These days, it can feel like more of a competition than anything when naming your kid. We have all sorts of interesting and different names coming at us from Hollywood. There seems to be a push to be different. There is also a trend right now to look at family names and pick a name based on your genealogy. I love the idea of keeping names in the family. Generation after generation we *are* all family after all, aren’t we? Logan’s middle name is Dean and that is his grandpa’s (Pop’s) name and his daddy’s middle name. I was happy to keep it in the family, especially since Dean is such a good name! 😉

This Mother’s Day, I would like to honor the women for whom our daughter will be named. This is also the first time I am sharing her name with the internet world. We are calling her by her name already and would love for everyone else to join us. 🙂

We were just able to spend a lovely week with my grandmother on my mom’s side. She lives in Orlando and does not like to fly, so we enjoyed coming to her and also loved basking in the Florida sun! It was so fun watching Logan get to know his great-grandmother. He even shared a few kisses with her. My mom was an only child, so we have always received LOTS of attention from my grandma and grandpa growing up. Unfortunately, my grandfather died in 1996. Since then, my grandmother has boldly lived her life without him, but with constant love from my mom and my grandma’s dear, sweet sisters.

My mom, myself, my grandma (next to me) and 2 of her sisters

Me with my mom and grandma at Logan’s shower

I did not know her mother (Lillian Hines Wilkinson), my great-grandmother, personally, but my mom and my grandmother have told me a few stories. I hear she was a very strong woman; at times quite stern. She was a woman in charge.

Lillian Hines Wilkinson

my great-grandmother holding me

My mom has told me that my great-grandma Lillian was an amazing cook. She cooked everything from scratch and loved making meals for her family. She was also an amazing gardner and had an incredible green thumb. She was a seamstress and did a lot of sewing. She had so many talents, NONE of which I inherited! Haha. She was a woman who loved keeping her home. I love that. Sometimes, I wish I could do more for my family like she did. I wish I could sew all our clothes and cook everything from scratch. Ah! It sounds so lovely!

Our daughter’s first name will be “Lilia” taken from my great-grandmother’s name, Lillian. I hope Lilia possesses her strength and her talent for keeping her home and loving her family. I hope Lilia knows how amazing her great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side are/were.

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My dad’s mother immigrated from Germany to the United States when my dad was only 2 months old. Here is another woman who knows what she wants, and she wanted to be in America. When she was around 7 years old, she admired the kindness of the post-war American soldiers who occupied Germany. This whet her appetite to make it to America someday. If she had listened to all of the people who told her she would never make it, I’m afraid to think of how different my dad’s life would have been!

4 generations of cool history

It is very clear that my grandma loves Logan VERY much!

My grandmother did not come to know Christ until later in her life when my dad was around 15. Their story is so very cool and I hope to write it out in more detail someday.

She lived about 15 minutes from my childhood home, so I saw her often. Growing up, I remember her house always being immaculate, her food always being very German, and always feeling very loved. As I have grown to become a mother, she has shared so many kind words of encouragement with me, remembering the hard early days she had with my dad in a new country. She has a faith in God that is incredibly admirable. I know she is praying for me, Nathan, and Logan constantly. She loves her many, many grandchildren with a full heart!

Her husband died 2 years ago, and she was by his side until the very end. She was faithful in caring for him even when he didn’t remember who she was anymore. She loved him with her whole heart and now finds such comfort in the new life of all of her great-grandchildren. I called my grandmother the day before the 2 year anniversary of her husband’s death to tell her that we were having a GIRL, and she was overwhelmed with this great blessing as she wanted us to have a girl. 🙂 I was so happy to give her good news in the midst of sorrow.

Our baby girl’s middle name will be Elisabeth for my grandma, Elisabeth Burg. I hope she possesses my grandmother’s big heart and her intense desire to do what is right.

When I look at these women, I see strength. I want Lilia’s life to be characterized by strength. A strong bent for what is right and good and a strong personality. A woman of deep love and a steadfastness that keeps her fixed on Christ. Of course, my first prayer is that the Lord will bring her to Him at a young age. I hope Lilia Elisabeth will carry her name proudly with the legacy of the many STRONG women before her. She is blessed to come from such a wonderful heritage.

We love you, Lilia! We can’t wait to meet you!