Name Game

Okay, Judy ~ tag, I'm it! : ) You have to remember, though, that some of this stuff was a long time ago!

Joseph's name was easy.... I've always liked the name Joseph and your dad and I both thought our first born son should have his Dad's name. (My previous seminary teacher announced to his class that I had named our baby Joseph Smith, Smith being my maiden name!) Joseph Brent has a nice ring to it. The first time one of his friends called and asked for 'Joe' I thought... who??

Ginger started out as Diana. Seems that I thought a first name with her maiden name as a second name when a girl was married was a good idea. So Ginger's name would have been Diana Riggs Parker. Veddy British! But just after Ginger was born, and I was feeling oh-so-mellow, your dad convinced me that Ginger Rae would be a cute name. So Ginger wasn't particularly named 'after' anyone... but Ginger suits her personality perfectly.

Although I liked the name John, I didn't particularly care for it with Riggs. I wanted a first name with two or more syllables. However, your dad prevailed. And he also used the name of Dail, after his father, for John's middle name. John is one of my favorite names, though (and favorite people) because it's a solid name; it's a comforting name.

I didn't want to give Judy that particular name either, because we already had three children with a 'J' sound to their name. But your dad said I "shouldn't be predjudiced against Judy" because of that. So we named her Judy Lenea. The Lenea was Brent's Mother's middle name.

By this time, I was beginning to wonder where my family names fit into all this....

Lyle is also a Riggs name. There is a Lyle Riggs stadium in Arizona I believe, named after a relative of Brent's. I did like the name Lyle; I'm not sure who came up with it first. But I chose the name Roger, after my wonderful brother, for Lyle's middle name. This also gave him the initials LR, which is the nickname my Grandmother called my Grandfather at times. So I also felt that I had named him after my Grandfather Keene, which was good.

Next came the twins; we could *not* agree on any names. I wanted Noah, Steven, David, Matthew.... your dad didn't want any of those names. So Charles Henry (I believe your dad's grandfather's name) and Hugh was chosen. I chose 'Lendon' as Hugh's middle name, after my Uncle Lyndy. Lyndy was delighted. I like the name Hugh; didn't like the name Charles. It took me a really long time to get used to that name. And of course, now his friends call him Chuck half the time : (

Now I figured it was my turn to call the shots with the names of our children. I was the one doing all the labor/deliver/nursing/diapers. Elizabeth is a name that has a wonderful biblical background to it, it meant a lot to me personally, and I finally got to name a daughter after *me*. Elizabeth Carla. I love it when she signs her name as Elizabeth Carla, and not just Liz or Elizabeth. I think you've all heard me say that I prayed for a little girl to comfort me in my old age, and then had the twins! Later when Elizabeth was born, the o.b. came in the next day and said there had been a handful of babies whom he had delivered that had a special aura to them, and that my baby was one of them. I knew then that Elizabeth was an answer to my prayer.

Two years later, Heaven looked down at me and said "this woman is having her ninth baby! We'll send her someone special." I decided to name her after my mother, Cleo. I've always hoped that my Mother was able to see and know my children. I like the name Cleo because it isn't heard very often. And Cleo's middle name is Kathryn, who is my Mother's sister. None of Kathryn's children had named their daughters after her, so she was delighted that I had done so. I like Cleo Kathryn, with the alliteration. I think it's a very pretty name.

Before my children were born, I usually knew what gender they would be. I thought Joseph was a boy, but the dr. insisted it was a girl because of the heartbeat. After this, I just paid attention to what I felt. The pregnancy that caught me totally by surprise was the twins. I was sure they would be girls. I had prayed for a girl (Elizabeth)! I just didn't realize I would have these two rambunctious boys first. I was almost through making a blue quilt for Cleo, when it dawned on me I was having a baby girl. I had to quickly make a pink quilt and finish the blue one later.

Now if I could only know what each of my grandbabies are, then I could make a blue or pink quilt before the baby is born!

PS Well, just great!!!! I think I'm the last one to be tagged. Now I have no one to tag. boo hoo