Namesake

Our trips to Utah are usually for special occasions like holidays or weddings.  For instance the trip we are on now is for a wedding.  When we come out for these occasions we try to fit a million other things in as well.  Jake's whole family is out here plus I have a ton of family too.  Then we have friends from the mission, school, and other stages of life.  Trying to fit visits in with all our friends is next to impossible.  I knew on this trip there was one visit I couldn't miss.  It was to see my cousin Andelyne.  My little Andelyne needed to meet the person she was named after.  For our children we decided to use family names for middle names.  Tade's is Gunnar after my awesome Uncle Gunnar and Seth is Duncan after Jake's Grandma Wangberg's maiden name. Andelyne ended up with two family names.  Andelyne after my cousin and Arris after Jake's other Grandma's maiden name.  Plus it's also Jake's middle name.  So tuesday I headed down to Salt Lake with Seth and Andelyne to hang out and have lunch with Andelyne's namesake, my cousin Andelyne.  We were lucky enough to have my Aunt Jann, Aunt Billie, Debbie (cousin), Tara (sister-in-law), Amy (niece), Nicole (cousin), Ida and Elsa (Nicole's daughters), and Soleil (Andelyne's daughter) there as well.  It was a wonderful afternoon.  Andelyne has recently moved from Boston to Salt Lake.  They are at the end of remodeling a beyond beautiful home so we sat around enjoying the home and one another's company.  The kids had a great time playing together.  I love that my kids know their great aunts, second cousins and first cousins once removed.  It was a delightful and important visit.  I really wanted the Andelynes to meet.  I absolutely love my cousins name, but that is not the only reason we used her name for our daughter.  She is also someone I have observed and looked up to throughout my life.  We would visit Utah when I was younger and Andelyne would go out of her way to include me.  See we were the only family on my dad's side who lived back east.  Everyone else lived around each other and knew each other a lot better.  I was very shy and was somewhat uncomfortable visiting.  I also didn't match up with any cousins.  All my cousins matched up exactly with other cousins.  My family was a little off age wise.  We were always younger or older by a year or so.  Andelyne was one who was a little over a year younger and really close to other cousins her age.  Anyway, I have the best memories of our visits to Utah because of her kindness.  That has continued to the present.  She is just so easy to be around and chat with.  We always have great visits.  I leave feeling loved and often with a stitch in my side from laughing so hard.  It's important to be able to laugh with family and we have had our share of side splitting laughs too.  I hope our little Andelyne turns out just like my cousin with a loving heart who shares that with others and makes them feel special.  The being able to laugh until tears come would be good too.  So my dear little Andelyne you have been named after a remarkable person whom I hope you grow to know and love like I do.  Thanks Andelyne for being such a great cousin.