We recently had a gender reveal for my niece's bun in the oven. It's a boy! She and her hub announced that his name would be Roper Martin Granthum. He's named after my daddy and Will's grandfather. What a powerful punch! That kiddo is named after two outstanding men of God. He will come into this world with a huge family waiting to love and support him. He's one lucky little boy.
I've written about my recent research of our family tree, and what fun ancestors I found. It's fascinating to know their names, but it doesn't compare to the family that I actually got to see and touch. The ones that raised me with love and guidance. Little Roper will never know the men that he's named after. He will hear their stories and see their pictures, but we will be the ones showing him how to care for others, how to live with integrity. That's a big responsibility!
I have every intention of sharing our family tree with Roper. Maybe he'll be interested, maybe not, but he's going to hear it either way! Poor kid. I have absolutely no problem being the crazy aunt passing down the weird stories. For Pete's sake, my newest book, I'm Not Weird, I'm Wonderful shows how comfortable I am with being different! I hope he'll get that confidence from day one. It took me a minute. Life is much easier when you don't worry so much about what everyone else thinks.
I recently made my Mere's recipe for cheeseburger pie. First of all, it's delicious! Secondly, it gives me that warm, nostalgic feeling of being in her Kentucky home. I beat the eggs with my Grandmother's antique egg beater. Ever since my Aunt Brenda passed this treasure down to me, I've been using it. Same feelings, different Kentucky home. The juju of my ancestors must've gone into the pie, because it was extra tasty! I hope to pass down some of that to little Roper, God willing.
Life throws curve balls. If 2020 hasn't taught you that, then you're living in denial! Corona quarantine has shown me the strength in my family. We take care of each other. We encourage each other. We love each other unconditionally. Roper has a Roper-Shirley-Faulkner-Granthum tribe that is going to pour love into his soul from day one. If that's not a blessing, I don't know what is!
Until November little one.... we can't wait to meet you.
