We Made It Across the Pond!

Our flight to the UK went off without a hitch. We left on time, arrived early, and thoroughly enjoyed our Business Elite seats (thanks Delta Skymiles, American Express rewards points, and Ford & Harrison for all the business trips to earn the miles for the upgrade!). We were definitely pampered and spoiled during the journey. It was great!!! The royal treatment continued after arriving in London when we were able to grab a shower, breakfast and Internet access in the Business Elite lounge at a nearby hotel while waiting on our car service out to Southampton.


Here's a photo from our 1 1/2 hour drive from the airport in London to our Southampton hotel. It was picturesque and I enjoyed every minute of the trip. Surprisingly, Jay was the one who got car sick! We spent the day trying to stay awake and adjust to the new time zone. It was challenging! We went to bed last night at 8 pm! We just couldn't make it any longer! We did get the chance yesterday afternoon to explore a local Tesco (the UK version of Wal-mart). It was interesting to see which brands are in both countries. We determined that we are all pretty similar with our grocery needs. As in the US, there were quite a lot of pre-assembled meals and individually wrapped snacks! We also keep seeing Pizza Huts and KFCs, I guess some things are international! We board our ship later this afternoon and then spend the day tomorrow in France. I can't wait to share photos of our time at the Palace of Versailles!

A New Mrs. Tilley!

Welcome, Ashley! You are now the newest Mrs. Tilley! There are five Mrs. Tilleys in this family photo and we are so glad you are one of them! The gangs all here (Jay's hidden behind me - I'm sure the professional photographer got a better shot!).

The wedding was wonderful. (Ashley, you looked stunning and I loved that you wore your mother's veil). I love going to weddings and enjoy seeing those special touches that make each wedding unique. There are two specific aspects of Chad and Ashley's wedding I thought I share. The first occurred just following the ceremony (the minister was so personal in his remarks, I loved it!). After Chad and Ashley left through the back of the church, they came back in through the front and personally greeted each guest as they got up from their row to exit. I thought it was such a great idea! The second special touch dealt with favors. A sign was posted stating that instead of favors, a donation was being made to a local animal charity. I loved this! Chad and Ashley, thank you for a great evening and for all the little things you did to make the event stand out. We are so glad we were able to be a part of your special day!

Chad and Jay

Jay and Uncle Richard

We certainly enjoyed meeting Erin Tilley's date, Chris Tilley. We are assured by Erin that there is no family connection . . . Here Chris "gets down" with Jay's mother.

See, here's Aunt Margaret with Uncle Charlie avoiding the camera!

Brad and Sherry

Stephanie and Travis

Aunt Sandy and Uncle Ted

Here's two of our Mrs. Tilley's, Jays mother, Brenda and his Aunt Sandy.

Jay and Brenda

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

The first stop in our vacation was to spend the weekend in Charlotte attending the wedding of Jay's cousin, Chad. Jay's Aunt and Uncle hosted a fabulous rehearsal dinner on Friday night for Chad and Ashley. We enjoyed a true "game day" feel as we feasted on barbecue, peanuts and signature label beer (complete with Chad & Ashley's photo and "It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!"). Each table cheered on a different sports team, of course Jay and I were seated at the Florida State table! From our rooftop view, we looked out on the Charlotte skyline and the Panther's stadium. It was a lovely event and so nice to be able to spend time with family we don't get to often enough. The celebration couldn't have been more perfectly planned! Jane (at right), you did an exceptional job (Richard, I hear you helped some too!)!

Travis (Jay's brother-in-law) wears part of the centerpiece from our Seminole table.


Melodie and Madison (the daughter of Jay's cousin, Sherry).


We all loved meeting Michelle, Mike's girlfriend. Mike is one of Jay's cousins.

I was actually able to get a photo of Jay's Aunt Margaret while she was looking at the camera (far right). She dodged the camera all night but I kept trying! She is joined here by Jay's sister, Stephanie; his mother, Brenda; and Margaret's daughter, Sherry (Madison's mom).

Tilley family, I have more photos from the weekend but I don't have time to upload them now. I'll send them out when we get back from vacation.

Vacation - Here we come!!!

As Jay and I get ready to leave on our 10th wedding anniversary vacation, I thought it would be a good time to start a blog. Hopefully I'll be able to add photos during the trip so that everyone can keep tabs on us! For those of you who have asked, here is a link to the itinerary for our cruise. Royal Caribbean International - Itinerary Listing

Before heading to England we will spend the weekend in Charlotte attending Jay's cousin's wedding. We'll then fly to London on Sunday and spend the night in Southampton on Monday. Hopefully we will be adjusted to the time zone when we board the ship on Tuesday.

While in France, we will spend the day exploring the Palace of Versailles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles

In Spain, we will tour the city of Santiago including the Cathedral. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela

In Portugal we will tour Funchal, the capital of the Madeira Islands, by jeep. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funchal


We are so excited and blessed to be able to make this trip together. We can't wait to share all of our stories with you!