They married in Providence, Utah at the Old Rock Church. Courtney's uncle, and Bishop, officiated the ceremony and it was attended by close friends and family. The reception was a dance party that rose the roof and symbolized their free-spirit and set the tone for the life they would create for themselves.
Matt worked a full-time job at a manufacturing plant and soon became the lead of the operating lines of the day shift. During this time, Courtney worked odd jobs in the work study department of the University while she went to school to be a teacher. She decided to pursue Early Childhood Education as a major in addition to Elementary Education. She decided that it was worth a few extra semesters of school and would benefit from the knowledge as a parent in the future. It was hard work. Courtney often refers to her student teaching experience in the lab preschool as "preschool bootcamp".
Thanks to Matt's devotion and Courtney's dedication, she graduated May 2008 (with no student loans, I might add).
As Courtney's graduation date approached, she gave Matt some of the best advice and life-changing words he would hear, "If you spent as much time figuring out what you want to do for a living as you do looking online at motorcycles, you'd have it figured out by now!" This gave him an idea. So, he applied and was accepted to the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. In July of 2008 (the hottest time of year), they packed up their stuff in a Penske moving truck and headed South (to the hottest place in the US).
Courtney applied to a few of the nearest school districts for a teaching job but was unsuccessful at getting anywhere. Luckily for her, she did get calls back from a few of the charter schools in the area. It was to her great benefit that she was hired to teach Kindergarten at a wonderful and small charter school in Phoenix. She fell in love with her job, her co-workers, her students, and her school.
Meanwhile, Matt started working part-time and going to school part-time. His courses completed every 6 weeks. He eventually quit working to go to school full-time. Doubling-up on his classes allowed him to graduate in 1 year. He received an award for being Student of the Course and having Perfect Attendance. He was on the director's list for having high marks in every course. He specialized in Harley Davidson and received certification for being a Professional Harley Davidson. 
As Matt completed his schooling and Courtney finished her first year of teaching, they decided to set themselves up in Utah again with family as a staging area for the next step in their lives. They had hoped Matt would find work in Oregon or Washington area. However, it was evident from the beginning that this was a mistake. Courtney was heartbroken for leaving her school where she loved. Matt was not finding the job opportunities (who wants to buy motorcycles or repair them during a recession?) so they decided to get back to Phoenix.
The year they spent back home in Utah was not a complete waste. Matt worked as a manager of the service department at an audio/video store and Courtney took long term substitute jobs. She auditioned and played the part of Fairy May in the local theater's production of The Curious Savaged and took bellydance lessons.
They did some camping and four-wheeling and hiking,
Since moving back to Phoenix, they have been busy getting settled in their new lives. They lived the first year in a small apartment in Peoria. Then, they decided to take the leap and buy their first house. They found a quaint home in Glendale that suite their needs as great starter home.
They celebrated their first day with their new house keys by ordering pizza and drinking cream sodas in a dining room picnic!
It was shortly after moving into their new home, that they adopted their "baby" and favorite pooch, Lucy. She proved to be the perfect dog for them. She is a mini-Australian Shepherd. They paid for her in full and upfront before she was born so they could opt not to have her tail docked. She was the only pup in the litter with a wagging white-tip waving in the air. So cute!
Lucy was a great test of their patience and parenting abilities. She loves to run very fast in circles and figure eights (her birth mother was an Agility Champion) and she loves attention. She dances, shakes, gives high fives, and plays dead.
Matt and Courtney like to take her home every Summer when they visit family. They try to make it home every other Fall for the Peach Days festival and car show.
Courtney gets back to teaching Kindergarten and Matt takes a job at an autobody shop that launches in to the beginning of his career. His motorcycle and automotive background allows him to move his way up from parts to estimating. He begins to manage his own accounts and earns a decent living as a service writer.
Courtney just continues to work hard, enjoy her job, and be silly:
Co-workers catch her in this photo as she grabs a bite between parent-teacher conferences.
Matt and Courtney spend their leisure time together. They develop new hobbies, enjoy holidays and vacations together.
Courtney's family made it to their house for Thanksgiving in 2012.
Vacations: Matt and Courtney make it to a few local getaways. They love Sedona, Flagstaff, and have visited Old Bisbee twice. They love the artsy communities.
This brings you up to date on Matt and Courtney's story. Please visit the main page to read posts and find out what they are up to.
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