Merry Christmas!

We approach Christmas 2016 with Julia and Edgar retired and Samuel, a 16-year old, Tucker HS sophomore with a driver’s license. How time flies!

Sam (as he prefers) is heavily involved in competitive robotics. His Tucker HS VEX robotics team qualified for the world championships in Louisville, competing with 500 high school teams from 31 countries. His team finished 5-5 in 10 world matches. ESPN covered the event.

Sam is also on the Tucker HS swim team and our neighborhood, Atlanta Swim Association league team. As a freshman he earned his first high school athletics letter swimming the 200 free and 500 free for the 2015-16 Tigers. On the neighborhood team he swims 50 free, 50 butterfly and relays.

Edgar retired from Georgia State at the end of August. We celebrated his retirement with a 10-day trip in July to Alaska. We flew in a small, private plane to see glaciers and did the rest of the trip on the amazing Alaska Railroad. We were blessed with beautiful weather and got to see Denali in its full snow-capped glory.

Edgar’s retirement was officially observed with a very nice reception at Georgia State. He was honored by the establishment of a scholarship in his name. His King College-to-Georgia State career spanned 42 years with many wonderful friendships and experiences. Retirement is going well and a welcomed change of pace.

Edgar went to Greensboro, AL in November for his 50th high school class reunion. This was the first reunion Edgar was able to attend and his first face-to-face contact with most of his classmates in 40-45 years.

Julia co-chaired our neighborhood swim team at Northumberland Swim Club. For a 5-6 week season of actual summer competitions, this was a time-consuming 6-month endeavor working with parents of about 170 swimmers. NUSC had a winning season.

Julia celebrated one of her decennial birthdays on August 8. There was a dinner party with some local friends at the Crossing Restaurant located in the restored Norcross, GA train station.

Julia played flute in the Peachtree Symphonic Winds and served on the board of the group. She also continued flute instruction for the sixth grade flute players at Tucker MS. Julia and Sam were very active in the music ministry at Tucker First UMC, and went on a youth choir summer tour to Nashville.

Our holidays began with a Thanksgiving visit from Julia’s mom and Edward and a Thanksgiving Day gathering in Gray, GA with four generations of Julia’s mom’s Struby family. Christmas will be celebrated with Julia’s mom in Tucker and Bristol, TN and with Edward in Bristol only.

God bless you with Peace and Joy (and Treats),

Sam, Julia & Edgar

Peace, Joy & Treats!