PhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucketPhotobucket

Monday, December 31, 2007

Age by Carly Hallam

Do you ever reach a point in life you when you just know things have changed? Like one day, all of a sudden you realize you’re an adult? It’s not like you start misplacing your keys or using phrases like “cool beans”. It’s like this creepy onset of maturity that just smacks you in the soul. Age has overcome me. But I should be ready by now. I’ve been given almost 21 years to prepare.
This year at Christmas I woke up with no more than an ounce of excitement. I was looking forward to spending time with my family and eating food prepared by my mother. But I was more enthralled watching others open the gifts I gave than opening presents for myself. Selflessness? Who I am Mother Theresa? Angelina Jolie? Easy comparison.
Today I was at the pool listening to a parent tell a child he wasn’t capable of swimming. I immediately thought to myself, I am going be a better parent than that. I seriously wanted to go over to the man and tell him that discouraging a child is probably the worst thing a parent could possibly do. But what authority do I have? “Listen sir, I’ve recently realized that Christmas no longer excites me, therefore, I have deep insight into the life of an adult. Don’t tell you’re kid he can’t swim. He’s trying. Be positive. No, you listen to me, you 45 year-old man. I’m experienced.”
Allow me cite the best example I’ve got. One of my roommates just got engaged. Holy shit. I mean, cool beans. When we graduate college in 5 months, she is going to commit to loving one person for the rest of her life. But she can do it. They’re both really good people. Nonetheless, that’s a really serious commitment. That’s not like telling your mom that you’ll clean your room once a week. It’s not like promising your chemistry partner that you’ll do the homework every other day. It’s like giving your entire life to someone else. It’s like laying down in front of a Mack truck in a sequined white dress.
People, especially adults (like me), keep asking what I’m going to do when I graduate. “So Carly, what are you going to do with your life?” What does that even mean? Well firstly, I hope that I whatever I “do with my life” when I graduate will not be my reason for living. I want to be a mom. I want to be loving wife. I feel like that will give me more of a reason to live than any career ever could. Call me old-fashioned but I don’t want my job to be my world, especially if I work in advertising. Imagine God creating this little 5’2 girl with brown hair and carny folk hands and saying, “Now that I’ve spent all this time making her, I sure hope she can trick my other creations into buying things they don’t need, especially with the use of sexual innuendos and celebrity spokespersons.”
So I’ve realized I’m an adult. I just have to figure out what that means for my collection of Britney Spears CDs and polka dot underwear. Is this what growing up is all about? It’s not the added inches to your height. It’s not the anticipation of your next trip to Disney knowing you’re finally tall enough to ride Space Mountain. It’s realizing you’re priorities have changed. It’s engagements and parenthood, it’s the giving unconditionally, it’s your job and your future.
Age is scary but I like it. It’s coming on so fast just thinking about it is making me thirsty. I’ll have to pause my epiphany because I’ve got a Wild Cherry Capri Sun waiting for me in the fridge. It should be cold by now. I’ve given it plenty of time to prepare.

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Hitch Your Wagon to a Star!





Congratulations, Kara! My sister is now an official FSU alumni. Kara graduated with a degree in exercise physiology with minors in psychology and biology. She is entering the real world this January working as a medical assistant at a dermatology office in Tallahassee. Kara has a year-long internship and then plans to attend graduate school to become a physician's assistant.


Friday, December 14, 2007

Pink Daisies and Red Peacoats


TEBOW FOR HE15SMAN















It's great to be a Florida Gator! Tim Tebow, our super power-invested quarterback, made college football history when he became the first sophomore to receive the Heisman Trophy! He passed for twenty, rushed for twenty, and had 51 touchdowns total! My favorite part of the ceremony when was when he said "God is first, my family is second, school is third and football is fourth!" I'm thinking I would make a perfect number five... Just kidding!! =)

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...



Jess the badass.


It's no secret that Jess is a stud at literally every sport imaginable. She throws a spiral football that turns heads. She blocks passes. She throws bows. She rocks at softball, volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, soccer, flag football, just to name a few. She loves to play intramurals and is recruited to all the best teams. It's a huge deal at UF (if you have hand-eye coordination and actually play sports... not me!) to win the championship games in any of the sports because not only do you get the bragging rights but you get an acclaimed championship shirt. They are recognized on campus and symbolize being a badass. Jess is starting a small collection of these shirts in an assortment of colors because in the past four years she's won numerous championship games! Last week her co-ed flag football team got to play in the Swamp for the championship shirt and with 3 seconds left of 19-18 point game, Jess blocked a pass going to a 6-5 competitor that would have gave them a touchdown and she won the game for her team!! =)

Ostentatious Holiday Jubliee

My roommates recently hosted a very Ostentatious Holiday Jubilee in which we conjugated over friends, spirits, and ham! It was required that you wear a tacky holiday sweater in order to attend ... my sweater came complete with dancing reindeer, jingle bells, and blinking lights! No outfit would be complete without furry leggings to match ... here are the highlights...

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Nursing Formal

The singles... a rarity in nursing school...

First... and last... on the dance floor!
Kissy faces.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Gator Bait

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is always reserved for the UF vs. FSU game! It's a huge rivalry filled with lots of heckling, tailgating, and for the gators... celebrating! This year, my best friend Megan (sadly, a Nole), her boyfriend, Danny (possibly the biggest FSU fan.. still extremely dedicated even though FSU has been unranked the past 2 seasons!) and his two best friends came down to Gvegas to stay with me and cheer for the losing team as the Gators beat the Seminoles for the fourth year in a row... 45-12. GATOR BAIT!!

Monday, November 19, 2007

Would you light my candle?


From now on, we are living by candle light and sponge baths... After 3 months of getting power for what we thought was "free" we have now been appropriately billed for our energy usages and now owe $832.54. The good news is the total is perfectly divisible by 4 ($208.14 for each roommate).. the bad news is it's due tomorrow. I had honestly convinced myself that when our neighbors (3 guys who don't have a hot tub, take long showers, blow dry their hair or get scared being home alone in the dark) kept getting $500 monthly bills somehow our power usage was connected to theirs and that's why we hadn't received a bill .. turns out Gainesville Regional Utilities system just got overloaded and now we're paying for it... literally. Would you light my candle?

Saturday, November 17, 2007

First Annual Patricio Fall Festival



This weekend was the First Annual Patricio Fall Festival! Amber and DJ put together a fabulous fall celebration for all their friends and family at their beautiful home in Land O' Lakes! Complete with your choice of caramel or candy apples (homemade by Amber), hay rides, potato sack races, a bonfire and smores for roasting, good food and even greater company.. this is the start of a family tradition I'm glad I was able to be a part of!

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Every Baby Has A Story

In honor of National Prematurity Awareness Day, I created a special page for Christopher to share his special story! Everyday I am reminded of his strength and smiles and I can't wait to become a neonatal nurse! =) http://www.everybabyhasastory.org/View.aspx?ProfileID=2236

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Micanopy Half Marathon

Today Jess and I completed our first half marathon!! We ran today in honor of Catherine Barclift and wore pink ribbons to remember her as she was also training for a marathon when her life was suddenly taken from her while running last Monday! Our goal was to finish the run in 2 hours and we crossed the finish line in 1:59:45... goal accomplished!! It was an awesome achievement! With our full marathon just 8 weeks away, our training is getting more intense but we're really excited!!

Friday, November 09, 2007

La Chua Trail

Today Kate and I took advantage of the amazing weather we've had lately and went on a hike down the La Chua trail. The trail leads into Paynes Prairie, a state park just South of Gainesville with a lot of camping, trails and wildlife! At the end of the trail was a giant sink hole filled with huge alligators. There were sunbathing all along the banks of the sinkhole and a lake nearby. We spread out a blanket by the gators and enjoyed a fabulous picnic before making the two mile hike back!

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Happy Birthday, Auntie Paul!!









Happy Birthday, Auntie Paul!! I hope you had a wonderful birthday.. Can't wait to see you in December!! =)

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Devil's Millhopper



The weather has been wonderful this past week so Kate and I spent the day outside on a "nature walk" around Devil's Millhopper, a sinkhole in Northwest Gainesville. This sinkhole is a miniature rainforest 120 feet deep made of limestone. It was formed when an underground cavern's roof collapsed. There is lots of lush vegetation and a couple of waterfalls that line the boardwalk that leads down to the bottom. Once upon a time grain farmers found bones and teeth buried in the bottom of the funnel-shaped sinkhole. Legend has it the Devil once fell in love with an Indian princess and captured her near here. Her fellow braves tried to rescue her, but the Devil created the sinkhole. The Indians fell in one by one and were turned to stone if they tried to climb out. The water filling Devil's Millhopper is said to be the collection of tears from weeping braves who could not rescue their princess.

Low Carb HeadQuarters

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

An Old Dutch Surprise

I got so excited when I received this fabulous surprise in the mail last week... an entire box of ketchup chips!!! Belated birthday celebrations are the best because you do not expect them in the least bit so it's even more exciting!!
Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness Lori, Keith and Roxi! You are the greatest!! =)