Kim is Leaving to Chase Her Dreams

I have a tissue box sitting next me, and it's not just because I'm fighting a cold. I know by the end of composing this post I will lose my composure and tears will soak my cheeks.

Kim leaves this week to move to Virginia to attend the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences. Her classes begin in one week! I have no doubt that she is ready for this next chapter. She has the drive, determination, and passion to make her dreams of becoming a physical therapist come true. She is super intelligent.  She is willing to challenge herself to work hard because she expects the best out of herself. I have deep admiration and respect for the woman she is and the woman she wants to become. I believe her in her dreams!

Out of all of my sisters, Kim understands me the best. She may be younger than me, but there is a maturity to our relationship that I don't have with other family members. We can be brutally honest with each other and still respect each others' opinions and advice. We can disagree without raising our voices. More importantly, we can disagree and still actively listen to what the other one is saying. I value her perspective on life. We are always there to support each other. I love hanging out and talking with her and I equally love sitting in silence with her. She has the best smile and the most additive laugh I've ever heard. She makes me a better person. When I grow up, I want to be like her.

I'm going to miss her like crazy. I compare this feeling to mourning my good health and Taylor moving away. I know life will go on, but I also know it's going to be different. There's going to be a void, there's going to be an adjustment, and there's going to be a period of feeling lost without her.

I am so proud of Kim for being fearless in chasing after what she wants out of life! I think she is going to blossom during this next chapter of her life, and I'm excited to see her become the woman she wants to be! Go kick ass, baby sis! I love you and remember... https://youtu.be/5tepYJno7rU

My Maid of Honor Speech

My Maid of Honor Speech went something like this...

Hello everyone!

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Lauren and Taylor is my best friend.

I want to take a moment to thank Taylor for entrusting me to be her Maid of Honor.

When I first met Taylor in 2011 in Meteorology class at Valencia College, I thought she was peculiar. I honestly had no idea she was going to be as important to me as she is today. You see, I had a free period before Meteorology, so I sat on the floor in the hallway outside of the classroom listening to music while I waited for the Professor to open the room.  Along came Taylor, she walked right up, sat down next to me, and started talking. Umm, hello… could she not see I had headphones in listening to music clearly not wanting to be disturbed?  After rolling my eyes, I hesitantly took out one earbud to hear her. 

Once the Professor unlocked the classroom, I found a seat. Guess what she did?  In a classroom filled with empty seats, she sat right next me. She didn’t even leave an empty curtesy seat between us. As the Professor introduced himself and went over the syllabus, Taylor persistently tapped me on my shoulder to get my attention to talk to me some more. I didn’t know what to do, so I grabbed a pack of gum out of my backpack and offered her a piece in the hopes it would get her to stop talking. It didn’t.

A couple of weeks later, she invited me to her birthday party at Blueman Group. At this point, I thought she was a super friendly person that invites strangers to her birthday parties. Although I still didn’t feel like I knew her, I accepted her invitation because I wanted to see Blueman Group.  I will never live down the fact that I didn’t get her a birthday card.

We began regularly eating lunch together at school and hanging out afterwards. We went on adventures; we planked, went pumpkin picking, and paintballing. Before I knew it, Taylor was my best friend. Now we are stuck like glue. It’s no secret that Taylor and I are completely different and yet the same. It’s hard to explain, but I’ll try. She’s a girly girl and I’m a tomboy, yet we both watch “Say Yes to the Dress” when she has the remote control. She drives slower and I drive faster, but we both get to where we are going. She’s married and I’m single, yet we both used to have a cat.

Flash forward to today. Taylor is the most amazing woman I know. She has a heart of gold.  She loves selflessly. She’s ambitious; she works hard to make her dreams come true. She’s dependable; you can always count on her to be there whenever you need her.  She’s also spirited; and Kenny I know you know how incredible your beautiful bride is…after all, you put a ring on it! 

The first time I met Kenny was in 2012. While Taylor and I were roommates a super tall guy visited.  During his visit, the three of us went to Universal Studios.  A few things stand out to me from that day. Kenny made Taylor smile, a lot. Throughout the day at Universal they had stolen many glances at each other. It was crowded, but they couldn’t lose me because thankfully tall people are where you meet when you get lost in a crowd.  Kenneth, I know you will take care of my bestie. Remember, I know where you live.

I know I’m supposed to offer up some relationship advice. But, I’m single and I like cats, so… here goes nothing.

Kenny, never stop being her prince charming. Pamper her and make her happy. When everything else in the world is uncertain, be her rock. Challenge her to be a better person. Don’t be afraid to compromise. Encourage her to step outside her comfort zone. Love her unconditionally; you are the sparkle in her eyes.

Taylor, never stop dating him. Spoil him and make him dinner. When everything in the world is negative, be his positive light. Challenge him to be a better man. Don’t be afraid to compromise.  Be his best friend. Love him unconditionally; don’t lose that sparkle in your eyes.

As we raise our glasses to toast the bride and groom I’d like to ask Taylor and Kenny to take a moment and look into each other’s eyes. Take it in and take a breath. Remember tonight; remember tonight for it is the beginning of always. Here’s to the Mr. and Mrs.

Taylor's Wedding has Come and Gone

On May 20, 2017, my bestie married Kenny!  If you're friends with me on social media, I'm sure you saw how incredibly beautiful everything and everyone was. It was held at The White Barn in Brooksville, FL. Amanda, the wedding coordinator, was amazing! She handled the wedding with poise and professionalism taking great care to turn Taylor's vision into reality.  Nikki, Taylor's wedding photographer, helped make the day as seamless as possible. Nikki and her videographer worked hard to get great shots of the venue, wedding party, family and guests. They also re-worked the itinerary as the day went along like champs. Their passion certainly did not go unnoticed.

As for the ceremony it was the first wedding I've ever been in. I probably didn't pay as much attention to the actual ceremony as I should have. I had quite a few things running through my head, and I didn't want to forget what I was supposed to do.  Don't trip. Make sure the other bridesmaids know their marks. Guide the flower girl, Bella (she actually ended up holding Taylor's veil as Taylor walked down the aisle instead) where to stand and when to help Taylor back down the aisle. Once Bella stood next to the bridesmaids, the veil was my responsibility until Taylor and Kenny walked back down the aisle. When you pick up the veil, bend with your knees together. Whenever Taylor turns or walks, pick up the veil and follow her. Fluff the veil a little before setting it back down. Pick it up and hand it to Bella before they make their way back down the aisle.  And then there was my Maid of Honor bouquet and Taylor's bouquet.  Thankfully, Cybelle, another bridesmaid, was a hero and held my bouquet once Taylor handed me hers. Cybelle also held Taylor's bouquet whenever I had to fix Taylor's veil. The ceremony lasted about 15 minutes, so it was a lot to remember and pay attention to in such a short amount of time.

I will say that Taylor was the most gorgeous bride I've ever seen. I may not have been to many weddings, but I've watched enough episodes of 'Say Yes to the Dress' with Taylor to know.  I love how in love Kenny and Taylor looked when they gazed into each others' eyes. I am so grateful for Cybelle! She really helped a lot and I couldn't have done it without her.  It seemed to be second nature to her. Whereas most of it was completely foreign to me.

After the ceremony, the photographer took some pictures. We ate dinner inside The White Barn. I drank some beer and made my way around to talk to the guests I knew and even some I didn't know. I gave my MOH speech, which I'll probably post in a different blog post. I recruited Cybelle and we worked with the DJ to request songs and encourage people to get on the dance floor. We did the Chicken Dance and we started a train. Once it started to pour, I went out of the barn to dance in the rain! Dancing in the rain was my favorite part of the night. It felt so good and it was liberating!

Cybelle, the groomsmen, and I packed up Kenny's car and pulled it around to the front of the barn for their exit. We danced a few more songs before their arm tunnel and glow stick exit. At this point it was still pouring, which I think made it perfect.

Once the bride and groom left, Cybelle, the groomsmen, and I loaded up Taylor's mom's car and helped clean up and pack up before leaving.  I went back to the hotel for the after party with Taylor's family. It was my first time doing fireball shots! It was fun!

Overall, I still don't understand weddings. They are as baffling and mysterious to me as they were before.  I just don't think the payoff for all the time, money, and work that goes into it is worth it. But, it wasn't about me, it was about the beautiful bride and her handsome groom having the wedding of their dreams. It made them happy, and that's all that matters!

Halsey's New Song

Halsey just released a song from her album that's scheduled to drop June 2nd!!!! It's perfection!

https://youtu.be/kzQTc0-iBX8

Running: An addiction, An Infatuation, An Inexplicable Desire

I am completely obsessed with running! It's an addiction, an infatuation, an inexplicable desire to lace up my running shoes and put one foot in front of the other every chance I get.  This past weekend I ran the Distance Dare at the Winter Park Road Race, which was a two miler followed by a 10K for a total of 8.2 miles. It was great fun racing with my running friends! Afterwards we not only had our beer tickets for free beer, we also happened upon others giving away their beer tickets. By 9:00AM I had ran two races for a total of 8.2 miles and had two beers. We ran into a bunch of people from my Ragnar team, so we chatted for a bit. When we left the beer area, we walked around the different vendor tents and stopped to enjoy free breakfast and coffee! The races were awesome and the after party was even better!

On Sunday, I met up with some of my running friends that didn't do the race on Saturday. We ran 8 miles and were lucky enough to see two bald eagles during our run! My running friend, Badass Doreen, made an excellent breakfast for us to enjoy after our run. Her husband crafted homemade cappuccinos to go with the heart shaped waffles that were absolutely perfect.

The people I run with are a fantastic group of individuals that support and challenge one another. Some people in our group are going through a shitty period of time in their lives, and it's encouraging to see us stand together in friendship and understanding. We are not alone. Sure we are running friends, but I think we might be regular friends, too. We went to see Beauty and Beast together. Next week, we are going to Paint with a Twist and the week after that a bunch of us are going to surprise the lady in our group that's in a play by showing up to see her show after we have a potluck dinner. 

Well, I said I was obsessed with running.  I ran a total of 16 miles this past weekend and I'm not training for anything specific. It was just for fun! At the moment, there is no place I'd rather be than out on the road pounding the pavement with each step I take. It's liberating for it to be as easy as it should be without any unnecessary struggle. I feel strong. I feel awake. I feel alive. I don't typically buy race photos, but when I saw the picture below I couldn't help myself.  I want to remember how great I felt in that moment, and even now. It captures the pure joy I find in running.

I jumped over the finish line of the two miler before the start of the 10K. Is it just me, or does it look like I still have hops from my basketball playing days? I think it looks like I'm flying!

Where Have I Been?

Where have I been and what have I been doing? Don't mind me, I've just been in my own little world working hard and enjoying life. I'm still working like crazy and I'm loving it!

In the Spring Fever "It's for the Kids" 10K on March 4th, I was the first female finisher!!! It's the first race I've ever won!!! I won a $50 Track Shack gift certificate!  Dang, I should get faster and win more races! ;)

I met my Team Challenge friends for breakfast one Saturday. It was nice to catch up with everyone! Since I met them back in 2013, they have truly inspired and supported me.  Their understanding is different from my other friends' and family's because they know first hand some of the shit I've been through and vice versa. When they hug me for a half second longer to squeeze a little tighter before letting go, I feel their empathy on another level!

I was fortunate enough to be one of the four people selected to be on a four person bowling team my company sponsored to benefit Leadership Seminole.  It was a one day event and I bowled a 135 in my highest scoring game! It was fun to network with co-workers I don't get to work with often.

I took my Dad to the second session of the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in Orlando. We saw Xavier vs. Maryland and FSU vs. FGCU.  It was great spending time with him! I should make more of an effort to do more things with him.

I missed placing 3rd in my age group in the Chase the Leprechaun 5K on Friday by 6 seconds.  I can't be mad with 4th in my age group though. I had a side stich in the middle of the race, so I walked for a bit only to realize it was really gas cramps. Once I let out some gas, I felt better and started running again. I hate that gas cramps slowed me down, but I still finished in 29:14, which is a sub 30 minute 5k averaging 9:26 per mile and that is no easy feat!

My First Time Volunteering at a Disney Race

When my alarm went off at 1:30 AM, I thought why did this sound like a good idea? I never want to volunteer at a Disney Race again. Two of my sisters, Kim and Kelly, were up and just as ready to go as I was. We mumbled how early it was, but headed out to Disney anyway. We met my ugly step sister at the Volunteer check-in tent, and then found the right bus taking us to our volunteer assignment, the powerade station at mile 11.2 of the Disney Princess Half Marathon. We waited on the bus for about 45 minutes in the parking lot of Typhoon Lagoon before we started heading to our assignment. It turns out the bus driver went the wrong way and we got stuck in race morning traffic, which made us really late to our assignment.

Once we got to mile 11.2, the volunteers had to rush to set up the powerade station because the race was starting soon.  When we got to work, I loved every aspect of it! We set up tables, mixed powerade in countless 10 gallon coolers, set up cups, and then filled the cups with powerade. It took teamwork to find a groove in the process, but we did it! 

My favorite part was handing the cups of powerade to the runners and cheering them on. The first cup I handed off was to Track Shack star Heather Shultz. She ended up placing second!  It was great fun to see everyone's costumes and screaming for them by the name of the character they were dressed as! Over 30,000 people ran the race. Each person has their own story, a different reason they run. We even saw a few of our friends that were running the race!

By the time the last racer past us, our powerade station was cleaned up within 15 minutes. Disney has a great process with dump trucks and cleaning crews that follow behind the last racer to make cleanup a piece of cake. The group leader we volunteered with is with MarathonFest (that's how we got the opportunity), and he valued our hard work so much that he offered us spots to volunteer with his group at the 8.2 powerade station for the Star Wars Half Marathon in April. Surprisingly, since I woke up that morning, I had a change of heart. It was a rewarding experience, so I decided to sign up to volunteer at the Star Wars Half.