March Madness...Sugg Style

well for most people, march madness is full of college basketball games. but for jordan and i, our march is filled with much more than that...

march is full of celebrations which continues on in april. first off, jordan's birthday is march 10. we were on spring break spending it in beaver creek, colorado with some of my family. we skied, relaxed and enjoyed being in the mountains for the week.

then the next big and new celebration we've had this month is that we found  home! we are currently under contract with a home and so thrilled.  we are in the 10 day option period so a lot could happen within the next week, but we are beyond excited at the realization of us having our 1st home. we have been looking since the end of january (i guess since the last post), so we are thankful to finally be at this stage in the process.

future sugg shack

our third celebration of this month is by far the best...our 1st year anniversary!! today, march 30, is the day i walked down the aisle to the most amazing man and promised my life to him. it's been the most exhilarating year filled with ups and down, challenges, blessings, more trips than we can handle, friendships, laughter, tears, celebrations, talks, adventures, dreaming, making memories and all around the most fun one could have with a husband. we definitely surpassed any expectation we had for year 1 and we only hope year 2 will have just as much bliss!

dinner at flemmings steakhouse

night at the majestic to watch wicked

the hunt is on...

house hunting that is!

we are officially in the process of looking for our "first house". it's honestly surreal to be at this stage of finding a place you will probably raise a family in. woah, did i just say that!?! am i really old enough to be at this season in life? i just got married and i'm just now getting used to this whole "how to be a good & godly wife thing". i still have to pinch myself to remind myself that i've been married for 10 months now. wow!

i feel so lucky to have my man. he has dealt with a lot of me since saying i-do and it's been embarrassing to think back on certain moments. he loves me through my mood swings, tears, frustration, rude comments, anger and much more. i'm thankful he still likes me after all of that. :)

okay, back to houses...our house hunting actually started back in the fall when we would search via trulia or zillow, but we knew coming back from our christmas break we needed to put some feet to our searching. so after talking with my awesome brother-in-law who is a real state agent, we began the journey. to best sum up the process, it's a giant puzzle! you are trying to find all different criteria and match it together. hmm...much easier said than done. we know we won't be in our dream house, but we want to be in a house we love and can envision raising children in. so then the questions come...how many bedrooms? bathrooms? square foot? lot size? neighborhood location or geographical location around the city? how far is the drive from work? are there nearby parks or rec centers? will the house appreciate over the years? will it be a good resale house in the future? do we buy low and put in upgrades? or do we buy higher with less projects? will the neighborhood be safe for our kids one day?

now the questions begin to shift. once you get married you consistently think of your other half and their likes and dislikes. a very humbling sate of mine. in addition, to imagine kids in a particular neighborhood is stretching me. which makes me even wonder..what will their generation be like? the culture? our society? who will their friends be? how will we be as parents? etc...and then my insecurity rises further....will i be a good parent? can i really take on the responsibility as a parent in taking full care of a child? will they like me? i know i don't have the ability to do any of these things. i'm scared half to death, but excited for the adventure whenever God decides it's best for us to really parent. that's just it though. in my timing, i know i will never feel "responsible or capable or adequate enough for it" but He will equip me with the tools. He will give me the skills, the energy, the knowledge, the discernment, the wisdom or knowing of how to do it and when to do it. whew. for now though, i get to focus on where that could all start..."the first sugg shack"

off to house hunting...

new name

hey everyone,

our blog will be moving over to a new name. probably something along the lines of "thesuggstories". hope you will join us there and keep up with our lives.

much love,
joy & jordan

Out of Hibernation...

 Well..after a LONG time away from the blog, I am wanting to jump back on this bandwagon. It's amazing how time flies but yet only feels like a few days. 

From my last blog, I think I was celebrating 3 months. Well folks...It's now been a whopping 9 1/2 months of marriage! I can't believe we are coming up on our 1 year mark. Hmm..what to do on our 1 year anniversary!?!? (I will get back to that subject later..but any suggestions??..please post in the comments) I should also wish you a HAPPY 2014!! Another year in the books. I just wonder what is it in store...

My Mom, Jordan & I on New Years Eve

  Jordan and I had a crazy start to our school year in August. We were optimistic going into it but we soon faced the exhaustion head on. Not only were we taking on our regular hours of work, but we both took on additional after hours of coaching. I ended up coaching both our varsity and jv volleyball teams, while he stepped in as the middle school soccer coach. Along with Coaching we were adjusting to new class schedules and routines, plus the most important aspect...being married (my favorite job) ! I tell you what, it was a stressful semester but overtime it leveled out and the Lord carried us through. I look back at those months as a huge stepping stone going forward in our marriage. I came away learning what I can handle and what I can't; what I should say or not to say; and simply when I should ask for help. It's humbling and I probably will be continuing to learn those lessons throughout my life. 

Weekends and holidays are what we lived for during the fall semester. It was during those times we got to take a breath, rest and get rejuvenated. We have found such pleasure in quality time with one another as well as our family. The Lord was so gracious to give us so much time with them. Our Thanksgiving break was spent at the Cross J Ranch along with all my siblings and their kids. The house was busting at the seams with people, but oh how we all enjoyed visiting, watching football and cooking food. Through that, we have created a family recipe blog so we could all share our favorite foods with one another. (I have yet to post in it but will be doing it soon!) 

Christmas break was a long vacation for Jordan and I. We left New Braunfels on a Friday afternoon and didn't return until 2 weeks later. We picked my mom up and headed for Red River, NM to spend Christmas with my in-laws and brother-in-law and his wife. We had a few days to ski and just relax. The snow was beautiful and fires were warm! After a week with the Sugg's, my brother and sister, along with their families came in for a few days. We all packed up on Jan 3 and drove back to Texas. 

Jordan, Me, Kristy & Cory on the slopes

Jordan & I being look alike ski patrol

Jordan & I found "our tree" we marked last summer..we added year '14

Celebrating 9 months in Taos Ski Valley!

  We just finished our first week of school this semester & into our second week. The spring semester looks much more promising in every aspect. Jordan is finishing up high school soccer in 5 weeks and then we switch to wedding celebrations. It's hard to believe this time last year I was in high gear trying to pull off a wedding in 3 months. I love how God brings things full circle!! Praise God!

Looking back, we have had our ups and downs as we tackle one month of marriage at a time. It's been an adventure learning all about how to be a wife, taking care of household chores and serving my husband. To be honest, it's hard due to my ugly and selfish desires. It's a process that takes time. I wouldn't change where I am for anything because to be honest...being married is the greatest challenge, yet most rewarding gift I could've asked for. Jordan is the best gift for me and God chose my husband for me, to ministry to my heart in becoming more like Christ. Each day with Jordan is a blessing and I'm humbled to be called his wife. 

Walking in Grace,

Joy