A Married Woman

Well it is official (and I am late).  We were married on the COLDEST day October 4th has ever seen, a day with snow and hail, gray skies, and of course, a very happy new couple.  We were supposed to be married outside, but were instead married in a very romantic indoor ceremony that could not have been more perfect.  We felt surrounded by love and could not have dreamed of a better "party" to celebrate our love for one another. 

Here are some of my FAVORITE moments from the "Best Day Ever"

1. jumping on the bed with your favorite ladies is a MUST on your wedding day! I feel so blessed that the "getting ready" part of the day was honestly stress free! I was nervous and couldn't eat much, but we certainly weren't running around doing anything and I wasn't worried about things not getting done.  It helped to have the best wedding planner (Cynthia @ Bosc and Brie!) and great friends who oversaw some things for us at the venue.


2. riding the trolley to the venue was seriously a blast! I was getting nervous (not about marrying my man, but silly me was so stressed about wanting my guests to LOVE my wedding and I was stressing about it being perfect for OTHERS) and this great trolley (Columbus Trolley) had some mood lighting and jammed out some jams for us! It was the best, basically. (mood lighting not pictured...)

 

 

 3. Walking down the aisle with my dad was basically the best thing that could have happened, and at precisely the right time.  I was, again, nervous about all the people who would be looking at me and judging me (I'm not skinny enough, my dress isn't pretty enough, etc etc stupid girl worries) and my dad gave the best advice "when we turn the corner, you don't look at anyone in that room.  You find christopher, lock your eyes on him, and never move them".  Wow! I listened like the straight A student that I am, and it was the best decision I made! 

4. Seeing my groom was such a thrill.  I had missed him all day and was so excited to be standing by him.  Our ceremony was seriously the most romantic thing ever.  We wrote our own vows (please please do this) and it was an incredible thing to hear the man I love tell me how he loves me.  The other best part of the ceremony was my dear friend Katie singing such an important song to me.  It is the song I sang to my mother while she was on Hospice in our family home, over and over and over again.  And a song that continues to help me see that God is Love, and from Him comes all Love.  I loved singing it to my groom, and honestly during these few minutes I forgot the hundreds of people watching us.  

5. The dances were SO fun! I loved rocking out with my dad, and snuggling close to my man friend.  I loved gettin' down with my girls, and twirling my favorite little boys.  The dance floor was certainly where to be.

 

Basically it was just fantastic.  Hope everyone loved our wedding as much as we did!!

10 Things to Never say to a Bride-to-Be

In the midst of this wedding planning season of my life, I have learned so so much about wedding etiquette, planning etiquette, and how to and how not to be a supportive person for a Bride.  At times I think about the friends who are already married, and worry that I may have said some of the following things to them (SORRY!), as I think most of us do not think of these things and how it affects the person you are speaking it to.  That being said, I hope you find this list helpful when speaking to your friend, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, etc who is preparing for their BIG day!.

1. "Weddings are not important anyway"
- Um, what? YOU may not find having a wedding important, but weddings are, by nature, important.  Not only is it a holy sacrament with historical and religious importance, but it marks the first day of a marriage that is meant for eternity.  It symbolizes a forever bond, love, and commitment.  There is nothing quite like a wedding, in that it consists of two imperfect people declaring an unconditional love and acceptance of one another for life.  They are certainly important.

2. "OMG I would NEVER do that/Spend that/choose that"
- Good for you, but this is not about you.  It is not your place to judge the bride's choices and taste.  If a bride and her groom want to spend $50k on their wedding, why does that matter to you? It in no way means you should spend that too, but you do not have the right to judge. And the invitations they pick are PERFECT for them, no one cares if you would choose them. Same with colors, bridesmaids dresses, ceremony readings, etc.  This wedding is not about you, but is about the Bride and Groom.  And while I agree that the money spent and decorative details at the wedding do not dictate the success of the marriage, it is important that the Bride and Groom celebrate their love and union in the way that is important to them.

3. "Well that is not the traditional way"
- This one I love. Well I hate it. But I love how much I hate it.  Each bride is different, each groom is different, and while weddings are certainly a tradition, the trend now (and what I found most beautiful about weddings) is to personalize the day and experience to symbolize each individual joining in this marriage.  Whether it be the processional order, the table arrangements, the veil, the music, or the invites; let the Bride and Groom choose what speaks to them most and stop telling them that their choices are not traditional, because n
o one cares.

4. "How are you planning to lose weight"
- I have gotten this from family, work clients, and strangers.  Since when does having a wedding mean I need to change every single thing about myself? (note: some encouraged plastic surgery).  While I have absolutely been trying to lose a few pounds, and have incorporated strength and cardio training into my life, it is so inappropriate that people assume that I am trying to get "skinny" just for my wedding.  Does no one care about healthy anymore?  It bothers me that people find that a more important to ask than how I am emotionally preparing for my marriage (I have never been asked that).  When brides in your life are trying to lose weight, absolutely encourage them, but make sure that they know that they will be radiating and beautiful regardless of their size because of the joy and happiness of the love they share. 

5. "Do I have to help with that?"

but seriously

- This is such a common issue I have heard from other brides.  So many assume that much of the wedding simply takes care of itself, while in reality weddings come together with lots and lots of work.  And while some people are extremely generous and offer to help with every detail, there are others who frequently ask if they are "required" to help or if they really need to help with X or Y detail.  How is a bride to respond?  I usually say NO, as I am not going to shove my wedding down anyone's throat, not to mention if people don't want to help, it is no fun making them do it.  So my advice? If a bride asks for help, help her.  If she doesn't, no need to check in on her need for your help unless you are genuinely offering.

6. "Why are you doing that/it that way/not that?"
- This is in line with the fact that it is none of your business, bitches.  Weddings are such a beautiful opportunity to have a personal representation of the Bride and Groom, and they owe no one a justification for their decisions regarding their day. 

7. "Please don't do THAT at your wedding! I HATE that..."
- This cracks me up.  Because not only are you telling a Bride that you don't like a certain tradition or event at a wedding, you are requesting that the Bride omit it from HER day to please you.  Think about it... for us, we are going to have about 200 people at our wedding... if I took requests from each, could you imagine the nightmare? Not mention, can we all just agree to recognize that the wedding is not about anyone but the bride, groom, and respective families.

8. "Have you started you teeth whitening regimen?"
- This favorite of mine came from theknot.com emails back when we had about 9 months until our wedding.  How silly of the knot to think that I was able to even begin to think about small details like that so far in advance! You would be shocked at what others have said to me in regards to the beauty prep process for my wedding.  People have asked if I'm sticking with my blonde hair, if I am going to get botox (see #4), and if I am going to get everything waxed for the day of. Why is it people's business? And why can people just not ask open ended questions... "what are you doing with your hair?" "do you have a beauty prep schedule?" just for example.

lol

9. "You are just wasting so much money"
- Well, to be honest, we are spending so much money, but why does that mean we are wasting it? Like #1 and #2, each person is going to do things a little different, from small weddings to huge weddings, everything differs.  BUT
please stop assuming that the money we and other couples spend on their wedding AND honeymoon is a waste.  I cannot wait to be old and gray with my man and think back to what will likely be our only extravagant vacation before kids.  What a special and once in a lifetime experience this wedding and honeymoon will be for us!  When talking to your friends, be empathetic by acknowledging the financial burden of weddings, but be encouraging and non judgmental by letting them know they can make the best decisions for themselves.

10. Avoiding the wedding..
- Best for Last. SO many people want to talk about our wedding with us, but there are others that hurry off the phone at the mention of it, or glaze over when we mention it.  And even more who simply have fallen off the face of the earth since we got engaged.  And while we try really hard to make most of our conversations with others NOT wedding related, every single day we are making decisions and discussing our wedding, making it hard to never mention it.  If you are not a wedding person,  or for some reason cannot join in the excitement with the happy couple, just play pretend for a few moments.  It is most likely a you issue and not the couple's issue.  That being said if the couple is obnoxious about their wedding...TELL THEM. I hope my friends would do that for me.

What things have been said to you as a bride-to-be?

Have you Noticed?

Maybe you have already noticed these things, but maybe not...

There are fire hydrants EVERYWHERE.  literally. start paying attention. There is a fire hydrant like every 100 yards.  There are over 30,000 of them in Columbus.  30 THOUSAND. 

Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful. But can you imagine what life was like for the employees who put in all 30 thousand of those babies?  Nuts. just nuts.

This, I have never seen.

Also have you noticed how streets which used to be black top are now white gray top now that it is cold.  And I mean not the snow making it white..but the ground is white.  I guess it is the salt.  But like why? how? Salt chunks on top of black top make white gray top?

Okay and then what about grocery store shenanigans like how they display APPLES.  so Christopher likes gala apples which is nice because they are usually cheaper than some other apple guys.  Well the gala apples were next to some apples with a made up name that were much more than the gala apples.  Well i accidentally got one of those dudes and paid more than i should have for my 3 lbs of apples.  I call BS.


And what about some other weird things in grocery stores.  Where the hell is the velveeta? The pepperoni? The summer sausage? Like for real where do they hide all of this shit?

And lastly, since I am currently planning a wedding, have you ever noticed the entire INDUSTRY that is built around people saying "i do".  It is nutso.  I am often struck with the fact that Christopher and I's life will not really change after we say "we do".  We already live together, we already know we love each other and we already live our lives together.  While I love that those things are true, and I know I want to get married, why is an industry built around a few hours of celebrating the signage of a document? legally binding and life long as it may be, my romantic side is getting taken over by my cynicism I guess.  I can explain the romance and beauty of a wedding to you, yet am still taken a back by the HUGE billion dollar industry weddings are.

Happy (Day After) Valentine's Day!

I'm always a day late and a dollar short (Yay for using phrases correctly!).  But regardless, I hope you felt and experienced a LOT of love yesterday! 

Valentine's Day has lovers and haters...but I feel like I exist somewhere in between.  There is no need for a day to tell your loved one's you love them if you do that on a regular basis...but at the same time, it gives us an excuse to be extra lovey and extra celebratory!

But while you all thought it was Valentine's Day yesterday...it was actually this chicks birthday!  Happy Birthday to a truly amazing woman!  I love our coffee dates, our hang outs, our talks, and your hugs.  You're a great friend...and I am crazy about your life.  Thanks for allowing me to be a part of it :)


And look at this cutie!  It had been way too long, my dear Lisa.  Hope you know how much I enjoy smiling with you, laughing with you, and talking with you. 



#151: People love me.  A lot.  And that is an incredible thing.
#152: I love a lot of people.  And I love them passionately.  And want nothing but happiness for them ALL.
#153: Anthony told me I was the best Valentine.  And he tells me he loves me everyday I see him.  When a 7 year old loves you unconditionally...it kinda rocks your world.
#154: Gracious professors and supervisors make being sick a little less miserable.  Hoping for a speedy recovery so I can get back on the bandwagon of working hard.
#155: I'm so glad that I have been blessed with two parents who love eachother lots.
#156: I've been blessed by this one guy a lot lately.  And it's kinda the most magical experience I've had.
#157: My heart is full of gratitude and love.  I feel full with joy and full of smiles. 
#158: I love walking across campus and running in to people I know, love and miss.  Yeha....I loved seeing you yesterday!
#159: I have so many more years (decades) before I get to 1000...but I simply am so excited!

Soy Chai Love

I love chai tea. So much so that I have already had two chai soy lattes today. TWO!! Do you know what that does to the number of pee breaks I need? Well it just increases them, really.

I haven't had one all week so I'm making up for it today. Crossing my fingers that it was a good choice considering my little fun with the stomach flu yesterday. Remember when I had the stomach flu for 10 days in the spring? No? Well I do. ER visit included and everything (check the May blogs!). Glad I had some left over nausea pills fo sho.

In other news, I am ecstatic for the weekend. For reals. Bar crawl tonight! Holla! (I've never said that before in my life). Homework tomorrow and homework Sunday! Which makes me happy really. I can get ahead a bit and enjoy the quiet weekend while my padres are at the houseboat (I would be jealous, but bar crawl friends). And I'll actually have time for the gym!

Well, for now, I will dream about tonight while sipping on my glorious chai latte. What are you drinking?

#22: money for chai
#23: fall colors. Go to Dexter friends. Quintessential fall town.

Welcoming in October

Well, it's official.  Only 2 months until December 1st.  Which is only 25 days until Christmas.  To me, October signals the beginning of a season filled with holidays! Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are all so close that it feels like a blur, really.  But I'm so excited!!

I spent the last day of September hanging out with great friends and watching Michigan kick ass on the field.  And then later watching MSU and OSU look confused on the field.  So interesting (and depressing to see my buckeyes so lost).  It was a great day and I am so grateful to have spent quality time, not just rushed school time, in my favorite little city, Ann Arbor. 

 it was so cold...but so worth it! We were a bit late (thankfully) but thoroughly enjoyed the cheers and the laughs.  But we definitely didn't enjoy the wind.  That's for sure.  Oh so fun otherwise :)

He just really wanted to be in the picture.  So we let him be, but with the consequence of being a bunny.  P.s. check out the chick behind Denise.  She looks unsettled. 

Labor Day Weekend

Even though all of us Polen's have spent ample amounts of time at the houseboat, there have only been a few where all five of us were there at the same time.  Labor Day provided an end of summer, all-out weekend for the five of us to tie out with our houseboating friends! It was tons of fun!

I was still getting over Pneumonia, but my siblings forced me to tube.  So I did.  Zach fell off several times, while Brittany and I showed our master tubing skills off.

They also made me wake board first.  We all are decent at wake boarding after years of not understanding the sport.  It's fun, but it is oh so easy to face plant.  Brittany experienced some thigh pain the next day after using her right leg to keep herself from face planting.  It was, um, interesting to watch!  Zach crashed several times because he was distracted/cocky and I ended my turn by crashing on a wave that was just a little bit big....

 Spoiled pups.  They love the lake.  They go, expecting to see their best friends too.  When we bring Scarlet, and Brittany and Einstein aren't there...she is not a happy camper.  Same with Einstein. 

They both have life jackets now and can swim well! They've both ridden on the jet ski now, too!!  Scarlet loves it...Einstein not so much. 

Splurge

I talk about my food allergies often, or at least I know I've mentioned them several times.  It's almost been a YEAR since I started...I can't believe it!!  Though I have cheated here and there occasionally (not near as much as I thought I would), rarely do I have entire days where I neglect the diet altogether.  Actually I think today is the FIRST time I have eaten whatever I wanted.

Why today? Well a few things.  Being on steroids 4x a day and 2 antibiotics 2x a day each means that your tummy gets WAY bloated.  I can't simply eat yogurt and I refuse to take more medicine.  SO..I pigged out.  Hard core.

At orientation (post to come) today, I had some turkey, a piece of cheese and chips.  I could have the turkey and chips, not the cheese.

When I got home, my mother and I (she cheated too) had Chinese food.  General Tso's Chicken...my all time favorite.  It wasn't near as good as China Gate's but it was decent.  It had rice (woot), broccoli (safe), but the breaded chicken was a no-no. 

THEN I went to work this afternoon and they wanted to treat me to dinner with their family! It was my last day for the summer, and we went to an amazing Mexican restaurant called Rojo in the Fountain Walk in Novi, MI.  It was delicious.  There, I ate corn chips, guacamole (which I actually liked.  AND can eat; shocker), a bite of cheese dip (delicious, but wanted to save the calories), enchiladas (corn, wheat, cheese, fail) and had an amazing margarita. 

I still hadn't met my 5000 calorie goal (just kidding.  not a goal and I probably had met it) so I had some ice cream, too.

Needless to say, I feel like I've gained literally 10 pounds, feel puffy and bloated, crampy and uncomfortable, and am thinking this night will be accompanied by many trips to the bathroom. 

SO worth the great food though, seriously. 

Lesson Learned

This blog post will make you both cringe and laugh.  Have fun.

So at Amanda's Bachelorette party I danced a lot a lot.  And one particular man found my dancing to be appealing enough to approach me and basically beg for my number (not sure what that says about my dancing).  At first I said no, tried to explain I wasn't from around Royal Oak, etc etc.  Then he told me that he would travel long distances for a girl like me, mentioned all kinds of quite convincing lines and I eventually gave it to him, thinking that a. he'd NEVER call (who calls people they meet in bars) and b. if he does I'll ignore.

And that I did! He texted me three days after, (at Amanda's wedding) and I ignored the messages.  Deleted them and never responded.  Then a couple days later he texted again, I didn't recognize the number so I responded asking who it was.  Then we some how got into a text-conversation that ended with him asking to go out sometime.  I cancelled (work related) on him the first time but rescheduled for last night. 

Let's just say I have learned my lesson.  I came fully prepared for all scenarios; the creep who wants my pants off, the weirdo who drinks a lot, the old boring types.  He was the later.  Seriously.  Old.  Definitely closer to my parents age than mine (30s, 40s maybe?) and he was just so boring.  We talked the whole time but he's sooo mellow it was painful.  Then he mentioned, at one point, that he hated hyper people.  I probably blushed because he has NO idea who I am. hahah.

We FINALLY left (which was sooo awkward) and I find him walking straight for me...like he just keeps walking into me.  He doesn't try and kiss me though so I assume he's hugging me, so I ended up receiving the most limp, awkward, dead man hug in my much shorter life. 

On the way home I called Lisa to report all of the awkwardness to her.  It was excrutiating really.  We decided that I need to think of a fake number to hand out.  I can't do it on the spot...my answer would be 333 7777.  And I need to come up with a couple reasons to hand out my real number (only if...x, y, z).  Lastly, I need to make sure to see the person in some sort of light because old guys can look cute in the dark when you can't tell how old they are. 

Funny Story

I love Ann Arbor.  Great, eccentric people and great shops/bars/walking.  It's beautiful in the summer time; if you haven't spent a summer in Ann Arbor...get on it in a hurry.

I was down there last night to meet Leslie for a drink...woot, I've missed that girl like cray cray.  Anywho, I was stopped at a stop sign (4 way stop) and was letting a guy walk across the street.  The entire time he was crossing he had his eyes locked on me...the whole time...until suddenly...he ran into a guy on his bike.

Then he fell and his eyes were no longer on me but he was ridiculously sprawled on the ground with his victim.  The bike rider was pissed to say the least and yelled at him quite loudly.  I, of course, laughed lots and then sped away.  I wanted nothing to do with that brawl, obviously. 

Amanda's Big Day Part II

So it's over.  Which is both a refreshing thought and a sad one.  We've all been looking forward to Yesterday for a YEAR (even longer, really) so now that all of the festivities are done, it feels surreal. 

Amanda was SUCH a beautiful bride, and I can't imagine a wedding that was more fun...seriously.  We danced for 5 hours and had an amazing time.  The bridal party got along great and we all enjoyed each others company which was also a HUGE bonus.  All in all...it was simply amazing.

Bachelorette Party :)

Rehearsal Dinner