Why Edwards?

Each time we are expecting a baby, I look forward to using the middle name Jewel, after my Nana, should God decide to bless us with a little girl.  By the fourth boy, I have pretty much given up on having a girl and have accepted the fact that the task laid before us is to raise godly men.

Up until about a week or two before Holt's delivery (and shortly after finalizing his first name), his middle name was Adam.  We have always used a family name for our childrens' middle names, aside from a temporary stray with Hawk's middle name.  However, that has since been corrected and is a story in itself.   Anyhow, at some point very close to his due date, I had an idea.

I grew up without a grandmother.  My father's aunt filled that void completely.  She was my grandmother in every meaning of the word.  Her name was Edna Jewel Shepherd Edwards.  Because I have come to terms with reality, and am no longer going to anticipate a girl as well as being able to use Jewel, I thought Edwards would be an awesome way to still honor my "Nana".

Of course, I am horrible at finalizing a decision.  It is solely my fault that Holt was nameless for as long as he was.  Adam left it to me to decide between Hodges and Holt.  Because of my lack of decision, he finally chose Holt, even though Hodges was his favorite.  Again, we were stuck between Adam and Edwards for a middle name.  I left the decision to Adam since I loved them both.

Edwards it is!  Now let me share with you how awesome my Nana was:

* Nana had seven grandchildren already.  However, that did not stop her from "adopting" us as her own.
* Everytime we would visit, she would have a cookie jar filled with her sugar cookies.
* She only made biscuits from scratch and would let any willing hands help.
* You could count on her to deliver an awesome meal everytime!  She was an amazing cook - so much so that my family compiled a recipe book of all her wonderful things.
* Her breath always smelled of coffee.
* Each morning, you could find her on the back porch sipping coffee from her dainty coffee cup and enjoying the morning.
* She loved to watch birds.  She kept binoculars and bird books out on the porch.
* She grew the most beautiful roses.
* As small children, when we were done with our bath, she would wrap us up tightly in a towel, snuggle us in her arms, and announce to the household "I have a little wet piggie!"
* Whenever she had little treats for us (a piece of candy or a dollar bill) she called it "a happy".
* She was a wonderful story teller and book reader.
*As it was time to leave her home and head back to Memphis, she would stand out in the driveway and wave at us until we were no longer visible.