baby's name!

Many have asked how to pronounce Taiya -- so in case you're wondering, it is Ty-yah!  Rhymes with Maya.  Others have asked where we came up with the name.  I think it was during Aaron's pregnancy that we considered the name "Taya" ... and when we were reminded of the word Taiya, we thought that would make an excellent girl's name too!

So, back to our beginnings... back to the time when Adrian and I met, the summer we went on a few hikes and lunch dates together... back to when we were dating and both landed jobs in Skagway, Alaska... that's where Taiya comes from.  The Taiya River is a beautiful place that courses through the little dot on the map that was our first home together!

These were the very first photos we took with our very first digital camera: 9-23-2003

Layla, Adrian in front of Taiya River

who knew we would one day name our 6th child after that water?
autumn then, autumn now!

on a trail next to the Taiya River
(I remember feeling very sick on this hike, as I was pregnant with Ella)

beautiful Dyea in autumn colors!

Moving ahead to naming our baby, we held onto the name and weren't able to use it on the last two babies in this house!  I had looked up the term a few times, knew it came from a native Alaskan (Tlingit) word, but didn't find a meaning.  AFTER we named the baby last week, Adrian decided to do a search and was more successful in finding a meaning!  (See link here: it is on the Taiya Inlet page, not the Taiya River page)  He read off wikipedia the meaning, "beneath or underneath".  We kinda shrugged-- as if insignificant.

A moment later, I turned to Adrian with realization: 

put together, her name means "under grace"!

We both smiled, and prayed that this beautiful doll the Lord has given us will always remain under His great grace!

"For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."  
--Romans 6.14