Outer Banks Vacay

Hard to believe it's been a month ago already we were in the Outer Banks on vacation. We went with my(Danielle) family- parents, siblings, grandparents and aunt- and spent a week in Nags Head. It was wonderful. We found out last year that vacation with a kid is a bit different (read: less relaxing) but since Zoe was older this time and more independent, we were even able to enjoy some down time. There were plenty of people willing to entertain her :) 

Thankfully we had great weather most of the week and were able to enjoy the beach even though it was October. We're already planning our return trip next year!

Zoe was scared of the water at first but by the end of the week she was running into the water without any pause. It was fun to see her comfort level increase each day, and she loved playing in the sand!

Out to lunch on Occracoke Island- with Grandma and Unlce T

Ferry ride with Great Mama

Some things, like the Hattaras lighthouse, were closed due to the government shutdown, so this is as close as we could get. Speaking of which, we had another two weeks of "vacation" with Geoff at home once we left the beach... But I will save that for another post :)

Oahu: Day 5

Our final full day on the island was very bittersweet. We tried to soak in as much as possible without dwelling on the fact that tomorrow we would be leaving... Throughout the week we could see planes leaving from the airport, flying out over Waikiki, and we would comment "so glad we're not on that plane!" but we knew our time was almost up. :(

Anyway, on Day5 we had planned to beach hop along the Windward coast, but after our sunburn experience from the previous day, we really had no desire to punish our tender flesh with more direct sun. So, we drove along the coast and got out to enjoy the views as we wanted to. We were once again overwhelmed at the beauty God has created on Oahu. How beautiful He must be to be able to make something like that!

After our scenic-spot hopping, we made it back to our hotel beach in time to enjoy one last dip in the Pacific (once the heat of the afternoon sun was gone) before watching the sunset from the beach. The perfect way to end our final day on Oahu.

Time Flies

Its hard to believe, but its been 7 years since we started dating. In some ways it seems we’ve been together longer than that, but in other ways its like, wow, 7 yrs seems like such a long time! As our blog page explains, Geoff gave me a concussion on a rollercoaster in October of our sophomore year of college… and he made such an “impression” on me that we started dating 5 months later :)

I thought I would include a picture timeline of our 7 years together because 1) I love looking through old pictures and reminiscing about the memories they bring up, and 2) I thought perhaps some of our blog friends who have not known us that long might enjoy getting to know us from 7 yrs ago, and 3) I want to, and its my blog so you don’t have to read it if you don’t want :)

2004ish. Bowling with “the guys”: something we did A LOT in college… but then there wasn’t much else to do around campus. Notice: this is the last picture of the beard. True, I told him in no uncertain terms that if he wanted to keep kissing me, he should consider losing the beard… but I did not make him do it ;-)

(April 2005) Elliv, a “music awards” type production our college put on each spring. Everyone was supposed to go dressed up: some people did costumes, some people got fancy. I remember thinking how cute it was that he would go shopping with me to find a dress and pick out a shirt&tie to coordinate!

Nov/Dec 2006; Geoff lived off campus his senior yr with 3 of his best buddies. I remember making french toast for all the guys that morning before we went out into the cold to cut down our Christmas tree! what fun!

March 2006- Spring break. Florida. Our first real trip together. My grandparents were down in FL for the winter, so I stayed with them, and Geoff and our friend Ryan stayed nearby so Ryan could visit his (then) girlfriend. Walks on the beach, pig races at the strawberry festival, and getting burnt as red as a lobster. Good times :)

Graduation! May, 2006. With my parents in front of Cedar (pond).

On June 10th, 2006, Geoff and I visited Virginia Beach- I was enrolled in Regent University to begin my Masters in Counseling program in August, and we were apartment hunting for me. Geoff would be beginning his Masters in Public Policy that fall at William & Mary. Well, that’s what the plan was. We had a romantic dinner by the beach and took a looooong walk while Geoff worked up the courage to ask me to marry him. Eventually he got down on one knee and told me for the first time that he loved me, and wanted to spend his life with me. I said yes, of course, and we got some cheers from the families in the beach houses nearby :)

A year later…

June 9, 2007. The Peck and Goodling families combine! Happiest day of our lives.
(So that we would not go into marriage completely dirt poor, I worked for the year between our engagement and marriage and postponed school until Geoff had finished)

Christmas, 2007, our family of 3 and our tree, Fruit Loop. Our first apartment in Newport News, VA. Geoff working on his 2nd yr of grad school and I was working part-time as an in-home counselor with troubled kids/families.

Christmas of 2007 we actually spent in Mexico visiting my parents and brother who had moved there to do missions work right after we got married. My sister flew down with us, too. It was great to see where my parents were living and to experience some of the Mexican culture. Our 1st international trip together.

2008 highlights: Geoff graduated from his Masters program, my best friend Laura got married, and we traveled with my family to Playa del Carmen for a week. We also moved to Virginia Beach and Danielle began her Masters program at ODU.

2009 highlights: Geoff stood up in our good friend Ryan’s wedding; we went to the Outer Banks for our 2nd wedding anniversary; Orioles game with friends in Baltimore for my birthday; Geoff & I spent Thanksgiving together in the Outer Banks with our little dog; we spent Christmas with my family in PA which included a 2day trip to NYC; we visited Wisconsin in August.

2010 highlights can mostly be found in recent blog posts. We moved from VA Beach to Arlington, VA. We visited Geoff’s family in Wisconsin over the 4th of July and for Thanksgiving. We spent a week with Danielle’s family in Playa del Carmen and over Christmas. We have had several friends visit us in DC. Danielle was a bridesmaid for one of her best friends and college roommates in August. We celebrated 3 yrs of marriage at a beautiful B&B in West Virginia (we’d go back if there was anything to do nearby). We grew in love and understanding of one another. We made new plans and dreams for the future. We grew in love and knowledge of God, together and separately, and ultimately thank Him for allowing us these 7 amazing years together.

Last Chance

Last weekend, we were able to get away to Baltimore to celebrate the end of summer ( and freedom from classes), and Danielle’s birthday. Several months ago, we had begun planning this trip with the purpose of meeting up with Danielle’s friend, Ginger, and her boyfriend for a baseball game. We found a great hotel deal on Hotwire and made plans to meet for the Oriole’s game on Friday night. We later decided to add another night to our reservation and savor this last weekend of freedom before classes began again for Danielle and fun could not be had without a guilty conscience!

Geoff and I met in Baltimore a few times while we were dating, where he would drive up from D.C. and I would drive down from Lancaster, so we have some good memories in this place. Danielle grew up spending every 4th of July docked in Inner Harbor on her grandparent’s boat, so this city holds special significance for her. If you have never been, we encourage you to check it out!

Here is a picture-guide of our weekend…

Oriole’s game with Ginger & Neil

Inner Harbor

SaladWorks- we don't have one locally, so we made it a priority to stop here for lunch!

Sabatino’s- authentic Italian eatery located in Little Italy, where we celebrated Danielle's birthday- special memories surrounding this restaurant, and the salad dressing was just as good as I remembered it!

Fells Point- historic waterfront town with eclectic shops and great eateries; we found a great Inn we hope to stay at on our next trip to Balt.

The Power Plant- we spent several hours cooling off in the Barnes & Noble, after hours of walking around in the heat and humidity (we later got stuck under a pavilion while it poured, as we waited for the shuttle from our hotel)

Great weekend!

Vacation?!?

That's right, I am currently on week 3 of vacation from school, that is far too quickly coming to an end. August 11th I submitted my last final exam for summer courses and have been in blissful relaxation mode ever since :)

The first part of vacation was spent in Wisconsin visiting Geoff's family. I had to complete my last exam our first days there, but afterward it was a wonderful time of taking it easy. We visited with family, went to a Brewers game, visited friends in Madison, and Geoff even got in a round of golf with his brother while I sat dazed in front of a computer screen taking my exam. Geoff's brother had to return to college a few day after we arrived so we planned our trip in order to see him for a few days.

Before we left for WI, I got to spend a few days with my mom who came down to watch the house and dog while we were away for the week. She and I had a great few days together, shopping and catching up. She is such an encouragement and inspiration to me, a woman who loves the Lord and provides a good example of a godly wife and mother. Thanks, mom, I love you. And Jeter was thankful to have family spend the week with him, too :)

Since getting back from WI, I have been ordering books for my Fall classes and attempting to organize my schedule, cleaning around the house, working, reading for fun, and simply enjoying having no obligations in the evenings so I can feel good about spending time with my hubby without that nagging "you should be doing schoolwork" in the back of my mind.

This weekend we are heading to Baltimore to meet up with one of my best friends and her boyfriend for an Oriole's game, and to spend the weekend having fun before a new semester begins. I can hardly wait! Except that Monday I will find myself back in the classroom... but lets focus on the positive for now. I promise to have pictures from our Baltimore weekend and will eventually get around to posting some from our trip to WI. Someone (me) forgot the digital camera so we have to finish off our role of film... who uses film anymore?!