No Such Thing as Grumpy People

We had some friends when we were living in Provo, Warren and Rachael Smith, who said something very profound. They said, 'there is no such thing as grumpy people, only tired and hungry people.' I've found that to be true more often than not.

Just thought I would share.

Dad

Parker Wayne - What's in a name?

Parker, I thought you would appreciate knowing where your name came from.

About a year before we had you, we were in Washington for the funeral of your Great Grandpa Jex. As we had the opportunity to be with family to celebrate him, his life, and his legacy, we were chatting with your aunts and uncles.  We starting talking about having other children, and were asked if we had any names we liked.  Mommy had always liked the name Parker, and daddy suggested the name Peter Parker. Yes, Spider-Man was a possible name for you. We liked the way it sounded and it was similar to Jackson in that your first and middle initials would be the same. Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you choose to see it, your Aunt Lisa teased that you would be P(ee) P(ee) Ward. Needless to say, that name was quickly tossed out.

After we found out we were expecting you, just like with your brother Jackson, your dad was not willing to be serious about names until he knew what your gender was. After we found out that you would be a boy we started seriously talking about names.

We decided to use a family name for your middle name, just like with Jackson. Wayne was the name of your Great Grandpa Ward and is also the middle name of your Grandpa Ward, so we chose that.  We just needed to come up with a first name.

One option that was very popular with our friends was Bruce. Yes, you guessed it. If we couldn't do Spider-Man we might as well do Batman. However, one day mommy jokingly called you Bruce, and we realized neither of us liked Bruce on its own. We would have to forever call you Bruce Wayne as if it were your first name and we didn't like that idea.

Our final decision, as you know, is a combination of our two favorites, Parker Wayne. As with Helaman and his sons, the same goes for you and Jackson. There was a purpose for your name. Your Great Grandpa Ward and Grandpa Ward are great men of faith. Your Grandpa Ward diligently fulfills his callings no matter the call. His faith in Jesus Christ shows in all he does and says. He is a very loving man and never lets an opportunity slip by to share his love and gratitude for each and every one of his family members. He is a very hard worker. These are qualities that we wish for you to emulate in your life.

We love you!

Dad

Jackson Jeffrey - What's in a name?

Jackson, I thought you might be interested in knowing where your name came from.

We were so excited when we found out we were expecting you, even though you made mommy sick while we were in Hawaii. I guess you can say you have been to Hawaii too, technically. We had been trying for some to get pregnant and we were so happy to know you would soon be coming.

Well before we knew if you were going to be a boy or girl, mom like to talk about possible names. I, however, did not want to discuss names until we knew your gender. Whenever the conversation of possible names came up I would jokingly suggest names like 'Psych Ward' or 'Maternity Ward' or even church congregations back in Washington like 'Tiffany Park Ward' and 'Benson Hill Ward'. Needless to say mom did not care for my jokes to much.

Mom remembers it being one night as we were laying in bed, when she started asking what names I liked again. I gave her the standard joke names, when suddenly the name Jackson Emery came to my mind. I told her the name and she looked at me astonished. I couldn't understand why. She asked me if I really wanted to name you that. I responded that I did, I really like the sound of it. She laughed. I was really confused and asked why she laughed. She asked if I realized that Jackson Emery was a BYU basketball player. I completely forgot and had to laugh. That was probably why I liked the way it sounded so much. Ultimately, we both agreed we loved the name, but your mom could not live with your initials so we had to come up with a different middle name.

In the end, we decided and giving you your Grandpa Brown's middle name. At the time it may have been because of how it sounded together more than anything else. However, around the time you were to receive your baby blessing I thought more about your name and I how wanted it to be more than a name to you.

In the Book of Mormon, Helaman named his sons Nephi and Lehi. His desire was that they would think of their namesake and seek for the same good characteristics and blessings in their own lives. That is what I wish for you. Your Grandpa Brown has one of the biggest hearts that I have ever known. He genuinely loves all he comes in contact with. He is able to make friends regardless of what country he is in or language he is speaking. He has charity for all the people he meets and that is why people are drawn to him and quickly become his friend. Grandpa Brown is a hard worker. He gives his everything at whatever he does. He is smart and resourceful. These are traits and characteristics that we wish you will strive for in your life as you remember your name and where it comes from.

We love you.

Dad