Hi! We're Fred and Amanda Mata. Want to know more? Read on.

The Story...

Hmmm...where to begin? Let's try the year 2005, the start of the Fred and Amanda Era.

It all began the day Fred walked into the office where Amanda worked. She was sitting at the front desk and he was applying for a job.

Well, he got the job and from that point, the college football "discussions" (some might use the word "arguments" instead) began. You see, the last person Amanda ever thought she would fall for was a Longhorns fan, and Fred never imagined himself with an Aggie! Well, you know what they say...

I wouldn't besurprised to see some swine in the sky tonight because it's happened and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. The mighty clash of the maroon vs. burnt orange is upon us. Let's hope this union isn't as lopsided as the rivalry!

After many of these "discussions", Fred and Amanda finally went on their first date. It's only appropriate that it was the very day following the annual match-up between A&M and UT in November of 2005. Would Fred have had the nerve to call her if the Longhorns hadn't won? We'll never know....

But we do know that he did have the nerve to propose to her a year and a half later. After a moment of being stunned, Amanda finally said "You punk", followed very shortly by a "Yes!"

And now here they are. The big day has come and gone and these two Matas are enjoying (and at the same time, learning about) the married life.

Before They Were Stars...

Fred spent most of his life in Abilene, Texas, where he played football for Abilene High (Go Eagles!). He survived many hard-working but fun summers at his grandparents' in Mineral Wells, helping out with the family nursery business (that's plants, not babies). He continued his education at Abilene Christian University, earning a degree in Industrial Technology. Fred has put that degree to good use as an Assistant Project Manager at a General Contracting company here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Amanda is a small-town Texas girl who spent her days in the rural town of Perrin, just 20 miles north of Mineral Wells where Fred's grandparents live. She enjoyed the multi-faceted life that the tiny town of about 300 afforded her. Amanda was involved in many different activities in high school, where she played volleyball and basketball and had her hand in a few Odyssey of the Mind competitions as well. She went on to earn a Civil Engineering degree from Texas A&M University (Whoop!). She now works at a general civil engineering firm in Arlington.