Countdown Datenight - Year 1

Well, for our January date night, we went to Modern Steak at Fashion Square.  It was so yummy.  I had heard about it from several people and they all said that the atmosphere was so cool, and that it was.  Luckily the food was great too.  We talked about our first year of marriage...

Year ONE

Got married on September 21st, 2002

Matt moved into the townhouse that I shared with a couple girlfriends during college (girlfriends moved out, Matt moved in)

I was in the middle of student teaching so back to school I went the week after our wedding

It was the off-season for Matt so he was home, working out, practicing, doing hitting lessons and coaching

We drove to California one weekend to go to IKEA (there weren't any in Arizona yet).  We pretty much furnished our entire townhouse for $900 and it all packed perfectly into our 4Runner :)  We only had a bed and a TV between us (thank goodness for roomates during those college years!)

In December I graduated college!  We took a trip to Vegas with both of our parents.

In January we were finally able to go on our honeymoon!  It was totally worth the wait.  We went on a cruise in Hawaii, it was amazing!

I did some long term substituting for the teacher that I student taught with for a couple months (she had a baby).

In March, Matt went off to Spring Training while I packed up our house (my parents decided to sell the townhouse we were living in since we had no idea where we would be going with baseball)

The townhouse sold, a couple days later Matt called to say that he got released by the Twins and was on his way home.  AHHHHH, lots of panicking happened then because we had no place to live.

Luckily I have wonderful parents who let us move in with them for a little bit :)  Nothing like being newlyweds and living with your parents!  But they are the best and we didn't mind it at all :)

Matt got picked up by the Angels and we were off to Cedar Rapids, IA (we put all of our stuff in storage and only brought what would fit in the back of our 4Runner-this time it was mostly clothes and essentials, not furniture)

This was by far the BEST summer we have ever had.  I absolutely loved being in a new place with just my hubby (we didn't know a soul when we moved there).  We got an apartment.  I got a job at American Eagle.  I just worked about 1 day a week so I got to go to almost ever single one of Matt's games and got to travel with him a ton.  This summer was the perfect example of being so incredibly happy while having next to nothing.  Neither of us barely made any money, we slept on an air mattress, didn't have any other furniture other than two camping chairs and a plastic kitchen table, our TV sat on a box, and we were SOOOOOO happy.  We had an absolute blast and I would live that summer over again a thousand times if I could.

Went to the Field of Dreams.

Spent a couple days in Chicago (first time there for both of us)

We were in three, yes three, tornadoes while we were in the midwest!  I love Arizona - the land of no weather at all!

In September, the season was over.  We drove up to Minnesota to visit some of Matt's family for a week then made the three day trip home.  We each had a car so we had to drive alone :(  But we bought walkie-talkies so we could keep each other company (best purchase ever!)

Here are a couple pics from that first year...

Graduation

Vegas

Balcony of our first apartment in Iowa

Home run!!!

I loved seeing him on that screen :)

Baseball hunk

I spent lots of time waiting for him outside of the locker room

Chicago

Playing ball with a teammate on the Field of Dreams

at the Field of Dreams

Minnesota

People say the first year of marriage is the hardest, but it was the absolute opposite for us!  It was the best year :)