Since settling into Glen Oaks in 2022, the Grodrians have become one of the neighborhood’s most familiar and welcoming families. Their household of eight includes Lauren and Tyler; children Annelise (16), Carrigan (14), Maxwell (11), and Emerson (6); rescue kitty Millie; and Pepper, their bernedoodle. At the center of it all is a deep faith that has been both “a firm foundation that has gotten us through tough times” and “our driving force that leads us to serve our community.”

Lauren and Tyler first met at his childhood home.  She was in high school, friends with Tyler’s sister, and he was the middle schooler with a crush on “the cool older girl.” Years passed before they reconnected in 2007 at a University of Louisville men’s basketball game, shortly after Tyler finished his initial Army training. They spent the whole game together, started dating right away, and married in September 2009. Seventeen years later, UofL basketball games are still their favorite date night.

Their careers reflect a shared commitment to service. Lauren, a Registered Nurse with UofL Health, spent a decade in the Norton Audubon Emergency Department.  It was an experience that shaped her passion for caring for people. Tyler is a director of operations for a Washington, DC defense technology contractor and an officer in the Army Reserve, following nine years of active-duty service that took the family across several states before they felt called home to Kentucky.

Each Grodrian child brings something unique to the mix. Annelise, a newly licensed driver and standout student, performs with the St. X theater program and this fall in a lead role in Puffs.  She is eyeing a future in nuclear medicine or business. Carrigan is the artist of the family. She is very talented and can quickly harness any medium, from colored pencils to watercolors to charcoal. Besides drawing or painting, she is an excellent singer and has performed with her school choir and worship teams. Max, the only boy among his sisters, is a rough-and-tumble jokester with a sensitive heart who plays baseball, basketball, golf, and soccer. He is also a hybrid homeschooler like his older sisters and attends school two days a week in person at New Song Christian Academy. Emmie, the youngest, fills the house with dancing, tea parties, gymnastics, and impromptu piano concerts. There are days when she sings just as much, if not more, than she talks. Emmie goes toe to toe with her brother and sisters and loves to join or support them in all their activities.

The Grodrians are deeply involved at Fellowship Church on Westport Road, serving on worship and childcare teams and taking mission trips near and far.  Closer to home, they cherish movie nights, new hiking trails, Nerf tournaments, kitchen dance parties, and Disneyworld adventures.

But their favorite part of Glen Oaks is the people. “It feels like we live in a community where neighbors truly look out for each other,” they shared. From trick-or-treating to Fourth of July fireworks on the golf course, they love bringing people together, and they’re always eager to meet more. “If you see us in the neighborhood, come say hi!”