hana, demystified

many have asked about hana's name, specifically the origin and how it's pronounced... well, allow me to break it down...

hana, not to be confused with hannah, is prounced hah-na (i guess) like as if the first syllable was a laugh. it is not pronounced like hannah. we picked the name after the town in maui where we spent several magical, fabulous, glorious days on our honeymoon. we learned after she was born that hana also is the japanese word for flower. which i suppose all fits... beautiful town, beautiful baby (well at least i think so!).

hana's middle name - muzette - is a family name. my great grandmother was named muzette. she was my grandfather's mother. she was a spunky lady who was raised in a bar and was a teacher for many years. when she retired from teaching, she became a social worker since that profession had also long interested her. although i never met her(she died before i was born) my grandfather used to tell me that i reminded him of her. also, the diamonds in my wedding ring are from a ring that belonged to grandma muzette. so grandma muzette's legacy lives on.