To Honor

We had a hard time picking Nora's name.  I care a lot about popularity so it makes it extra difficult to make sure the name won't be too popular.  Nora is what I always wanted but I was and still am worried about it being too popular.  In the end I had to get over that and remember how special it is.

We originally knew we would probably use the middle name Lenora after Jason's grandma.  When looking at names I saw Nora and liked it but said, "Nora Lenora" isn't going to work out.  Then it dawned on me that using the first name Nora is an even bigger deal in honor of Great Grandma Gertrude (GGG as Jason calls her).  This opened up a middle name and I knew that June would be perfect after my Grandma or GiGi to Blair and Nora.  This became such a special name and although we toyed with others we both loved that she could be named completely for 2 of her great grandmas.

The meaning of Nora is "honor" and our reasons couldn't be easier to come by:

GGG( Great Grandma Gertrude Lenora Thayer):

Jason is truly lucky to have the grandma that he does.  He has an extra special relationship with her that has always warmed my heart.  She is like a mother to him and was an essential part in his upbringing.  She took and picked him up from school everyday and took care of him, and helped him with his homework.  He remembers her being so early to pick him up because she wouldn't dare miss him or make him think she forgot.  She packed peanut butter in her purse for his waffles at the restaurant after church on Sunday because she knew he liked it and they didn't have it.  She kept a close watch on him through his teenage years, often driving by the house just to check on things and calling to wake him up every morning for school,  sometimes twice!  Before he drove himself she would come to his house every morning and cook him breakfast before she drove him.  When we started dating we had dinner with her at least once a week and she came to be Granny to me too. I loved watching them playfully poke fun at each other and she just loved what a little "brat" he always was.  We were young and she always bought us dinner and offered us money for dates because Jason is like her 5th son and she wanted to take care of him.. "Here's $20 for gas" was a common phrase.  As he started to get older and want to buy her dinner she would always protest, "what are your Rockefeller?!" and that always made us laugh.  She absolutely adores Jason in a way that everyone around can see and she is proud beyond measures of what he has become.  Even as she has gotten older, she kept her spunk and could joke with him and laugh.  Not everyone has such a special grandma and not everyone can be as special a person as she is.  Her selflessness, humor, and caring nature are things we hope  Nora can achieve!

GiGi (Great Grandma Delores June Morelock):

This one is hard for Mommy as Nora will not be able to meet her GiGi.  She was there for Blair's birth and it breaks my heart that she won't get to see this beautiful little girl.   GiGi is the most positive person that I can remember knowing.  In all my childhood I can never remember her being angry, saying anything negative, or doing anything but truly enjoying the laughter around her.  I have wonderful memories of camping with her and I just see her smile and laughter at everything we did, like we were the best things she could ever see!  We camped so much as children so we got to spend a lot of time together.  She loved to tease us so much about all our little quirks and sayings because she just thought we were hilarious.  Even as adults when she would visit, or in the chaos at Christmas she would watch the craziness and laughter in the family and you could just see her smile and enjoyment of her family and what we all became.  When I went away to college, I was pretty lonely at first.  I loved to get mail there (real USPS mail) and she would send me a card weekly to make sure I was always getting something!  I knew how proud she was of me and that feeling is the best in the world.  She loved to read my blogs as I studied in Spain, traveled Europe, and this blog when I started it for Blair.  She loved to do crafts and projects and went through so many different phases of things she enjoyed.  I love doing crafts now and am proud that I got that from her.  She kept herself busy and active with friends though her crafting and she loved to give them to her family.  She had a spunk and style you don't find in many people.  She loved anything flashy and exciting and she liked to keep up on what was "in" even when Poppa was the opposite! I also picked up her LOVE of shopping!   In honor of her, Auntie Nicole, Auntie Janae and I get "grandmacures" which are manicures with the flashiest design on them because she ALWAYS had her nails done like this.  Someday Blair, Nora, and I can do the same.  Her and Poppa's marriage is an inspiration to me and I aspire to be as in love as they were until the end and pray for that for my girls' future.  It breaks my heart when I think of how much she would adore Blair and Nora and love watching them grow their personalities.  She would just think they were the best things that ever came around and everyone should get to feel that from their grandma's hearts.  I hope that Nora can have the positiveness, spirit, and creativity that GiGi inspires!