was running a bit low.

4) Became bored today. I know! How can this happen?? This does happen in the beginning of any semester. I've been trying to find a new show to watch and one that doesn't include a dumb bachelor or creepy little girls that dress like they are 20 years older than they are. So I chose to start Downton Abbey. Wasn't sure how I was going to react to it. It won a Golden Globe last week and I love Maggie Smith so I chose to give it a try. I'm already hooked. Plus I love a good show with good them music.

5) I had my second stats class tonight and as much as I think the teacher is the sweetest thing. I can't get over the subject of what she is teaching. I hate math and have never been good at it except for geometry in high school. I know this subject is vital and important to understanding research but it is almost painful to sit in this class. I am counting down the days until the end of April.

Heading fast into the future

Hi! School has started and it's crazy to think that the first 2 weeks are already over. Besides Statistics homework, I really have no assignments due for a while. Like last semester I'm thinking that the hardest portion of the semester will be during midterms and finals.

Of course during this slow period I'm still in wedding mode. The actual booking process is on halt at the moment. Pretty much I'm still in the brainstorming and planning stage. We've figured out a lot of details we want to incorporate into the day but there are some things we can't figure out. Especially the food situation. It's going to be expensive so we are trying to come up with less expensive options that will still leave people feeling full. The last thing I want is for people to go hungry especially if they are going to be there a while. I wouldn't mind having it earlier in the day though, so I'm torn. I just don't think hors d'oeuvres or appetizers will be enough. We are not having an open bar just a few selected beers and wines, so that should save some. I just don't want to put my parents in the poor house just for one day. Plus we are wanting to go to Italy the next year for our honeymoon and I'm pretty sure we will need help with that.

Since we got engaged I feel like I've calmed down a bit since it initially happened. I'm pretty sure of what I want and now it's just the matter of getting it all together and waiting for the summer to get here so we can meet with vendors, book our venue and get things started. I'm so excited for this experience. And we get a whole year and a half to do it!

School has been my main area of concern the past 2 weeks though. Once I get back in the flow of school and classes I always start to feel like I'm not doing enough. As in volunteer work and extra-curriculars. Trust me, the schoolwork is plenty to have one's plate. However, I really struggle in my classes with discussions. That is because discussions are where a lot of my classmates just speak about their experiences in the workplace or in their volunteer places. I have nothing to contribute and this frustrates me. I get frustrated because with my school work I get scared that my schooling will suffer or I won't get into an internship. So much has been going on in my head about the internship. My plan was to apply to the UNCG internship so I could move back to Greensboro. I am just trying to figure out after being married how we are going to be able to afford to live off one person's salary since the internship isn't a paid one. It's a lot to consider. I get scared that if I put it off and work a couple of years, I won't want to go back to complete the internship. Thinking way into the future I also think about how this will affect our decision to start a family. I never thought I would be  thinking about this so soon but when I'm considering 2-3 years of work then a year for the internship. That means 4 years with no possibility of children. It would be too much and we can't afford it. I'm almost feeling like I need to complete the internship after graduating or not at all. It is possible to get a job with a master's degree in nutrition but jobs can be limited if you aren't a RD. So much to consider , I get so overwhelmed. Overall I just want to do what will make me happy.

#1 Marry the man of my dreams. 
#2 Graduate.
#3 Be an RD
#4 Know that I'll never have to be in school again!
#5 Have kids (after being married for a couple of years)

Is this so much to ask?

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a great New Years and 2012 is starting out to be a good year.

2012 has been good for me so far. I'm still getting used to being engaged. It's been strange always wanting to look at wedding stuff. I often wonder if this is normal. I am trying my hardest to not be one of those people that only talks about the upcoming wedding and boring people with little details that seem so important at that time. Thomas told me yesterday that he was asking around if it's normal that we already have so many ideas for the wedding already and we've only been engaged for 17 days now. No one wants to give us an answer. I really think it's good. I feel like I'm getting it out of my system. I never used to look at wedding things before.I never wanted to until I was actually engaged and plus it would get kind of depressing looking at wedding things when you are single. Now it's allowed and I'm having fun :)  I may watch too many episodes of Say Yes to the Dress but hey I'm only going to be a fiancee for a year and a half.

We've also determined what our venue will be and the wedding date. So...
*Drumroll*

July 28th 2013

I already love it. It's my birthday month and it contains an 8 which is my favorite number. Plus I think it will be pretty on the invitations. (Dumb reason but that's how much I love it) 

As for the place, we have fallen in love with The Millennium Center in Winston-Salem. It's a gorgeous historic courthouse. 

Source

We initially wanted to get married here in the courtroom:

Source

I really love it but when I found out that in the Summer they have no way of cooling the room except with fans. I changed my mind. Fans blowing during the ceremony is a no-no. I hate the sound of fans so that is the last thing I want during my wedding. However, Thomas said that maybe we could come back in the future and renew our vows here at a time when it's cooler. Sounds good to me :)

So the Ballroom is where we have chosen to get married:

Source

The Ballroom is beautiful. It has great lighting and I love the curtains! The stage is where we would stand. Plus this is also where we would have the reception. It's perfect. 

I have to say that I am very relieved right now. I feel very accomplished having set the venue and the date. Now I have something to tell people BUT I do not need to book anything else. Now that this is done, I can focus on my upcoming semester. Even though I still will be watching Say Yes to the Dress. :D

Life after the engagement

What a crazy week it's been! Ever since last tuesday (engagement), everyday has been full of visits, calls, wedding talk and then Christmas happened.

We had a fantastic Christmas. We got to see our families which was nice and were given so many presents I feel overwhelmed. I'm happy though. I now have a waffle maker and a rice steamer! I also received a couple of books, a set of pearls from Thomas parents, a jewelry armoire, and just too many other gifts to name. Let's just say I am lucky to have the family and friends I do.

I haven't been working out like I should this week because of all the excitement and Christmas. Kelsey and I have made plans for when she gets back from her parents, she and I will start our running again. My nose has been stuck in wedding magazines and websites during my free time. I can't help but feel like I need to make a decision about something. The first thing I've been told by many is to pick the venue. So Thomas and I went through all the local wedding places in Greensboro and Winston-Salem. Some we liked, some we just looked at and didn't comment on  and some we just thought wasn't for us. I didn't find anything that made me go YES until I came across The Millennium Center in Winston-Salem. It is gorgeous and Old Salem is very close to go and take pictures. I think we are going Thursday for a wedding show there to see it in person. I am so excited! I'm also hoping that it won't disappoint me though but we will see. I will be so relieved if we can just get a venue picked out and reserved so we can finally have a set date.

My other obsession this week has been Pinterest. My friend Aden sent me an invite and I've been posting wedding ideas like crazy. If you want to see it, it's here. I always heard about it and never thought it would handy for my life until now. It's neat how you can pin things from sites and have it all on one page to see. As you will see the colors I'm thinking of having are shades of purple with grey and cream or white. This might change since I have over a year and a half until we marry but for right now this is what I want.

It's weird how when you get engaged, suddenly life is full of decisions that need to be made. Like who's in the wedding? what colors? what food? what songs? where will it be? Can we afford this? And after getting married, will I get a job or continue on to my dietetic internship? where will we live? Where will this life lead? I know getting married is the right decision for me at this time. Nothing makes me happier than knowing that I will be with Thomas for the rest of my life. It does make me think about my career though. There is no doubt I will continue grad school and get my Master's degree. I have been considering putting off my internship though so that I may get a job after school and save some money for the year that I will do the internship. I just don't think after a wedding we can afford for me to not work for another year. Even if the wedding is pushed back, I won't have time during the internship to do any wedding planning or finalizing. So it's Summer 2013 or....2015? 16? I don't know. 2013 just feels right. I think my happiness needs to be put on the front burner for once in my life. So that is what is going to happen. Plus I will have a M.S. after my name! How cool is that!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Exciting News

December 20, 2011 was like any other day until... 

Thomas and I had headed over to my apartment in Raleigh so that he could finish putting together my desk and I could sort through some clothes, clean up a bit and organize my desk. After hours of that, Thomas and I decided to go eat and take a break. We went to Buffalo Brothers and had some good pizza and beer. During dinner I had no idea what was going to happen later at the apartment. At dinner, Thomas and I did discuss getting married and he even asked me if I still wanted to marry him and I of course said yes. We pinky promised and that was that. 

When driving back we had a conversation about where we would want to live once school was over and settling down was an option. Thomas has to see where he will get a job and I told him I was pretty much decided to go and be with him wherever he has to go. I’m living in Raleigh for the next year and a half but after that I plan to live with him. 

 When we got back to the apartment, I was vacuuming and putting away some books and I remember Thomas and Luna were doing something in my room but I didn’t think anything about it.  I had no idea that later when I was grabbing my stuff about to leave the apartment, he would go down on one knee with tears in his eyes ask me to marry him! I took a step back at first and asked if he was serious. He said I’m seriously asking you to marry me. The world just stopped. I was in shock; I couldn’t believe this was finally happening. I didn’t answer at first because I just wanted this moment to last a few more seconds. Looking back now it was such a blur. He already knew my answer but through tears of joy I finally blurted out “Yes!”

 I then noticed that he was holding Luna and he had the ring around her collar. He took her collar off and took the ring and placed it on my left ring finger. More tears and kissing ensued. I was so happy. He looked relieved but very happy.

I then heard the story about how this happened. He bought the ring a month in advance. He had planned to give it to me for Christmas but since I kind of hinted that it was cliché to get engaged on Christmas then he decided to do it before Christmas. Plus this gives me the opportunity to show everyone at get-togethers for the holidays! His family had seen the ring when he bought it and were very good at hiding that something so exciting was in my future this past month when I’d see them. The night before the proposal after he left work he drove to my mom’s house to get her permission to marry me. She was excited and teased him about her permission being the only one he needed. After my mom approved, he then drove to my dad’s house in Lexington, telling my dad that he had something to give him from me. They sat down talking sports until Thomas finally asked him. He said my dad was super excited and gave him permission.

You can tell I've been crying. 

I really can’t believe this is happening. Even the morning after I am just trying to comprehend this is real. Realizations kept popping up afterwards at random times.  In the car I just looked at him and said “Oh my God! You’re my fiancé!!!” Then later on, “Oh my God! I’m going to be a Baker! Lindsey Baker!”  I get to marry the man I have imagined to spend my future with for the past year and a half. I can’t imagine any other person. We were told by his Dad that we were good for each other and that we were fortunate to have found one another. I couldn’t agree more. I am excited about our future together! True we won’t be married until over a year and half from now but school is happening during this time and I need to focus on finishing school and not worrying too much about the wedding just yet.

The ring! Well it is gorgeous. I couldn’t have asked for a better ring. It is a round diamond on top of a square frame of diamonds with a split shank diamond band. It even has two tiny sapphires on the front and back of the ring. It is stunning and he did wellJ. I always liked the combination of diamonds and sapphires. 

So expect new updates on wedding stuff even though it won't be for a while!

***Photos were taken by my future father-in-law Tom Baker, so they belong to him***