Legacy

Just 2 days after we returned from Ukraine with Rance, we attended the funeral of my Great Uncle Walter. We debated on whether or not we should go, if it would be too much for Rance to handle, but in the end, the fact that it was my Great Uncle won out, and we went. We tried to explain to Rance in our limited Ukrainian and English what he would see and what it was, not sure how much he understood with the small amount of English he knew at the time.

For many people, a Great Uncle is a man they see every now and then at family reunions, or for some, they may not even know their names. This was not the case for the Tuley family. My Grandpa and his brothers were firm believers in the importance of family and putting family first. As a result, I not only knew all of my great uncles by name, but I saw them often, was greeted with hugs and kisses, and was hugged and kissed good bye. I was close with my Great Uncle Walter, and I knew I couldn't miss his funeral.

During the funeral, some of his grandkids got up to speak. I smiled and laughed at their stories, with tears in my eyes, because many of the memories of their grandpa were identical to the memories I have of mine. It struck me while sitting at the funeral how much my Grandpa and his brothers were alike. How much they loved God, loved their families, loved other people, were hard workers, and their love of teasing, especially the girls. I realized all of these characteristics of the Tuley brothers were a result of lives lived intentionally. Lives intentionally lived so they could leave a legacy to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. There truly are no words to describe the gift they gave to us in the legacy they left behind. Their legacy has shaped so much of who I am, my faith, my love for family and the importance of putting family first, my value of hard work, my love for helping others, and so much more.

When we found out we were having another baby boy, we thought we had a name already picked out. But the more I pondered it in my heart, the more I knew it wasn't the right name for this child. I wanted to choose a name that would represent the legacy left behind by the Tuley brothers. There is only one Tuley brother still alive, my Great Uncle Franklin Carden Tuley. The more I thought about the legacy the Tuley brothers have passed on to me, the more I knew Carden was the name I wanted to pass on. It is my way of telling them thank you, thank you for being great men who left, or will leave, behind a legacy that has forever touched my life.

We already had the middle name picked out, William, after Matt's Grandpa, Donald William Clapham. I have seen so many times in Matt's life the legacy his Grandpa passed on to him. Many of the things I love most about Matt I also saw in his Grandpa. Like me, the legacy Matt's Grandpa passed on to him, shaped so much of who Matt is today.

We are both so blessed to have men in our lives who worked hard to pass on a legacy of faith, family, friends and hard work. Legacies that have changed and shaped lives. Legacies that we hope to pass on to all of our boys.

So we welcome Carden William Richards into our family. Born on March 3, 2012 at 8:24 in the morning, weighing in at 6 pounds 11 ounces and 19 and 1/2 inches long! So far he is doing perfect for being a week premature!