Joyous Return

Jared and Lisa returned from their honeymoon on Friday. They didn't tell anyone, because they were supposed to come back yesterday, which was the day of the gift opening. They were really lucky that they came back early, because Friday night a bunch of us were planning to prank their house. I can't tell what we were going to do, in case either of them read this, but we were all disappointed at our loss. Oh well. I suppose there will be other opportunities.

Puppy!

I am so excited. Two days ago my sister and I bought a new puppy! He's a rottweiler/golden retriever cross, but he just looks like a rottweiler. His name is Diego. At first we were concerned that our other dog, Jewel, wouldn't like him. When we got Cocoa a few years ago, she kept attacking him and we had to keep them separated until she got used to having him around. But with Diego she is protective. She won't let him out of her sight when he's out of the barn. We think that may be because she has had her own puppies and reacts to them differently now. But it's really cute. He always wants to play, and nips at her chin then runs away. Then he does it again. It's so much fun to watch. And he's such a sweetheart. Today I was just sitting/laying with him for an hour, and he always snuggles into me as far as he can go. He's adorable. I love him. It will be fun to see him grow older into a humongous (not sure how to spell that) dog. He's only twelve weeks old and he's already huge. I love him so much. He's my new best friend.

Congratulations

Hm, that word always looks so weird when you write it out. Anyway, at the Loewen brunch Sunday morning, Cassandra read a letter from our cousin Jocelyn, who lives in Saskatchewan with her husband Jeff, and wasn't able to attend the wedding. In the letter, Joc announced that she is pregnant, and expecting a baby in February. Congratulations to Joc and Jeff. That is such exciting news. This is such a happy year for my family. Yvonne is pregnant, Rosanna, Darren, and Jared all got married, Jocelyn is pregnant, and my cousin Tamara from my dad's side is engaged to be married in October, I think. What a year.

Wedding Bells Ringing

Well, it's all over. On Saturday, July 22, 2006, my only brother, Jared Unruh, got married. It was a beautiful wedding. Lisa looked beautiful, and everything was decorated beautifully...even if it was all purple. I cried, of course, but can you really blame me? My only brother was in the process of getting married. It's a bittersweet moment.
Everything went along smoothly in the ceremony, until they got to the signing of the registry. As it happens, it wasn't on the table. My mom went running out in the middle of the ceremony to go find it, along with two of my aunts. It was quite funny, actually. Jared and Lisa waited a few minutes, then just decided to to the unity water while they were waiting. Since it was an outdoor wedding, and I had bad experiences when trying to light the unity candles at my sister Yvonne's wedding three years ago, Jared and Lisa decided to pour red and blue water together instead. It was really cool. When they finished that, they went back to the empty table and waited some more. Finally our aunt Betty came running out with a folder in her hands. Everyone cheered. My family and I knew, however, that it was probably just a blank sheet of paper that they would sign so the ceremony would end. Apparently Auntie Betty had written on it: This is a fake. Sign here. She is so fun.
After the ceremony, everyone just sort of hung out, drinking water and iced tea, which were supplied due to the ridiculous heat of the day. The immediate family and the wedding party went off to some abbey to take pictures. When that was over, the reception began.
It was a blast with supper, speeches, and dancing to end off the night. My three sisters and I all did a little tribute to Jared. Each one of us wrote a little speech to say at the reception. I was really nervous, but it really wasn't that bad once I got up there. The evening ended with dancing. Jared's friends were on the puny little dance floor all night, and my cousins and I were out there for a good chunk of it as well. But two of Jared's friends, Sunnee and Woody, kind of scared us. They just randomly came up to my cousins and me and started dancing with us. It was scary, because at the time I had no idea who these people were. My sister Yvonne told me who they were after they left. For the rest of the evening, Woody was having a blast. He even danced with my omi. He actually wouldv'e been really funny if I wasn't so afraid of him.
Other than that, the reception was fun. We requested songs from the dj, and danced until our feet were aching.
After we arrived home from the reception, two of my cousins, Chrys, and I popped popcorn and watched a movie. Oh yeah, we know how to party.
Jared and Lisa are on their honey moon right now, and I think they get back on Sunday. That's all I have to say for now, I think. I'll probably remember other stuff later.

HOORAY!!!!

Today, in about half an hour, I will be heading to the Abbotsford airport to pick up my cousin Karisa. I'm so excited. Even though it's only been five days since I last saw her, I really want to see her again. Then tomorrow her family is coming. It's just her parents and her sister, who I also can't wait to see. It's going to be so much fun while they're here. We always have fun, as I think I may have mentioned in my last blog.
Well, I think I should congratulate myself on the length of this blog. It's actually short! Quite the accomplishment for me, eh?

(sigh)

I absolutely love small children. They are adorable, except when they are doing things that we would rather not have them do. But then they go and they do something so childish and innocent and hilarious, and you can't help but love them all over again, completely forgetting all their...not so innocent moments. Until the next time it happens, that is.
I suppose you may be wondering the reason for this particular blog, which would be that This mornig I babysat Nolan and Megan Wall. They are the only two kids I babysit, really. But this morning I had to be there before they were awake. I was to wake them up, feed them breakfast, and then entertain them until their mom got home. It was so fun. After they were both fed and dressed and ready for the day, we just played. Somehow both Megan, age 1(almost 2), and Nolan, age 3(almost 4), ended up lying on the floor next to each other. I tickled them both, and they just burst into giggles. They didn't stop, even when I wasn't tickling them anymore. They just looked at each other, touched each other's faces, and burst into more giggles. This went on for a few minutes. It was so cute to watch. Just the simplest thing that either of them did would set them off again.
They were adorable. I love how children can laugh and have fun at the simplest things. I think my friends would tell you that I am pretty close to being like that, seeing as the simplest things seem to set me off into laughter that I can't seem to control....but they don't understand that it is really funny in my mind. Just the way something was said, or whatever. But it was just so special to see the two of them like that. Brother and sister, hanging out and having a good time. Not stealing toys from one another, not arguing over who gets to sit in the fluffy red chair, just having fun with each other. It was so special.
Looking up again, I can see that this blog is already longer than I wanted it to be. I really need to work on that.....

Good Times

First off, I need to apologize to everyone. I was the world's biggest idiot when I left for Saskatchewan, and I forgot to pack my camera. Therefore, I have no pictures for you. However, there are a few pics on the blogs of two of my sisters, Tasha and Chrys. I have links to their sites.
Other than that, all I can do is describe a few of the things we did while visiting those lovely prairies. I believe the one thing that every one of us did while there was be eaten alive by mosquitoes. When I came home, I had four bites in one area of my leg, three in one area of my back, two more on different areas of my back, plus many more in various places on my body. The entire week I was lathering myself in after bite stuff. Sprays, lotions, liquids, anything that said it would help ease itching. Thankfully, they helped. I am now just about cured. I still have bites, however, and continue to scratch occasionally. But it's not a constant itch. I am healing.
Beside enduring those rather persistent pests, The entire week I spent in Warman was a blast. I baked brownies with my cousins, swam in their back yard, went for bike rides, went for ice cream, and so many more things. I absolutely love spending time with my Loewen cousins. They are always so much fun, and we never run out of things to do. We can make fun out of just about anything. My cousins Kaitlyn and Karisa(sisters) and I watched one movie three times in one weekend. It was a really cheesy movie, but it was so much fun to watch it over and over just to laugh endlessly.
We also had a blast at Darren's wedding. There was a live polka band there, and it was really fun to copy the dance steps from the (ahem) more elderly in attendance. I was shocked at the number of people that knew the different dances. There was the three step, seven step, butterfly, and many others. It was amazing to watch, and fun to join in. Some people were real party poopers, however, and refused to dance because they thought the music was stupid. The way I see it, if you think it's going to be dumb, it's not going to be any fun. On the other hand, if you look at it with an optimistic heart, you can create fun times out of just about anything. For this theory I have to thank my dear cousin Rosanna Toews, who is always just a bundle of sunshine. She was constantly pulling cousins out to the dance floor and forcing them to dance. And when you're dancing with Rosanna, it's difficult to not have a good time.
So these were just a few of the adventures I had while visiting Saskatchewan for that particular wedding, and I'm sure I'll have plenty more to share with my brother's wedding approaching quickly. It's this Saturday! We're all bursting with excitement and tension as last minute details are falling into place. Even through all that, I know I'll have plenty more good times to report. Until then, have wonderful days.

Congratulations to Me

Well, I must say that I am rather proud of myself. Yesterday on Thursday, July 13 2006, I , Kaeli Unruh, flew all the way from Saskatchewan to B.C. all by myself. That may not seem like a huge accomplishment to some, but I had never travelled anywhere by myself before. This was the very first time. And it wasn't even that bad. I'll admit, at the beginning of the first flight, from Saskatoon to Calgary, I was near to tears. This was partly due to fear, and partly due to the fact that I always cry whenever my cousin Karisa and I are separated, yet again. (hey, can you blame me? We live two provinces apart and rarely get to see each other.) I didn't cry though. The reason for this was that I knew I would be seeing Ris again in just five days, when she would come out to Abbotsford for my brother's wedding. Another reason for my courageous lack of tears was that I remembered two bible verses that really helped me. The first one was: I can do all things throuh Jesus Christ who gives me strength. I'm not sure what the reference was for that one. The second was Joshua 1:9-Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. I said these verses to myself over and over in my head afterward I realized what I big baby I was being. There was absolutely nothing complicated about flying on an airplane. Unless you're the pilot. I had nothing to be afraid of, because on the way to Saskatchewan my mom had shown me how to find my gate and stuff. Also, I knew that God would be with me, and that even if something did happen, He would still be there, guiding me.
After that point, I was perfectly fine and was able to enjoy both the flight, and the exploration of the Calgary airport. Alright, it wasn't all that interesting, but I bought a candy necklace at the candy store. That was fun. Also, while waiting for the boarding announcement, some guy came up to me and asked if I had just attended a wedding in Saskatchewan. I said I did, and he asked if it was Darren and April's. Again, a confirmed that fact, and he said that he had recognized me from the wedding. I found that strange, because I can never remember new faces, especially at a wedding where I will never see half the people there again. But maybe that's just me. Apparently this was one of April's cousins. He was a really nice guy, and we talked for a bit, which sort of took away some of the boredom of waiting for our flight to be ready.
The flight from Calgary to Abbotsford was interesting, because the two ladies that sat beside me didn't stop talking to each other. Understandable, but somewhat annoying. They also had each ordered a beer, and they smelled nasty. Oh well. I just read my book the entire flight. When I got to the Abbotsford airport, I looked around, expecting to see someone from my family waiting to pick me up. There was no one. I just went to wait for my luggage, planning to call home if no one was there by the time I received it. Just then I saw Tasha and Lisa, the future sister-in-law, burst into the airport, looking around for me. I went up behind them and scared them both. It was quite fun. They screamed then laughed then hugged me. After I had my luggage, I asked them why they were late. Apparently they had been at the airport on time, but the computers had said that my flight was going to be delayed for an hour, so they went home. But when they got home, my mom checked the internet and it had said that my flight had already landed. They rushed back to the airport, and that's why I found them looking quite frazzled. It was a fun day.
I would love to tell about my experiences in Saskatchewan, but looking at the length of this blog already, I will wait and spread out my posts over the next few days. In the meantime, enjoy the blogs I have up. They will get more interesting, I promise.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

I'm so excited! I leave for Saskatchewan in thirteen hours! I can't wait to see all my cousins out there again. I miss them, even though I saw some only two months ago for another cousin's wedding. My family seems to be full of happy news this year. My cousing Rosanna got married in May, my cousin Darren is getting married this Saturday, and my brother, Jared, is getting married on the 22nd. On top of all that, My oldest sister, Yvonne, is pregnant, and due on December 13th. What a wonderful Christmas present, hey?
I should probably start packing my bags. I'm there for one week. I have a checklist ready this time, because whenever I travel anywhere, I tend to forget something. It doesn't matter how many times I double check, I still manage to leave something behind. I pray that won't happen this time.
I don't think I'm really going to be able to blog stuff while I'm in Saskatchewan, so this may be my last blog for over a week. I know, you'll all miss me terribly. I promise when I get back I'll have lots to tell, including my adventures in flying and navigating airports all by myself for the first time ever. I'm flying home on my own next Thursday, so that should be interesting. I've never done this before. I'm kind of scared. Oh well. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger, right?
Right, I was going to go pack my bags, wasn't I? Guess I got a little distracted. I'm really leaving this time, so I will talk to you all when I get back. Until then, farewell.

Home Alone

For the past few days, I have found myself home alone. The reason for this is that my two sisters, Tasha and Chrys, who still live at home have gone on a road trip to West Edmonton Mall. They are stopping there for a few days with my oldest sister Yvonne, and her husband, Eric, on the way to Saskatchewan for our cousin's wedding. Since both of them are gone, and both my parents work during the day, I am completely alone. I must admit that I enjoy this solitude. I get to blast Disney music in the kitchen without anyone complaining, I get to have the computer completely to myself instead of fighting over it with my sisters, and I can just hang out with myself, no interruptions. I know that sounds really dumb, but I enjoy having time to myself, just thinking about stuff and being me. I'm sure everyone can admit to pretending sometimes when around other people. Sometimes you just want to be alone. I have been alone, and I have enjoyed it. It's fun to be able to play the piano downstairs, knowing I suck, but not having anyone there to comment on it. Not that they do, anyway. But there's no way my family can enjoy it. I have four songs memorized, and I just play them over, and over, and over. Whenever I try to learn new stuff, it sounds terrible, and I'm scared to annoy other people.
Although I do enjoy being alone every so often, I miss my siblings. They make life more interesting, more fun. I can't wait until I see them in Saskatchewan on Thursday. But until then, yay to alone time with me.

New Blogger

Yippee, I've started my very own blog. My life seems to have suddenly developed some interest to it. For example, my cousin and my brother are getting married, two weeks apart from each other. It's going to be very a very fun two weeks. I can't wait to see my brother standing up at the altar in a suit, waiting for my future sister-in-law to walk down the aisle. I don't think I've ever seen him in a suit. If I can figure out how to put on pictures, I'll try to do that every now and then. I'm a new blogger, so you're going to have to bear with me as I figure out exactly how this all works. For now, though, I'll say goodbye.