HoneyMoon!!!!!!!!!

When most people think of a honeymoon it usually involves warm weather, sand, & lots of drinking. We will have none of that on ours!! Rhett is not very keen on hot weather since he is a farmer and has to work in it all summer. I can't even remember the last time I wore a swimsuit in public. Instead we will (hopefully) be going on an Alaskan Cruise.

My in-laws purchased these pictures from a man named Gene Ferguson in Alaska when they were visiting. Check out his business card. Too funny

When we first started discussing places for our honeymoon I kept saying let's go to Shawnee National Forest. (I meant Yellowstone) Rhett thought that was soooo funny. Duh Shawnee National Forest is in southern IL. When I was a child we vacationed to Arizona, Minnesota, or Florida. (mainly bc we had relatives in 2 of those 3 places) We love Branson but no way jose not spending our honeymoon there. WE needed a new place to go as officially husband & wife. Rhett visited Yellowstone as a child and all he remembers is old boring (as he called it). Old Faithful is a geyser located in Wyoming, in Yellowstone National Park. I guess when they went to visit their had been an earthquake recently so the timing was totally off on the geyser hence the name OLD BORING. I think it would be a lovely place to visit but it is my 2nd choice. My first choice would be to go on an Alaskan Cruise. I have heard so many wonderful things from numerous people. At first I thought oh gosh that will be so expensive and maybe we should wait till later in life. Well you know what I think... Why Not!! We don't have any kids now so we need to go while we can. Plus I think 11 yrs (officially on March 23, 2012) accounts to going on an awesome honeymoon. Obviously we won't be able to go right after the wedding bc it will be fall season. So we will wait until the early summer to go in 2013. Lets hope if I am pregnant by then I am out of the sickness stage bc that won't be any fun on a big boat. Here are some fun pics that Margaret & Justin took when they went to Alaska................

I will eventually call a travel agent and get everything set up & hopefully we will be set!! Looking forward to our honeymoon already even though its over 1 yr away!! If anyone has been there & has suggestions on places to see or check out please fill me in!!

Confession Friday

Happy Friday Everyone!

I am doing my first Confession Friday and of course we are going to be doing it in wedding fashion. So here we go with my mostly wedding confessions & a few other randoms.

First off I confess that I am kinda stuck in a rut with my wedding planning. I have many things I know I need to do but really can't be done until closer to the big day. I would love to have everything done pronto but some things will just have to wait.

I confess that I really want to try my dress on and see if it fits or is loose at all.....Lets pray for the latter

I confess that sometimes I put my veil on (while wearing my pjs) and just prance around the house with it on. Rhett thinks I am a lunatic.

I confess that so far I have pretty well loved everything about planning my wedding minus bill paying.

I confess that I am hoping I get a good little chunk of $ back on my taxes so I can pay some of those bills!!

I confess that I have only had 1 wedding nightmare so far. Please please let that be the one & only.

I confess that several of my hs friends announcing they are pregnant makes me have some baby fever.

(That one is for you MOM!)

I confess that I have no plans set in stone for today or tomorrow. Feels good to just go with the flow

I confess that we allow our dogs to sleep in our bed (EVERY) night. Bad habit I know but they are just too sweet to say no. Plus when we kick them down they just sneak back up once we fall asleep.

I confess that I am soooo ready for Spring even though we are having decent weather. I am ready to mow grass, flowers to bloom, & more sunny days. You heard me right I like mowing our huge yard that takes like 4 hrs. Its my thinking time.

I confess that I have a horrible habit of staying up late (as i write its only 12:30 am) and then sleeping the whole morning away. Might as well do it now while I can!

That is enough confessions for now but just have to say

or 3

You took the words right out of my mouth

It's survey time again and this time we will be hearing from my future
 sister-in-law Erin. I have probably already said this time & time again but she is Amazing!!! She has been helping me constantly with the wedding planning. So lets hear what she has to say about Rhett & I.



1. How long have you known the bride & groom?
Rhett 30 years.... Dad bought me a baby doll so I wouldn't
be jealous of the baby. I would nurse Wally while mom fed
Rhett.... . Sara I've known for 10 years, I think we got
close fast since Rhett was living with us when they met....
so she spent a lot of time at our house.


2. What is your relationship to the bride & groom?
Big sister of both!!


3. What is your first memory of the bride?
Sweet...
I like this girl she is cute with my kids.


4. What is your first memory of the groom?
first memory Rhett would bite my fingers as a baby when I would
try feeding him so I would throw the food on the floor and
he would crawl around and eat it off the floor like a little
dog


5. What was your first reaction when you heard they
were finally getting married?
I think I smacked Sara in the
arm when they told me at church.


6. How do you feel about the wedding being in
Arkansas?
Love it.... small weddings are the best so sweet.


7. How long after the wedding do you think it will
take before they get pregnant?
I'd say the twins should be
due around July!


8. What advice do you wish to give to the happy
couple in making a marriage work?
Remember to laugh
together.... you two have a great relationship anyway.




Thanks Erin for being a great big sister to both Rhett & I. Also thank you for giving me the sweetest cutest kids ever as nieces/nephews. I hope when I have kids they are just as sweet as yours!!! Here are a few fun pics from the past.


Can you tell which one is Rhett.....

Once upon a time

Once upon a time their was a 15 yr old girl & a 19 yr old boy. She was in highschool & he was not. She was a good student who enjoyed school & cheerleading. He was recently graduated & did not like school or cheerleading. This is their story........

When I was in high school I had heard the name "Rhett Simpson" but I didn't really know who he was. He was older and we didn't really hang out with the same people. We met at a party at Vicky Young's clubhouse. I had a boyfriend at the time who will remain nameless. If you were friends with me back then you probably know who it was. I always had a boyfriend since like 6th grade, so really that's no surprise. (my poor mother & father) I looooooved boys!! lol I have to tone down the story a little to make it blog friendly so you can all use your wild imaginations. So at this party where I'm sure we were doing things that we weren't supposed to be doing I met my future hubby to be. The way he tells the story is that he saw me I had a tight white shirt on & he thought I was hot. What a romantic from the beginning. I'm sure you can all imagine what else he was thinking....I must have been whining I was so cold so he offered to get a coat from his car for me. No no I said I have a bf and he probably wouldn't like that. That's all I really remember. Not sure when whether it was days weeks or months but that boy called me. I don't know how he got my number or why he called bc he won't tell me to this day. (Rhett was a bit of a wild child back in the day.) When my sister said some guy named Rhett called boy oh boy did I freak out. I remember that!! We talked on the phone off/on for a while. He then said I can't call you anymore since you still have a bf. One day in study hall at school my good friend Leha & I were just chatting about my boy dilemma. Do I break up with my bf bc Rhett said he won't call me anymore or do I just forget about him. She said oh just break up with him, Rhett is way cooler. My response, "ok" Omg sure didn't take much to persuade me lol Glad I listened to her. Thank you Leha Russell!!!!!!! Love you! So from then on my new man was 4 yrs older than me and my Dad sure loved him. I can remember one time Rhett & Teddy Bear picking up myself & Leha from my house to go out for the night. I can't believe my parents let me leave the house with them. I remember bits & pieces from back then but I sure wish I would've kept a journal or diary to log my thoughts. Rhett lived with his sister Erin when we hooked up so I became close to her & the girls who I now call my sweet nieces Brooke & Madison. Love you 2 more than words can describe.

Erin kinda kicked Rhett out so the hunt began for
a place to live. We found a trailer at 9073 South Prairie rd that was cheap and allowed pets. The first night we stayed was New Year's Eve 2002. We had no furniture and the t.v. sat on a small crate. We were set lol I was still in hs so I really only stayed on weekends. After I graduated in May 2003 I gradually moved all my crap and we were officially living together. I remember going to dollar general in Steeleville and to get the electric set up. It was so fun picking out stuff for our new place. 3 dogs (Ammo, Dakota, & Precious) later and 3 yrs later we moved to our next home at 7469 Marigold Rd. This was where our relationship began so it felt just right. Erin moved out and we moved in. We spent 3 years at this home and then it was finally time. We had been saving and planning for a looooong time for the house we would build. Literally we had our floor plans drawn up like 2-3 yrs before maybe even longer. Every time Dakota had a litter of puppies all the money went in our house savings account. Thank you Dakota!!!! You made us quite a bit of $ while giving us the most precious puppies.

So in October of 2008 we began the venture of building our lovely home we live in now. We moved to 7794 St. Leo's Rd March 2009 and fast forward 3 yrs here we are. 11 yrs together, lots of ups & downs, & getting Married!!!!!

Standing in our basement while it is getting dug

In the future I will fill you all in on the details of building our home!!

I have tons of pictures and stories that could have its own blog.

Do you take this woman...

First off just want to say Happy Valentine's Day!!! Also Happy Birthday to Rhett's big sister Erin!!! We love you!!!!! In honor of V-day the romantics that we are..we are working on tax stuff. I say as long as you spend the day or part of the day together that's what counts!  Tonight we have Erin's bday party so we will get to see the whole fam.

Some people write their own wedding vows and get all creative & personal. We are not doing that. We were given two different ceremony options for the chapel. (traditional or I'm not even sure what the other one was called bc I threw the paper away) Traditional it is!! I am just hoping I get it right when we are standing up in front of everyone bc I know I will be nervous as heck. For fun I made up our own wedding vows that are silly & fun.

Alright here goes my vows:

I Sara take you Rhett to be my husband. I promise to do your laundry, run the dishwasher, & clean our house. I will try my best to make up new recipes so you don't get tired of the meals I make for supper. I will scratch your back and pop your zits when you ask. (even though I am the one who really likes popping your zits not you) I will wake up with the dogs ( and any future kids) at 3 am when they whine & cry. I promise to allow you to turn the fan on every night before we go to sleep and sometimes let the radio play too. I will continue to mow the grass & try not to run over any more pine trees. When you are working hard I will bring you lunch in the field. I promise to do our bills and keep them organized. I will continue to endlessly take crazy fun pictures of you so we can look back at them and laugh always. Whevever you ask to go hunting day after day I will almost always say YES.  I will love you forever & ever till death do us part.

Now I asked him to write his but he wasn't very receptive lol which I figured was how he would respond. I am going to take a stab at it and pretend like these vows are coming from his mind.

I Rhett take you Sara to be my wife. I promise to help you cook supper whenever you need a break. I will fix endless things around the house when they are broken. I will haul rock on our driveway when it needs it & pop your back when it needs a good crack. I will make you fires when you are cold & clean the dogs feet when they are muddy. I will grow my crops very tall and make us lots of money to spend. I promise you I will kill deer, ducks, geese etc...so we can decorate our home with my lovely trophies. I will not complain when you cook a crappy supper. I will eat it anyways. When you get stuck in the snow I will drag your car out. I will tolerate your constant picture taking and always smile for you. When you need to cry I will have a shoulder for you to lean on. When you want to watch girlie movies I will sit & watch them with you even though I don't care for them at all. I will love you forever & ever till death do us part.

Just an FYI so everyone doesn't think we are totally hopeless....Last night Rhett cooked supper which was so wonderful to come home to. Today I made us breakfast for lunch that was complete with heart shaped choc chip pancakes. He said for my vday present he is building me a dock for our lake. He's such a sweetie!!!

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Picture Perfect

I knew that one of the most important decisions that would have to do with my wedding would deal with the photography. I am a picture fanatic and I get it legit. If you know my Mommy then you know this.... we are picture people!! I am so blessed & thankful to have a ton of pictures from my childhood. It's so fun to go back looking at old pictures. I can relive my hs cheering days just by looking through the many pictures my Mom took. I love photographing my doggies & nieces/nephews so I know when I have children I will be a pro at documenting every second of their life. Start praying for them now LOL

I met with 4 different people before making a decision on my reception photographer. I knew immediately after meeting with Anna @ Creative Bent that they were perfect. Expensive as heck but totally going to be worth it!! If you have never seen any   of their work check it out  http://www.creativebent.net/

Rhett & Drake mowing the grass 2011

Rhett & Ammo deer season 2010

Next step was picking a photographer for our wedding. Thank goodness for the Internet bc otherwise planning a wedding 6 hrs away would be a lot harder. The woman from the thorncrown chapel gave me a list of vendors in Eureka Springs so that def helped. I researched online. The first guy I spoke to told me that he only took a limited number of pictures. (60 pics in the lowest priced package) What the heck does that mean...haven't you heard of closed eyes, kids picking boogers, hair in the face. No way was I going to use someone who was going to be ticking down the numbers as he snapped away. I probably talked to around 4 others via phone & email. Their were two ladies I spoke with who I decided to meet with when I went on my visit in October. The first woman was extremely nice, friendly, helpful, & brought a variety of samples of her work. She was hugging my Mom & I as we said goodbye. The second woman we met with was more concerned with her coffee and Kahlua. It's not that she wasn't friendly but totally different vibe. I actually preferred her work online as opposed to the first woman we met with but personality goes a long way. I went with my gut and decided to choose Susan Storch. Overall she seemed to be the best fit.


http://susanstorchweddings.com/about.html


Last but not least my engagement picture photographer is the one & only Gina Phegley (aka Mom)
To save money and bc it will be fun she is going to be taking them. She just did my brother and his friend's senior pics and they were great. I am planning to use these pictures in our guest book. I will be doing it myself on Walgreen's. Their are little ways to save here and there! I have been scouting good places to take the engagement pictures. I was driving in our driveway the other day & noticed a great spot! I think we will wait until Spring though for some prettier scenery. I am looking forward to working with each & everyone of these ladies on my special days.


My adorable nephew & ring bearer. You can't get any cuter than this!!
Love you Jake the snake

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New month New Leaf

So it's officially February and that means only 8 months till the big day. Reality is setting in that soon it will be wedding day! I am starting this month off with a better perspective on being healthy. When my sister-in-law Meghan got engaged (March 2011 I think that is correct month) I started changing my eating habits. I have been unhappy with my weight for quite some time but have just never done anything about it. Such a procrastinator. Their were often nice thoughts that crossed my mind...oh on Monday I will be better, on Monday I will start working out, on Monday blah blah. I always had these motivating thoughts but never came through. So when Meghan asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding I changed my routine. Slowly but surely I stopped drinking soda and refused to eat anything at McDonald's. I work 12-8:30 during the week so their are many a nights when I get home late and supper still has to be made. (Mickey D's was an easy out a lot) I don't really remember when I started working out but I wish I would've kept a journal or a log. I do know that being in a bridesmaid dress got me motivated. Now I am not going to tell you all how much I weighed at my heaviest but it was wayyyy toooo much. My boobs are pretty big so I think they account for at least 10 lbs. LOL or at least that is my guess. After I stopped with the soda and fast food I really didn't or don't miss it at all. I contacted a friend on fb about Design Fitness I was always seeing posts on FB & saw an article in the newspaper about it. She gave me excellent feedback and totally recommended the classes DF offered. She said that everyone was so nice and like a whole other family. Thank you Emily Zeiger DF has changed my life!! I started going to zumba and kb classes. Thank you Kelly Donjon for making kb class awesome.That 6 week class in the summer when you sent motivating text messages everyday was great. I also walked my 1st 5K ever at the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer walk. I am a mammogram tech so boobs are a part of my daily work routine.

That was an awesome experience that I would suggest to anyone. I will be attending every year now.
Thank you Allie Lingle for doing all the 5Ks with me in 2011. You are an awesome friend. I think we did 4 total. Even though we would only run a little bit and walk mostly (since I would be dying and out of breath). I also started walking regularly at Lincoln Park, Then when August rolled around and I got engaged things really started to change for me. I think literally the week after my bday I contacted Darla (who owns Design Fitness) about personal training. I started to meet with Darla on a weekly basis. Dreaming of my wedding day after 10 yrs I knew that this was time to get serious. I was always healthy all of my life
but after hs I just let myself go as so many of us do.
This is the best investment I could've ever made for myself. I need that person their pushing me bc lets face it on my own I wasn't getting anywhere. Thank you Darla Hollmann pushing me every week and making me stronger. I know I have said it before but I wish I could work out with you every day!! Now next week she is going to be out of town so (fingers crossed) I am going to still work out on Monday & Wednesday on my own. I will do it!!!!! When the holidays rolled around this past winter I really started up some bad eating habits again with the sweets. (BC of course I love sweets) Sometimes Actually a lot of the time I wish I just didn't even like sweet stuff. I have no will power. Now that it is a new year & new month I am getting back on track. I decided today to join weight watchers. This is hopefully going to be a good investment for myself and will help me reach my goals. Now I will keep track of my daily food intake and log my exercising. It is all online so it makes it super easy and I don't have 20 papers laying around with info written down. I have been taking the dogs on walks regularly as well bc Ammo needs them to help with his arthritis & weight. We only walk down the driveway and back but its better than nothing. (he can only handle short walks) I did my Pilate's buns & thighs today so hopefully my butt is going to be rockin. I really just want to feel happy & healthy so that is my plan. I love to bake so I know that I can't totally deprive myself. Yes I will eat sweets for the rest of my life but it has to be in moderation. I am just going to try harder each day bc each day is a new battle. I am planning to do this in March

http://www.lungusa.org/pledge-events/mo/st-louis-climb-fy12/

God help me that I make it to the top with out keeling over!!

In June I am also going to do this

http://thecolorrun.com/chicago/

Wish me Luck in my journey bc I know that October 6th will be here very soon. Maybe now that I have declared all of this to you I will feel more accountable to be good. LOL

And that's what she said....

I have never had a guest blogger but today I am going to have a guest survey. I wrote up a short list of questions I eventually plan to give to all or most of my wedding party. I want to see what they are thinking about the whole wedding situation. It should be fun to see the answers.

Here goes with my first guest: Meghan Markotay (future sister-in-law to me)

1. How long have you known the bride & groom? Groom-28.5 years Bride- 10 years

2. What is your relationship to the bride & groom? younger sister of Rhett

3. What is your first memory of the bride? I didn't like her. He was wild. She was wild. Too much wildness for me to handle.

4. What is your first memory of the groom? I was laying in the crib, trying to nap, when out of no where this chubby faced boy appeared. He stared through the bars at me and I thought "Who the hell is this kid?"… I later found out that he was my brother.

5. What was your first reaction when you heard they were finally getting married? I was surprised. I thought, "Wow! Rhett really did it!" I was VERY happy for them.

6. How do you feel about the wedding being in Arkansas? I think it's perfect. Right after they say their vows, the groomsmen can go shoot a hog while the bridesmaids finish making the moonshine. Just kidding! I think it's going be a perfect setting-really personal and sweet.

7. How long after the wedding do you think it will take before they get pregnant? How long does it take to get out of a wedding dress? 12 minutes?

8. What advice do you wish to give to the happy couple in making a marriage work? Don't nag. Keep doing what you're doing. And don't poke the bear

Here are a couple pics I found in Rhett's baby book of
him and Meghan in their younger years.

Thanks a million Meghan! Also thank you for inviting me to the bridal show tonite at The Falls. I am so excited we are going to have a lot of fun! Also thank you for getting married first so I can call you with endless questions and suggestions for my wedding.