long over due updates

Wow! it’s taken so long for me to update again, 2010 has been a pretty wild ride so far!
First off I would like to say HAPPY NEW YEAR about 5 month late…

Since I have last posted, my family has a pretty great new addition!
Cambell Renee Kittilson was born 5 weeks early on February 7, 2010. One month to the date before my birthday.
She is the most amazing little girl and changes daily. I can never keep up with her tiny world and how much she can take in everyday!
A few favorites of Cam’s are 80s and 90s pep band music, her bobby pillow and my personal childhood favorite: a glow-worm!
Really this is just a small list of things, but they are the best in my book too!

Chad and I have the honor of being Cambell’s Godparents. She was baptized in the same church as her great-great grandmother Julia Flynn and the same church that I will be married in.

Then skipping ahead to May, we had the most entertaining engagement photo session ever!
Chad and I had our engagement photos taken last Saturday. When we booked these we thought May would be the perfect month, the grass is green, flowers are blooming and the weather is finally getting warmer.
Boy were we wrong – that actually just described April. May has been a totally different story. We did have the opportunity to experience all four Wisconsin seasons in one 2 hour photo shoot though.
It was a ton of fun though! I didn’t want our session to end. It was made even better by the fact that Syren came with us as our own personal stylist! (Thank you Syren – could not have done it without you!)

Coming up yet in May is my bridal shower and Chad’s and my joint parties!!! I can’t wait for this one – the weather is actually supposed to be great! Which is good since I will be in a little black dress and heels!

turkey day - black friday!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Chad and I were busy as always starting the day out at his aunt Collette’s house where we were able to hang out with his dad’s side of the family. They are always a fun group with lots of laughs and stories! This was the first time I have seen them since the engagement which made this visit even more special. We then headed for our second round of turkey to my parents house. We spent the evening flipping through all the sale ads for Black Friday and made our game plan!

4am on Friday morning came earlier than expected. But I we were all determined to get out there and get that deal (whatever it was). We love the excuse “… but it was on sale.” I headed straight to Wal-Mart at about 4:30am where I scoped out the store and was ready with our plan of attack once my family met up with me. Our group consisted of: my mom, sister (Jill), aunt (Chris) and cousin (Sara). We were able to get a few of the ‘not hot’ ticket items at Wal-Mart and headed straight to Target in EC. Usually they open at 6am so we have always been there for the baby crying, elbow shoving, evil eye door opening. This year though they opened at 4am! Yep, the exact time my alarm was going off those poor sales associates were fighting the mob back with carts and news crews. By the time we got there at 6am the checkout lines were all the way back wrapped around the toy aisle. Without risking the chance of losing each other we headed back out into the cold and made it over to the mall. This place was also crazy busy – but boy did we find the deals. And I found Chad’s Christmas present!!! Since he may be reading this before Christmas actually comes, I can’t reveal what his treat will be. We were able to hit many more locations and despite the crabby crowd and long lines – we made a haul! Several vehicles were full and so were our bellies after a great brunch at Panera Bread. I think we all got back home around 12:30pm! A full 8 hour work day had been completed by the time we got home. Of course I curled up and instantly took a nap.

I can’t wait to do it all again next year…

say yes to the dress

Sorry it has taken so long for me to get another post out here. The last few weeks have gone by so fast!

The other evening my mom and I went and ordered my dress and accessories. I know you are thinking that seems rather soon and at first I agreed, but… it will take 7-9 months for my dress to come in because it’s coming from England! And then I will need time for the alterations. The dress is an Isabella Chessari with the 2Be Bride Collection (sorry, there are no pictures of it online). I was teasing my friend Amy in Amsterdam that she should swing by England on her way home for the holidays and bring it with her so I won’t have to wait so long! Wouldn’t that be a fun thought, not only my great friend Amy coming home, but bringing my wedding dress with her! Now I just need the shoes!

I also received the best news from two of my out of state/country guests!
Dennis Heifner in Maryland said he will be there which is wonderful. Back in high school Chad and Dennis were called the brothers. So in my email to him, I said Chad could not get married without all his brothers being there.

Amy Frost-White is my friend in Amsterdam. I have been wondering since the moment I got engaged if she and her husband Adam would be able to make it back to the states for my wedding! In a Skype conversation with her the other day, she told me the great news that she will be home for September! This is truly going to be a great celebration with all my family and friends.

It’s been six weeks since Chad asked me to marry him and I am down to really only needing to finalize my selection for invitations! I think I was born to be a wedding planner!
One more tid bit about my dress… The title of this blog is Say Yes to the Dress. Not only because the order has been placed, but because this dress is also available at Kleinfeld’s in NYC and has even been featured on TLC’s hit show Say Yes to the Dress!

baby on board

WAIT WAIT, NO NOT ME!
I am sending out a huge congratulation to my sister Jill and her husband Travis. They are expecting their first baby! My family is so excited for this new addition on the way! We found out about a week before Halloween that she was already 4 months along. The baby is due in March (which of course I think is the perfect birthday month). With any luck, the baby may even be born on my birthday. Right now though the due date is March 11, 2010!

There is another baby in our future as well! My cousin Brad and his wife Darcy and expecting a baby boy in February! This is going to be a very fun year for our family. Congrats Brad and Darcy!

a good thing...

I am having the best time planning this wedding! Everything is coming together just perfectly! I could not feel more lucky with the selections we have chosen so far.

ACT 1: My mom and I were able to meet with Glen Hein yesterday for a tour and Q/A of the Conference Center at the EconoLodge. The space is even better than I remembered! The room was divided into 3 smaller rooms while I was there, but I was still able to get the gist of what it will be like wide open. I also had no idea they had so many options for a lay out. Where do I want the head table? Didn’t know I got a choice! So now, where do I want the head table located! Not that it really matters, there will only be 4 of us at it (haha).
I think I was the most excited about the lighting, during a reception and dance, they don’t use any of the florescent lights, they only use can lighting and they have a dimmer switch for them. As Martha Stewart would say: Mood Lighting is a Good Thing!

Now next Tuesday, Chad and I are meeting with Suzanne Wynveen to select which wedding photo package we want and hopefully to get a date set for the engagement pictures. I’m thinking this spring would be a nice time for them. I’m already looking forward to warm days, green grass and flourishing flower beds! It’s going to be a long winter. Good thing I have a lot to keep me busy!

So I have also purchased my first copy of the knot wedding magazine. I'll tell you the truth: I have admired this magazine for years. I have always wanted my first copy, but was nervous about 'jinxing' the real thing, so I have always held back. Now I have no need to hold back! And can I tell you - it was worth the wait!

updates

UPDATES: It's been a busy first week of being engaged! I have been able to make the majority of needed reservations already. To view these updates, please see the wedding post.

I would also like to take this time to thank everyone that has made comments to this blog and sent emails. Thank you for much for reading and all your wonderful words. It really means a lot to us!

I have also had a couple of comments asking what the ring looks like, so ladies, this is for you!

Sorry it has taken so long for me to get this posted.

about us

ABOUT SONJA: I currently am working as the Recruitment Coordinator in the Career Services Office, University of Wisconsin-Stout. I earned my Bachelor’s of Science Degree from UW-Stout in December 2005 in Retail Merchandising & Management: Human Resource Management & Business Administration. In my spare time I like to surround myself with friends and family, I also love scrapbooking, book club and finding good buys.

ABOUT CHAD: He is attending the Chippewa Valley Technical College for Heating, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, while continuing to work for West CAP in Glenwood City as their HVAC Specialist. Chad also stays very busy maintaining our ever growing lawn and working on the new deck and house projects. Of course, there is ice fishing and bow hunting – he is a busy guy!

HOW WE MET: Chad and I both grew up in the small town of Boyceville, Wisconsin. We attended the same high school, but Chad was a year older than me. We really didn't get to know each other until we both started hanging with the same group of friends during the evenings and weekends. It was your typical high school crush :) I liked him, but was too shy to talk to him; he liked me, but didn't understand why I didn't talk to him! Luckily we both had our friend Amanda - she played the greatest game in the middle bringing us together! The next thing we knew, Chad is a senior and I'm a junior at the Homecoming Dance, 9.24.2000 (Chad was even on court). This is where he asked me out! Of course I was thrilled! Hard to believe all of this was 10 years ago already!

the proposal

WHEN WE GOT ENGAGED: Friday, September 25, 2009
(Egg Harbor, Wisc.)

HOW IT HAPPENED: Each September Chad and I try to take a small trip for our dating anniversary. This year the plan was to head to Door County, Wisc. Neither of us have been there before, but heard some great things about that area.

Since we always take a trip in September, I was in no way expecting a proposal. Chad and I have been together for 10 years, so we both knew this day would come and it had been talked about in the past. But this proposal was a complete surprise.

Before we headed for our trip, Syren and I thought it would be fun to go and get manicures. We tried the new Alice Nails 2 in South Menomonie, boy was it an experience, but thinking back – it all seemed to fit together. I picked out three colors I liked, when checking the names I realized that all three colors were the same. The name you ask? WILL YOU MARI-ACHI ME? Syren and I got a big kick out of this one and had a great time teasing Chad about it when we met up with him after our manicures. He’s a tough one though – not even that story made him slip up that it was his plan all along to propose to me the very next day!

We left for Door County on Friday morning and had about a 4.5 hour drive to get there. By the time we reached Egg Harbor we were both pretty tired of the car. After checking into the Egg Harbor Lodge I went into the bathroom to freshen up. When I came back out Chad was sitting on the bed watching TV. I joined him – but to tell you the truth now, I could not even tell you what we were watching. He pulled the ring box out and handed me this suede box. No way, I could not believe it! I opened the box and he had picked out the most beautiful ring ever! Exactly what I would have wanted! And then it got even better – this beautiful ring was from Tiffany & Co. I said, no way (again) you asked my dad, and he had! He then asked if I would marry him and of course I said YES!!!

The rest of the weekend was a pure celebration! We waited to tell everyone until we went back home – this way the entire weekend was just for us. And it was a wonderful weekend, we took a Scenic Trolley tour of Fish Creek and went to the top of the most amazing bluffs, we ate well and toured a couple of wineries! One was even in a 90 year old stone barn (Stone’s Throw Winery). I could not have asked for a more perfect engagement or weekend to follow.

HOW HE ASKED MY DAD: So as many of you know, my dad is the Athletic Director for Boyceville Schools. And this is no small feat of a position, it keeps him very busy and he loves it. Every day on Chad’s way home from work he would drive by my parents and check to see if dad’s truck was home, of course it hardly ever is, so Chad ended up finding dad working on the new concession stand for our football field. This is where he asked him! And true to character he said “I think that would be alright.” That is a total Bud response! At least he didn’t say “Oh Golly!”

THE PLAN: Without my knowledge, Chad has been planning this for quite some time. He works 4 – 10 hour days and would take his Friday to do all the planning. It all started out well and good, the closest Tiffany & Co. is located in Edina, MN, so that is where he headed. He worked with one sales associate and picked out exactly what he had wanted, she said she would get a few more in so he could pick out the exact diamond. When he went back, his sales associate no longer worked there. The manager said he would try to locate this gals notes so they could just continue from where she left off. The manager called not long after and said he could not find notes, nor was he able to get a hold of the old associate. So unfortunately, he had to go back over there and start fresh. Trip #3 was spent re-picking everything out and selecting just the right thing! Finally trip #4 and the ring was his! This was like pure torture for a boy like Chad – I teased him that I had no idea he loved me that much!

ABOUT THE RING: The title of my ring is ‘The Tiffany Setting’. From reading all the information that comes with the ring, I have learned that this style was created by Mr. Tiffany over a century ago. It was his original ring design and of course also comes with the famous Tiffany blue box.

the wedding

WHEN: Saturday, September 25, 2010

WHERE: The ceremony will be held at my family's church, Our Savior's Lutheran.

Our Savior's Lutheran Church first opened its doors in 1898 and has been in my family for 4 generations.

Address: 603 West Main Street, Wheeler, Wisc.

The reception/dance will be held immediately after at the EconoLodge Conference Center.

Address: 1815 Broadway Street North, Menomonie, Wisc.

ABOUT THE BIG DAY:

Cake: Heather Fischer with the Grain Bin Market and Bakery.

Photography: Suzanne Wynveen Photography, http://www.suzannewynveenphotography.com/.

Catering: Glen and Sarah Hein (my cousin's family) owners of Black Tie Catering, http://www.cateringbyblacktie.com/.

THE WEDDING PARTY:

SONJA'S ATTENDANT

Jill R. Kittilson - Matron of Honor - Sister of the Bride

CHAD'S ATTENDANT

Erik W. Arnold - Best Man - Brother of the Groom

--Make sure to check back often for all the new updates as they develop.