Names

Alot of people have asked where we came up with Hudson's name. We still had our name list from when we were expecting Ellie and when we looked down the list of boy names we had written, we both agreed on Hudson right away, that was easy. Then, the kids' middle names both carry special meaning. They are named after loved ones who passed on before they were born - Ellie Jo after my aunt, and Hudson Thomas after Curt's grandpa. They were and still are very special to us and we wanted our kids to have a connection to them even though they never got the chance to know them. We started talking to Ellie about her great aunt when she asked why we named her that and she still asks me about her now and again. Ellie likes to talk about her and how she would've loved her homemade candy. Then when Hudson was born, Ellie wanted to know why we named him that and it started more conversations about Papaw and how he would've loved driving them around in the pasture.
It feels good to know they will always carry a piece of these two people with them - that our kids will love them like we do without ever having met them. I love that Ellie is such a curious kid, she asks such great questions and we have these big conversations about life...funny to hear a four-year-old's perspective! Her latest has been the concept of past, present, and future...after three long attempts at explaining it (just try it sometime, it's not easy!) she's got it now, and she uses it alot. Like this afternoon when Hudson was crying and I was trying to soothe him, Ellie says "Mom, in the future Hudson will be able to talk, but for now you're just gonna have to figure it out." :)
Some of her latest Ellie-isms:

• "I have hearts in my eyes because I love you so much."
• "My parents couldn't afford a cake for my birthday so we're just having Oreos."
• "God makes hearts and stars and rainbows and clouds but he does not make penguins." When asked why not, she responded "Because God doesn't make things in eggs." This started another one of the above mentioned deep conversations. :)
• "Yosemite Sam just said a bad word ("stupid"). I guess his mom and dad didn't teach him any better."

I'd hate to think how dull our life would be without her curiosity and imagination - Hudson is in for a lively childhood. :)