The Spring Break That Broke

Imagine this: you are studying for countless hours and tests with only one thing keeping your head above water - the fact that during spring break, you and your sister will be cruising to Key West, the Cayman Islands, and Cozumel. I cannot tell you how excited I have been for this trip. Kelly and I booked a few excursions ahead of time. We wanted to do a nature kayak tour in Key West, a beach day at the Cayman Islands, and snorkeling in Cozumel. I had all of my favorite Lilly pieces packed up and ready to go. The alarm was set for 4:30AM, and we couldn't wait to start our trip by catching our 6:35AM flight to Charlotte, NC. We would be in Ft. Lauderdale by noon and cruising by 4:00. It was going to be a perfect trip.

Now, I don't know if I have ever told y'all this before, but when I learn life lessons, I generally learn them the hard way. This situation was no different. Kelly and I woke up on time, got ready for our trip, and put our sunscreen on so that we could immediately lay out on the boat as soon as we arrived. We were giddy! I dropped Kelly off at the airport with the luggage while I parked the car, which was around 6:05AM. We walked into the airport, and it was dark with nobody around. Needless to say, we were pretty confused. We stood around for five minutes or so, and finally someone came up to speak to us. He said, "Please tell me you are not here to catch the 6:35AM flight." We told him we indeed were here for that flight. He nicely informed us that we missed the flight. Apparently, and I'm putting this out there for anyone else that didn't know this, all airlines shut down their computer system 30-40 minutes before the flight leaves. We actually were right on time, but by the time we made it inside the airport, they had shut them down. We stood there for almost 25 minutes before the plane even took off. Do you know how sad it was to stand there and hear the engines of OUR plane start up?! There was nothing we could do.

Flash back to last summer when Tyler and I took our trip to Destin, Florida. We arrived two hours ahead of time. They didn't even let us go through security until about 30 minutes before the plane was supposed to take off. I told Kelly we didn't want to stand around and wait that whole time, so that is why we arrived at 6:05AM when our flight was leaving at 6:35AM. I figured it is a small airport and security is very quick there, so I assumed we would be fine. WRONG!

The people at the airlines showed no mercy. I could have gone through security and boarded the plan ten times in those 25 minutes that we waited before it took off. They put us on the next flight out, which didn't arrive in Ft. Lauderdale until 4:35. Unfortunately, our cruise ship was leaving at 4:00. We checked for earlier flights out of nearby airports to no avail. Of course, I felt terrible. I felt like it was my fault that we missed our flight, and now Kelly and I were going to miss our entire cruise.

We found a flight out of a different nearby airport that would put us in Ft. Lauderdale at 2:58. I'm driving us frantically toward the airport while Kelly is on the phone with the cruise line. She asked them if we would have enough time to get to the ship before it left if our flight lands at 2:58 (the port for the ship is only 2 miles from the airport). The lady told us no. Our hearts sank. What does she mean NO?! I could walk 2 miles in an hour (it would be cutting it close, but I could do it LOL).

At that point, we headed back to my apartment. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that we were not going on our cruise. I was devastated. I immediately called my parents to give them the bad news. Kelly, meanwhile, was checking for flights that would leave the next day. The people at the airport told us that sometimes you can get a flight to the first destination of the cruise, which would be Key West for us. Kelly and I sat in my bed with our sunscreen on and our tropical travel clothes trying to come up with a plan. I said, "Let's take our flight to Ft. Lauderdale, and then we can rent a car there and drive to Key West." Kelly replied, "Key West is an island." My solution: WATER TAXI! Nope.

We just sat there in silence trying to come up with something... anything. Then, suddenly, I had an epiphany! We could take our flight to Ft. Lauderdale, spend the night, and catch a different flight from Ft. Lauderdale to the Key West airport. There, we could board the cruise ship. We had checked into doing flights straight to Key West on Monday, but they were just too expensive. A flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West was relatively inexpensive and much more doable. We were so excited. I immediately called the cruise line to see if we could board in Key West. I explained the situation. I told him about all of our efforts to get to Ft. Lauderdale on time, and I was hoping I would get the answer I was wanting to hear. Unfortunately, he said we could not board in Key West. For safety reasons, each passenger can only check in and out at the same port. That was the last option. We were out of ideas.

The only thing that I can think of is that Kelly and I were not supposed to be on that cruise ship. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I also KNOW that whatever is God's will is what will be done. He didn't want us on that boat for some reason or another. We may never know why. I know that Kelly and I tried everything imaginable to get on that boat, and nothing worked out.

So what is a girl to do when all she has is her sunscreen and a leopard carry on full of Lilly summer dresses?! Plan B Spring Break trip! We exchanged our tropical weathered clothes for jeans and our flip flops for flats, hopped in the car, and headed to Lexington.

This is Kelly's "sad we missed our cruise face..."

... and her "happy we get to go to Lex" face!

Our tour guide for the week! So thankful for him!

Kelly and Tyler have been wanting to go to a trampoline park ever since I can remember, so I figured now is as good of a time as any to go! We jumped to our heart's content, and then Kelly cooled down in the hurricane simulator. 

After the trampoline park, we were tuckered out. We had been up since 4:30am, missed our flight, driven to Lex, and had a work out at Get Air. We were exhausted. When we got home, Kelly and I realized we had sunscreen on still from earlier that day. After we showered, it was lights out for us! Ty caught Kelly and me fast asleep around 9:00 that evening, which is normal for me but very early for Kelly! LOL

The next day, we ventured out to Keeneland. I have been a couple of times before with Tyler, but Kelly had never seen it. It was so cool to see it without anyone else there. We had the place to ourselves. Fortunately for me, that meant we could take all kinds of pictures. Prepare yourselves for a small Keeneland photo shoot! 

Hey JuJu, check out this one!

After our tour of Keeneland, Kelly and I wanted to do some exploring. We went to several boutiques and had a blast! I love unique gifts, and y'all know I will monogram anything that will stand still! These shops had lovely things and offered personalization for almost anything! I will definitely be stopping by these stores more often. We went to Monkee's, which carries clothing perfect for the derby, adorable shoes, and beautiful hats, jewelry, and purses. Peggy's, which was personally my favorite boutique, has a little bit of everything. They have clothes for women and babies, accessories, and decor for the house. Everything is so adorable there! I picked my mom up a little something from Peggy's, a beautiful gold necklace, and she absolutely loved it! I will definitely be buying gifts for upcoming events from Peggy's! All of these little shops were on the same street and in a very convenient location. After shopping, Kel and I stopped at a little bakery beside of the boutiques and tried caramel apple and raspberry macaroons. We picked Ty up a huge chocolate brownie as well. I had never had a macaroon, and I can't say that it was my favorite thing. I'm glad Ty shared his brownie! 

After a day of touring and shopping, we had a great dinner at Palmer's overlooking a pond with a fountain. The weather was almost 70 degrees that evening, so we were able to eat outside. It was great! Kelly and I had grilled chicken with mac and cheese, and Ty had a spicy chicken pasta. After we ate, Kelly fed the ducks in the pond. It was a great way to kick off our spring break! 

The next evening, we watched Cinderella at The Movie Tavern. The Movie Tavern is one of my favorite things in Lexington. I had never heard of it before, and once I discovered it, I loved it! It is a movie theater that offers restaurant food while you watch the movie. There is a server that comes around and takes your order during the previews, and you get to enjoy dinner and a movie at the same time! It is the perfect date night place! Tyler and I like to get the game day platter that has boneless wings, cheese fries, and four mini cheeseburgers. We love it! I was so excited to watch Cinderella with Kelly. I grew up watching all the Disney classics, but Kelly never showed much interest in them when she was younger. Kelly was more of a Barney and Pooh kind of gal. I loved getting to see one of my favorite childhood movies come to life, and it made it even more special to be there for the first time Kelly got to watch it. 

After a few fun filled days in Lexington, Kelly and I headed home. We spent the rest of break curled up on the couch with our parents relaxing and enjoying spending time together. We got to visit our grandparents and just enjoy time off from school. Kelly is catching up on her Netflix shows, and I purchased two new books to read. I don't have time to read for leisure during school, so I am looking forward to diving into those books on these last few days of break! Kelly said I should take some pictures of her, mom, and me laying on the couch for the blog, but I figured I would spare y'all from that! 

When I first started my Spring Break blog post, I thought I would be showing y'all pictures of my summer dresses, crystal blue water, and sandy beaches, but sometimes life doesn't always go as planned! Instead, I got to spend time with my sister, fiancé, and family. Sometimes things don't work out exactly like you anticipate, but you just have to make the most of it... and that is exactly what we did! 

Tyler's Birthday Weekend

Last weekend we celebrated Tyler's birthday in a big way! Tyler's mom and step dad, Rhonda and Kip, surprised him with tickets to the UK basketball game. He had no idea that he was going! We told him we had a small dinner planned at a restaurant with a few of his friends to watch the game there. We met Kip and Rhonda at their hotel that morning, and that is when he opened his birthday card from them and found out we were headed to the game! I will never forget the look on his face! Rhonda and Kip couldn't have gotten him a better gift! After the game, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at P.F. Changs, one of Ty's favorite restaurants. Here are a few pictures from the game. We had an awesome time!!

My parents and I got Tyler some UK outfits and a couple of things from Country Club Prep. He wore one of the shirts we got him to the game, and he looked so cute! I wrapped the gifts in UK wrapping paper. Can you tell this guy loves the Kentucky Wildcats?!

After all the excitement from the big game, I didn't think the weekend could get any better, but it did! Tyler and I finally decided on a home to move into after we are married! We have been house hunting for a couple of months, and it seemed like we were never going to find something we both liked. After I saw this house, I knew it was perfect for us! I think it took me all of ten minutes to decide it was the one. Hopefully I will be able to share some before and after pictures with you soon! Spoiler alert: there is a magnolia tree in the backyard. That makes my little southern heart so happy!

A Little Bit of Everything

Get ready for a long post! I wanted to do a quick recap of what we have been up to since this summer. I'm hoping that once I am caught up, I will be able to post more frequently and of more recent happenings.

During the summer, I did a lot of relaxing, working, and spending much needed quality time with family and friends. I enjoy traveling during the summer months since I rarely get to during the school year. One of my favorite trips this summer was a quick weekend getaway to The Homestead. My dad was playing in a golf tournament there, so my mom, sister, and I tagged along. We got to tan by the pool during the day, and in the evenings, the resort would have something fun to do. One night we watched a hypnotist, and the show was hysterical. That hypnotist had those people up on the stage doing the craziest things, and we cracked up the entire time. My dad, of course, thought it was all a big staged production, and he "proved his theory" by informing us he caught the hypnotist having breakfast with the same people he hypnotized the previous night LOL! My favorite evening was a cookout on the grounds of the resort. They had a live band, any type of food you could imagine, and the cutest mini dessert table I had ever seen! One of the most interesting things I have ever done occurred during this trip. My mom, sister, and I visited the natural hot springs known as the Jefferson Pools. When we arrived at the springs, we didn't really know what to think. We drove up to this very old, dilapidated building that looked like it could collapse at any moment. I'm pretty sure I said something along the lines of "I am NOT going in there," and my mom assured me that I definitely was LOL! We cautiously entered the hot spring, and it was awesome. The water was so warm, and the whole time I kept thinking about the history of that place. I believe the building was built on the springs in the 1800s. Recently, The Homestead took over the Jefferson Pools and will hopefully begin a renovation to restore the building to its original state.

Before the start of the semester, Tyler's mom, Rhonda, and his stepdad, Kip, treated us to a vacation in Destin, Florida. I had never been, and I absolutely loved it! The sand was as soft as baby powder, and the ocean was crystal blue. We had beautiful weather, and it was so great to spend time with all of Tyler's family! One of the evenings during the trip, Rhonda made reservations at a very nice restaurant to celebrate mine and Kip's birthdays. We had a wonderful dinner! We also took a dinner cruise one evening, which was so much fun! I had never done anything like that before, and despite a quick spell of motion sickness, I really enjoyed it!

After our trip to Florida, it was time for me to start my last fall semester of school.. ever. I have been in college for almost 7 years now, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! In just a few short months, I will be finished with the didactic portion of pharmacy school and moving on to rotations. I can't wait!

The first day of school was my birthday, and Tyler surprised me with a birthday dinner at a restaurant downtown. I thought it was going to be just me, Tyler, and my sister at dinner, but he had secretly invited some of my closest friends. I had never had a surprise party like that thrown for me before. I loved it! Here are some pictures of the first day of my last year of school and some pictures from my surprise birthday dinner!

Probably one of the most exciting things that happened this year was the birth of Chase Matthew Cremeans! One of my absolute best friends, Jill, had this sweet baby boy in September, and I have been in love ever since. Y'all, this kid keeps getting cuter. When he was born, I could've died over his head full of hair and his gorgeous lips. Now that he is getting older, he still has the hair, and he has the most adorable little playful grin. Matt and Jill are wonderful parents, and I am so happy that my best friend has such a precious bundle of joy to love! He definitely stole my heart! Here are a couple of pictures on the day after he was born when I visited them at the hospital.

What is fall without football?! This season, Tyler and I went to several UK games, and my best friend  Lauren and her fiancé Josh came to a game with us too. It was so great to be able to spend time with Lauren since we don't get to do that often because of school. Lauren has been one of my best friends since I can remember. We have been through SO much together. From high school cheerleading to college roommates to engagements and soon to be weddings! I'm lucky to have her!

We also attended some football games at my school. We spent homecoming weekend at the Alpha Xi house. My sister just rushed my sorority this fall, so now we share that special bond. It makes me so excited to see her a part of an organization that is so dear to my heart. Alpha Xi introduced me to some lifelong friends, taught me how to work with others to achieve a common goal, gave me an outlet to give back to my community, and helped me develop leadership skills. I always love homecoming because all of my sorority sisters get together at the house to catch up. This homecoming was extra special because I got to spend it with my little sister! 

In October, I was able to make a special trip to Florida with my grand little, Taylor, to visit my little, Ashton (sorority family, y'all) for her birthday. It was awesome to be in warm weather with two of my favorite gals. We visited Epcot during the Food and Wine Festival. I LOVED it. For those that may not know, Epcot has different areas throughout the park that has buildings and scenery to resemble different countries of the world. During the Food and Wine Festival, they have food and drinks you can sample that are popular in each country. We received "passports" that were stamped for all the things we tried in each country. We had everything from ravioli in Italy to berry waffles in Belgium. It was so fun and a very unique experience! 

October was a busy month! Besides traveling to Florida, I had a lot going on at school. I joined a professional pharmacy fraternity, Phi Delta Chi. Since I am in the first class that will be graduating from my pharmacy school, I am able to have some very unique experiences. Depending on the situation, that can either be a very good or very bad thing. Sometimes, we are the guinea pigs at the school, and they "try out" certain teaching styles/methods on our class; however, with Phi Delta Chi, it was an awesome thing! I, along with 16 other students, helped to establish this fraternity at our school, and we will forever be known as Phi Delta Chi founding fathers at our school. Within this organization, I hold the position Worthy Alumni Liaison which requires me to network with alumni in our area. Our philanthropy is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, so we do fundraisers for that organization. Also, we do community service projects like blood pressure clinics and counseling on medications. The fraternity also hosts brotherhood events where we do social activities outside of school. We visited the Pumpkin House, which I love! October isn't complete without a trip to see the pharmacy and kitty pumpkins at The Pumpkin House and decorating a pumpkin of your own! 

As always, I enjoy spending time with my friends. All of my girls are very busy pursuing their dreams, so sometimes our social lives take a backseat to school and work. I have friends that already have established careers and those still continuing their education in fields like pharmacy, teaching, and law. I am so proud to have such amazing women in my life! Whenever we can all get together, although it is rare due to our hectic schedules, I cherish every minute. I am at the age where my friends are getting engaged/married/having babies/buying houses, and I am loving it! Every time we get together it seems like someone has some new exciting details to share about their lives.

Tyler and I saw Garth Brooks in concert. That night, I got two concerts for the price of one. I had Garth singing in one ear and Tyler singing in the other. Enough said. 

Recently, I was inducted into Phi Lambda Sigma, a leadership honorary society for pharmacy. I am excited to work with my peers to strengthen our leadership skills and give back to the community. Many of my professors are a part of this organization as well, and after the induction ceremony, we had a small reception. It was great to get to talk to our professors and future preceptors in a more relaxed setting. We received a lot of advice for our upcoming APPE rotations and shared lots of laughs. 

Our pharmacy school hosted a fundraiser gala for the city mission, and it was awesome. The students that organized the event did a fabulous job! We had a wonderful plated dinner and danced to great music. There was a silent auction with tons of fun, unique items to bid on including several vacations! The guest list included students, local pharmacists, our professors, and our preceptors. It was a very elegant evening that supported a great cause. Besides all that, who doesn't love an opportunity to wear an evening gown?! These photos were taken by one of my classmates, Grant Lim. He did an awesome job! 

Shew! That was a lot! Sorry for the random long post, but I wanted to give a short update on everything I have been up to. Now that I am all caught up, I can do more frequent posts on things going on currently in my life. I'll end this long, rambling post on a sweet note. 

For Valentine's Day, Tyler always tries to do something special for me. This year, he really planned an over the top evening! He took me to a castle for dinner where we had a fantastic five course meal. I got to be a princess for the evening y'all! It was phenomenal! Before we were seated for dinner, we wanted to explore the castle. We walked into the billiard room and met a gentleman there who offered to give us a quick tour. Tyler (who never meets a stranger) started talking to our " tour guide," and come to find out, HE OWNS THE CASTLE. He was so nice and very informative. He came to check on us several times to see if we were enjoying our dinner. It was such a memorable experience and a wonderful way to celebrate Valentine's Day. I am so lucky to be spending the rest of my life with someone that treats me like Tyler does. I can't wait to see where our journey takes us!