Hey friends!
It's been a hot minute. Or, not so hot if you summer at Candle Lake, Saskatchewan! Haha.
Other than the temperamental Saskatchewan weather, summer was an A++. Overall, I felt pretty good physically, was able to participate in all the summer fun, and reunited with all my Canadian friends and family. I surfed with my buds, celebrated Canada's birthday, danced on boats, visited around the fire, reconnected with OG friends, spent time with aunts, uncles, and cousins, floated with my mom, coffee'd with my dad, shared Katie with the lake kiddos, shark week'd with the gang, watched the northern lights from my dock, paddled the creek, e-foiled around the lake, and soaked up every little bit of summer possible. But the icing on the cake was my sister's wedding at the end of our vacation in August.
Kayla is 15 years younger than me. I remember when my dad informed me that I was going to have a sibling. I was very shocked (I think that he was too! Ha!). I had become accustomed to being the only child, but I was also really hopeful that I would score a sister who loved to play Barbies, read books, and dress-up in princess dresses with me! So, you can just imagine my joy when Kayla entered the world - a baby sister to do ALL the girlie things.
It soon became apparent that Kayla was NOT into girlie things. I tried pushing Barbies on her, but as I sat alone on the floor brushing the Barbies' hair, Kayla was busy hopping around and around the room on her Skip-It.
I tried reading my favorite childhood books to Kayla, but she was busy watching Shania Twain's music videos and copying the dance moves.
I tried dressing Kayla up in beautiful gowns to play princess, but Kayla was busy crafting something she had seen on her favorite TV show, "Art Attack."
Despite my best efforts, Kayla made it clear that she was not into my girlie shit, and I had to accept that Kayla and I were different beings. My dreams of having a "mini-me" sister faded.
Until...I introduced Kayla to reality TV.
Kayla must have been about 11 or 12 years old when we began watching a Canadian classic, "Degrassi Junior High". She was into the storylines, and I soon realized that watching TV together was a great opportunity to tackle some of the issues that she could be facing soon as she entered her teens.
This progressed to "16 and Pregnant" on MTV, which spurred all kinds of conversations! Without directly tackling sex ed, I frequently commented on the scenes, hoping that my words would impact Kayla, leading her in a positive life direction, "Wow! Now that she's pregnant, she won't be able to finish her high school volleyball season. That must be disappointing." Kayla would nod solemnly, and I would silently commend myself on teaching Kayla major life lessons.
As she grew, our reality TV repertoire grew as well. We loved watching "Laguna Beach" and then the "Hills." We observed and commented as the cast graduated high school and moved away to pursue college and adult jobs. We saw relationships flourish and then decimate in dramatic reality-TV fashion. Again, I'd subtly comment, hoping that somehow these life lessons were resonating with her, "Lauren should never have let Jason treat her like that. Boys should NOT treat girls they love like that!"
I distinctly remember talking to Kayla before her high school graduation when she assured me, "Don't worry, I won't be the girl who drinks too much and cries at the party!" Oh, how proud I felt knowing that our hours of TV watching were paying off! :)
Eventually we advanced to "The Bachelor," which is FILLED with beneficial life lessons. At this point, I could see that Kayla was beginning to think for herself and I listened proudly as Kayla began commentating on the relationships that she was observing on TV, "She quit her job? She should have never quit her job for this dweeb!"
When we were in the same city, our weeks consisted of scheduled reality TV nights, where Kayla and I would dance around the living room, singing the theme songs at the top of our lungs, "Feel the rain on your skin!" We wrapped ourselves in blankets, watched the drama unfold while discussing the ideocracy of it all, and linked it to our own life experiences. This was our "thing." We bonded over reality TV.
So, it seemed almost serendipitous when, at age 28, Kayla became a contestant on a Canadian reality TV show called, "Farming for Love."
I could see that Kayla was struggling to find her special person. Kayla dated and even brought a few boys home to meet the family, but despite being fiercely independent, it was evident that Kayla longed to meet her match. When her bestie secretly sent in her application for "Farming for Love," although initially skeptical and unsure, she became more open to the idea as the process unfolded.
Kayla had essentially been preparing for reality TV her whole life! I reminded Kayla about the cardinal reality TV rules: "Don't cry on TV! Don't talk shit about the other contestants. Don't drink too much!" I flew back to Cayman just as Kayla was flying out to Vancouver to shoot the show. I sat on pins and needles waiting to hear how the experience was going.
Kayla was not able to communicate much during filming, but she did send a few cryptic texts my way (they talked about checking the contestants' phones). I could tell from her messages that the process was exhausting, but she was meeting some interesting people. Then one night, a few days in, I received the message, "coming home." Kayla had been eliminated. My heart sank for Kayla, but I so admired her for giving it a shot. I couldn't have been prouder watching the way that she carried herself on TV. She looked so poised, confident, and spoke eloquently. I only found out after speaking with her that she had actually tripped while walking away from her elimination and had to re-film the rejection scene. Despite getting dumped (technically, twice), she did not cry on TV. She did not talk shit about the other girls. She did not sit on the dude's lap while he drove a tractor (Imagine Kayla? Sitting on a guy's lap? While he drove? More like, "Move over. I'm taking this for a rip"). Unfortunately, Farmer Doug was not the one. I knew that she would eventually find her person. She was putting herself out there and had grown so much from all of her travel and life experiences. In my eyes, she was so ready. Cue Jesse.
Jesse fit in seamlessly, smoking brisket on the deck, entering the family fishing challenge, and happily participating in our shark week festivities. Jesse is kind, patient, easy-going, but also ambitious - his brain is always braining. Like Evan, he has this wicked, yet understated sense of humor that comes out quietly at the most opportune moments. But best of all, Jesse looks at Kayla the same way that Evan looks at me. I recognized immediately that he cared for her deeply, and I've seen this care grow into a beautiful love story over the past 2 years. They complement each other perfectly.
I was standing in line at Foster's grocery store in Cayman one December afternoon when Kayla informed me that she and Jesse got engaged. I screamed with joy and cried tears of happiness as I showed the cashier my sister's engagement pic. As she rang through my groceries, I excitedly explained to the patrons behind me, "My sister just got engaged!"
And in perfect reality-TV fashion, Kayla found the most unique way to ask me to be her bridesmaid by hiring one of our fav "Summer House" dudes to ask me in a cameo.
It was an absolute treat to spend the summer at the lake, helping Kayla prep for the wedding (although she didn't really need any help). I was there to shower her with love and then celebrate the "last hoe down" with a peddle pub experience. We also planned a super fun Kayla and Jesse Shark Week celebration with all of our Candle Lake besties. I was present for the dress fitting, makeup and hair trial. I'm so happy that I was able to be a part of the lead-up to the big day.
The wedding day was epic. Kayla and Jesse married at Fisher's creek, with the creek flowing beside them and Candle Lake as their backdrop. The weather magically cleared up just in time for their special day. The sun shone brightly as Dad walked Kayla down the aisle to Taylor Swift's "Love Story," followed by the touching vows that they wrote for each other. Kayla and Jesse were married by Kit, Kayla's childhood friend, and her brother, Jamie played the music for the ceremony, singing them out with "Jesse's Girl." It was deeply personal. The reception was an incredible party with excellent food, so many laughs, and dancing until the wee morning hours. I danced ALL NIGHT LONG with a big, stupid smile on my face. It was awesome.
When I watched Kayla and Jesse exchange their vows, the love that I felt was so overwhelming. I was instantly transported back to our wedding 21 years ago, but this time I was witnessing my little sister marry HER best friend. It was surreal. I spent the entire wedding day with this massive grin plastered on my face because I felt such immense joy and love for my little buddy and her new husband. I am so incredibly happy for Kayla.
In the spirit of remaining present, I took a moment to look out from the head table and take it all in. My friends were participating in a "which table is more fun" war with my cousins' table - everyone was laughing and shouting happily. My dad was grinning from ear-to-ear as he conversed with Jesse's dad. My mom was ripping up the dance floor with Lani. Ev caught my eye and we shared a secret smile from across the room. Everyone was so damn happy. It makes me tear up just thinking about it. I now have this perfect memory that I can call upon during challenging times. I feel so grateful.
Kayla and I decompressed a few days after the wedding, wrapped in blankets, watching "The McBee Dynasty." This reality TV show is quite fabulous and teaches us never to commit federal crop insurance fraud, which is quite appropriate given that Jesse has transitioned into farming, joining my dad at the family farm. Another life lesson. SEE how we've come full circle??!!!
What a summer!
We are back on island now. It was a rough 3-day adventure home for Paw Patrol, but we made it.
I'm happy to be back. Goodbyes are tough, but the "welcome backs" with island friends feel good and ease the homesickness that I initially feel when I leave Candle Lake.
This is our 12th year in Cayman and it's beginning to feel more and more like home. Candle Lake will always be home, but as our holiday came to an end this year, I caught myself thinking, "I'm ready to go home." It's a unique experience to have two very different and distinct "homes" with two different groups of people whom you love and miss.
Cheers to fabulous summer memories and smooth back-to-school transitions!
