In 1997, Matt and I both managed to graduate college, and we attempted our first international travel as a couple (which failed, but that’s another story entirely– don’t cry for me Argentina, I was there). That summer though, we moved to Arizona where I had been hired to teach English full time at Payson High School for $21,000 a year. Matt enrolled in seminary and worked at a grocery store until he was hired by a church for part-time youth ministry. (Let’s be real here… there’s no such thing as part-time youth ministry, only part-time pay).
1997 marked our second Christmas together, and we spent it at my parents’ house where we had to live for several months when we discovered that $21,000 a year does not provide adequate housing for a couple paying off two degrees who would also like to eat and drive to work.
That year is a blur to me. Matt was driving back and forth to seminary and youth events, while I tried to manage four preps as a new teacher.
In 1998, we celebrated our third Christmas together in Payson where we had been graciously moved into the church parsonage. Matt was still working on his seminary degree and in youth ministry, while I taught and coached volleyball. We also acquired a Baby– labrador.
We had another lab, Lucky, but she was blind and mentally incapacitated, which probably explains why she is not in the picture. She’s probably just out of sight on the left running circles around the dining room table.
The years we had in Payson are still so precious to me. We drove out to eat dinner at my grandparents’ house in Star Valley once a week. I taught alongside teachers who had encouraged me as a student. We made mistakes and tried to figure out how to be married and hold down jobs and feed dogs and stay sane.