The Countdown is On!

When Taylor set out on a summer laboratory rotation at the UofL Department of Medicine, she expected to gain some lab skills and maybe a publication. She certainly never expected to get a fiance! Taylor and Jeff met in the UofL Clinical and Translational Research Building where Taylor was completing a three-month summer lab experience. Jeff is a full time student there in the department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and is in the final stretch of a 5-year PhD program. Taylor and Jeff became acquainted with each other during that summer in 2018 and started dating shortly after. They're even co-authors on a peer-reviewed scientific article which serves as a fun testament to their first summer together. Check it out if you're interested (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31586017)! Jeff proposed to Taylor in November 2021 in Louisville and now, as we celebrate their wedding, their relationship reaches its five-year mark this summer.

In November, 2021, Jeff finally got his act together and dropped the big question on the beautiful upper terrace at Gravely Brewery in Louisville, KY. It was a coordinated effort which was kept totally a secret from Taylor, although her suspicions were certainly mounting. Jeff organized for the brewery to let him and Taylor in before the business opened on a cool but sunny Sunday morning where Taylor was expecting only to get a quick lunch with Jeff and her sister and brother in law. To her surprise, Jeff had arranged for a large group of friends and family to come surprise them after he popped the question, including her father, who flew in from Florida to join!

Early Summer 2018 Taylor and Jeff are introduced to each other by Irina Kirpich, Jeff's boss, in a medical research laboratory at the UofL Health Sciences Campus Late Summer 2018 Taylor and Jeff have their first date with some close friends and wind up at a casino until 5AM Fall 2018 Jeff begins his PhD program, which he continues to this day and will finish this fall January 2020 Taylor and Jeff pick out their dog, Sundae, a Corgi, who you will hear them talk about endlessly January 2020 Taylor moves to Corbin, KY to begin PA school. Taylor and Jeff date 160 miles apart for two and a half years July 2021 Jeff buys the ring and plans the proposal with the help of Alli Rodgers, Taylor's sister November 2021 Jeff proposes and Taylor says yes! March 2022 Taylor graduates PA school and moves back to Louisville, KY with Jeff April 2022 Taylor and Jeff get their first apartment together in Lyndon, KY May 2023 Taylor and Jeff tie the knot with their closest friends and family