Okay, this should have been posted forever ago...I had been working on it since around our anniversary, so I HAD to go ahead and finish it! (not the best quality of pics...I had to use my scanner)
Joe and I met in the summer of 2001. I was home from school (Harding University in Arkansas) and was visiting friends at Texas A&M. While I was there, I met THIS guy through some friends...it was really one of those "you just know" type of moments (I KNOW, GAG me!). This was our first date & first pic...June 2001.
We totally hit it off that summer, but I had JUST gotten out of a 3 year college relationship and did not want to be "that girl" jumping right back into a relationship...especially since we would be dating long distance from Texas to Arkansas. (Our first New Years Eve together 2001)
However, that fall, while at school...it just clicked. I knew without a doubt that he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Our relationship was actually perfect for us, b/c I was in my senior year of nursing school and didn't have time to go out and spend TONS of time with a boyfriend...and Joe got to play around and go out with his boys all the time during his last school year. We learned so much about each other and how to communicate b/c that is all we could do living 10 hours away from each other!
After 6 months of dating, we knew we wanted to get married. Christmas 2001
After 9 months, we were engaged. (This was our engagement night...Joe had candles and rose petals everywhere. No one else was there, so we were trying to put my camera on automatic timer and bend down so our heads wouldn't be cut off...DORKS)...SO GIDDY!
Back home from school. Summer 2002
Engagement picture day...no, this wasn't the one we picked...but it would have depicted us well! Summer 2002
Going back to Arkansas after being engaged was SUPER hard. August 2002
New Years Eve 2002
The BIG day! March 1, 2003 (Miller Chapel, Baylor University, Waco, TX)...I didn't even LIVE in the same town as Joe, until we were married! 
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Jason PELTING Joe in the face with rose petals...LOVE this pic!
Ahhhh....Puerto Vallarta...aka Heaven. See, I USED to be tan!
And there you have it! I married my BEST friend in the whole world. I am SO glad to be riding this wonderful roller-coaster of LIFE with Joe by my side...He makes me laugh every single day and has the biggest heart of any one I know. (I could go on and on and on and on...but you get the picture. Enough already! ;)
74 comments:
AHHHH... I LOVE you guys! That was very sweet. Thinking of you and sending BIG HUGE hugs!
xoxo
Gen
ps: conor and I got engaged after 6months.. married just after a year of dating.. also a "you just know sort of thing".. I know GAG! LOL! Suz.. we have WAY too much in common!
What a sweet walk down memory lane. So great that you knew he was the one and have so much to show for your love for each other!
That was fabulous! Just loved the silly pictures the best. Gives me a real feeling of who you both are. Thank you for being such an honest & open person & for sharing your life with "us".
Love it! You two are so cute! What God has joined together....:)
When I read and see what you do, I am ashamed of myself for not making the time for the things I want to do. I know your time is limited, but wow! what a blog! Making me hungry for a cupcake too.
Thanks for sharing,
Sharan, RN in Mansfield
We got married the week before you and Joe! You guys are such an adorable couple. Y'all should lead marriage seminars (in all your free time!).
Absolutly Perfect. I married my high school sweetheart. After 12 (yes i said 12) years of dating. Through high school, college, and a few years after. I KNEW the day i met him when i was 16 yeard old that i would spend the rest of my life with this man. ANd like you i married my very best friend. Corney i know but we did!!!! I love reading your blog. Give miss "priss" a hug for us and we are praying for her.
Thanks for sharing your life.
Wow Suz, you two are just so perfect for each other. How many in your bridal party??? AMazing they all fit in the picture...lol. Your lives are one big celebration. So blessed.
So cute! That is crazy how you guys lived so far away...you would never have known from the pics! I love this post! It's always fun to see old pictures! Glad you seem to be doing better!!!
What a sweet story! Ya'll make a very cute couple!
You are such an adorable couple....loved reading the history of you 2!
So we're some fellow nursing students at Harding and we frequently avoid homework by keeping up with your family :) We LOVED this post, and hope to have the same story one day, haha. Are Joe's brothers married??? Totally kidding!
You're a beautiful couple with a beautiful family! I love reading about your sweet babies. It's awesome to see that they will be raised surrounded by such love.
you guys look great!! And holy crap, so funny, PV IS OUR FAVORITE, we used to go all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I stress vacuum! The last 2 weeks I spent pushing the vacuum cleaner across every floor in the house between stressful calls getting my daughter approved by our insurance for her last Synagis shot.
What a sweet story! I hope that someday I will have a story like that to tell people.
Few are as lucky as you :-) It's great that you appreciate it! May you enjoy many, many more happy years together!
Awwww!!! Y'all are the cutest. I loved the pics...you two haven't changed a bit!
What a sweet story and cute pictures. Congratulations ... and many more happy years together!
Blog World Let's Ssy it Together Now:
AWWWWWWWWWW!!
Suz that was disgustingly adorable - one of my favorite posts and it was so good to hear some of your history as I feel like I know you pretty well as a friend in the present, but don't know your story.
That first date pic looks awfully touchy touchy for 1st date status - you musta hit it off, girl! =) Hahaaha!
Pray for me today - My 1st 12+ Hour Day on My OWN with 4 One Year Olds!
Love 2 You,
jen
That is such a great story! Thanks so much for sharing it with all of us. Looks like you guys were just made for each other....and who would have thought that one day a few years from then you'd have 4 precious children!? :)
this is precious! and it is posted on my 3 year wedding anniversary: neat! :) BTW you seem like such a great mom. i know how hard it is to see your daughter go thru things that you can't control: i am a parent myself! the quads are blessed to have such loving parents. blessing!
You guys are the sweetest couple EVER! What a great story! And now you have four beautiful babies! You guys ROCK!
What a beautiful story and I pray that your marriage will always be full of love and laughter.
~Liz Ramirez (GR, MI)
What a lovely story! Thank you for sharing!
So Sweet! Heath and I were engaged after 6 months of dating also and married 2 months after that! We also went to Puerta Vallarta for our honeymoon and LOVED it! I think we have quite a bit in common! Loved this post!
I, too, am a stress baker. People do not understand how hard it is to give away 3 or 4 dozen cupcakes or cookies!
Your love story is absolutely fairy tale sweet. You are such a cute couple! Thanks for sharing.
KS Dallas
Bless your sweet mommy heart. I still can't believe they your little buds of love are bloomings so fast. You are in my continued prayers and thoughts often. We send our love and I wish I could have seen you in December. Miss yah guys and will keep checking back with yah!!!! ALL our love,
JoLee
Too CUTE! Wish I would have known Joe my freshman year while he was still at A&M! Glad to know him now at work! You guys are so incredible! You really are an inspiration in courage and faith in God! I love your blog!
That is great! I think it must be guys with the name Joe. My Joe sounds a lot like your Joe. Good luck with all the medical stuff coming up. Hang in there, it does get easier. We have four, but within three years not all at once.
I am so glad I am not the only one who has a picture of my husband being pelted by rose petals by one of the groomsman!! I seriously have the same picture in my wedding album!! LOL! I love your blog!!
Wow! Your story is so similar to our story! My husband (Patrick) and I dated long distance for a year and a half, didn't live in the same town until we were married, knew we were going to get married after six months, and I LOVED dating long distance b/c I had just gotten out of a long relationship and didn't want to spend ALL of my time with Patrick. We got to know each other SO well during our long distance time though, since that was all we had.
I've been following your blog for about a month now and I just love reading about your adorable family!
What a beautiful story! Thanks for sharing! Who would have thought back then, that just a few years later you would be "the Steeces Pieces" lol You guys are too cute!
I have been reading your blog for awhile and it is fun to see how it all started! You are an adorable couple and seem to really live life to the fullest. You both seem like really fun loving happy people and your babies are so lucky to have such wonderful parents. I really enjoy reading your story as I am sure many do. I hope little Sav is doing well, I know that would have been a hard day for anyone.
You are amazing, I just started reading your blog, and I can't believe your energy! you have quads and baking 72 cupcakes! SUPERWOMAN! :)
I enjoy reading about you and your family. My husband and I had our first date on Dec. 16, were engaged Jan. 20th and married on June 17th! ALL IN SIX MONTHS! When you know, you know!
Enjoy reading your blog!
Aww... love it!!
Thanks for the look into your history. Lots of fun. Inspiring.
Thanks.
You looked beautiful in your wedding dress!!! I'm sad I missed that day. I didn't know Mir was in the wedding. I just talked to her last week and she had just had some surgery. I love those pictures! Joe sounds just perfect for you Suz.
You guys are adorable!!
I love that you stress bake -- it sounds totally like something I would do. I received this cookbook for Christmas http://www.amazon.com/Cupcakes-Galore-Gail-Wagman/dp/1840729961/ref=pd_bbs_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206040531&sr=8-9 and I just love it! Lots of yummy cupcake recipes! I am sure your volunteers like all of your stress baking!
Your story made my heart get all choky...what an awesome story and how beautiful you two are together. (I'm truly verklempt)Thanks for sharing your story in the midst of all of your stress! You are a doll! heck, you're all dolls!
Laurie in Indiana
I've been a faithful reader for a long time. I just get overwhelmed by your comments and figure you don't need mine too.
I wanted to comment that reading about Sav's test just broke my heart. I really feel for you! She has been in my thoughts (as well as you) a lot. I know you can get through it!
I loved reading about your relationship and the pictures were so fun.
You are such a stunning beauty. Isn't it amazing where life takes you! Who would have though!
so sweet! we were also one of those couples that "just knew" and although everyone always says awww, how sweet i know it is more along the lines of ugh, gag! lol!
So cute, I really like the picture of you guys trying to take your own pic. I laughed out loud. Lovely post.
This post was so sweet! I love you two together, and I loved going back in time and remembering how y'all got together! Seems like forever ago and like just yesterday that you told me all about Joe! What a great couple y'all are!
I have been gone and barely on the computer, but I wanted you to know how sorry I am that you had to go through that experience with Savannah. I can't imagine, and I hate that it was so difficult. I've been thinking about y'all a lot.
Sweet story... if I was in Texas I would gladly take some cupcakes off your hands... this pregnant momma loves sweets!
What an awesome story to share with your little ones one day. Your engagement sounds a lot like mine (or should I say ours). I'm glad you were able to have such good memories right now when you are worrying about sweet Savannah.
Ummm....I know of another pregnant woman who doesn't live too far who absolutely LOVES cupcakes!!! :-)(Guess who?)
Awesome story, Suz!
It is fun seeing the pics and watching Joe go from looking like such a kid to a man and I love seeing your hairstyles, Suz! Your wedding looks like a fairytale.
And LOVE Puerta Villarta!
You guys are so cute! Thanks for sharing...
Love,
Jen
What a sweet, sweet post! You two sound like you have it made! You both look so happy! Thanks so much for sharing!
I love your story!! It is very sweet. My husband and I dated for 4 months before getting engaged. 10 months after being engaged, we got married. We now have 2 beautiful children and just celebrated our 6 year anniversary this week.
As a Baylor grad, I have to know, why would an Aggie get married at Baylor? You looked so pretty on your wedding day!!
amanda! you are so cute...yes, i guess that would seem a little odd for an ag to get married in bear country, eh? i am from waco...born and raised. my parents still live there. i have been to miller chapel for soooo many different things throughout my life and knew since i was a little girl that this chapel was where i wanted to get married. i fell in love with the stained glass windows!
Great Post Suz! My husband Richard and I were engaged after only 9 months also. When its right its just right. God knows what he's doing when he let's two people meet that are supposed to meet.
Love your wedding dress!
Oh and I grew up only 20 minutes from Searcy and took piano at Harding University for years. Small world!
You guys have a great story and it is only still the beginning. I love looking at the pictures. You can see the love!
So sweet! You guys REALLY are so stinking cute...(it kind of does make me want to GAG!)....I'm totally kidding!!!! Y'all are precious!
Suz,
Sappy and sweet is AWESOME! I think those of us who are lucky enough to be married to the man of our dreams should gush all over the place. Always keep your relationship with Joe your #1 priority- I know the babies need your time and thats not what I am talking about. You all are such a blessed and beautiful fam. Praying for your sweet baby girl. Blessings to you girl and thanks for such a sweet post.
Blessings
Melissa
Very sweet! You two are the cutest couple - so silly together, I luv it! Don't ever let the years take your youthfulness away!!
AWWWWWW.....what a sweet story. It is so wonderful to share a life with your best friend. That's me and Paddy too!!!!!
Your blog is so much fun!!!!!
take care.....Sally
Suz, do you ever not look perfectly GORGEOUS?! You are SO pretty!!
So sweet!!!!
Mommy of five
You guys are so blessed! I only wish I was so lucky!
You guys are such a perfect couple. I loved walking down your memory lane!
Aww, the more I read about you and your family, the more I realize how amazing you are! It makes me happy that I can see the love in your post
Hey Suz, this is Brian Burkett here. I just had to comment and tell you that the story about lil' Savannah broke my heart. I know that had to be one of the hardest things you guys have gone through as parents.
She has got to have one of the biggest, prettiest smiles I've ever seen (next, of course, to our kids, but I'm not partial at all to my own *lol*), but seriously, she is gorgeous!!!!!
We are praying for all of your kids as they go through those tests. Maybe one of these days we can get your "pieces" and our "squad" together.
God bless!
Brian
thanks for the trip down memory lane with you guys--your constant celebration of the good things in life is what makes the two of you SO great and SO positive. My God continue to bless you all!
I just found your blog through a Harding friend. I grew up in Bryan so my family is full of Aggies, but I went to Harding. You look so familiar to me, but I know you are alot younger than I am!
Anyway, I will continue to follow you all. I hope everything goes ok with Sav. Your last post had me in tears. Holding a little one while she is in pain is one of the hardest jobs of being a mom.
Best wishes... and GIG EM!!!
What a cute FAMILY, and couple. How fun!
Hi Suz!
I am wondering how much longer RSV season is and when you and the babies will have more freedom to get out? I was thinking April...
Anyway = I hope that you and yours had a very special Easter.
Hugs,
Jamie
you guys are a beautiful couple...though i don't know you....you seem like you would be a blast to hang out with....what a funny but cute couple...and you now have 4 adorable kids to add to it!!:):)
moriah from PA
What a great story! I read your blog all the time and didnt realize you went to Harding. I am an ACU girl. Anyhow - hope you guys had a great Easter!
When you get a chance take some pics of the cabinets that you have your formula and bottles in. I can't even imagine all the stuff yall go through. But knowing you everything is perfectly organized. I opened your blog the this afternoon and I never check to see how old they are. I looked today and it just doen't seem like they are that old. Has it gotten easier now that they are older? Have yall got to do a day trip with them yet? Sorry to many questions! I am praying for little Savannah. As a mother it is so hard. Trust God!!
yall look like such a fun couple! I always stalk your blog, to remind myself that I could be busier :) My parents go to your church, i grew up going there...anyways...yall r doing a great job with your babies!
What a fun and beautiful story of how God brings people together! The smiles on your faces and the sparkle in your eyes show the love that can only come from finding true and committed love!
Hope that your precious girl is hanging in there without too much pain related to her urinary issues. God bless!
What a great post! My hubby and I are thinking of visiting Puerto Vallarta. Where do you recommend staying. It looks gorgeous!
Post a Comment