Twenty-Five.

I’ve always loved names, especially names with stories behind them. So, when it came time to name our children we knew we wanted their names to have a meaningful significance to our family. There are a lot of names we like, but I wanted the story behind our kids’ names to be more than just that. Not because having a name with a story will affect them in any way (they might not even care!) but because for me it’s part of our family's legacy- and legacy building has been a big part of my mothering since the very beginning.

Preston Lane was named after the street my dad grew up on. The walls of that house saw the hard parts of life- anger, little money, and worn-out parents. But, above that their house was full of fun, love, hospitality, and hard work. My dad, his siblings, and even friends from their childhood talk about that house with such fondness. It was a major backdrop in forming their lives. We wanted to carry on that legacy in the form of a name.

Colton Gray was named after the Colt Firearm. When I think of the Colt I think of the ruggedness, hard work, toughness, and resourcefulness of the people of the American frontier. The inventor of Colt created a revolving pistol that was reliable, simple, used abundantly, and became known as “the peacemaker.” The history of that gun, as well as the history behind the men who used it, are why we wanted a son who carried the same name.

The same will be said for our next little boy’s name. We want his name to carry meaning and history.

Brennon Gage will be the newest addition to our pack. Like Colton, he’s named after a firearm- the Bren machine gun. The Bren was used during WWII and was reliable, easy to clean, and accurate. This reputation led it to be a favorite amongst soldiers. One writer wrote, “Almost all regarded it as a reliable and effective weapon, and it was striking that when discussing the Bren with veterans who had used it, their first response was almost always the same — a nostalgic smile, and the words ‘It was a great gun, the old Bren …’" Men who witnessed hard stuff, yet didn’t back down, carried the Bren. We hope Brennon will be built with that same fight.

Giving these babies of ours names that carry a subtle significance has been so fun. Their names have stories and meanings that people wouldn’t ever guess and to me, that just feels so special!