why simon is named simon

several people have asked...not on here of course, but it doesn't hurt to post it on here. simon is a name that my wife rebekah (pictured looking at simon) has loved for a very long time, and when we (she) became pregnant this name quickly rose to the top as a favorite. she loves the story in scripture when Jesus is walking to the hill to be crucified, and a man from the crowd is called upon to help carry the cross. i love the story of the old man in the synagogue who knew that he would see the messiah, and he did! (yes biblical scholars his name was simeon, but it is the same name) the bonus came when we realized, after he was born, that it was also the name of peter before he was peter, (yes, this character is MUCH more recognizable then the other two, but we didn;t think of it) and he has always been a great person in scripture as well.
the name means: he hears God. isn't this an amazing thing to be able to say about someone? it is our prayer that this will be true of simon!
his middle name, hayes, is a namesake of my grandpa on my mom's side. he is incredibly generous, kind and a strong presence in my life growing up. he is also not too strong physically, and we wanted to honor him while we could! the name means: a hedged field. which at first glance is a bit strange, but quite appropriate for the first born male of not just our immeadiate family, but on both sides of the extended family. it is a hope that he will be a protector of other little ones to come!