Shamelessly All About Cannon

A little while back, Cannon spoke in church about joining the youth of the stake in walking from the Draper Temple to the Jordan River Temple.  He began by complimenting Bishop Rupp on the great job he did in officiating Faith's wedding earlier that week.  Then he related how the Bishop had approached him during the wedding rehearsal and asked him to share his thoughts about the experience in Sacrament Meeting.   

In his talk, Cannon began making an Italian hand signal with the fingers together waving back and forth, and in a perfect Marlon Brando Godfather accent, he told the congregation, "You come to me on the day of my sister's wedding and ask me to do this thing... to speak in church."  

It was so funny and while I'm sure it wasn't the first time The Godfather was quoted in a church talk, it was a first in our ward! Clever little lad.

Next up in this shameless glazing of Cannon-- Senior Prom with Gracie.  She is a friend and fellow Madrigal.

The group

The dapper gentlemen.

In a recent study, 10 out of 10 moms agreed that choir kids are pretty great.

Sorry.  I couldn't help myself.

Here's a funny not-so-funny story about the dinner they enjoyed for prom.  Cannon had my debit card with permission to use it for the expenses of the evening.  We are not fancy restaurant people-- no shade intended on those who are-- but we are rather ignorant when it comes to fine dining and the costs associated therewith.  Somehow it was decided that the group go to dinner at The Melting Pot in downtown Salt Lake.  I did know enough to know it was a fondue place.  

But you can imagine my shock and horror around 8 pm to get an alert on my phone that it had been charged for $170 dollars!  I texted him with a mind exploding emoji and $$$????  I thought, oh, maybe he paid for several couples and they will Venmo him.

NOPE.  They split the bill evenly (how egalitarian of them) and each guy paid $170. I lie not.

He told me, "If it makes you feel any better, it was amazing food!"

Uh, yeah..., I guess that makes me feel better?

Cannon completed a Data Analytics and Digital Marketing course/certificate at MTECH this year.  He said the main thing he takes away from the class is getting good at using  AI.  So there's that.  

Since he wasn't going to be walking in the cap and gown at Riverton High School, this was his big chance.  It feels like overkill to me, but knock yourself out.

Hail the conquering graduate!

The RHS Choir Pops Concert this week was great fun-- all Disney songs.  Mr. Clegg has been a marvelous director and the whole experience of choir at the high school was very positive.  

The evening held more emotions for Cannon that I had expected.  One of the things I liked best about his choir experience was getting to sneak a lot of "Jesus" into the school hours:)  Lots of the songs were religious in nature. 

The boys of Madrigals sang a delightful "We're Your Friends" from Jungle Book

The following pics are from an earlier concert

Cannon has become great friends with Bethany's husband's brother Nathan.  

This event was the Student Government dinner/dance.  Sariah asked Cannon to be her date saying he was basically an unofficial SBO (student body officer).  

According to Cannon it was a really fun night

I will say that girls and school dances are a much more complicated affair than boys and school dances.  

Final bows

Senior night at his last ballet performance in Senior Company at Central Utah Ballet.  The whole ballet thing for Cannon needs it's own post.  Stay tuned.

What I'm Not Feeling

Cannon is a "graduating" senior and this time of year is filled with lots of LASTS.  Last ballet performances, last choir concerts, last school dances, etc. Over the next few posts, I'll be sharing the pics and reveling in the lasts.  I've been wanting to write about my feelings regarding the wrapping up of his time as a child in our home, but I've been grappling with my thoughts-- trying to put them into words.  Cannon is the fifth of our children to prepare to leave the nest, so it's not like Abe and I haven't experienced the phenomenon of a child graduating high school and leaving home before.  

I suppose I am struggling, because, while the actual, factual experience of #5 is not so different from #1, I feel like I have changed a lot.  

Maybe it will be easiest to explain what my feelings are not.  

It's NOT FEAR.  I have every confidence in Cannon's faith, abilities, talents, intelligence and charisma to handle what life serves him.  I know he is not a finished product.  I know he has a lot to learn and failure is an integral part of that learning.  As his mother, I was devoted to his well-being.  I sincerely did my best to love him and guide him.   

However, I understand now what I didn't understand a few years ago-- that my best could never be enough to inoculate him against the future struggles he will face. Now I can only continue to love him and pray for soft landings when he falls.  

It's NOT HAPPINESS.  Yes, there are many exciting adventures that await him-- moving away from home, a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, dancing at BYU, new friends and relationships, educational pursuits and an overall widening of his world and perspective.  

But DANG IT ALL!-- I'M GOING TO MISS HIM!  I like him A LOT.  Cannon has entertained me from the moment he began socially smiling at 5 weeks old.  He is wicked-smart and quick-witted.  He's a child who always saw me and cared how I felt.  I have delighted in watching him grow and develop his many talents.  I've loved actively participating in the journey of managing his outrageously curly hair.  I'm amazed at how the homeschooler enrolled in a choir class at Riverton High School half-way through his sophomore year, knowing almost no one, and leaves as "the Big Man on Campus" so to speak.  

It's not SADNESS.  He has hopes and plans for the future, and it is satisfying to see him making good choices and progressing through life in a healthy way.  I do not want him to get stuck where he is and live in my basement indeterminately.  So can I say I am sad he is moving on?  No, 'sad' is not the right word.  

It's not REGRETFUL. Let me just say, Cannon has not been our most challenging young person to raise.  I'm sure there have been plenty of teenage shenanigans, of which I am blissfully unaware.   At this point, I'd kind of like to keep it that way.  But overall he has been very pleasant, cooperative and respectful.  This has made it much easier for us, as parents, to behave well.   No need to pitch parental fits! I am happy to say, I don't have many regrets about our interactions and relationship.  

It's not PAIN.  When our oldest flew the nest, it was excruciatingly painful for me.  It sounds overly dramatic to say it now, but at the time, it felt like someone had reached into my body and ripped out part of my soul. He left home, and I was left with torn flesh and a gaping wound.  Sorry to be so graphic.  It was shocking to me how much it hurt.  It is an understatement to say, I still had A LOT of work to do to separate my identity from that of my children.   I will miss Cannon when he leaves.  It will be bitter-sweet and my heart will feel tender.  But it won't feel like my soul is being severed.

It's not LOSS.  Well, actually, it does kind of feel like loss.  Because it's the ending of an era, and we're saying goodbye to really enjoyable times and experiences.  But, what I know now, that I didn't know then, is that with God, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!  Right now I can see and feel what is ending, but I can't see and feel what good things are coming.  But I do know they are coming.