What are you most proud of?

I would have to say I am most proud of the 4 kids that we raised.  They are all good respectable adults.  They all have jobs that sustain their lives.  So I feel as parents we did something right in raising our kids.   

The thing I feel proud of also is overcoming some obstacles in my life, by so doing I could raise my kids without having those obstacles as blocking stones.  

I used them as stepping stones.

Violet

1969-1970 Senior year at Woodrow Wilson High School football, we hadn't had a good team for several years, and a new coach was hired that year.  Bluefield WV had a great team.  This was their 3rd winning season.

We traveled to Bluefield to play them late in the season. It was a hard-fought game, low-scoring game.  Late in the game with the score tied at 12, I caught a pass for an extra point giving Beckley a 14-12 victory.  That was a proud moment for me and my claim to fame.

Rob

What is a fun way activity you did for Halloween as a child and with your own kids?

I was never much into Halloween.  But we did create our own costumes.  We never had a store-bought ones until the kids were much older.  

We would go out trick-or-treating, as a family.  We would come home and go through all the candy. 

So in today's world, my kids were probably depraved.  We didn't decorate, we didn't carve pumpkins until when they were older.  We didn't buy costumes.  

 But we had fun going out together and getting candy.  They would swap candy so they had things that they really liked.  

What was a favorite vacation you took the family on?

 I think one of the funnest vacations was when we went to Niagara Falls.  We had a camper, it was more of a spur-of-the-moment vacation.  So we packed the camper and we drove all night, got there before the campground was open.  We pulled into a golf course and slept.  We were all over the van sleeping, floor, and seats.

Because we had not planned anything.  Each day was a spontaneous adventure for the day.  

We visited the falls, and took a boat ride close to the falls.  We all got soaked.  We had most of our meals at the campsite, mainly because of the expense.  But no one complained.  Everyone slept in the camper but Thomas, we had a tent outside for him.  I think he enjoyed camping on the outside.  

The falls were beautiful.  We were on the American side and the Canadian side.  I think we all thought the American side was the prettiest.  

It was a fun trip! 

What was Jennifer like as a baby and as a child?

Jennifer came into the world fast and furious.  It was a fall day Nov 3.  She was 3 weeks late.  When she decided to come though she came fast, she was born in the car on Interstate 81 in VA, on the way to the hospital.

She was a very content baby.  I didn't realize she had milk allergies until after I stopped breastfeeding her.  She had fresh goat's milk for a long time after she was weaned.

She loved animals, even had a very young age.  She and Benji(our dog) were best friends.  She loved lining things up. 

 Pencils, dolls, cars, and shoes, and would play with them for hours.

As she got older her love for any kind of creature grew and snakes were one of her favorites.  We lived at a place called Holly River State Park and she was always asked to retrieve snakes from the cabins there.  She would play with them for hours. 

 She never meant a stranger, she would talk to whoever she came in contact with.  

She was always full of energy and disliked being slowed down for any reason, especially naps.  

What was Robin like as a baby and a child?

 Robin Was born on a cold Winter day in February.  She was 3 weeks early. She weighed 6 pounds.  We brought Robin home in the biggest snowstorm of the year.

Robin was a good baby, very content.  

As Robin grew, she had favorite parents; from 9 months to 18 parents, she only wanted her mom. After 18 months, she only wanted her dad.  She became a daddy's girl.  So when Dad had to go to work, she was not very happy. 

She didn't like people.  She wouldn't let anyone hold her from, and if anyone tried, she would snub them. She had the cutest snub for people.

She liked playing by herself more than she did with her siblings.

She was willing to try things as she got older, like 4-H projects, and did a great job. Singing in front of her school and doing a solo.  

She was quieter and more reserved than my other kids; she was content to play alone.  She did love her younger sister and tried to be a momma to her.  One day, she pulled Jennifer out of her crib and carried her by the neck, bringing her to me.   

She was a good baby and a good kid.

What was Thomas like as a baby and as a child?

 Thomas was stubborn from day one.  He was born 3 weeks late.  He was supposed to be born at the end of May, but he came on June 15th. Weighing 7lb.  

He was Jandiced and we stayed in the hospital for a week.  I was told to take him home and lay him in the sun naked.  He loved basking in the Sun.

He had a speech problem.  Emily would actually answer questions for him. He was in speech from when he was 3 until he finished 8th grade.  

He started early loving to be outside. He loved to fish and hunt. Whenever he had the chance, he would be out going fishing.

But he was also very stubborn, especially about doing indoor chores.  He thought that was women's work.

He soon learned that inside and outside work was shared. 

Violet 

What did you and your friends do for fun?

 I rode my bike to the park.  We had lots of basketball games either at my house or in the park.  Played in the woods.  Rob

I mostly played in the woods, sometimes alone or with my  brother Charlie. 

Violet