An Awesome Autumn Alphabet Adventure [10 of 26] J is for John Deere Tractor Rides with Grandpa Tim and J is for the John in Henry John Carl

Dear Henry, 
Grandpa Tim was recently up from Florida for his Hank fix.  He was also working hard at the farm getting the barn-do-minim primed and painted after we set up a surprise professional dry wall finish.  This is a good thing too because as Grandpa Tim returned back to Florida his physical showed some issues with how his heart was functioning.  Just after Papaw Elmo's funeral we get the call that he was going to need open heart surgery!  What!  This put us in a panic and we tried to decide if we should rush to Florida.  Grandpa Tim was so worried that he wouldn't be able to keep himself on the healing path with you around because the compulsion to play is too great that we decided we would wait a few weeks for some strong recovery to happen before we made it down.  The surgery was a success and today he should be waking up a bit.  Mama wanted to post this blog to motivate a quick recovery.  I know he will be looking.  So...

J is for John Deere Tractor Rides with Grandpa Tim

We spent the day out at the farm and Grandpa Tim allowed you to ride the little John Deere by yourself, well sort of.  He just turned it on a let it drift in idle back and forth.  You seemed to think you were big time, but you enjoyed riding with him just as much.  He tried to get the big Johnny Popper running but it needed a little work.  He allowed you to drink out of the hose and took you on a walk.  What 19 month old could want more than that?!  We love Grandpa Tim and hope that he feels even better than before quickly...he has to be!

 J is for the John in Henry John Carl

Carl Foldenauer

Carl Meyer

John Marr Thompson

Your full name is Henry John Carl Thompson.  Before you were born we knew we wanted to name you Henry.  No real reason other than we liked the name and it floated around both of our families.  Carl was always going to be our boy's middle name to honor both Daddy's maternal grandfather who was killed way too young when his delivery truck became stuck on the railroad tracks, and Mama's paternal grandpa who died at 64 from an unexpected heart attack.  After about the third meeting with your birth mother J we learned that everyone of her sisters' kids, and her sisters, and her mom and other family members all have names starting with a J.  We wanted to honor your birth family connection and realized it would also allow us to honor your Daddy's paternal grandfather John at the same time...Thus you have a long name...Henry John Carl.  
It has worked out well thus far.  When people exclaim, "Why such a long name?" it gives us the opportunity to decide to share our story or not.  What a pretty one it is too.

Love, Mama