The Meredith Family four years ago!

Four Years!

October 23, 2004!
Well, our fourth wedding anniversary is coming up! It feels, at times, that time has gone by so fast, and yet other times, it seems as though we have been married much longer! Our life together has been quite the adventure so far! When Russ and I got married, so many people told us that marriage would be the biggest and hardest adjustment we would ever make! Even after we had been married a year, we looked back and thought, "Hey...what was supposed to be so hard of an adjustment?" Now four years later we can come up with plenty! Here are some highlights we wanted to share with all of you!

-Amber trying to play "Dance Dance Revolution" while she was very very pregnant! Jenny just laughed, Geoff was just envious that Amber was BETTER than he was...and Geoff and Amber even had the same sized bellies! Amber will NEVER play that while being pregnant again!

-Anna Belle being born only 9 months and 6 days after we were married! If Anna was born any later....poor Amber would have popped...especially those "kankles"! We will always remember the kindness of Rob too, calling after Anna was born and asking grandma if Amber's nose was any smaller! We appreciate everyone's concern on her part! We both have to agree that Amber looks much better when she doesn't look like the Michelin tire marshmallow man!

-Two weeks after Anna was born, Amber went rock climbing. Don't ask us how! She's always been quite determined in anything she sets her mind to! But hey...her rock climbing days are over. Nursing two babies has sucked away her most prized possessions...no muscle left...in fact, not much of anything left...she is currently putting the Band Aids to good use!

-Speaking of no muscle...Russ likes to occasionally pose in front of the mirror and flex his muscles to see how he looks. I hear Geoff likes to do that too. And Rob and Rex like to rub their LITTLE tummies....S-E-X-Y! All of us women just can't keep our hands off those handsome Meredith boys! Major turn-on with the tummy rubbing! Keep it up boys!

-Amber has to take credit for being such a great influence for Geoff and Rex when they all went to ISU together! We'll always remember the day she convinced Geoff and Rex to skip class and they all went to McDonald's for breakfast. It was all fine and dandy until Amber accidentally told Jenny about it at work...oops! We remembered to be much more careful after that! :)

-We miss having scones with everyone, playing games and getting so mad at Geoff for always having the darnedest luck, and then laughing until the whole house shook! Even Grandma would get those crazy giggles, and her shoulders would start a shakin, and she'd have one hand over her mouth, with eyes shut tight, just a bouncin and a tootin and a cryin! Don't start laughing grandma!

-We know you all probably miss our dear little Anna...you know, how happy and excited she gets to see everyone? Maybe someday that will be true! Until then, she will grace everyone with her frowns and pouty lip, crying if you tease her, and a scowl and grunt when you say "Hello!" (she is getting better!)

-Let's try not to remember all that Anna has accomplished at your home! Drawing on the table with pen, she's probably the reason Gill's mini DVD player broke, spilling red powerade on grandma's comforter, peeing in grandma's bed and in many places on grandma's floor when we were potty-training her. Oh, and we cannot forget the time Amber took Anna out of the bath and she left a trail of poopies from the bathroom to the office!

-Anna asked Amber about a week ago if we could go to dam-ma and bomp-pa's house. Amber had to explain to her by taking down a calendar and showing her that we probably wouldn't get to see them for all of these days (in October and most of November), until Thanksgiving. Amber told Anna it would be a long time for her. Anna started crying. She truly loves her grandma and grandpa! You guys are truly Anna and Carter's only constant grandparents in their lives and we are so grateful you are there! You definitely make up the difference!

-Sunday dinners were our favorite! Eating good food, laughing and talking and sharing stories. Thank you so much for so many great memories with everyone! If you have a favorite memory, share it too! There's nothing better than remembering the "Good Times"!