2008-Year in Review (by Aaron)
We may be politically incorrect but want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. 2008 has been a flurry of activity for our family of four here in Nashville.
The kids have had many ups and downs this past year. Hannah is blossoming into quite a sweet little girl. She takes part in dance class, plays soccer and goes to preschool twice a week. She enjoys reading her stories every night with mom and dad and prays for everyone every night! What a blessing she is to all of us. Walking in her parents footsteps she is quite the little traveler. Just this year she has been to Louisiana a few times, Missouri & Minnesota, and Memphis- she loves that jazz and barbecue! Hannah has also had to endure some ear & intestinal ailments this past year. Luckily her Dr. is at Vanderbilt and their medical record is better than their football record! On December 10th, she just underwent ear surgery where a tiny hole in her right ear was skin-grafted (it had not closed properly after the tubes fell out). She is doing well but is having to adjust to limited activity for a little while but just knowing the surgery will help her to hear Santa's reindeer better makes it all worth it!
Joshua is growing almost as fast as his daddy’s waistline. This little fullback is walking all over the place. He started moving upright towards the end of November right before turning 1 on December 1st. He is a great little brother to Hannah and wants to be around her as much as he can (which is pretty easy since she likes to be his boss!). At his birthday party he decided to eat his entire birthday cake or more exactly ate a small portion and distributed the rest all over his face and hands! We are blessed to have 2 such wonderful kids.
Julie has also kept herself busy, probably more busy than she wants to be! In addition to full-time duties daily with the kids, Julie has participated in several exciting activities. She went to Las Vegas to work an automotive car launch and Julie and her mom went to a great Beth Moore conference in Atlanta. She headed up another very successful “Sew Much More” project where we made 250 dresses for orphaned children in Mexico, Brazil & China and also served on a committee helping to coordinate a great “Girl’s Night Out” event at church. And of course she is creating wonderful dresses, bibs, etc… for the kiddos to maximize their cuteness.
I have also been keeping busy with work and traveling. My travels have brought me to Las Vegas a staggering 6 times this past year, enough to get me a standing reservation with Wayne Newton. This year has also brought me to Florence & Rome, Italy, Napa Valley, California for the first time & back to Edinburgh, Scotland & Nassau, Bahamas (twice). I also had a great golf trip down to Alabama (which was my Christmas present from my lovely wife) with my brother-in-law, father-in-law and father. This was perhaps the best trip of the year as it was a great opportunity to play fantastic courses, bond with the boys and take a pile of money from my brother-in-law!
As a family we have experienced some great things together like strawberry pickin’ with my family, the Murray family vacation in Missouri, a trip to the cabin up north in MN, and a dedication of Joshua at church. Not to mention the numerous visitors that came out of their way to visit us in Nashville! Julie and I also celebrated our 5-year anniversary and took a great trip to Palm Beach, FL for fun and relaxation. My sister, Amanda & her husband Kevin, gave birth to their first child, Levi Davis St. Clair on December 8. It’s so exciting to watch our family grow.
The Lord has given us yet again, another great year. We could not be happier and we hope all is well with you and your families, especially around the Christmas season.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
Love,
The Meier's
