Name Stealing

Alright.  So there is a silly feud in Larry's family that I 

am a name stealer.  Ha, Ha, Ha.  Everyone likes a laugh,

but after a while it gets old hearing the in laws say

"Don't tell Marsha, she is a name stealer."

So childish, and so not true.  Not to mention,

it can be hurtful and no one ever really

asks me, how I chose that name or when.

All they know is that a certain sister  

had called dibs on that name with a certain sister

wanting to use the same name.

The name was told to the sister in law who also

said she wanted to use the name.

Her husband even said it was on our name list.

Yes, I have a name list.

Still do even though I am done.

Being the only daughter in law is hard

enough, but being the only sister in law

to 7 sisters is even harder!

Back in 1982, I watched this movie called

Savannah Smiles.  Oh how I loved this movie.

Every time it was on television, I would watch it.

And I would name all my baby dolls Savannah.

I even wished my own name was Savannah

over the drab Marsha.  It was so much more

feminine and beautiful.  The way I thought

all girl names should be.  So back in the '80's,

at a very young age, I told myself that I was going to

have a daughter named Savannah.  That thought never faded

and in 1999, my wish came true.

Larry and I had discussed baby names while dating.

Yes, while dating.  I told him I wanted a girl

named Savannah, and he told me I 

could name our children whatever I wanted, as

long as he named the first boy Larry Denzil III.

Deal!

Another movie that had influenced me

in my baby names, was White Nights from

1985.  Another movie that I watched all the time.

I use to take ballet and I can remember watching 

my teacher dance so beautifully and gracefully in toe shoes.

I loved watching classical dance and still do.

When I watched this movie, I immediately fell in love with Isabella

Rosellini.  I thought, the same things all over again.

Oh, why was I not named Isabella.  That is so much more feminine and beautiful

than Marsha.  Can you tell I hated my name when growing up?

So again, I told myself, I was going to have at least

2 daughters because I had to use both Savannah

and Isabella.

While choosing Savannah's name 10 years ago,

I even thought of Savannah Isabella, but it just did not sound

quite right to me.  And I knew I had to use Savannah so

I saved Isabella for a future daughter.

I thought marrying a man with 7 sisters,

I was bound to get a bunch of girls of my own.

Wrong!

I had to have 3 boys before I was blessed again with a little

girl.  I do love my boys though.  They will always love their

mom more than their dad.  Anyways,

I did not know Larry had any sisters wanting to use the same name.

I think even if I had, I probably would have still used the name.

  I knew we would never really live near any of them, and Larry

is one for pleasing yourself, not others.  Plus, there are so many

family names repeated in this large and

ever growing family.  Look at all the Larry's and Josephs

and Benjamins and

variations of Emalena ...

Here is a list of names I had in Savannah's book back

in 1999:

Savannah Laurel,

Savannah Brooke,

Savannah Yuki,

Isabella Frances,

Cassandra

Larry Denzil III

Christian Alexander,

Michael Andrew,

Elijah Matthew

So it is possible that I had a name chosen first,

or we had similar likes and it is all

a coincidence.  But I am in no way a name stealer.

I am a girl who had 4 names chosen way back when:

Savannah,

Isabella,

Christian Alexander,

& Andrew.

These are four names I knew I wanted to give my children

and I did.