Derby! Derby!

So I'm playing Roller Derby this year and I LOVE it. Interesting enough, I'm pretty good too! Who would have thought. Here are some pictures!

One year later

So it's been a year since I've posted anything. I guess I just didn't have anything to say. We don't have kids, only a dog and a hamster!

After the first year of Patrick's PhD, we are getting ready to weather another year. It looks to be busy as all of the people Patrick used to work with have moved on the bigger and brighter things. Which is great for them, but leaves Patrick all alone to do his project and dissertation. Hip Hip Hooray! Summer has just been hot this year. Its not even very fun. At all. We've both gotten used to just being hot and wet all summer. Even with the air blasting at 68 I feel hot. The sun is blistering, the humidity is ridiculous.

I've been watching hoarders on TLC tonight and I feel as if I need to clean. I am no where near a hoarder or anything, but the show makes me want to clean. I guess it's a good thing as we are moving again. Well can you blame us? With a drug dealer next door and some pretty shady neighbors, we figure it's time to get out of dodge. Good ole Tampa Bay! Ah well. I guess each year here is another memory to put down in the books.

I'll try to be more regular from now on. Even if it's nothing going on.

Summer's almost over!!!

This summer has been so CRAZY, that I'm almost glad to see it gone. I never thought I would say or think those words of BLASPHEME!!!

I won't go into detail, but lets just say that I can't see my plate ever being that full again! At least I hope it won't!

I cut all my hair off. It's been so hot, everyday is in the 100's. So even if I don't love my haircut, it is much MUCH cooler! The girl just cut it a little too short, but it grows so fast that even though it's only been a few weeks I think it's inches longer.

I'm not quite ready for school to start. Things get crazy at work so much so that we all have "rush schedules". I'm working from 7-6. And I'm not excited to have to deal with the dumbest students known to man! I mean daily I wonder to myself, how did these dummies get into college? I still don't know.

Patrick starts his PhD tomorrow and although it's a happy thing, I am worried about how much more stress this will put on him. He's already stretched thin and a new and more strenuous schedule might just push him to never seeing me. Yes. That's what it comes down to. I'm afraid I'll never see him again for three t0 five years. I know, I'm just a bit dramatic.

But here's to the end of the summer of everything, which was wonderful and awful at the same time and the start of another school year. Let's hope it's better than the last and that all my wildest dreams really DO come true!

PS I hope to be a good example to everyone else in the family to update their blogs as well!

it's been a while

I know, I know, it's been a long time. But it's not like I have any children to take pictures of, and some people got upset that I only posted pictures of Rowan, so sorry. I really have not much to say. Things are the same in Tampa, the weather is beautiful and the skies are blue.

Work is work, I don't really want to say much more about that.

A couple of weeks ago I had to say goodbye to my sunbeams (I was very sad) and said hello to the young women. I'm a first counselor, which is really weird cause I'm just a few years older than them (in fact I'm closer in age to some of my girls than I am to Patrick....) So things are defiantly much busier in the Vander Kelen house.

Patrick is in the middle of midterms, Rowan is cute and Boris and Ivan still live on. Things are great in Tampa.

The end of this week is Rowan's first birthday (I'm still a little upset that his birthday didn't make it into the family calendar as I did send it-and a picture- in the same email as Pat's and my birthdays ;0) So maybe we'll have a party with him and his little dog friends.... He is my only child....

Rowan

Per Mel, I'm updating my blog (finally!) here are pictures of our only child Rowan. That's not true I guess, we have hamsters too! But he's a good dog! Happy Halloween! Sorry for the messy house.... I guess I've got some cleaning to do as well! Ha ha ha! this Last one is weird, but I think he's trying to figure out why I'm making weird noises at him....

Sick, sick, sick

So we have been sick over here. I have been sick for two months or so. It STINKS. Anyway, we are boring over here. Pat started school, it's hard for him. I LOVE work at the Pro and hope to make a living making copies for crazy old biddys everyday. (thank goodness for school next semester!) Rowan is good and growing bigger everyday (picture included.) But since we have been sick over here I missed a few good things. Like Seymore's birthday. Which is basically the most important day of the year. So, I'm sorry Seymore, even though you called me to remind me of that very important day. I'm sorry. I suck as a friend. So here is my Ode to Sarah....

Brown hair lovely flowing down
Friend of mine oh please don't frown
You make me laugh with your turn of phrase
I just can't help but give you praise
A friend for me, the one I've got
And, yes, I do think your hot (who doesn't by the way?)
Please forgive the worstest friend
who will love you till the end.

I love you Sarah!

HOT HOT HOT

Welcome to June my friends. It is HOT! I mean 95+ every day and it's only going to get worse. I have to go to girls camp in a week (June 16) it's going to be soo hot. 95 and no AC. Lets just say it's going to be a struggle to remain upbeat in this heat.

Today we helped out a kid in our ward on his eagle project. It was so disorganized and everyone was just standing around. It took all my strength and stamina to not step and take over for the poor kid and by the end of it all I was so frustrated because it was so disorganized. (by the way, he was also just standing around while the others built his picnic table....wait, he did put in the VERY LAST SCREW!!!) Thanks mom for the training in organizing and such because my kids' eagle scout project will be organized.... That is when we have kids and then 18 years after that.... So we talking 20 years down the road when it happens, I'll be ready!

Oh, that's a picture of our AWESOME sand castle that we built. I know it's probably the best one you've ever seen.... What can I say? In Tampa, everyone knows how to build sand castles.