as first dates go...

most boys limit a first date to nervously asking the girl out, grabbing a bite to eat and then seeing a movie, or maybe even bowling...but not our connor! noooo, he has to go all out. his first date? prom! which in the life of an american high school kid is a pretty big deal.

as an alternative to the traditional high school prom - which is really expensive, has no dress code as far as how much skin the girls can show, questionable music, and equally questionable dancing - our stake puts on a church sponsored prom...they rent out a hall, decorate it all fancy, get a dj and a photographer, and in general make it a really fun and classy night out for the youth. connor and chelsea went in a group with three other couples - they went out to dinner and then on to the dance...and by all accounts, a good time was had by all!

connor & chelsea

the tradition here is not to just ask the girl out verbally, face to face, but to do this whole "thing" when doing the asking. connor's thing was...we prettied up a cloth flour sack with a big ribbon and bow, and tied a note to it that read, "will you go to prom with me? look in the flower to see who i am!", connor then did the dong-dong-ditch thing, leaving it on her door step and high-tailing it back to the car - we gave her about 10 minutes or so to sift thru the flour and find that there was actually nothing in the flour - next step...ding-dong-ditch again...this time leaving a single long stemmed rose in a ribboned and bowed bud vase with a note that read, "oops, sorry, wrong flower!", with his name tucked into the little bit of greenery and baby's breath that surrounds the rose.

of course then she has to respond in kind. after a couple of days of waiting it out connor was presented with a big container of sugar with letters that he had to piece together that read, "since you managed to get the right flower...i'd sure love to go to prom with you sugar!!!"

how could she resist this sweety!

the boy scrubs up well, even if i do say so myself.

i've always been in love with that face...

...not so mention those baby blues.

connor was a perfect gentleman - he took her hand to help her down a few steps after this picture was taken.

i kept giving him pointers about how to be a good date...i told him girls talk, and he didn't want to get a bad rap his first time out...he told me i was making him more nervous...and to please stop helping him...i did my best...with only a few slip-ups!

about sneakers and tiaras...

dollars spent on yards of satin, organza, ribbon, flowers, zippers, sneakers, paint, tiara, jewels, accessories, and just the right shade of eyeshadow...incalculable

hours spent not sleeping, listening to re-runs of the office, ignoring laundry, and denying needs of family...countless

one grateful, relieved, & happy daughter...priceless

caitlin's needs for her big prom night were simple -

a dress that was fun...and a tiara!

her date was one of her best friends, taylor...they've been friends for the past four years or so, and she was thrilled to be asked by him - no strings, no pretense...just a fun night out...a great way to celebrate the end of the past for years in high school.

taylor is a nut, lots of fun, larger than life...we always know he's in the house before we see him - caitlin wanted her dress to match their personalities...fun...so we went with the fuschia satin, dressed up with green ribbon, and a few velvet flowers for good measure...oh, and the sneakers...that was another of her requirements...she wanted to wear hot pink sneakers...she wanted to be comfortable and not take it all to seriously - she was a hit!!!

everyone loved the shoes - one of the boys in her seminary glass the next day even complimented her on how cool she looked.

and now for your listening pleasure...

caitlin videoed these herself using her camera - i don't think she really intended them for public viewing, hence the quality, lack of introduction, and the messy room - i found them amongst a group of pictures she downloaded this evening, and in a moment of weekness she agreed to let me post them - so here they are, in the raw, before she changes her mind!

caitlin plays in the symphony orchestra for her high school - they are really good...by anyones definition, and not just because i happen to have a person bias in favor of one of their performers - they recently attended a state wide competition and received a rating of "superior, with distinction"...that's like an A+++!

she also plays in a strolling strings group - this is a group of about

15-20 string muscians, and a pianist - they have to memorize their pieces, as the violins and violas actually stroll amongst the audience - they are hired for different gigs through out the year...malls, anniversaries, stuff like that. caitlin loves the memorization thing...she has always been more comfortable playing by ear than having to read and learn the notes.

don't forget to turn off the music at the bottom of the page first!

this one called the wizard's waltz

this one, ashoken farewell, is one of my favorite pieces

i am really proud of her - she really has a gift for what she does and is working hard to feel more comfortable with sharing her talent, and not hiding her light under a bushel. she is very much the irish child of our family - since she was small she had identified with her irish heritage and has loved anything celtic - she loves the fiddle especially, and is even looking forward to getting together with andy so that she can learn to play the bodhran.