When Havyn was born we had the most difficult time choosing a name for her. We had already decided her middle name would be “Joy.” It was our hope and prayer that she would grow into someone who truly embodied joy. Life throws curveballs at all of us — and we have a choice how to respond. It has been, and continues to be our prayer that she would be able to smile through life’s punches, and have faith in the midst of the storms. Joy rises above the trials of the day. Joy reaches past the moment and clings to something bigger. We had no idea how soon that joy would be tested, but she has an opportunity every day to smile. So do you.
We chose her first name (moments before we left the hospital with her) after much debate. We landed on “Havyn” for a few reasons. First, one of our favorite places is Grand Haven, Michigan. I (Steve) spent much of my childhood there and asked Tammy to marry me there. It is a special place for us and want to always have a piece of it with us. But we also like that a haven is a shelter from the waves. It’s a place of rest and refuge. It’s a place to be comforted and calmed. It’s been our desire to see Havyn grow to be one who lives in a haven but also ushers others into that grace.
We changed the spelling from Haven to Havyn because we’re difficult people and apparently we want her to have a complex her whole life. Hopefully she’ll appreciate it someday.