Tuesday Tell All...What's in A Name?

JENNIFER ROSE: My name was going to be Olivia, but my dad put the kabosh on that, and named me Jennifer Rose. Jennie was my great grandma who lived to be 105 and was a very strong woman. Rose was my grandma who was a very feisty stubborn strong woman. Pretty much I had no hope, I am my grandma Rose as most people would say!
NICKNAMES: Jennie-the-Rose, Jennie, Rosie, Jen, Jen Rose (by my cousins), Rosebud, Sissy
I absolutely loved my beautiful grandma Rose. And yes, I have her nose! She introduced me to the yummiest root beer floats and Full House, which to this day if it's on, I will watch and have sweet memories of her. She taught me how to tie quilts and I remember her always having those big quilting things up in her apartment. I was around her for a great while of my life. My mom consistently took great care of her for 18 years, and off and on she actually lived with us. I was sleeping with her the night of the 94 earthquake and had never seen my grandma move so fast!
Here are the 2 wonderful women I'm named after Jennie(sitting), Rose(standing), and my sweet mom's brother Uncle Kevin. Isn't he so handsome? He had me convinced when I was young that I was such a good singer, somehow my sweet young singing voice got lost, because I stink at singing now, but from time to time I serenade my honey.
Here is my sweet little lady a couple months before she passed away...Note to friends, don't ever let your loved ones go to a home, ok I know it's not that easy, but as I'm sitting here typing about my wonderful grandma, I'm in tears because of how hard this visit was. Steve had to carry me out because for the first time, she'd forgotten who I was and just thought we were nice people to bring her treats and play with her hair. When she was peacefully slipping away, March 20, 2006 I got to talk to her and whisper how much I loved her and what a great grandma she was by cell phone and my mom said her eyes lit up...she was probably just trying to make me feel better since I was a wreck, but its ok.
****Cool story about my grandma Rose, she lived in a home about an hour from us by my aunt for the last few years of her life. I remember telling my mom, I am driving up to see grandma this week whether you let me or not. It was supposed to rain, and I'd just gotten my license. I told her I'd had this weird dream that my grandma had been hurt and had to go to the hospital...Long story short, I didn't get to go, my aunt Ilene called my mom and my grandma had fallen and had to be hospitalized. My grandma was the only grandparent I was raised with (paternal grandparents had passed by the time I was 5 and maternal grandpa before I was born) so I was pretty attached to my grandma. I loved her the best and am sure she planned to get baby Joe down here quicker than Steve and I were planning because we got pregnant less than 2 months from her passing! xoxo
JOSEPH HANK: Joe was named after my daddy and Hank was Steve's great grandpa's name and Steve's middle name. Joe "Hank" was born 100 yrs and 1 day after Hank so we thought it was fitting. Hank passed away at 100 and a few months. Joe & I were 1 1/2 months short of meeting him in Canada, but I've heard non stop about what a wonderful man he was.
NICKNAMES: Baby Joe, Stinker, Joey, Love bug
And of course, my hubby is pretty fabulous so to have a child with his middle name must mean we think that child is pretty fabulous himself. Blessing day, I'm so grateful to have a husband who honors his priesthood and was able to make this day so special for our family!
Loving his papa. Just from the short 2 1/2 years of being married, Joe is lucky to have Hank as his middle name because when people think of Stephen "Hank" they probably think of the genuine, strong, patient, motivated, friendly person I think of.
Onto Joe's elder twin...my daddy. We weren't thinking of Joe for a name, we were set on Carter, but because I helped teach a kindergarten class with a Carter in it, we decided to hold off on that name! This picture is the first time the Joe's met. My dad wouldn't let anyone else hold him at the airport and had every one else get the bags. It was precious for me to watch!
At our family vacation, Coronado, Joe loved chillin with Joe there also. They are both pretty mellow and like their space. If you get in their way, they will let you know, and let you know pretty quick.
I'm glad we named him baby Joe because when he is older, it will be fun to tell him about the great father and man he was named after. He will need to know how to be a hard worker because Joe is an extremely hard worker. He will need to know how to play golf, football, and tennis because Joe excels at all of these sports. He will need to be wise beyond his years in the doctrine of the church because Joe is. He will need to make a yummy batch of egg nog and "not burnt"pancakes because those are what Joe makes in the kitchen. He will need to enjoy reading and find an author who his daughters will fall in love with so they can have mini book dates and be able to connect like Joe did with A walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. He will need to be a daddy that spoils his girls just to let some lucky guy clean up the mess. He will need to be a stylish dresser like Joe is,(if you can't tell in this Christmas picture). We will get him Frasier DVDs so he can understand Joe's sense of humor. He will need to marry a sweetheart like Joe did who will, no joke, turn down his bed sheets, make him midnight snacks, lay out his clothes, remind him to take his diabetes medications, does a ton of work for their business, and plan his summer family vacations (when indeed it's hardly a vacation for her). Then he will a happy man!

Long post, sorry, but I was excited to document this for when I print out this blog!