When it rains, it pours

And pour it has...about 2 months ago, I started having problems with my laptop. It stopped recieving any wireless signal. So I had to use a cord to connect it to the router, of course the router is in the office, and my cord was only about 10 feet long, so that meant that my freedom was severly limited. Then suddenly the wireless adapter or sensor or whatever it's called would start working again and all would be well until it quit again. This process continued to repeat itself. Finally, last week, the computer completely stopped acknowledging my wireless connection and after running virus scans and other computer scans, I found out that my wireless device had been somehow uninstalled. (A virus maybe?) So I resorted to the annoyance of using my computer while plugged in in the office. I soon realized that this was not convenient at all. Then on Tuesday night, I installed new required security updates on my computer and it had to restart. When it restarted, it told me the sound device had been uninstalled as well!!! Then I noticed that my battery level indicator was not working, and had a X through it. That was the breaking point. I decided I couldn't make my computer go any longer without getting it checked out. So on Thursday, I brought it to System Works, in Holland. They will hopefully have it repaired by Monday, and then I can resume posting pictures and other interesting things. For now though, I am stuck using my parent's ancient desktop that takes 20 minutes to start up and runs about as slow as you can imagine, so please bear with me as I probably will not be commenting on your blogs!!

Silver Lake

On Sunday we decided to take advantage of the last day of summer and headed up to spend the afternoon at Silver Lake. Mike and I, along with his sister Jen, and Tyler and their parents went up first and Brett and Jordan met us later.



Here we're waiting for lunch to be ready. We grilled burgers and hotdogs...and had chips...yummy :)
















We climbed up a big sand dune. It's hard to see how steep it is from this picture, but it was quite a climb.

















This is Silver Lake













It was cloudy for a while, but when the sun came out it was really nice out!













Mike tackled Brett...and they got a little sandy












This truck was trying to get up the dune, but it had to keep rolling back down. I think it took 3 or 4 tries before it made it. People clapped and cheered when they finally made it over.


This Jeep made it over a lot easier than the truck. There are lots of places around where you can rent a Jeep or a dune buggy. We thought it was fun just to watch everyone.

Johnny's Drive-In

Wednesday night, the middle school youth group hosted Johnny's Drive In. It was the 9th year that youth group has done it, but the first time for Splash (middle school). People drive to church and the middle schoolers wearing poodle skirts skate (or walk) to their cars to take their meal orders. We had hamburgers and hotdogs with fries, and rootbeer floats and lemonade. Most people choose to eat in their car, because it just makes it more fun that way, but the weather was great so a few ate outside on the lawn. We didn't get as many old cars as usual but there were a few, there was a nice old Pontiac convertible that helped set the scene a little bit. We blared a lot of older music...like Elvis, and lots of other fun songs.
I didn't get a chance to take pictures at the Drive-In because I was so busy helping fill orders, but I took a few when we were waiting to start youth group.






Some of the 7th grade girls posing for me :)















Jenna in her poodle skirt















This is such a fun picture!!! These girls are a blast. Only the girl on the far right is in my small group, but I still have fun hanging out with the others! :)

200 things

I saw this on a Cheri's blog and thought it would be fun!! You should do it too! Just copy and paste the 200 statements then bold the ones you have done!! Hope you enjoy it!!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone - verbal not physical
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe.
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in a historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Ran a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class-
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away- for 2 minutes
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Hmmm....some of those were kind of odd questions...but that was interesting to do...
This whole thing kind of reminded me about the movie Bucket List...have you seen it? I actually have my own "bucket list", but I call it 100 things to do before I die....It was something we had to do for my senior english class...I think I might post it up here soon.

Boatwerks!

Friday night Mike and I went out to Boatwerks for dinner. We were celebrating 6 months together so he wanted to take me somewhere nice. We decided that it would be a surprise as to where we were going, so I had no idea.
We had quite the interesting day on Friday though. We went to Walmart so I could buy some windshield wipers, my old ones were so bad that they hardly did any good! I also wanted to go to American Eagle, so after Walmart we went to the mall. We decided we'd just real quick change the wipers in the mall parking lot. It should be real quick, especially if we both do one....right? Wrong!!! It was a pain!!! Neither of us could get the new wipers on. Then to make matters worse, it started raining. A kind gentleman stopped to help us, but he wasn't successful. By this time both of us were pretty wet from the rain, finally Mike got the driver's side on and we decided that was good enough!!! (My hero!!! I'm so glad he at least got that one to work!) Then we went inside to warm up and do some shopping. We both ended up getting shirts at AE. When we got home, Brett put the wipers on for us. Of course it was dry by this time! Turns out the clips were the wrong size...go figure.
So we went to Mike's house and hung out for a while before dinner. I had to fix my hair of course!!! :) Then we took off....to an unknown destination (well, for me at least!) As we got closer Mike kept asking me if I knew where we were going yet...but I didn't because I really don't know Holland that well. Neither of us had ever been to Boatwerks before, but we'd heard it was really good. We were seated right away, which surprised me because it was a Friday night! The decoration was really neat....there were real boats inside the restaurant. The whole side of the restaurant is window so we could see Lake Macatawa, but we couldn't sit outside because it was rainy. There was a live band in the bar area, so we could hear them. It was Happy Hour, so there was free pizza at the bar, but we opted out of that so we could eat our meals. I got a Bacon BBQ Burger and Mike got a Smoked Club Sandwich (I think). We both thought the meals were very good. They came with Kettle Chips, but we couldn't eat all of those!! I really recommend this restaurant!
After dinner we went for a drive along the lakeshore. Mike had been telling me about South Shore Drive and I had no idea what it was, so he said we would go after dinner. There are some amazing houses there!!! There is absolutely no way I could pick a favorite, there were so many beautiful houses, and they're huge!!! My mind sure was spinning as I imagined a bed and breakfast in one of those houses....talk about perfect location! We drove pretty slow down the road so we could get a good look, and then we turned around and drove through again! I had no idea that those houses were there! But they were really neat to see!

Tag! You're it!!

Dawn tagged me to do this...she got it in an email and it's just real quick

TAG - YOU’RE IT! If you opened it, you have to do it (it only takes a couple minutes I swear!) Then, post it on yours!
Two names you go by:
1. Melissa
2. Melissa (I don't have any nicknames)

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. t-shirt
2. blue jeans

Two things you want very badly at the moment
1. My wireless to work
2. to be able to sleep in!!

Two people who will most likely send this back
1. Mari
2. Jennifer

Two things you did last night:
1.Went out to dinner
2. Watched a movie

Two things you ate today:
1.Blueberry bread
2. Pancakes

Two people you last talked to:
1. Kevin
2. Mike

Two things you did today:
1. worked
2. slept

Two favorite beverages:
1. Peach pop
2. Mountain Dew

Okay now it’s your turn, don’t forget to link me so I know to check your site =)

In Memory

It's hard to believe that it's already been 7 years since our nation was attacked. I'm sure most of us still remember where we were that day. Today is a day of mourning, for many because of the loss of loved ones, but for all of us because it was the day we realized America was not invincible! Pray for America today!!!

Splash!

Tonight was the first night of middle school youth group! It was a lot of fun to see "my girls" again after not seeing most of them for the whole summer.

After we sang some songs...well, most of us sang, it seems my girls had too much catching up to do since they last saw eachother (3 hours before at school), that they had to talk instead of sing! Anyway, Brandon told us to hug at least 3 people around us and tell them how much we missed them. I was practically attacked by some of my girls and one of them almost picked me up!

Brandon had a lot of announcements tonight, with it being the first night and all. We have Johnny's Drive In next week. (Wednesday the 17th, from 5-6, come to Lighthouse to experience an 50's style car hop!!) Then the following week is See You At The Pole. Then in October, we have the 30 Hour Famine. It should be a very exciting year!

We broke off into our small groups. I had forgotten how hard it is to control 9 7th grade chatterbox girls!! I don't have a partner yet for this year, but I'm pretty sure I can handle these girls on my own, it just takes a while. We had some fun catching up on everything we missed over the summer. I think the girls have grown up a bit over the past few months, for one thing, they're not totally crazy about the Jonas Brothers anymore!!! We tried to set some ground rules, basically about respecting someone when they are talking and not carrying on your own conversation. Brandon already talked to them about talking and goofing off during praise time so we discussed that too. We had a good discussion and I hope that they will improve in that area next week.

We are using new curriculum this year. I really like how it is formatted and it's easy for me as a leader to lead and the girls to follow along and participate. I'm really excited about using it. I can't wait to see where this year goes!

8 in 2008

I can't believe it's check in time....although, I shouldn't say anything, because I haven't really update about this all summer!!


1. Make devotions and prayer a priority-I did pretty bad with this over the summer, but now that I have a schedule again, I think I can get back on track.
2. Listen more, talk less- This is somewhat hard to measure, but I'm getting better at listening and not interrupting to share my story.
3. Don't choose favorites- pay attention to everyone- Again...hard to measure
4. JOY. Jesus, Others, Yourself
5. Be able to run 5 miles by December- Not even close! The last time I tried running, like distance running, I got sick and I couldn't breath, so I think this one is going off my list!
6. Keep my room clean- I totally cleaned my room and rearranged it this summer. It has gotten a bit messy because I have my school stuff all over now!
7. Live with Kaylyn and Libby for a week this summer (preferably July 21-25)- I didn't exactly live with them, but I believe I was with them almost every day that week when Jen and Zack and Anna were in Haiti!
8. Teach the Hill girls how to cook a full course meal for their parent's anniversary (July 14)- We did this and it was great! When I have the time, I'll post the pictures and story from that night!

Random things

Dawn posted this on her blog and she mentioned that she thought I would do it. So, because my brain is fried due to school and work and being sick (those will all come in another post someday), I thought I would do this seemingly mindless survey thing.

1. Do you like blue cheese? ewww no
2. Have you ever drank? Yes
3. Do you own a gun? Nope
4. What flavors of Kool Aid was your favorite? The red one....strawberry I believe
5. Do you get nervous before doctors appointments? Not really
6. What do you think of hotdogs? I don't really like them unless they're grilled, but I will eat them
7. Favorite Christmas movie? Mary Christmas
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Apple Passion Mango juice
9. Can you do a push up? Yeah, probably more than one too
10. What is your favorite piece of jewelery? My necklace that I wear probably every day
11. Favorite hobby? Singing...does that count as a hobby?
12. Do you have ADD? Not clinically, but there are times when my attention span is about 0!!!! (like tonight...when I should be reading Law instead of blogging!!)
13. What’s your weight? I guess I can tell you guys....142.5 pounds....I lost 4 lbs from being sick :(
14. Middle name? Jane
15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I can't sit like this much longer. What should we do tomorrow night? Do we have anything I can pack for a lunch tomorrow?
16. Name 3 drinks that you regularly drink. Water, PowerAde, Mountain Dew
17. Current worry? That we're not gonna get better
18. Current hate right now? School
19. Favorite place to be? anywhere with Mike
20. How did you bring in the New Year? I'm pretty sure I was sleeping because I didn't feel good and I had to work at 5 the next morning
21. Where do you want to be right now? sitting beside Mike watching a movie
22. Name three people who will complete this. Jen, Tori, and Brenda
23. Do you own slippers? yes but I don't wear them
24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? black and a pink sweatshirt
25. Do you sleep on satin sheets? no, jersy
26. Can you whistle? YES
27. Favorite color? blue
28. Would you be a pirate? probably not...I don't think I'm scary enough
29. What song do you sing in the shower? Whatever's on the radio or is stuck in my head
30. Favorite girls name? Summer
31. Favorite boys name? Jaden
32. What is in your pocket right now? nothing
33. Last thing that made you laugh? something Kevin said to me about last night
34. Best loved bedsheet as a child? No idea
35. Worst injury you had as a child? Broke my foot in first grade when an organ bench fell on me
36. Do you love where you live? sometimes
37. How many TV do you have in your house? 2
38. Who is your loudest friend? probably Brett

39. How many dogs do you have? 1
40. Does someone have a crush on you? I guess you could say Mike does...
41. What is your favorite book? not really a book but anything by Karen Kingsbury
42. What is your favorite candy? chocolate
43. Favorite sports team? probably....I don't know....the Tigers, because I watch them the most
44. What song do you want played at your funeral? That's kind of a morbid question isn't it? I like Sweet By and By and also the one we sing in KY but I don't know the name of it, something about Another Mile!

Coming.....tomorrow!!!!

After months of planning, the Isaiah Project has arrived!!! I can't believe this weekend is here.
My church is hosting a mission conference starting tomorrow, Friday, September 5 at 5pm. If you would like to be part of this lifechanging event, please make plans to be at Lighthouse!

The Isaiah Project will be unlike any standard mission conference. It will go over missions and what is involved in organizing and leading short term mission trips as well as being a full time missionary! You can also be a missionary right from your home by helping to finance a trip, support a missionary or pastor, or by donating items needed for various countries. There are also mission opportunities in this community as well as your own community! This weekend we will be hearing God's call to us and answering Him with the words from Isaiah 6:8 -- "Here am I, send me!" (Thanks to Diane for this little blurb :))

I love this