Well I know that it has been over 2months since I have last let everybody that still checks this in on my life.  I have found that the time has flown and there really wasn't much to share until just recently.(a compilation of events that have taken place)

I left California to return to Michigan for the summer where...

*Ross picked me up from my red eye flight and we spent the day in Chicago, I got to see some of Chicago(something I haven't had the opportunity to do in all of my trips back and forth through there.  We went to The Sears Tower, and walked through Mellenium Park and saw the huge fountain and "Bean" I loved the city life.) From there he took me to his brother's house and had dinner with his mom and brother and family where I was well spent from no sleep the night before and I spent the night.  He went to his parents house, and the next day I went to breakfast with some other members of his family.  Following breakfast, Ross showed me around his town and took me to his dad's hardware store where he had to pick of some things to fix at this house.  After the errands were run, we went back to his parents house to get ready for a wedding.  Late to the wedding, so we snuck in...at the reception we were both in the same position in not knowing anybody at the wedding-which was surprising because Ross seems to KNOW everybody, and if he doesn't he talks to them anyway.  The two of us talked and had a great time.  The reception was on a golf course so we went for a walk(Ross is an avid golfer).  He hit some balls(like any golfer he keeps his clubs in his trunk), and strolled some more.  Eventually he had to get me back to camp where they were expecting me at some point. 

*Stayed with Sasha and Rachel in Sasha's apartment for the summer as I was helping Lori Herdklotz(camp directors wife) with Bradley, team clothing, and summer staff.  Found myself in these roles completely inadequate, but the Lord was giving me an excitement for what lay ahead.  Of which I still don't know...

*Relationships are not permitted during the week while family camp is in full swing, so Ross and I did our best to avoid any appearance of "interest".  Although we talked all summer, we had not become "official" according to Life Action.  Weekends would roll around and those were the times we would try to sneak some time together.  However, there always seemed to be something that needed attention.  The Lord was gracious though and still gave us an opportunity here and there to talk and hang out.

*Family camp ended, and thus my role of assisting Lori shifted and I moved into the cabin I have been in the last 4 years.  That has been a great cabin for me, smaller-less girls, and a place of familirity.  Lori made me cabin leader/mom whatever you want to call it.  I just had to assign the chores, make sure the girls did them and enforce  curfew/lights out.  Thankfully I had Caitlin in there as well to help back me up at times when I just needed to get to bed before lights out or lay the law down etc.

*The Sat night after family camps ended, Ross had gotten all the permission and we became an "official" couple.

That's right folks, I am in a RELATIONSHIP!

*Staff training began immediately and with that some changes in Children's Ministry.  We are now called Happy Heart City-Where Obedience is the Key, and Base Camp is what use to be Dynamite Club.  Through those transitions there have been some interesting days, but I am excited to see it all come together once we hit the road.  Which happens to be in just a few short days.  Nishelle and I are still partners on the Blue Team and I am excited to say that a good friend Robbie Warden will be joining us.  It will be wonderful to have a male figure in there, especially as we introduce new "city characters".  I will also be helping with the finances again this year, so we had some training for that.  Of course among the training times, there has been random camp excitement...

*A few weeks ago we had noticed in our humble little cabin 151(known as the brown cabin) some traces of a mouse..I pulled out my suitcase that was under my bed one Sunday to get some warmer clothes when I saw that something funny happened to my zipper.  The mouse had chewed through my Samsonite suitcase and made its way into the suitcase.  I pulled the suitcase outside and timidly started pulling things out-Kellie had to continue in bravery with me and be my moral support, I was afraid the mouse was still in there.  We found no mouse, but my faithful sturdy suitcase that I have had for probably 10 years is no longer a functioning suitcase.  An item that is somewhat necessary in the ministry that I am in.  I agree with my dad, it is beneficial to buy good luggage that is going to last...that was a gift from him, and it didn't get worn out from use, but rather a stinkin mouse! 

*As a couple Ross and I were trying to figure out how this relationship thing was going to work while living opposite schedules..him as a manager, singer and musician and me as a children's worker.  Revival Week(an annual meeting for the staff to spend extended time with the Lord) came around and while in a dry state spiritually, the Lord revealed to each of us individually some specific areas in our relationship that needed changing-for me that was a time of encouragement to know that the Lord was drawing our hearts.  In the midst of this schedule I have been somewhat surprised and some of the time we have been able to spend together.  A couple of weekends ago we went into Mishawaka and ran some errands(Schaffner sisters came too) and ended at Coldstones).  The following weekend after that Ross and I went golfing with his mom.  I actually sat on the golf cart, while he golfed.  I had a blast and it was nice to be away from the camp atmospere for awhile.  It started to get cold and rainy and it was at that point I was ready to go.  His mom took us to Hacienda for dinner and we had a pleasant time there.

*This is where I would insert some pictures of our time together, however my camera died.  I thought it might be the batteries as I tried to document our time at Coldstones, but it isn't the batteries.  I have taken so many picutres that I have literally sucked the life out of my reliable Canon.  My camera and my suitcase in one weekend....still shedding tears.

*The mouse strikes again, only this time we hear and see it...flashlight in hand I was ready to get it.  It got away, we set a trap the next day and as Sarah C. is drifting off to sleep she hears the mouse trap snap shut...the mouse is in the trap.  The lights come on and thus the scrambling to get the mouse out of the cabin.  The dead mouse sat on our cabin porch for a few days until one of the housekeeping personel came and got it(at his request).

*Children's Ministry training still continued and we had arranged to teach at Granger Community Church( a mega church in the area that Life Action staff members help mid-week with).  The night was Thursday, I was tired from an extensive week of teaching already and I walk down to dinner in the Lodge.  As I am walking down the weather seemed quite exemplary of a storm.  I made it into the lodge when, it started pouring profusely.  Then the winds picked up, and the electricity flickered.  I was unaware at the time that we were in a Tornado Warning...worse than a Tornado Watch.  We were suppose to be leaving in 30mins for Granger.  Much happened in that time...I sat down for dinner, the lights were still on-when all of a sudden the tree that is on the back side of the lodge crashed into and fell on the deck and roof.  The lodge is now pouring in water.  We were evacuated to the basement for about 20mins.  Meanwhile one of the team member girls had been in her car and saw the trees in the front of the lodge fall, while a powerline fell on her car.  Thankfully the power had gone out because as she got out of her car she touched that line.  We still had the go ahead to drive to Granger, which for me was a true testing of trusting those in authority over me.  As we pulled out  there was a powerline down where we needed to drive, so we stopped..the peoplemover was coming our direction with those that had just come from a meeting up the road, they had to stop and evacuate at one of the Road Team leadership's homes.  Since we had rubber tires we still had the go ahead to drive over the powerline since the electricity would not pass through the rubber.  We made it to Granger safely and even though I was not looking forward to teaching, I just wanted to stay at camp, the Lord gave me energy and excitement and I was able to forget about what was going on back at the "homestead" for a bit.  I needed that opportunity because my perspective had gotten quite skewed.  We heard another storm was coming back through, but since most of us hadn't eaten since we had gotten evacuated, we stopped at Wendy's to get some food.  The rain and wind got bad again and for a moment we were stuck at Wendy's-told not to drive anywhere.  That storm was about to pass, so they gave us the go ahead.  They wanted all members back at camp so they could keep track of everyone.  We made it back, with no electricity and Caitlin and myself trecked up about 1/4 mile to the showerhouse where there was a generator so we could go to the bathroom and wash our faces.  It was pouring rain, but made for a memory.  Ross was at the showerhouse, so he gave us a ride back in his car.  The next morning Caitilin and I got up earlier than everybody else to ensure less chaos in the bathroom and got a shower...the electricity was not to be on originally till Tues(it was Friday at this point).  We were suppose to have our comminssioning service that night, and a ladies tea in the afternoon, of which I was partially in charge of childcare.  With no electricity at the camp I thought for sure that it would be cancelled.  Following breakfast we tore down our equipment in the Tab and set-up at Fulkerson Park Baptist where the commissioning service was to be held as well as the childcare.  It was quite the day, in that we had to pack for several days since we didn't have electricity and we headed off to host homes.  Basically we were Life Action refugees..  I was blessed with a very pleasant host home.  As much as I wans't wanting to leave for the weekend, the Lord used that weekend away to show me how comfortable I had become with everyday conviences.  Running water, a toliet that flushes, electricity-air conditioning...all of those commodoties that so many people have never even beene introduced to.  I was also able to do a load of laundry in  CLEAN water.  The electricity came on earlier than expected so we returned to camp on Sun PM.  The campground next store had some injuries, I do not know to what extent, but Praise the Lord for His protection over us!

*Earlier in the week there came a stench from the shower room...Keely finds a mouse in another trap..ewwwww!

*Closing of Children's Ministry training, it was fun.  We have the rest of the week to get packed and ready to go.

*There sits a storage container of mine waiting to be opened...I open it and notice a stench.  I thought it was the trash sitting next to it.  I begin to pull things out and notice some mice residue.  I took the container outside and pull out more things..when there, at the bottom lay 3 dead baby mice.  I about got sick..I couldn't do it, I tried to continue to take the items out, but couldn't do it.  I called Ross and he came to the rescue...

*That was yesterday, and now I am working on getting organized and packed.  Since my suitcase was chewed through I had to get creative in my packing.  I hope to get that suitcase fixed, but for now I am out of commission.  I think that is all the highlights of the summer.  Wish I had pictures to post...oh well...

We leave on Tues for Union Kentucky to stay for a couple days, then we will head to Rocky Mount, NC..that is all for now.

It seems like it has been ages since I have even been on this site.  I think I checked a few comments here and there, but that is about it.  My great adventure back in January you may be wondering about was.....Snow Skiing for the first time.  I was in Park City Utah with my dad before I had to be back on the road and the two things I wanted to do there was ice-skate outside(which we didn't find the outdoor rink until the last day, so I skated inside, and snow ski)  The snow skiing was somewhat scary...I took a lesson then they sent me down the mountain, I still wasn't exactly sure what I was doing.  I made it down alive..that is a positive thing and I didn't fall down either.

Since than I have been to many more churches-starting in Alabama where I also saw the RC team and Red team(my old home).  It was interesting to be on blue team and to go back and visit a church that I was at with the red team last year.  Our last summit was in Hamilton Michigan, an area made up of primarily Dutch communities and there were 8 churches invovled in the meetings.  It was neat to see all those churches come together, even some from different denominations.  We had an average of 50-60 kids depending on the day and boy was that busy!  I had a lot of fun with it, although I was pretty worn out by the end of the 10 days.  We didn't have a room big enough for that many kids to move around in comfortably so we did the lesson and songs together, but game time, snack and craft were seperated into different groups.  I actually enjoyed having that many kids despite the lack of energy I had by the end.  I hear that next year we have several churches that could easily have that many so this was just a small sampling of what is to come.

I am home for the next several weeks and definately looking for things to keep me busy.  This week I am working on my support letter.  I have only done random things here and there.  Friday night I went with Derek to an open mic night at my old high school(phew was that strange to be back there 8 years later).  On sat I went on an adventure to Hollywood to try and see Wicked playing at the Pantages Theater.  We showed up for the matinee show for the lottery, we got our names in but they didn't get drawn, so instead we went and saw Spiderman 3.  On sunday I went to second service, than came home and went to lunch with Kyle and we hung out at the mall for a bit.  Then a little bit later went to youth group, another thing I hadn't been to in a while...Today I woke up earlier than usual and I am just going to do some things around the house.  You know the important exciting things like, laundry, ironing, watching Wedding Story, checking email, excercising...stuff like that...I must get to it before I have no more day left (:0).