"My Kids" - Then and Now

Monday - December 26, 2011

Those who know me, know how much I love my nieces and nephews. As each one joined the "Layne" family, it was my responsibility to spoil them rotten!! Isn't that what aunts are to do??? As I got older, I realized that my "biological" clock was running out and that "my children" would be the children of my brothers and sisters-in-law! I also counted the students I had in the classroom as "my kids!" I did end up with a step-son whom I love, as well as his family, very much!

These seven were the seven I could never have!! No I wasn't always there when they were sick, going through the growing pains, or even on all their celebration - but I loved them and worried about them as much as if I were there! (Still do!) I pray that they would go through life the way God would have them to, and that they will always be happy and thankful for all they had!

I came across these pictures - the older ones - several weeks ago and thought it would be great to have an updated version!!! But getting all of them together is not an easy task. Their work schedules, family obligations, and the distances they live away from me always seemed to keep a gathering difficult to plan. But, on Saturday, December 17, they ALL managed to come in and see their Mammaw at the same time! Ahhhh, Aunt Sue was going to be ready with the camera!!! Here in the last six or seven years, the only time the cousins were together was when someone close to them all passed away. I really wanted them to get together at least once not because of the passing of another family member. I wanted it to be about all of them enjoying one another as they did when they were younger!! I also wanted Mom to be able to see them all and enjoy it as well!!!

They all converged in on the small house on Virginia Avenue! Mom had no clue they were coming in! My two brothers (Dink and Mike), three sisters-in-law (Rhonda, Laurie, and Debbie), along with my nieces and nephews and their families surprised Mom and gave her the best Christmas present ever! It was a great day - so many stories of things they had done in the past; so many stories that made us all laugh; and so many stories that included Dad and John! All happy memories that bond us together as a family forever.

The following pictures are my "Then and Now" pictures. The then pictures were taken approximately 25 years ago . . . my, my, where has the time gone! I love these "kids" so much!! The last picture is one of my great nieces and nephews - all who live up North in the state of Ohio!!! I wish I were closer so I could spoil them too!!!

This picture was actually taken on January 22, 1989 - mine and John's 39th birthday!

left - right: Meghan, Dawn, Lindsay, JD, Billy, Todd, and Bobby.

December 17, 2011 at Mom's

back to front: Billy, Lindsay, Bobby, Meghan, Mom, JD, Dawn, and Todd; Dink is sitting in the chair on the left.

"My" boys in the front yard at Mom and Dad's - the line-up left to right: Billy, JD, Bobby, and Todd

Billy, JD, Bobby, and Todd

"My girls" sitting on my bed at Mom's - left to right: Meghan, Dawn, and Lindsay.

Meghan, Dawn, Lindsay

Oh they were not happy with Aunt Sue on this day! I stopped their playing to take a picture - just love how they cooperated! :)

back row - left to right: JD, Bobby, Todd, and Lindsay

front row - left to right: Dawn, Meghan, and Billy

(in their defense, the sun was shining brightly that day - thus the looking down and shielding their eyes)

Standing - left to right: JD, Bobby, Meghan, Todd, Lindsay, and Billy;

Sitting - Dawn

Love the smiles!

This is a picture of the great-nieces and nephews sitting with Mom!

left to right: Courtney, Gavin, Alex, Aaron, Emily, Caleb, Mom, Brooke, Jenna, and Allie G

I love "my kids" so much!!!! Even though I am only "Aunt Sue," "Aunt Soup," and "Suebee," I feel as if they are like my own!!!!!

Crafts With Cora Ann

Friday - October 28, 2011

I love crafts! Some of my interest and love for crafts may come from my early years of teaching! We had no art teacher, so as an elementary teacher, I was responsible for the art activities my students did! I wanted it to be fun, easy, and something they would be proud of!!!! I haven't lost that love for helping younger ones work on a craft.

I have taken a big interest in a site on the web in which ideas are available for us to see and use. The site is called Pinterest! While browsing through their many pictures, I came across and idea that I thought Cora Ann would enjoy. All that was needed included pinwheel macaroni, tacky glue, paint brush, and glitter. Using the glue, you will start forming a snowflake by gluing the pieces together. Using the glitter, you would be putting the "shimmer" on each snowflake.

I also had parchment paper, small paper doilies, and paint brushes. I used the parchment paper as a way to protect the table. The paper doilies were used as a means for Cora to see where she could place the pinwheels! And since I bought glitter glue, we used the brushes to spread the glitter all around!

Cora was a very willing and capable "student!" She grasped the idea quickly and was following my directions swiftly. She even got her Granddad to help with the snowflakes! She was watching closely what I said and did, and when it was her turn to do the work, she made sure she put the pinwheels in the right spot!!!!! You will see some of the finished products in the following pictures!

Concentrating on the placement of each shell!!!

She was looking at Mammaw to make sure she was doing it correctly!

Back to work . . . . She was putting the glue on the shell so she could attach it to another one on the doilie

She was very meticulous as to where each shell belonged! You can see one of the flakes drying in the lower left hand side in the following picture!

Deep concentration when putting the glitter in the snowflake!One thing we did discover was that Cora did not like getting the glue on her fingers!


Once we were finished with the snowflakes . . . . Cora want to play with her play dough!Rolling the dough up into a ball

We ended up making purple snowmen!

We both enjoyed doing crafts with Cora ANN! It won't be long before Ben will be at the table with us! :):) Cora Ann was a very good and attentive student!

Cousins - What Great Memories They Make When Together

Thursday - October 27, 2011

Cousins are the next best thing to having siblings . . . . well, some may think they are better to have than siblings! :) Having grown up with many, many first and second cousins to whom my brothers and I were close to, I know first hand how close a person can become to cousins and what fond memories we made when growing up! We are happy that Cora and Ben have cousins that they are close to and with whom they have already been making great childhood memories!

While visiting this past weekend, Cora and Ben had a visit from their cousins! Jeni's sister, brother-in-law, and three children came by for a short visit! There is a total of five children, and it appears they always have a great time when they get together! It was a pretty day, so the older cousins went out to play. I was able to capture some of their fun via pictures.

Ben being the youngest of the cousins was content to stay inside and do what he loves to do . . . SMILE!

Haddie was content to just watch the others, but I have a feeling it won't be long until she will be right in the middle of what ever the older ones are doing!
Cora and Riley are closer in age and appear to be on the fast track of being best buddies. We were playing hide-n-seek! They turned their heads so they couldn't "see me!" I guess this meant I couldn't see them! It was so cute, and they loved "out running" me!

Ooops . . . I found their hiding place! :)

Riley had a great time swinging on "his" car swing in the back yard! He wanted me to push him "way up high" into the sky!!!!

Cora had a great time too! She didn't really want to go as high as Riley! :):)

Sophia is the oldest of the cousins and many times is like the "mother hen" watching over the "little ones!" She loves Cora, and Cora loves her. She is pushing Cora in the swing as Haddie looks on! All of the cousins love one another and have such a good time together!!!

There were times when Sophia did her own thing! Here she was "making wood" for her Grampy so he could make something with it!

We must not forget Molly, the four-legged cousin! She runs and runs from the cousins most of the time. She was all worn out from an afternoon of cousins!!! :):) They all love Molly, but for the most part, Molly just wants to be left alone! :):)

It was so much fun watching the kids play and knowing that there will be a day when they look back at of all the pictures taken of them with smiles on their faces. The pictures will cause them to remember the fun times they had together when they were young! May they continue making more and more memories as the years go by!!!

Here Come the Smiles and Acting Silly!

Wednesday - October 26, 2011

Have you ever been in a position that if your colleagues, friends, and even family members saw you they would scratch their head and wonder what in the world? We have discovered a whole new side of ourselves when around our grandchildren. We make strange noises to get Ben to laugh; say "cheese" and make funny faces when taking a photo of Cora. We find that we get in the floor to play with Cora Ann . . . .yes . . . we actually get in the floor and worry about how we will get up later!

Grandchildren tend to take us back to our younger years mentally; just wish the body would go back as well! We spent three nights and two days with two of the most precious grandchildren and their parents, David and Jeni this past weekend!! We enjoyed the time we spent with all of them. We cherish the time we had with Cora and Ben. They are growing so fast. Cora Ann is calling Bill "Ganddad," and I was "Gandmaw," Me-Maw,' "Ma-Ma," and "MamMaw!"

We talk to Ben, and he smiles, kicks his legs, and waves his arms. He is such a happy baby, except when he gets hungry or is being given a bath! He is four months old and weighs . . . . .well lets just say he weighs quite a bit!!! Love every ounce of that baby boy!

Cora Ann warmed up to us very quickly after waking from an afternoon nap. We realize that she doesn't see us as often as her other grandparents, but she warmed up to us much quicker this trip. She held onto both our hands when walking! We are no longer "strangers!"

We love these babies so very much! We feel so humbled and honored that we are their grandparents . . .at least one set of their grandparents! :):) The unconditional love from a grandchild is priceless!

I am doing several post covering our visit. The following pictures show some of those "silly things" we do when around the grand babies!

Cora and MamMaw "cheesin'" for the camera!

Granddad "gooing" with Ben and causing him to smile! And he may be wondering what Granddad is trying to tell him!

Look at those eyes!!! They will melt your heart in a minute!

Look at those cheeks . . . . just want to pinch and cuddle him . . . .AND look at his happy face!!!!

Molly has always sat in Bills lap, and with Cora and Ben around, she was making sure she got her lap time in!!! Bill played with her when she was a pup, and she hasn't forgotten!

These are only a few of my favorite pictures from the weekend! I hope to be sharing more with you later. We didn't get a picture of the four of us together . . . . but hopefully we will be able to soon!

September 11, 2001

Sunday - September 11, 2011

The picture above was taken at Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington, WV. There are over 3,000 flags which were placed in the section called "The Healing Fields." 75 of these flags are in memory of the 75 people on that fateful plane which carried Marshall University's football team, coaches, staff, members of the Huntington community, and the crew of the chartered team plane. The remaining flags are in memory of all who perished at the hands of those evil people who hijacked the planes! These flags blowing in the wind represent a person who died a horrible death!

2,996 deaths have been recorded from those terrorist acts with 19 of them being the terrorist! 2,977 innocent people died that day!

Do you Remember where you were ten years ago today?

Bill and I both were still working at Wayne Middle School teaching 8th graders. Bill taught Social Studies while I taught Language Arts. It is one of many days in our lives we will always remember where we were. Other days include the assassination of our President, John F. Kennedy; the MU plane crash; and the explosion of Challenger are only a few days that will always be a part of our memory.

Following is Bill’s memory of September 11, 2001.

9/11
“I was in front of a class of 8th graders at Wayne Middle School. The vice-principal came over the intercom and said teachers you may want to turn your TVs on. This is important. The first plane had struck. People still thought it was an accident. We watched awhile, and then I turned the sound down and continued with the lesson. Another class came in. The TV was still on. I started the lesson. Later in the period, with my back to the TV, one of the kids said, Mr. Hardin that building just fell. I turned the sound back up, just then learning the second tower had been hit. I don't know how shocked I looked to the kids, but it must have gotten their attention. I went back to my desk and collapsed in my chair. Except for the TV, there was absolute silence in the room. No one needed to get a drink or go to the restroom. Just " silence.”

My memory of September 11, 2001 is as follows.

9/11
It started out as most days in the middle school. Students were running, pushing, laughing, talking loud, and would rather be anywhere other than in school. Class had already started and instruction has already been given to the first class for the lesson that day. We were settling in to work on the assignment when the intercom came on. We were use to that “squawk Box” coming on numerous times throughout the day. Generally it was an announcement looking for a misplaced student. Most of us learned to “ignore” the interruptions! Today was different. Mr. Mills came on with a very somber voice that sounded stressed, worried, but not panicked!! Calmly he told the teachers that we may want to turn on the TV to witness history in the making! My students looked at me as if, “are you going to turn it on?” I did! What we saw was unbelievable, and at the time we thought it was an accident! I left the TV on, but had the students to go ahead and work on their assignment! Then the unexpected happened, another plane was shown hitting the other Tower. Gasps of breath could be heard with all students looking at me as if to ask, “Is this real?” We watched. We listened. We tried to stay calm! After letting it sink in, I tried to keep the students as calm as possible, but I knew this was bad!!!!

Do You Remember Where you Were September 11, 2001?

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all affected by those horrendous deeds which has affected not only our country, but the world as well.

Grandchildren Bring a Smile to Our Face

Friday - August 26, 2011


Grandchildren tend to bring a smile to our face. Their innocence and the delight they get out of the smallest things such as running around in the back yard; helping Mammaw in the kitchen; or simply sleeping soundly in the loving arms of Granddad. Our grandchildren sure brought the smiles to our face with their visit. The moment they left the house became so quiet. But the memories of the day caused the smiles to return, and the pictures taken will keep those smiles in place!

Posing with the geese, Cora Ann says cheese!!! :):)

Ben sleeping soundly with not a care in the world!

A proud Granddad holding his two precious grandchildren . . .

. . . and of course Mammaw loves holding them too!!!!

A sleeping baby is a wonder to behold!

Cora having Mammaw and Great-Mammaw Layne saying "cheese!"

We love these two little ones more than words could ever explain. We cherish each moment we get to be with them. The distance in miles does not give us the opportunity to see them daily, but we know Cora knows who we are and that we love her. As Ben gets older we pray he will know that as well. They both bring a smile to our face and a spring to our step. ( We need that spring to keep up with Cora Ann! ) If you are fortunate to live close to your grandchildren, give them an extra hug and enjoy the time you have to be with them!

Caring - Sometimes Life Seems to Get in Our Way

July 6, 2011

It's one of those nights when sleep evades me! So many things going on in my mind, not necessarily troublesome things . . . just things! So I decided to check the blog, and began to wonder why I continue to write new post. One of the reasons we started it was so family and friends could keep up with us, and we could keep up with them. I guess FB has taken over that department now! :) No comments have been left on the blog sight since last September! I know many have left response on FB and that lets us know someone is reading about what's going on with us! Thank you for caring! :):)

Caring . . . . we all care strongly about God, family, friends, work, and on and on . . . . but do we always show others that we care?

I know God is with us as we take care of Mom. There are days it really hurts when watching her just sitting and not being able to do the things she had done her entire life - especially cooking and crocheting. We try to keep her active and occupied so she will feel good about what she has done for the day. She now uses a cane and/or walker when getting around. She loves her walker because it has a seat attached so that she can sit and rest if she gets tired when we are out and about. For someone who is 91, she get around pretty good and is sharp as a tack!

She reminds me of my grandparents as they got older. They always loved to see the family come in for a visit; or even a card or letter to say hello would put a smile on their face. I've discovered that Mom likes to see what comes in the mail on the chance that an unexpected card was sent to her by a loved one - family or friend - it doesn't matter. She loves when the kids come by and sees her; she loves the unexpected phone call of someone calling and checking on her; and oh she loves the unexpected cards. I hear all about who called, came by, or sent a card from her for days. It brings a smile to her face.

As I helped Mom go to bed tonight the tears flooded my eyes. Her frail body stooped over using a cane to help her walk to the bedroom she has slept in for more than 58 is moving slower today than it did a year ago. Yes it should because she is now 91. For more than 70 years she has worked helping take care of others - family and friends - and would still be doing that if her body would let her. It is really hard for her to "just sit" and let others do for her!

We love Mom so very much and are trying to help her know that she is loved, appreciated, and not forgotten. We try to keep her busy - no not plowing the fields - but watching us (supervising us) in whatever project we are working on at that time. We take her on "short drives" to visit family or to go to the store. Mom being the oldest member of the family will call (actually have us dial the number) to check on family whom she knows has been having a rough time with their health. She has always done that and still wants to check on them to make sure they are doing okay!

I know life has a way of keeping us all busy . . . . work, family, church . . . . but if you have an elderly member in your family, or a loved one who is sick or disabled . . . . give them a call; go by for a visit if possible; or use the Postal Service and send them a card. Let them know you still care and that you love them.

Most days Mom will sit in her recliner "watching" her shows . . .that is if she's not napping!

She loves to visit family when she is up to it . . . a "short drive" to Peach Creek and she was catching up with how Claude was doing!

A trip to a family reunion enabled her to catch up with the "Fowler" side of the family!

One of her favorite places to visit is Dink's . . .she wants to make sure her "oldest boy" is doing okay!!!!

Ben - 10 Days Old (Almost)

Thursday - June 30, 2011

I have finally taken a few moments out of my day to introduce Benjamine Monroe Hardin to you all! He made his appearance into this world on June 20, 2011. He will soon be ten days old! (Actually when 5:00 rolls around this evening he will officially be ten days old!) He weighed 8 lbs 12 oz; was 20 inches long; appears to have blond hair and is the cutest little fellow!!! I've chosen some pictures to share that I took, but some are borrowed from Ben's mother! No captions will be provided . . . .just look at them and come up with your own! :)

These are two of the most precious babies whom we love unconditionally! Our prayer is that their journey through life is smooth full of love for family, friends, and most importantly God! We love you Cora Ann and Benjamin Monroe!!!!

Granddad and Mammaw