[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 16, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11519-S11520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              GRAMPA ENZI

  Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, this last weekend I got a new name. Fifty-
nine years ago when I was born I was named Michael Bradley Enzi. The 
middle name comes from my Grampa and Gramma Bradley on my mother's 
side. They were homesteaders in Montana. My grandfather on my dad's 
side homesteaded in North Dakota and named his son Elmer, but he died 
shortly after I was born and before I could know him. My dad's favorite 
song was ``Elmer's Tune'' but he thought there were enough Elmers 
already and named me Michael. I grew up being Mickey and then Mike. As 
I mentioned, this last weekend I got a new name and I am truly 
delighted.
  I am now Grampa--and that is spelled with an M, not an N, and there 
is no D in it. I will explain that in just a moment.
  My son and his wife had a son. My son, also like me, had the good 
fortune to overmarry, to Danielle, a delightful young lady from 
Kentucky whom he

[[Page S11520]]

met in Washington, DC. She is one of the most organized, focused, and 
thoughtful people I know. My son Brad and daughter-in-law Danielle had 
a son. I cannot begin to share the emotion and feeling that overwhelms 
me today. It is such an incredible feeling to hold another generation 
in your hands.
  When my son was born, we named him Michael Bradley Enzi, as well, and 
instead of giving him the title junior we just used his middle name 
Brad to avoid confusion. Now we have a third Michael Bradley Enzi, but 
we do not believe in titles so we call him Trey to avoid confusion. Now 
Danielle and Trey had extremely fortunate timing for Diana and me. Trey 
was supposed to be born the end of this month, but he and his mother 
moved that up to when Diana and I were in the neighborhood. Diana and I 
met Brad and Danielle on Friday so I could get the transportation 
system. We used to call that strollers and car seats; now it is 
transportation systems. My dad started a tradition of buying the wheels 
for my kids. That means the wagons, the skateboards, the rollerblades, 
the bikes, et cetera. When I heard I was going to be a grampa, I staked 
the ``wheels'' out, too.

  So we picked out the transportation system. Danielle thought she 
started having contractions. We knew she had walked a lot. So Brad 
checked her into the hospital at midnight. At 8 a.m. the water broke, 
and at 4:21 p.m., Saturday, September 13, we all got new names. Trey 
weighed 6 pounds 14 ounces and was 20\1/2\ inches long, with huge hands 
and long feet, of course--his 6 foot 8 inch dad, who played basketball 
for Wyoming, has size 16 feet and easily palms a basketball.
  Danielle came through, as is her nature, invigorated and 
enthusiastic. You would not have known by looking at her face, except 
for that special aura of being a mother, that she had just given birth. 
The rest of us were emotional wrecks. The best way I can tell you of 
the thrill is to tell you that we canceled the events of the weekend 
and extended an extra day, and I spent as much of that time as I could 
just holding that baby, watching him breathe and move ever so slightly, 
and listened to every little sound he made. Of course, I had to let 
Diana hold him a little, too. And his mom and dad even wanted turns.
  If you would have told me I would spend hours just gazing at this 
miracle of life, and having only that thought for hours, I probably 
wouldn't have believed you. But I have some instant replay memories of 
that little face and those moving hands and those blankets and that 
cap, to hold the body heat in, locked in my mind.
  I am constantly doing little instant replay memories for myself and 
thanking God for the opportunities he has given me--from finding Diana 
and learning about prayer with our first child, the daughter who was 
born premature, who showed us how worthwhile fighting for life is, to 
the birth of our son, to the birth of our youngest daughter, who just 
got married, to helping me through open heart surgery so that I might 
have this chance to hold yet another generation in my hands.
  I think of the Prayer of Jabez in Chronicles, where he says: ``Lord, 
please continue to bless me, indeed.'' And to that I add my thanks for 
this and all the blessings noticed and unnoticed.
  So I am a grampa. That is not grandfather--too stilted. Years ago my 
daughter gave me a hand-stitched wall hanging that says: ``Any man can 
be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad.''
  The name is also not grandpa. That is a little too elevated. My 
grampa--spelled with an M and no D--my Grampa Bradley took me on some 
wonderful adventures. He taught me a lot--fishing, hunting, and work. 
He ``let'' me help him plant and water trees when I was 4. He showed me 
how to chop sagebrush and make flagstone walks. He covered up holes he 
encouraged me to dig. He covered them so people wouldn't drive a car 
into them. He taught me how to spade a garden, mow a lawn, and trim it 
properly.
  He later showed me the point in life when you are supposed to start 
carrying the heavy end of the log. Later in life, he had heart trouble 
and couldn't go fishing by himself, so he took me along. After a few 
minutes, he would place himself at the picnic area and visit with the 
tourists who stopped. He would tell them about his grandson who would 
be arriving shortly with fish and have quite a group waiting for my 
return.
  He liked to be called Grampa. And I am now delighted to have the 
opportunity to earn that name. I wish I could adequately share with you 
the joy in my heart.
  Trey, grandson, welcome to this world of promise and hope and love.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I congratulate the Senator from Wyoming, 
who just entered another phase of his life. He is a grampa, but he can 
also get very silly. I am a grandpa, and I know the silliness that 
comes along with it. It is a wonderful kind of silliness, and it is a 
dimension in life of which I hope all men have the opportunity to be a 
part.
  So my neighbor in the West and my neighbor here on Capitol Hill, to 
you and your bride, who is now a grandma, congratulations.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, will the Senator yield 1 minute, please?
  Mr. CRAIG. I yield.
  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I add my congratulations to Grampa Enzi 
and Diana. There is no Member of this body who exemplifies family 
values more than those two. There is no Senator who has greater 
affection in this body. Trey has a great family to join.
  My wife Mary and I are so excited for you. She called me early this 
morning to report the news. We express our congratulations to the 
Senator from Wyoming.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.

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