Family of Nathan and Trudy Edwards

Alexander 3rd Grade & Some Fun

2009-07-26T18:33:00.002-04:00

Alexander's 3rd Grade Class

Alexander got an award for being a Multiplication Genius. All of those hours practicing really paid off for him. He was one of the best & fastest in multiplication for his class.

Aliyah and I attended Alex's end of grade ceremony.

The kids played Dora CandyLand on a rainy day.

Alexander and Tyreik love playing basketball.

Alexis Belated B-day and School Program

2009-07-26T18:08:00.004-04:00

Alexis received a belated b-day gift from Aunt Tannya. She loves the little puppy that barks like a real one.

Alexis received a belated b-day gift from Aunt Tammy. She was so excited to get new books to read and a "fabulous" butterfly outfit.

Alexis dressed for her end of school singing program.

The first grade at their singing program. Alexis is in the middle on the left side. It only lasted 15 minutes, but was fun to listen to.

Alexis and Aliyah with their new sunglasses. Ready to enjoy summer!

Lexi's Birthday

2009-04-27T15:42:00.003-04:00

Alexis had a wonderful birthday. It was a warm sunny day. She got to spend most of the day outside playing with other kids in the neighborhood. We had homemade grilled cheeseburgers and chocolate cake with ice cream.

Alexander, Aliyah, Alexis and Tyreik getting ready to sing Happy Birthday!!!

Alexis blowing her candles out.

Waiting to open presents.

Just a small family birthday party.

Lexi's favorite birthday gift....her stuffed puppy.

Easter

2009-04-19T15:38:00.005-04:00

Nathan helped the kids color eggs. They had so much fun decorating them.

Easter Day: We went to an inspiring church service on Easter. Afterwards, we drove Grandma Elise and Jakiya back to Columbia, SC. We went to eat at LoneStar, which was delicious. It was a beautiful sunny day.

Grandma Elise all dressed up for Easter.

We are all in our new Easter outfits.

Nathan and the kids at Leta's house for a visit.

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-19T13:51:00.004-04:00

We had a wonderful Easter this year. The kids went to two Easter egg hunts. The first was given by the city of Monroe. As you can see there were lots of people in attendance. The second was given by Nathan's company. We had a great time at both.

The kids with the Easter bunny.

The girls and Nathan at the Easter egg hunt in Monroe.

The girls off searching for eggs in Monroe. They ended up with one egg each.

Alexander searching for eggs in Monroe.

Tyreik, Alexander, Aliyah, Trudy and Alexis waiting in line at the games in Monroe.

The Carwash

2009-03-30T23:25:00.003-04:00

I supervised. Tough job, but someone has to do it.

Nathan made sure everything was clean.

The kids all helped wash my car.

They did a great job. My car was all shiny.

A Ladybug and the Girls' Clubhouse

2009-03-30T23:01:00.004-04:00

Alexander and a ladybug he found in the lawn.

Alexis with the clubhouse. She was so proud of it.

The girls in the clubhouse.

Alexis closing the door to the clubhouse.

Alexis and Aliyah with the help of our neighbor, Cyndi built a great clubhouse out of a cardboard box, paint and chalk. They have spent a lot of time hanging out in it.

WWE Smackdown Show

2009-03-17T16:02:00.003-04:00

We took Alexander, Emmanuel and Tyreik to the WWE Smackdown show in Columbia, SC on March 8. The boys had such a great time watching the "wrestling" that was just like on tv. The highlight of their night was high-fiving "Undertaker's" hand, who is one of their favorite wrestlers.

Emmanuel, Tyreik and Alexander enjoying their cotton candy at the show.

The boys intensely watching the wrestling.

"Undertaker" - who gave the boys a high-five. The highlight of their night.

We had pretty good seats.

After the show. Daniel (Nathan's cousin) was with us and took our picture.

Weekend Fun

2009-02-09T12:52:00.002-05:00

Aliyah and Alexis playing dress-up.

Super Girl Alexis! I was getting ready to wash her hair.

Alexander at the driving range. He can hit the ball over 100 yards!

Aliyah waiting to practice her golf swing.

Alexander making himself scrambled eggs under my supervision.

Cayman Islands

2009-02-04T17:32:00.003-05:00

We went snorkeling on the reef and a shipwreck while at Grand Cayman. The snorkeling on the reef was the best that we have ever done. The water was crystal clear and there were so many beautiful fish swimming around us. After snorkeling we walked around for a little souvenir shopping. It was another wonderful day.

Grand Cayman is in the background, I am on the ferry (tender) that took us from the ship to shore and back again.

We found this fountain while walking around the city. The stingrays are a big attraction here.

This is how close we went snorkeling to the cruise ship. The back of the cruise ship is right at the drop off (7,000 feet to the bottom of the ocean). We were snorkeling in water that went to about 100 feet down.

The welcome sign when you land on shore.

Sunsets from the Cruise

2009-01-29T18:02:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures of the sunsets from our cruise.

Roatan, Honduras

2009-01-29T17:43:00.003-05:00

On the island from atop a hill. What a view!

This is the boat that took us to see the dolphins. It's a large canoe. We had to get on one at a time and sit opposite of each other so it wouldn't tip over. Thankfully it was a short ride.

The trainers having the dolphins do tricks for us.

Trudy posing with the dolphin.

Nathan posing with the dolphin.

We went on the dolphin encounter excursion here. Afterwards, we hit the beach. The dolphins have rubbery skin. It was a great experience.

Belize

2009-01-29T17:27:00.005-05:00

The area that is being built around.

Nathan and I on the beach after snorkeling and kayaking.

These conch shells were on the beach. We picked up a few of them and the animal was still alive inside.

On the boat after snorkeling. The water behind us is where we went. The water is crystal clear. The dark patches is the reef.

Nathan ready to get in the water.

We went snorkeling and kayaking in Belize. They are building the island resort area. It was a sunny warm day.

Cozumel Mexico

2009-01-29T16:24:00.003-05:00

Nathan and I at the top of a hill behind the ruins. The ruins back up to the ocean. There is a small beach that you can walk steep stairs to get to. The view is beautiful from the top.

You can see a mask on this building - there is a headdress on top with the nose and eye on the second level followed by the mouth. You could still see the blue and red painting on the building.

A picture of the ruins. A worker is planting grass. The building in front is the one above with the mask on. The building in the background with the 3 doors has a large staircase. We weren't able to climb it as they closed it off to the public 1 1/2 years ago. The only ruins that are still able to be climbed are in Cova.

Nathan with the ruins in the background. There are many paths that you can follow to see all the various buildings.

Our tour guide, Juan. He is of the Mayan ancestry and was very informative.

Our first stop was in Cozumel, Mexico. We traveled by bus to the Mayan Ruins at Tulum. Our tour guide (Juan) was good. He told us interesting facts about the Maya people. I am so glad we were able to visit there.

Cruise January 2009

2009-01-29T15:33:00.003-05:00

Nathan and I had a fantastic time on our cruise. We drove to Tampa, FL where we boarded the cruise ship. We made stops in Cozumel, Mexico; Beize; Roaton Island, Honduras; and Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. We also had two fun days at sea. We saw the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, went snorkeling and kayaking in Belize, played with dolphins and went to the beach in Roaton, and went snorkeling to a reef and shipwreck in the Cayman Islands. We met three other couples on the ship and had a wonderful time (going to dinner, the shows, dancing, ping pong, mini golf). It was a great week and I highly recommend a cruise to anyone. We look forward to going somewhere new next year.

Nathan playing ping pong on the Lido Deck.

Nathan participating in the dinner entertainment (conga line).

Our new friends. (Megan and Kevin from Maine, Janie and Jacob from Colorado, Urvie and Jesse from Rochester, Nathan and Trudy)

Trudy on the balcony of our room with Tampa, FL in the background.

Nathan in our room.

Santa

2009-01-13T13:03:00.003-05:00

We took the kids to the mall to see Santa right before Christmas. They enjoyed talking to him.

Christmas Dinner

2008-12-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

We had Christmas dinner at our house. We had lots of food including: turkey, ham, ribs, meatballs, mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, stuffing, greens, mixed veggies, crossiants, cranberry sauce, lettuce salad, veggie & cheese tray, and treats. I was so busy with the dinner that I didn't take any pictures during it ( I know, bad Trudy); however this is what our table set-up looked like. I hope that we'll be able to do more family entertaining in the future.

Friends Meet After 15 Years

2008-12-29T15:19:00.000-05:00

Amy and I met 15 years ago in Kansas City on a FFA trip. We've written both snail mail and email over the years. So much has happened in both of our lives during that time. We finally had the opportunity to meet up and chat again in person. Amy's job brings her to the Charlotte area, so we hope to get together more often.

Christmas Cookies

2008-12-29T15:08:00.000-05:00

We finally made cookies. The kids were so excited to help make them. Also notice they are wearing their new aprons. We made several tasty treats this year. In the picture are the Buckeyes. After the cookies were all rolled into balls, I melted the chocolate and gave them each a good coating. Yummy! In the picture (l to r) Markaisha, Aliyah, DaneQuah, Alexis, Jakiya

It's Apron Time

2008-12-21T00:32:00.000-05:00

The kids were so excited to get a package from Grandma Sell. Inside they each had a tissue wrapped present, which they got to open. This wasn't a Christmas present, it was an "I Love You" present. After ripping the paper off and shouting out "WooHoo"; they had to try on their new aprons. They've been asking me everyday "When do we get to make cookies?". We'll be making some in the next few days and they'll get to wear their new aprons.

Christmas Party

2008-12-21T00:13:00.000-05:00

There was a Christmas party hosted by Nathan's company. We took our children along with Tyriek, Emmanuel, and Jakia. We had a great meal, followed by crafts for the kids, singing, Santa, and a gift exchange. They played a game with the gifts and we ended up with 10 lottery tickets (we did win $4.00) and a $15 Starbucks gift card. Each child was given two presents also. They can't wait until Christmas to open them up.

Alexis and Aliyah singing in front of the group. Aliyah sang "The ABC" song first and Alexis sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". We were so proud of them.

Aliyah having a great time making her foam Christmas tree.

Alexander making his tree.

Alexis is adding ornaments to her tree.

The kids got pictures with Santa too but I wanted to share this one. We were told that you're never to old to have your picture taken with Santa. Alexander took this picture.

The Ball - Myrtle Beach

2008-12-18T10:20:00.000-05:00

Here's the picture of us at the ball in Myrtle Beach. It's so much fun to get dressed up.

Dressed for Church

2008-12-05T22:10:00.000-05:00

We've finally found a church that we'll be attending while we're living here in North Carolina. The kids looked so nice, I just had to share. Tyriek was visiting for the weekend.

Thanksgiving Weekend

2008-12-05T21:30:00.000-05:00

We had a great Thanksgiving - lots of food and fun at Leita's house. Afterwards, we brought some of our cousins back to North Carolina for the weekend. First work (school work that is) followed by lots of playing. We had movie night (Wall-E), a birthday party for Tyriek, the Monopoly Showdown, video games on the PlayStation & computer, and playing with the dolls, hot wheels & other toys. It was a fabulous time.

Ready to watch Wall-E (the movie). Emmanuel, Alexander, Tyriek (in front) Jakia, Aliyah, Alexis (second row)

The Monopoly Showdown (first the kids played, then the adults).

The Birthday Party. Alexander, Emmanuel (standing), Tyriek, Alexis, & Jakia

Daniel helped out by doing the dishes.

Weekend at Myrtle Beach

2008-12-05T21:15:00.000-05:00

Nathan and I went to Myrtle Beach for the weekend of November 21 - November 23. We had a wonderful time. However, I do suggest going when it's warmer outside. We didn't get to take advantage of being at the beach (no sun tanning or building of sandcastles was done). Take a look at the beach, not too many people were brave enough to stroll along the water's edge. These pictures show the fantastic view from out hotel room. It was on the 18th floor. I'll add the picture of us at the ball once we get it from the photographer.

The Pirate Play

2008-12-05T21:00:00.000-05:00

On November 20, the 3rd graders put on a play about pirates (their school mascot). Alexander is in the middle of the back row with the bandanna on his head. They sang many songs that evening with arm actions. He had a great time, even though there was very little space to move.

Barbie Blanket

2008-11-20T14:16:00.001-05:00

Aliyah With Her New Blanket

Here it is - I have finally finished one of the Barbie blankets. I am really happy with how it turned out. Mom was great with helping out over the phone. It's not perfect; but it's just my first one. Now, to get Alexis' blanket finished. Hopefully it won't take quite as long as this one or she may have outgrown Barbie by then. Besides, Alexander wants to know when he's getting a blanket made by me too. I guess it's time for me to get sewing :)

Special Person Day at School

2008-11-19T14:14:00.000-05:00

On October 24 the school had activities planned for "Special Person Day". Aliyah and I went to both classroom's programs.

We helped Alexis create a scarecrow for hanging up in the hallway.

Each "Special Person" was given a gift made by their student. We had a great time comparing hand sizes.

Alexander's class created poems, which each student read aloud. They were written to their "Special Person" during a classroom project.

His class also made paper flowers for their "Special Person".

Alexander and his friends showing their "big pipes" after the presentation was completed. His class also sang a song for us before refreshments were served.

Halloween

2008-11-19T12:12:00.000-05:00

Halloween has come and gone this year. We bought pumpkins for the kids to carve. Alexander and Alexis had a great time. However, Aliyah was grossed out by the seeds inside the pumpkin that needed to be cleaned out. I ended up cleaning and carving the pumpkin for her while she played with her doll.

Everyone picked out their own pumpkin. They are ready to be carved.

I am cutting the tops off with a knife. Alexis is supervising.

Alexis and Alexander helped clean their pumpkin. Aliyah watched.

Alexis and Alexander busy marking their pumpkin for carving.

Alexander chose to be a ninja, Alexis the "dark princess" and Aliyah the "good princess". Nathan took them around the neighborhood trick or treating. They came home with their buckets full. I stayed home and passed out candy. We had lots of costumed children ring our door bell for candy.

Settled in North Carolina

2008-11-19T11:41:00.000-05:00

This has been quite a year for our family. However, we are currently settled into our new place in Monroe, North Carolina. We started this year living in Wisconsin and with Nathan's safe return from his tour in Korea; we moved to Maryland. Shortly after arriving in Maryland we realized we would be moving again. The powers that be decided that would be to Monroe, North Carolina. Nathan is active in the United States Army (which expains the moves).

We are living close to Nathan's side of the family which is only 1 1/2 hours away. It's nice to live near family members again.