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.
Geoff showing off our chocolate purchase: Wilbur Buds from Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz, PA which originally began in Philadelphia in 1865. While both Wilbur and Hershey are a stones-throw from where I grew up, and I have a affinity for both, if given a choice between a kiss or a bud, I'd chose the bud. Semisweet, not milk chocolate. 
Sturgis Pretzels, the oldest hard pretzel maker in the U.S., celebrating 150 yrs in business. Below you can see my dad admiring his pretzel twisting skills -- he did a pretty amazing job. We all left with certificates in pretzel twisting, so if this counseling thing doesn't work out... :)
We all left the tour with sample bags of pretzels -- yum-- which were quickly devoured. It was just about lunch time.
