Hayley and Troy - December 22, 2009

I don't know how to sum up such a beautiful, emotional and exciting day in one post. It was my birthday and 8th anniversary, but I didn't really think too much about that. I was too excited to be re-living it.

My beautiful little sister, Hayley, got sealed in the same temple on the same day - just 8 years later. It was SO incredible to watch her kneel at the alter and marry the man of her dreams. I have become far more emotional with every baby I have and I was moved to tears to hear the blessings they were receiving. I remembered the same overwhelming feeling when I was a bride and as I sat there, I felt so lucky - so BLESSED to have the incredible husband I have. I can't help but be excited to know that Hayley is now joining the "marrieds" club of our family and know that she married such a wonderful man to take her journey with.

I felt SO honored to be called into the brides room (where I had been just 8 years previous) and help tighten her dress laces (it was just like Gone with the Wind while she held on tight while we pulled in the stays), tidy her make-up, put on her shoes and carry her bags. It was SO much fun to be in there with my mom, and my sisters (Alanna and Hayley). The married ladies got to have a little moment there in the Brides Room and there was a very strong special feeling. Alanna and I got to announce to everyone that the beautiful bride was coming.

It was quite cold outside (-12ish), but I was so excited running around and taking pictures (you remember that I had my sister-in-laws camera :) ) that I didn't even put a coat on for almost an hour. Besides, if it wasn't cold, we wouldn't have the incredible trees that were frost covered. It was INCREDIBLY beautiful!






There is something SO incredible about being at the temple with all your extended family and seeing it grow with all the new additions through marriage. It was a tender moment for me and I know I won't forget it.

Of course, I'll also never forget my beautiful little girls. They were princesses in every form of the word. They LOVED being flower girls. They didn't enjoy being outside quite as much as I would've liked, but they were tough about it and loved being by a BRIDE!!

The family dinner and reception both had great food (Vinnie Jensen - you just can't go wrong) and great entertainment. As you walked into the reception you couldn't help but be WOWED. It had the false ceiling, the backdrops, the lights, the ambiance.

We got to work the day before the wedding setting this all up, but my mom had every detail nailed down. She had worked for months pulling this together and - like my sister-in-law, Erin said, "No one throws a party like your mom." It was PERFECT! (except for the first dance because I forgot to bring the song - sorry Mom)

The emcee was the best looking guy I've ever seen. He did a WONDERFUL job. I got SO many compliments on his voice, his sense of humor and his presence. He sung, spake and entertained WONDERFULLY. Of course, when he sang "Always" by Irving Berlin, I was to the point of tears. He also sang this at our wedding and at my sister, Alanna's wedding too. It was sung at my parents and at my grandparents. My Grandparents wedding was where this tradition was started. After they were married, every one stood up and sang it impromptu as they left. It's like one of those scenes in a musical that you think is too perfect to be in real life. From then on, it became a tradition. It is an incredibly special song to our family and having Jarett sing it made it so much better!

Mom had changed the words to a few Oklahoma! songs and it was hilarious. We had some friends sing "You are Love" from Show Boat (if you don't know this song, you need to) and I even joined in for a couple songs (in between Saryn throwing up in the hallway - thank you to Erin and Trevor for cleaning THAT up).

The dancing was SO much fun. Jarett and I had put together the dance mix and there was an awesome time had by all! Hayley and Troy cut the cake and left for the airport after the reception and then to Mexico for a week. It was fun to have them around for a little while around New Years. I hope they have an incredible married life, they adjust well and they know how much they are loved. Congratulations you guys! It was an honor to share my day with you!!







































































































































































































































PS - I apologize for the picture overload, but since I narrowed it down from 900 or so, consider yourself blessed...

My Favorite Thing!!

So Jarett had said "NO PRESENTS FROM ME" this year because I had already got a computer and photo editing software for mothers day. I wasn't surprised, therefore, when there wasn't even 1 present under the tree for me from him. No birthday present, no Christmas present, and that was fine. Honestly!

Boxing day came around and Jarett went shopping with his bro-in-law, Josh. He returned with a "surprise package". I honestly couldn't believe it! I did have a few suspicions due to some hints, but I still couldn't believe it. My very own:

a Nikon D3000!! Complete with 2 lenses and a UV lens cover. It's my baby. I haven't felt THAT giddy at Christmas since my piano - and before that not since I was a kid. I didn't/don't go anywhere without it. I am playing and taking pictures continually. You thought it was bad before?!?? Oh no, it's just getting started!!

I got to use my sister-in-law, Manya's camera at Hayley's wedding (more on the wedding to come) and fell in love. I guess Jarett saw the glee in my eyes as I held this beautiful camera and knew he had to make his wife happy (especially with the other camera dying out). Thank you Jarett for such an incredible Christmas Present!!

PS - Any of my photographer friends who want to give me any lessons I would love forever!!

A doll by any other name....

My mom gave the girls each a beautiful doll for Christmas this year. Since they have been opened, they have not been put down. The girls have loved them, cherished them and dressed them.



Each of these dolls has a name, specially chosen by each of their mothers, to suit them.


This is Judy Julie Cahoon. So named by Kaia Carling Cahoon. She received this name simply because these are Kaia's two most favorite names.

This is Jessica (Jessie) Beryl Cahoon. Kienna Beryl Cahoon named her after herself (and Great, Great Aunt Beryl). She originally named her Jessie, but after finding out that I had a doll named Jessica growing up, she switched and just called her Jessie.

This is - well, let me tell you the story first. Saryn had decided to name her doll "Flower". I thought this may not be the most beautiful name for a little doll, so I tried to show her the light by naming some flowers that she could use. Lily, Rose and the like were mentioned. Running out of options, I said Tulip and then laughed. After Kienna said that her favorite flower was Tulip, this one appealed to Saryn and so Tulip Cahoon has been named by Saryn Joyce Cahoon and will NOT be altered. Of course, there's nothing that 3 days can't do. Tonight as we read Little House on the Prairie, Tulips name gets changed to "Laura" no "Mary" no "Laura". We'll see what she calls her in the morning...

What would possibly trigger kids to play with dolls SO much more often than they ever have, even with a new doll? What you may not know is that my kids were also given many beautiful dresses, coats, hats, dresses, pajamas etc. this Christmas as well. These were given to them by my Gran and Aunty Beryl. They teamed up and made these incredible outfits for ALL of my Granny's great-granddaughters. I wish I could emphasize how perfect each item has been made. Each dress is lined. Every outfit measured perfectly to fit these dolls. The stitching is emaculate - especially with the seamstress being 82 years old. There are sweaters that are perfectly knitted (also by Granny) and each child has a touque (croqueted by Aunty Beryl) for her and her doll that match. Most of the materials used for these dresses were left over from the MULTIPLE dresses/skirts/costumes that my Granny has already made for us over the past many years. She has made SO many things for us and these doll clothes make it a kind of collection of memories. I will go into more detail later for those who are interested.

opening on Christmas morning

the entire collection
(for closer detail, see below)

The results have been an incredible arousal of motherly emotions. My kids are swaddling, feeding, rocking, loving and putting their dolls to bed around the clock. Each day I have to tell my kids that I'll take care of their dolls while they go to school. Kienna has tried to match her doll as much as possible:

I LOVE it when little girls play with dolls. There's just something SO perfect about it. It's who they are - right from the beginning. It has been really special for me to see what wonderful mothers they will be.



The clothes in detail (if there is no detail, they are new material):

These pajamas match those that Aunty Brooklyn made them for Christmas this year!

This is a hoodie made from a dress of Kimberly's (my sister)

This shawl matches what the girls wore at Hayley's wedding this year.

Shirts made from a material for a shirt for Brittany.

These are from "Shy" Kimberly's musical theatre solo dance costume.

Love this garden dress!

This was from a dress made for Brittany

This is from the "Shy" costume too!

The top of this one is from a skirt made for Hayley and the skirt and sleeves are from a graduation dress made for Kimberly.

No story, but I LOVE my Granny's knitting!
(above and below)

Aunty Beryl's Croqueted touques for the girls.
This one is Kiennas, the other two sets are still en route.

This is from "River" Kim's lyrical dance costume.

Skirts made for Mom, Alanna and Hayley!

I LOVE these hat & coat sets! I think I'd want one in my size.
The material is from a skirt for my mom and my girls all have jumper sets made out of this material too!

These are pants. I should've opened them up to see, but this shows how perfectly pressed each piece of clothing is. No joke, this whole wardrobe is perfectly flawless...

Pants and vest - also love!

I have a skirt (and I think Brittany does too) made exactly like this.
Same material, pattern and everything. I love the peasant edging!

This is from another dress made for one of my sisters....can't remember which.

I'm pretty sure this is my FAVORITE!
Bonnet, jacket and pant set....how could you go wrong?

These are from Hayley's grad dress that she wore in Grade 11.

Classic red jacket!

Hayley's Grade 12 grad dress. Also my FAVORITE!!

Now you tell me, do you kinda want to start playing with dolls again too?
Which outfit would you want to put on first?!?

Favorite Picture....

I was browsing through a book at Costco and a picture captured my eye. I actually began to cry right in the book aisle. It was SO touching. I have always been SO touched by the sacrifice of soldiers, especially ones leaving wife and children behind. What a gripping moment to have a photograph capture. Apparently it's a famous picture, but it was my first time seeing it and I will NEVER forget it.

The Alphabet

Saryn has been learning the alphabet and really doesn't care. She thinks its funny to mix them up and she has no desire to do it right. So, I'm not pushing her.

Today the one that made me laugh was "U" which she calls Dub. Get it?? She knows it's short for "W".....but not the 'you' part, the 'dub' part....

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

I must confess, besides George Clooney and Alec Baldwin, I like the results from this one a lot better than my picture in March 2007.... Go back on the blog and compare if you want to see the good ones I got that time!

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Oh, Kaia!!

I have never met a more brilliant, sweet, beautiful, kind and helpful girl all rolled into one than my little Kaia. I really feel like I don't get to write about her as often as I'd like because she's gone for so much of the day now. Let me assure you though, that she is doing VERY well.

She is SUCH a great older sister, especially to her brother, these days. There have been so many times that she has sat on the floor and played cars or with the Little People Nativity with him.
One time she just looked like a little mom when she had set up the nativity on the kitchen table and was holding him and making him laugh. It was such an endearing moment to me. She really is SUCH a tender little girl.

She is in violin lessons and is working really hard to push herself. We have her for many reasons and all of them are paying off. It keeps her mind focused on something long-term. It's teaching her patience. It is really developing her ear musically and it is an outlet for overactive mind! We have really enjoyed her teacher, Rod Olstad, this year. He plays the fiddle in a country band and really is quite talented. He's much more child oriented than our last teacher who just didn't seem to be able to relate to children. Kaia tells almost everyone she meets that she plays the violin and she'll show it to anyone who comes over.

We recently had report cards. If anyone really knows Kaia, her report card would not surprise them. I was laughing while reading it because it is VERY obvious that her teacher knows her well. At the parent/teacher interview, I was told (as a summary).

"Academically, Kaia is an outstanding student. She is reading at a Grade 5-6 level in English (which she has not yet studied in school) and will most likely be caught up to that level in French before Grade 2. She is able to do all math problems given to her (many of which are at a much higher grade level). She understands concepts that most grade 3-4's are having a hard time understanding. When her French Comprehension matches her English, I would enroll her in some extracurricular activities to keep her mind busy so that she doesn't get bored. This child is an exceptionally bright child!
"However, socially Kaia tends to think she is the boss. It is quite often that her classmates ask me, 'Mme Henry, is this what we are supposed to be doing? Kaia said it was, so we just thought we'd make sure'. Kaia, however, is making HUGE strides in trying to be more patient with her classmates when they aren't as exact in following the rules as she thinks they should be.
"One thing that I really love about Kaia is how she really cares for those who she loves. She really has taken her friend under her wing to help her understand how to read and how to understand the concepts being taught. She even stays in at recess to help her learn and guide her. It has been really touching to see how much she cares and how much she wants to help."

I have never felt so happy as to know that Kaia's teacher is REALLY watching her and REALLY knows her. It was a wonderful event.

Because I found her report card so humorous, I want to share it with you. In every subject, she scored an "Effort Excellent" grade. It was the comments that were priceless.

Personal Development and Skills:
Kaia consistently puts forth her best effort. She enjoys sharing her thoughts and observations. Kaia is eager to answer questions. She speaks in a clear voice that can be heard by all of her classmates. The work in Kaia's duo-tangs is of a very high quality. Her printing is very neat and her drawings are detailed. Kaia is very conscientious about completing assignments. Her work space is always well organized. Kaia is able to work quietly and independently. She is learning to work more cooperatively with her classmates.

French Language Arts:
Curricular focus: Comprehension of oral French; production of oral French; phonics; sight vocabulary; and reading. Kaia successfully uses an excellent base of sight words and an excellent knowledge of phonics (consonant sounds, vowel sounds, and consonant-vowel combinations) to read. Kaia has independently read many short books and demonstrated a very good understanding of their contents. She has a very good understanding of spoken French. She is consistently able to respond to verbal direction, and questioning. Kaia is encouraged to use her existing vocabulaty to speak more French in class. Kaia meets the grade one home reading expectation. Bravo!

Mathematics:
Curricular focus: Recognition and application of whole numbers 0-20. Kaia is able to identify numerals to 20 when represented symbolically. She is able to read number words to 10. She is consistently able to represent a given number up to 20 using manipulatives, including base ten materials. Kaia demonstrates a very good ability to build sets that have more than. fewer than or as many as a given set. She can use French vocabulary to describe sets using comparative words such as plus que - more than, and mois que - less than. Kaia will continue to work to improve her ability to briefly look at an arrangement of objects and identify how many there are without counting.

Science:
Curricular focus: Creating colours and autumn. Kaia is able to name the primary colours - rouge, bleu and jaune, and to identify which are used to create the secondary colours - orange, vert, violet. Using French vocabulary, Kaia is able to compare and contrast colours as lighter htan and darker than. She understands that diluting paint with water makes it thinner and more transparent. Kaia understands that light can be separated into the colours of the rainbow. Kaia demonstrates a good understanding of how aniumals prepare for winter. She is beginning to use French vocabulary to explain the concepts of animals gathering nuts, migration and hivernation.

Social Studies:
Curricular focus: Relations and belonging. Kaia has an excellent understanding of her belonging, as an important member of her family, as a student at Ecole Brander Gardens and as a violin student. Kaia has an excellent understanding of the concept of community. She is able to use French vocabulary to name people, places and things found in communities. Kaia's pride in her work is evidenced by the details in her assignmnets. Kaia is excited to volunteer answers in class.

Physical Education:
Curricular focus: Movement activites and cooperative games. Kaia demonstrates very good body and space awareness when performing space awareness games. She demonstrates good skills when running and dodging. Kaia plays cooperatively and by the rules. Her continuous participation throughout the 30 class, indicates a satisfactory level of fitness.

Health:
Curricular focus: Self-awareness and acceptance; the golden rule; courtesy. Kaia consistently demonstrates a willingness to follow classroom and school rules. She always uses her manners - merci and s'il vous plait. Kaia is demonstrating greater patience with her classmates and peers. She always volunteers to help with classroom chores.

Art:
Curricular focus: Use of art tools and materials; exploring line. Kaia consistently demonstrates excellent drawing, colouring and cutting skills when creating art. She understands the aesthetic quality of art. Kaia has a very good understanding of the use of different kinds of lines (diagonal, vertical, horizontal) in art.

Music:
This term in music Kaia is outstanding at distinguishing between her own speaking and singing voice while responding to tone matching and echo games. She is exceptional at responding to the beat through actions and simple body percussion. Kaia can accurately identify rhythmic patterns including quarter notes (ta), eighth notes (ti-ti) and rests. She is learning the correct care, function and use of pitched and unpitched percussion instruments such as thuthm sticks, egg shakers, xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels, and drums.

I apologize for the length of the report card, but I needed to have it in soft form too. My favorite moments are in "Personal Development and Skills", "Social Studies" (the violin comment and answering in class), and "Health" (patience).

Kaia reads daily when bored or stressed and writes books complete with pictures whenever possible. She recently took one of her books into her class to read for them and I am really proud of her for the books she has written.

She loves to read the scriptures too and sleeps with a picture of the Saviour every night. She actually gave our FHE lesson tonight and it was SO fun to hear. She really is such a bright girl and has such a strong testimony already that I find it inspiring. I am so proud of my angel girl. She makes me VERY happy so often and I love her SO much.

For FHE, I asked Kaia if she'd like to prepare a lesson. I only said she needs to make it about the gospel and maybe we should talk about Christmas a little bit because it's only a week and a half away. She went off to her room and looked through the scriptures and came up with this 14 minute lesson. I hadn't ever heard it before and all the coaching I gave her is the stuff in the video. I know this video is long, but it's true to Kaia's personality......detailed! Hope you enjoy!

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