What's in a Name???

So, naming four boys is not an easy task.  When we had our first baby boy in 2007, we really wanted to honor Doug's family's German ancestry and give him a German first name...Koen.  Then when number 2 came along in 2009, we wanted to do that again.  We liked the unique, strong names and happened to choose a name that ended in "n" yet again when we named Tavin.  So, when number 3 was born in 2012, we figured we had to choose a name that ended in "n" so that it all made sense and yet again we wanted it to be of German origin, not to mention it needed to have a good, strong meaning and Penn rose to the top of the list.  I'm not sure if you've done a lot of pouring over German baby boy name lists that end in "n" and have strong meanings, but I have and let me tell you, we've definitely narrowed the field!  After months of researching, thinking it over and praying it over as well, we decided on Jansen (mind you this was only in the last 2 weeks we made the final first name decision!).  When I first found the name in the Fall, I loved it.  My mom's name is Janine, she goes by Jan.  She's one of my closest friends and dearest confidants.  To get to name one of my children with a reference to her is such a special thing for me.  Also, the name's meaning is "God is gracious."  Truly, this child, that I yearned for, prayed about, Doug and I deliberated over and then were blessed with so quickly was a pouring out of God's grace.  Not to mention all the lessons of grace we have yet to learn raising four boys!  When it came time to make the final decision, this name just seemed like it had to be it.  Jansen, your name is full of thought and meaning.  We pray God's grace would be poured over you, that you would accept His offering of grace at a young age and know Him as your personal Savior and that you would be a minister of His grace as you live out His purpose for you.

It doesn't stop at the first name though.  Giving these boys middle names has also been a meaningful task to us.  As the woman who carried these babies, nurtures these boys and prays over who they will become as men, I am thrilled that we got to give each one of them a middle name that honors one of the three most important men in my life.

Koen Douglas: Obviously, for the love of my life, Douglas, who literally had me not "at hello," but before he even noticed me to say hello.
Tavin Dale: I'm a Daddy's girl.  Always have been, always will be (Doug is aware).  It was a blessing to give my Dad's name to Tavin.
Penn Rye: Although not the name of a person, but another shout out to the man who I share this life with...Douglas.  We were married in Rye, NH, a place that represents our covenant of marriage to one another.  It is appropriate that THE MOST important man in my life get two out of the four middle names, right?
Jansen Philip: Philip is my big brother's name.  We were born 22 months apart and from a young age I grew up loving to follow him around and do what he did.  That lasted from playing dump trucks in the dirt as toddlers to riding in his blue Chevy S10 to high school listening to Oldies as adolescents and even now as we can connect over marriage, raising families and still enjoying similar interests together (like sailing!).  He has always been a loving, caring brother.  Lord-willing, Jansen will grow up to be just as loving and caring a brother as Phil is to me.

Welcome to the world, Jansen Philip Melder!