I Am From Poem

This past semester, as a part of my exit portfolio from Curriculum & Instruction 658, I was required to compose an original writing sample. One week, we modeled a type of poem called the "I Am From" poem by George Ella Lyon. You can view the original model here, if you like.

Anyway, writing this poem over the course of the semester offered me an opportunity to reflect on all the little things that have contributed to my development as a person, as well as how I got to where I am today. Enjoy!

I Am From...

I am from the little gray house

And then the bigger yellow house on top of the hill.

(The one that’s great for sledding.)

I am from the Old Country- Germany-

Back where everything written with your right hand;

Apparently I’ve been doing it wrong this whole time.

I am from hours and hours of music theory

And seemingly endless piano recitals;

The dusty trophies are sitting in a box somewhere in the basement.

I am from Christmas at Grandma’s house,

With too many people crowded into the kitchen;

All of us passing around bienenstich, sub sandwiches, and disgusting fish-in-a-can.

I am from German camp in Michigan,

And basketball tournaments in LaCrosse,

And endless cheerleading fundraisers in the Grace Christian Academy lobby.

I am from meterologist in kindergarten

To lawyer in 4^th grade,

To doctor in 12^th grade,

To teacher in college;

I think I made the right decision.

I am from the white, 1990s Chrysler Grand Caravan called Vanna White

(The name borrowed from Wheel-of-Fortune),

And the 1997 Silver Mercury Sable with the “customized” back bumper,

(Courtesy of a driver who decided not to stop for the red light);

The only two vehicles that have ever been mine.

I am from ice skating in winter

(And pretending I’m really bad

So that Matthew would hold my hand),

To wanting a hockey stick for my birthday

So that I can play with the boys outside.

I am from Vernon, Wisconsin,

To Lakeland, Florida,

And back again,

All within four months

Because I wanted a change and then realized that I was being stupid.

I am from piles and piles of books in the corner of my room,

Which are only outdone by the number of coffee cups on my nightstand,

Because I’m an addict.

Thanks mom.

I am from outgoing child

To shy and quiet adult;

One who hates parties

And who would rather stay home and watch a movie.

I am from child to adult,

Always my parents' daughter,

From girlfriend to fiancee

And now wife.

I am always from the big yellow house on the top of the hill,

But I am also from the new life I am starting

In the little brick house on Beloit.

"Now, walk..."

This week has been absolutely awful. I had all sorts of drama going on in my life: drama with the wedding (from multiple people), drama with the school I teach at, and drama with the school I attend. Also, it was my birthday. (I'm not usually an "anti-birthday" person, but this year I just happened to have a bad day up until I saw Matthew. He definitely knows how to make bad my days turn around- *hint* cheese and Starbucks! )

Anyway, I think I had an official bridezilla meltdown. I cried three times.

In one day.

Yep.

I cried once in the car, once in the library at school, and once on the phone. I just couldn't handle everything that was happening at that point; it all seemed like it was falling apart. Everything that was happening seemed to be all about everyone else, and what I wanted really didn't matter.

It might come off sounding completely selfish, but I think that for one day, I should be allowed to have the wedding of my dreams. I should be allowed to have the people there that I want, I should be allowed to have everyone in one place at one time, and I should be allowed the same traditional prerequisite festivities (like a bachelorette party, getting hair done together, getting ready together, etc.) as anyone else. Why shouldn't I? It's probably my only opportunity to do so!

But I digress. Like I was saying, my week was awful. It really helped some situations to sleep on my anger; it allowed me to calm down. Crying helped. Talking things out helped. Realizing the things that I wanted and realizing that I needed to express those things explicitly was a big step for me. It's a very difficult line between being a b**** y bridezilla and telling others how I want my big day to go. I applaud anyone who can go through the whole wedding-planning process and successfully navigate through it and remain relatively unscathed. It's something I'm still working on; after all, I'm only human! But in the midst of me calming down from my latest mental and emotional collapse, I came across these wonderful words of wisdom from the great Randy Fennoli (yep, the guy from Say Yes to the Dress):

Take time to be in the moment. Planning a wedding usually takes a year or two, yet it seems like it passes by in the blink of an eye. Remember throughout the process to take time to enjoy each step. Savor the food tastings, enjoy viewing different venues, and, above all else, what girl wouldn’t enjoy shopping for the gown.

The same should be applied to your wedding day. Remember to breathe and take in each moment. As the doors of the church open up and you and your fiance see each other for the first time, pause and take in this moment. Look to your family and loved ones who have gathered to celebrate your wedding. Think about the new life you are starting. Now, walk.

- Randy Fennoli

Aah. I needed that.

Mobile app, among other things...

Hello! I am so excited... We are down to less than 50 days before the wedding! Wow, is time going by quickly! It's almost Thanksgiving!

I've become more mobile with my blogger site; I've downloaded the iPhone app, and so maybe I can post more often!

So much has happened, I don't know where to begin!

First, Matthew and I got our engagement pictures taken. We booked the amazing A&A Photography (they were the folks who did Matthew's sister's wedding last year). They turned out wonderfully! Can't wait to show you all the pics, but for the meantime, there is a preview below.

Second, I FINALLY got my invitations out! After hours and hours and hours of work, they turned out great! We printed them ourselves.

Also, this past week was my bridal shower! My mom and sisters did an amazing job, and I felt so loved and blessed by everyone there (and even a few who couldn't make it)! Next job: finish my thank-you notes!

Finally, Matthew and I are starting to get the house ready for when I move in. We want to paint both the bedroom and the office, and so today we took off old wallpaper to get the project started. Tomorrow, we will patch the walls up and begin painting! I feel so grown-up doing house things! Yes, I know; I'm a dork!

I think that's about it for wedding updates... So many other things have happened, but I just don't have the time to tell you everything. This will have to do for now. Hope to update you soon!

weddings and shoes and dresses... OH MY!

Hello everyone! It has been a busy month! I can't believe it's already June 6th! 215 days to go!

So much has happened since the last time I updated you. I don't know where to begin!

First, a huge congratulations to my friends Dana and Dan who got married over the weekend. They've been together for over 10 years! I am so happy for you two, and I hope you have a long and happy marriage! Here is a pic of me and my girls from that day...



It was a wonderful wedding, and I felt very honored to be a part of their special day!


It's crazy how time is going by so quickly... within the past month, Matthew and I have actually worked on quite a bit for our wedding! We purchased invitations (thank you Michael's coupons!), met with the photographer we want, and started counseling... but that's not all!

I have been looking for the perfect pair of shoes to wear for months.... I wanted something that was closed-toe (winter wedding!) and did not have an extremely high heel so I could be comfortable all day. Finally, I found a shoe that I loved, but it was in black in the store. So I decided to take a look online to see if it came in white. Not only did it come in white, but it was $30 less to purchase it online than in the store! Combine that with a 20% off coupon that I got for giving out my email address, and my shoes came to 50% off what I would have paid in the store... including shipping! They arrived last week Thursday, just in time for me to go dress shopping this past Saturday!

Which brings me to my last piece of big news... I found my dress!

Maybe I didn't say it loud enough...

I FOUND MY DRESS!!!!

After trying three different stores and dozens of gowns, I finally found it. It's very different than the first dress that I thought I loved, but it's so much better. I am so excited! Here is a picture:



Ha! Did you actually think that I would post a picture of my dress? You're crazy! I will tell you that the dress is under this giant white fluffy cape, but you won't see it until my wedding day! Nevertheless, let me assure you that I am so excited and happy with this dress! Once I put that one on, I didn't want to take it off! I can't wait for it to arrive so I can wear it again! I also feel a huge sense of relief off of my shoulders now that I have a dress. Everything else can fall into place.

Next on the list? Bridesmaid dresses... ;-)

P.S. Happy birthday to my bff (and bridesmaid) Lisa! (She's the girl in the blue in the first pic). Love ya!

An Invitation...

The days are flying by so quickly! Only 537 days to go!





Ok, well maybe it is still a year and a half away, but there is still so much to do!



So what do you do before you throw a wedding? Throw another party... for our families!

Matthew and I have decided that it was about time that our parents, grandparents, and siblings all meet and have the chance to get to know each other (since they are going to be related by marriage and all) before the wedding. So in a few weeks, we are going to have everyone over to Matthew's house for a good old fashioned meet-and-greet. Obviously, this means that I have a chance to stretch my creative wings and make pretty invitations! While they are not a reflection of any type of theme or colors that I'm going to have for the wedding itself, I thought they were cute and very summer-y.

So here's the basic invitation I created! I basically stole some clip-art and then uploaded it into Picnik (I love that site!) where I tweaked all the colors and added the text. Easy as pie :-)

In conclusion, I finished Official Wedding Project #2.... I'll keep you posted on how the party goes!

Spreadsheets!

One of the things that I'm starting to realize about planning a wedding is that you have to be very, very organized with everything... if not, it could become chaotic! If papers are in different places, figures and numbers are in different folders, and things aren't generally in an orderly fashion, I could lose my mind and possibly important information.

The first major foray that I've taken into organizing my wedding stuff has been to create a giant spreadsheet! And I love it! I am so proud of myself for doing it too!

I decided that there wasn't really an easy way for me to compare the reception venue information that I had based on initial cost, so I gathered up all the info that I had and imported it into an easy-to-read format in Excel. While it isn't the most scientific spreadsheet, and it definitely isn't the most amazing spreadsheet, it got the job done. I was able to categorize everything from deposits to rental fees to average cost per plate (and what it includes!) to beverages, to any other fees that might arise. I also figured out the ballpark final price including taxes and gratuity.

Basically, I am very proud of my spreadsheet. And now I have a wonderful tool that I can use to compare all my venues.

Yay for spreadsheets! That's all for now!