It's beginning to look a lot like....

Christmas! We safely made it home to New York. I just finished watching a movie with the fam while I curled up on the floor by the fireplace. And now it is SNOWING! I'm home, its warm, my fam is here...Christmas is definitely here! I'm happy :)

what a weekend!

i managed to check off everything on my to do list this weekend! i even accomplished a few extra things-like dropping off some donations to the gcf, getting some christmas shopping done, and seeing a great movie, dan in real life with doss and MK. i even did my christmas baking! thank god for the adrenaline rush that i get before a big trip home-otherwise i'd never get it all done! see you in 4 days mom, dad, jay, kelley!!!! i might sleep the first 48 hours that i'm home-but then i'm all yours!!!

holiday to do list

here is what i need to get done today:
-laundry
-buy sweater for ugly christmas sweater party
-get green onions for dip to bring to party
-buy dog food
-buy computer game for Kayla
-buy ingredients for christmas baking
-go to target
-go to cvs
-clean the house
-finish adopt-a-family project
-shower????


wish me luck. i know we all have to do lists like this one! good luch to you too!!!

can you believe this????

I stole this from my friend Annie. I just had to share it!

hectic

that is the only word that accurately describes how i feel. i am busy and lots of deadlines are fast approaching. my two biggest stresses right now are that christmas in right around the corner and all 4 grad school applications need to be signed, sealed and delivered by january 15th. needless to say i haven't found much time to blog. i always check your blogs, but don't take the time to blog myself. i will be back soon. congratulations to angela and jj-they welcomed baby natalie yesterday! and happy birthday to reilly and rachel! now i know 3 people whose birthday is november 27th! rachel, reilly and natalie. must be a special day :)

my new boyfriend

i went to the tree lighting at southpoint tonight and got to hear lifehouse play. well, no one ever bothered to tell me how HOT the lead singer is! i found myself staring at the big screen to get a better look. his name is jason wade. doss and i really enjoyed him, and the music too!

take a look at my new boyfriend :)

a fun weekend!

we had so much fun at grandfather mountain!! we decided it will be an annual thing from now on!

if you're looking for me this weekend...

I'll be here. Enjoying the mountains. Enjoying great friends. Enjoying a long weekend!

God though a 12 year old boy

8:45-driving to take MAT. call my dad to pray with him (as planned yesterday). no answer.

9:00-arrive at testing site and begin to review for test, scheduled to begin at 10.

9:15-back in NY my dad is driving to a meeting and remembers he is suppose to pray with me around 9. reaches for his phone and realizes he left it home by accident. prays for me anyways and asks god to bring be peace as i prepare for the test.

9:20-a boy around the age of 12 walks past me as i study. i think to myself-what is a 12 year old boy doing at a college hall on a Saturday morning? our eyes meet and he continues to walk, i continue to study.

9:25-the boy walks by again and says " I wish you the best of luck on your test today," with a big smile on his face. I INSTANTLY knew that God was speaking through this boy to let me know that it was going to be okay and that he was right there by my side.

9:26-the prayers of my earthly father are answered by my heavenly father.

10:00-test begins and i have a strong sense of peace

11:15-test ends and i did well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

GOD IS SO GOOD AND SO FAITHFUL. PRAISE HIS PRECIOUS AND HOLY NAME!

you da' man bob!

michele and i went to pigs n' punkins today. and we got to meet bob, kristen, mike and jon! they were so nice and seemed honestly happy to meet us. i listen to them every morning when i am getting ready for work so i was excited.

i also got to eat barbecue and have a funnel cake. since i didn't make it to the fair i was excited to still get my fair food fix! we also watched pig races and pumpkins chucking contests. it was a fun fall day :)

what the heck happened to fall?

i guess i made a mistake when i posted about "loving fall" a few weeks ago...because its gone! how the heck is it 90+ degrees in october?!?! if it doesn't get cold soon i'm moving back to new york!!!!! ggggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I have a crush!

not the typical boy crush though. i have a crush on my sweet little cousin jovan. jovan turned 2 on september 29th and she is kim and howard's third girl. don't get me wrong-i absolutely LOVE all of kim and howard's kids. but right now jovie is my favorite. because they are not my kids i can have a favorite, right?

so jovie is crazy. that is why i love her. she is all over the place all the time. i never see her sit still for more than 2-3 minutes. there is just too much for her to do and to many things for her to explore. she can't just sit around and let life pass her by. she has to embrace life! jovie has a bit of a speech delay and is learning sign language as part of her therapy. have you ever see a 2 year old do sign language? oh my gosh-it is too cute. jovie has gotten really good at the signs for more, please, help and open. i love to watch her sign.

her favorite person is my brother ryan. i think his name is the one that she learned to say the best. she started with just "ry" but now distinctly says "RYAN!!!" because she doesn't say much her expressions are exaggerated and she makes the best faces! anyways, i am really enjoying jovie right now. i could be having an absolutely horrible day and then i see jovie and it all just fades away!

sometimes i wonder what jovie will be like when she is older. i'm not sure what she will do, but it will surely involve multi-tasking...that is surely one of her strengths!

anyways, i love jovie and feel blessed that she is a part of my life!

LOL!!!

i stole this from jamie. it is too funny! enjoy!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngRq82c8Baw

scaed (scared)

i could really write a book of all the funny things that i hear my kindergarteners say-they crack me up! but instead i will try to remember to put them in a blog so that my readers can have a laugh too.

so i was working in the bookmaking center with this adorable little girl today. she doesn't use "r's" in her speech yet and she occasionally omits some other sounds. we were making a book about things that go (we are learning about transportation). she was pleased that she was able to complete the book without much difficulty. i could see her confidence building. she was telling me about her feelings about starting kindergarten and she said this; "ms. hawsey, i was gettin' a wittle scaed of kindewgaten, when kelly (her sister) said dey got pwdoh, and i said I'M DERE!" ( i tried to type it the way she said it).
definition-ms. halsey, i was getting a little scared of kindergarten, when kelly said they got play doh and i said "I'm there!"

how cute is that?!?! did you know that a little playdoh can take away a whole lot of fear?

Psalm 37:4

I love Joel Osteen. He is one of the best preachers of God's grace. I make a point to watch him every Sunday morning, and every Sunday morning I am blessed by what he says. I know that some refer to him as the "smiling preacher" and some say that he is too nice to his congregation-but I say bring it on Joel.!!! There are MILLIONS of people in this world that need to be treated nicely and need to know beyond a shade of doubt that God's grace is available to them.

Through Joel's website you can sign up for daily devotionals to be emailed to you. This one really touched me. Sometimes I really don't think that God is going to give me the desires of my heart. I get discouraged and feel like giving up my dreams. But God knows what I need and want!!! Read all about it.

Today's Scripture
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart”(Psalm 37:4 AMP).

Today's Word from Joel and Victoria God knows the secret petitions of your heart. He knows every hidden dream He’s placed within you. He knows those things that you haven’t told anybody about. Maybe you thought they would never come to pass, or maybe you buried them because they didn’t happen on your timetable. Maybe, in the natural, you have every reason to give up on those dreams. Be encouraged today—God is still working behind the scenes! He still has a plan to bring those dreams to pass. Do what the verse says, and delight yourself in Him today. That word delight, actually means to make yourself soft and pliable. It paints the picture of God as the Potter and you as the clay. Allow God to mold and shape your character today. Allow Him to direct your plans and ideas. Keep an attitude of faith and expectancy today, and as you submit your ways to the Lord and open your heart to His leading, He will fulfill those secret petitions of your heart!

A Prayer for Today
Father, You said the path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter. You said no good thing will You withhold because I walk uprightly before You. You said because I delight myself in You, You will give me the secret petitions of my heart. So Father, I thank You today for being in control of my life. Thank You for the good things You have in store for my future. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

I like this one....

SLOW DANCE
Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.Don't dance so fast.Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day on the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow downDon't dance so fast.Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had timeTo call and say,"Hi"
You'd better slow down.Don't dance so fast.Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.
Life is not a race.Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Fallin' in love with fall

I love fall! Summer use to be my favorite season when I lived in New York. Now my favorite season is fall. Summer in the south is just too hot sometimes. But fall is just gorgeous-cool mornings, warm afternoons, beautiful leaves and chilly nights. Last fall is when I actually fell in love with this season. It was beautiful and the changing leaves were amazing. Look at this picture I took last fall!

Anyways-I'm happy that fall is here :)

5 year olds

i'm really enjoying getting to know my new class. it only takes me a few days to figure most of them out. i love to listen to their conversations with one another as they get to know their classmates. unlike adults, they skip past the small talk and get right down to playing and being best friends. they don't even care to know each other's names that much, they don't really find that important. as long as that person is available to go on the slide with them at recess or build a castle with them in our blocks center-that's all that matters. i wish it was that easy as adults!

on wednesday i was sitting with a small group of kids and they were gluing green dyed noodles onto a piece of paper with their name on it. this was the first time we experimented with glue. i have this sweet boy in my class this year with the most southern accent i have ever heard on a five year old. as he was gluing his noodles down he got some glue on his fingers. he was intrigued by the drying glue on his finger-and made this statement (imagine it in a true southern accent). "ms. halsey, this glue dries on my fingers like boogers do."

lol...3 days later it still makes me laugh!

i'm back...i think

i can't believe that i haven't posted in weeks! sorry about that. back to school is such a crazy time. i go from lazy summer days with little to nothing to do and then the next day i have a thousand things to do. this is a killer on me physically. i like to sleep in, so that is what i do all summer. but i pay for it once school starts again. at the time i would be normally starting to get up and drink my coffee in the summer, i have already had breakfast and am headed to lunch at work! yes-we have lunch at 10:20 am :(
so, needless to say my blog has been ignored. so far so good with my 5th kindergarten class. today was only their second full day, but they are doing well. i only have 2 criers so far, and they both don't cry for long. thank the lord! i think i'm gonna have fun with this class.

in my last blog i mentioned my Halsey/God partnership to help me get through the school year. well i'm happy to report that it is working. god is a great partner!!!! i have been able to stay calm and not get super stressed. i have even continued to have a life! i have not put my life on hold for the first few months of school. god is good. i encourage you to invite him into your workplace. ask him to partner with you and see what he does. he will always be on time, he will help you with all your tasks and he will teach you new things through the people and things you come in contact with at work. i know it is easy to say that your work is not related to your faith or that your job does nothing to further His kingdom. but you can make it both of those if you want to. let god show you how you can further His kingdom through your job. its amazing how much easier your job can be when you do it for God and not just for a paycheck.

summer, school and new beginnings

this has been the best summer i have had in a long time. i got to do so many fun things. i went to long island for 2 1/2 weeks, i got to see 3 of my college roommates, i went to jeremy and ali's wedding, i went to a wonderful nccat seminar where i went white water rafting and broke a board with my hand, and i have enjoyed many lazy afternoons by my pool. i certainly didn't work very hard this summer and therefore i didn't make much money-but it was sooooo worth it. i've also learned a lot about myself this summer and have overcome some things that have held me back in the past. now i am only one week away from my summer's end---ah! next tuesday i go back to school. while this can be a very exciting time for you moms, it is an anxiety filled time for me. what kinds of kids will be in my class this year? will the parents like me? will i get everything done before school starts? what will our schedule look like? how will i get through the dreaded first few months? well, i am taking a new approach this year. instead of being stressed and super-stressed i have decided to go into a "Halsey-God Partnership". yup, I am partnering up with God to get me through this new school year. i'm gonna listen to Him and let him control all that takes place. this is not going to be easy ( since I am a control freak ) but i know that it is what i need to do. so, i'm gonna enjoy the next 7 days and not go crazy! i am going to enjoy every last minute of my summer. then next tuesday my partnership will begin. in the mean time my partner will be handling all stress and anxiety regarding school. so, be in touch with him if you need anything!!!

internet oh internet, how i miss thee

ryan and i moved into our apartment a year ago in july. when we moved in we discovered that there was an open wireless connection available to us. we assumed it was from an apartment nearby because we had an "excellent" connection. i don't do anything top secret on my computer so i wasn't worried about my identity being stolen or anything. i thought it would be okay for us to "share" the connection until we got around to getting our own. well, a year has passed and the connection has never failed us. it has been wonderful to have one less bill. but all good things come to an end eventually. when i was in the mountains last week the people who lived directly above us (whose dog runs around from room to room nonstop!) moved out. and with then went our wonderful internet connection :( once the denial passed and i realized that the connection really was gone i panicked to find a replacement. i called a few different places and ended up going with road runner through time warner. however, they cannot come to do the installation till Sunday!!! the thought of a week without internet was scary. thankfully i have internet assess at work and have been able to check my email, etc. almost everyday. but i miss my own internet so much! i actually had to use the phonebook for the first time in ages this week! i needed to look up a number and i usually just use yellowpages.com, but this time i actually had to dig out the phone book, do the abc's in my head and look up a number. how spoiled are we?!?!? and then i needed directions and i couldn't do mapquest! aaahhh! i had to rely on the not to precise directions from a friend to navigate through downtown raleigh. i'm happy to say i made it-but not without a few wrong turns down a few not too safe streets. but finally it is saturday and i can see the light! tomorrow between 1-5 i will have my own internet connection that cannot just up and leave without my permission! it is amazing to think that less than 12 years ago we didn't even have a computer in our house. i only opened an email account my senior year of high school so that i could communicate with my boyfriend who was already away at college. and now i can't survive without it.! i even caved in and bought a $9.99 day pass for t-mobile at starbucks yesterday! can you believe it! i spent $9.99 just to make sure i wasn't missing anything (that is basically what it all comes down to). as school gets ready to start again i am going to make a conscious effort to not check my email 10 times a day. i'm sure, as i have learned this week, that i will survive.....

a case for coffee

i love coffee. absolutely love it. and i seem to keep finding great reasons to drink it! http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070806/hl_nm/caffeine_memory_dc

have a great day and don't forget to drink your coffee.

breakthrough-literally!

i am currently in cullowhee, nc attending a seminar on "Daring to Lead". it is a week long seminar done by NCCAT (north carolina center for the advancement of teachers). the focus of this week is not about leadership styles or techniques, but about who we are as individuals and what about us makes us a good leader. it has been great so far. today we had the pleasure of hearing from a motivational speaker named brian biro. he is a great motivational speaker and is full of energy! i'll admit that i was skeptical of him at first. he was for sure a bit corny and i thought that he had way to much energy for the 9 am meeting. but then he took out a piece of wood-not just a thin piece of plywood, but a rather thick chunk of wood. he held it up and said that by the end of our time together today that each and everyone of us would breakthrough a similar piece of wood with our bare hand!!!!!!!!! HE GOT ME THEN! i got really nervous and thought all about how i was not going to be able to do it! but as he poured out his energy and confidence in us i began to get excited and think that maybe i could do it. our 3 hour session flew by and it came time for us to break the wood. brian gave us each a piece and asked up to write on the wood something that we needed to breakthrough in our lives. it could be anything from breaking a bad habit to being a better mom to being a more effective teacher. i very carefully decided that i needed to breakthrough my fear of failure. i wrote my words on the wood and then it was time. i was so nervous. several people went before me and were able to do but that did not ease my nerves! then it was my turn. i walked up to brian-handed him my wood and he asked me to focus on him and NOT the wood. i hit the wood-nothing happened. i hit it again-nothing happened. then i looked into brian's eyes and i saw that he truly believed that i could do. then i heard the loud, chanting and cheering..."Jennifer! Jennifer! Jennifer!.....i got in position and i hit it again and it split clear in half! wow! what an awesome feeling!!!! i know that i was only able to do it because of the look in brian's eyes. it wasn't the fact that i had seen several others do it before me, or that we had been taught how to do it correctly, or that 25 people were cheering my name. i was only able to break the wood because i knew someone believed in me.

what a powerful lesson that was for me, in so many different ways. as a leader i saw how important it is to surround yourself with positive people who believe in you, so that you can get things done. on a spiritual level i thought of god and how he looks at me with similar eyes all the time and tells me that i can do it! i can do anything, if i just fix my eyes upon him. yet i still act in fear. so, today i leave the fear behind. i agree to move forward with my plans and to stop living in fear of what will come. i will pursue my master's degree in administration, i will be myself and i will rely on my lord and savior and be CRAZY for him!!!!

so watch out peeps-fearless halsey is here :)

(the picture shows exactly what we did-except we used our hands. i will hopefully have a real picture of me in action when i get back. )

miscellaneous

well, i don't have anything exciting to blog about right now, so your just getting an update on my life. i've been back from new york for 2 weeks now and its been nice to still be on "vacation". sometimes i don't know what to do with all my free time and i get a bit down-but i'm not complaining! i have been doing some babysitting jobs and still working at aqueduct. this week i went out to dinner with ryan and we had such a great time. we had lots to catch up on and he was really talkative. we went to chili's because i had a giftcard, so we only spent $4!!! we went to coldstones afterwards and we started talking about being "single". ryan said the best thing to me-as he was trying to cheer me up about being being single (and fat). he said "if what was on the inside was what people could see on the outside-you would be the most beautiful girl in the world...and me, i would be so single." ryan is a great brother! i also watched two good movies this week, alpha dogs and children of men. both are intense movies that i enjoyed. alpha dogs has lots of bad language though :(
i'm hanging out with renee tonight, we have lots of catching up to do. we are doing sushi and then coffee. yay! two of my favorites! then on monday morning i leave to go to cullowhee, nc for an NCCAT conference. it is called "daring to lead". i am excited. we get to go white water rafting!!! i have wanted to do that for a long time. well-that's really it, not much to report. i hope everyone is having a great weekend.

i think i have a drinking problem...

not the kind you think though (thank god). i went to the grocery store today and i realized that i went there just to get drinks! i left with 3-four packs of flavored seltzer, 2 things of crystal light, and a case of diet coke. it got me thinking about my drinking! and i realized that i am always drinking something. if i am going out to run errands i always have a water or d.c. with me. when i am home i am always drinking a seltzer or crystal light and when i go out to eat i take advantage of free refills like its my job. my mom even noticed this habit when i was younger and she took me to the doctor to see what was wrong with me. she thought that i had diabetes or something. thankfully i don't have a medical problem. i'm not even thirsty all the time-i just like to have a cold drink...ALL the time.
that's my story and i'm sticking to it :)

Permission to nap

I love to take naps, but I'm also well aware of how napping is frowned upon by our high pace society. I've heard people say that if you nap you are lazy, unproductive, etc. Well, I was happy to see an article in the News & Observer this morning about NAPPING! The article not only promotes napping, but talks about its many benefits. Including increased productivity, alertness and health. Yeah! I have been waiting for this for a long time. I now will have no guilt about my napping!!! Christy will love this article too :)

Signs

This sign was at the shrine too. (I put my phone on vibrate...you never know when he might call!!!)

Holy...

When I was home I went to this Catholic Shrine that I had recently read about in the book, Fast Lane to Heaven, by Ned Dougherty. This shrine is only 20 minutes from where I grew up, but I can only remember going there once when I was little to see the manger scene during the Christmas holiday. Anyways, they have some beautiful crosses, statues of Jesus, Mary, and the apostles, as well as the stations of the cross. As my Mom and I walked around we noticed this sign. It made me laugh so I had to take a picture of it.

I disagree with this sign. God did not make me a soft spoken woman! I'm a bit loud and I embrace my loudness. I can handle dressing modestly, but not all the time!!! Anyways, I know that my place in heaven will have a sign that says something like this "This is not a Holy place, come as you are and we will praise the Holy one!!!" AMEN!!!!

Home sweet home

I am finally back and happy to be here. I missed my cozy apartment, my bed, my big bathroom, and even my dog. I got back last night after being gone 24 days! I had a great time traveling to Long Island, Rochester and Elmira. I put over 2000 miles on my car and listened to every CD that I own more than once while driving for way too long. Today I am back to laundry, cleaning the apartment, washing my dead bug covered car, and unpacking. Life is good...

And in other news....

Heather Doss took a break from her busy filming schedule to spend a relaxing holiday weekend in the Hamptons. She was spotted at hot spots like Backbar, 75 Main, Mt. Fuji and Goldberg Bagels. On 4th of July she took to the streets of Southampton and went on a shopping spree at some of Southampton's trendiest boutiques.
Doss, known for her paparazzi dodging skills, was also seen at Cooper's Beach where she seemed to be collecting rocks. Doss spent the holiday weekend with her long time friend, Jennifer Halsey. The owner of Breezin' Up on Jobs Lane in Southampton said that Doss was a pleasure when she stopped in to purchase a t-shirt. "She looked radiant, just like she does in the movies, she was sweet as could be, " said Breezin' Ups owner.
Doss returned to Raleighwood on Saturday and resumed the filming of her up and coming film, yet to be named. There is already oscar buzz surrounding this film, also starring Brad Pitt and Kate Hudson.

A picture speaks volumes

My dad cooking yummy steak!

Rose garden at the library.

Cooper's Beach...my favorite!

I don't own a digital camera (yet). But my parents do and I love to snap pictures and then with the click of the mouse have them on the computer! So here are some random shots of my vacation. They say more than my crazy blog entries!!!

My best friend

This is my best friend Kelley. We have been best friends for 14 years, we met in 8th grade. Kelley lives in my hometown and I rarely get to see her. We talk on the phone, email, myspace, ect. when we are not together...but being with Kelley is half the reason I will always travel back to Southampton, NY...even when all of my family members have moved away.

When Kelley and I are together there is a unique bond between us that I can't really describe. Whether we drive around aimlessly for hours, go out to eat, go out for drinks, or she kidnaps me to run errands-we have a great time. If I had to to choose one person who I had to be stranded on an island with the rest of my life it would be Kelley! And as an added bonus to the wonderful Kelley, she has an awesome husband and cutie-pie daughter that I love too. I am so blessed to have a friend like Kelley. She knows me so well, maybe too well sometimes :)

We have seen each other through so much. I will never forget when I got to go to the prom when I was a junior in high school. I was dating a senior and we had been dating for a long time. Kelley was single and it was hard for her to constantly be around me and my boyfriend. Being the loyal friend that she is, she came over to see me all dressed up and to send me off in the limousine before the prom. But when Kelley came over and saw all the "couples" and all the fun we seemed to be having it hurt her and she got upset. She tried so hard to hide it and to be happy for me. She kindly gave me a kiss and told me how beautiful I looked and then she left out a side door so that I couldn't see her tears. It broke my heart.

Well, fast forward a year and the picture was reversed. I was single and she was dating one of Southampton's most eligible bachelors. That was hard on me, but Kel was always aware of how I felt because she had been in my shoes before. And now, fast forward 9 more years and Kelley is still with Southampton's most eligible bachelor, except that he is not eligible anymore! He is happily married to Kelley and their adorable daughter Rielly is almost 4 years old. And me..well you know that story-I'm still single. But thank God I still have Kel to cheer me up when single life gets to me.

So Kel....I love you and thank God for you always. Thanks for being the best friend I could ever ask for. Miles will never weaken the special bond we have.

Sunset from my parents porch....

ponder this

at my brother's graduation on sunday they had one speaker who was actually worth listening too (rare for a high school graduation). she asked the graduates this question: "what would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?" think about this for a while, what would you do if you couldn't fail? i came up with a long list of things! i would do soooo much! but then i thought, isn't knowing that i couldn't' t fail the same as trusting the Lord in all that i do? ponder that for a bit.

Big money

this is another picture from the house my dad just finished building (see blog entry below). this is a picture of some of their sports memorabilia that they have started to hang up. my dad told us that one of these pictures, hanging in the BASEMENT, was purchased for $55,000. yes, you read that correctly. fifty-five thousand dollars for a picture that is hanging in the basement.

that just made me wonder... how much did the picture hanging over the mantle cost? or the pictures hanging on either side of the dining room? surely the pictures hanging in more glorified places must cost more than the one placed among so many others in the basement?!?!?

do you know what i could do with that kind of money? after paying off all my debt i still would have plenty of money to do something like put a down payment on a town house! that is just crazy!

My Dad is the best builder

dining room sitting room off of kitchen

front of house

pool spiral stairs

back of house

back of house too yes...this is 4 grown adults inside of one of the guest bedroom showers!!!
i love these stairs!

Let me brag about my dad for a minute. For 30 + years he has been building custom homes on Long Island, New York. One of my favorite things to do is to go visit a house when my dad is done building it. I love to see all the architectural beauty, the quality construction, the design...and the elegance. My dad doesn't just build any old house, he builds gorgeous mansions and estates. I am so proud of him. So, here is the latest house that he completed. The family that built this house was out on their yacht in Sag Harbor, so we got a rare post move-in tour. Here are some pictures. My favorite has to be the shower picture. Enjoy! And way to go Dad!!!

"THE HAMPTONS"

so unless you live under a rock you've heard of "the hamptons". the home to A-list celebrities, the summer home to almost all celebrities, the home of some of the coolest, trendiest night clubs, and the world's nicest beaches. yes, that is all true.

i grew up in the hamptons. when people ask me where i am from i never say "the hamptons". i say long island, ny. if they say..."oh yeah? here abouts on long island? i then say "southampton". and 99.99% of the time i get something like this "oooohhhhhh, your from "the hamptons". wow, we have someone special among us..." this drives me CRAZY! when i was a teenager i thought it was cool, but not anymore.

i have been dubbed "the hamptons girl" in college, at work and along my travels. people say, "oh jennifer you're gonna think my home is like a trailer compaired to living in the hamptons" or when a fashion question arises i hear "go ask jennifer, she would know cause she is from the hamptons". and that is just the tip of the iceberg, i have been asked so many other ridiculous questions and been stereotyped as well. people always assume that i am rich, loaded, have more money than i know what to do with, etc.

well let me tell you about the hamptons that i grew up in...despite what everyone may think the hamptons is not ALL rich and famous. there is a middle class and there are also a few poverty stricken areas. yes..poverty in the hamptons. sorry if i am bursting anyones bubble! i grew up in a struggling middle class family in a struggling middle class community. as property prices went up and the hamptons became more and more famous...things also became more and more expensive. you might be thinking, why didn't they just move to a different area? well, its not that easy. both of my parents were born and raised here and all of us were born in the same hospital. my mom, dad, me, ryan and jason-all born in Southampton Hospital.

in fact, my distant relatives FOUNDED the town that i grew up in. there are at least 10 streets with the name halsey in them. halsey ave, halsey street, halsey neck lane..you get the point. there is even an original halsey house that was built back in the 1600s that is now a historal sight. you have to pay to go in it! you'd think that such a historial name would come with historial amounts of old family money, but it didn't. my parents always wanted to stay here and they truly love it here, so that is why we struggled to make it in the playground of the rich and famous. it was hard, we never had extra money and we often just had enough to make ends meet. some times were better than others. my dad is a builder and he builds gorgeous homes for people with unimaginable amount of money. when work was good we could all breathe a bit easier, but it wasn't always good.

despite what most people think about the hamptons, we did not drive a range rover, bmw or mercedes. we drove chevys. i can even remember my first day at a new catholic school in 6th grade. i was talking to some girls (who turned out to be the cool girls) and one of them said, "So what kind of car does your mom drive?" i remember feeling embarrassed to say a station wagon. her mom drove a jaguar, and i secretly was mad at my parents for not having a car like all the other families we were surrounded by.

my point is that although the hamptons are beautiful and the beaches are great, it is just like any other place you can live. there is a wide range of incomes, nationalities, religions, etc. the hamptons are overrated!!!

home is....

well, i'm "home". i don't really consider Southampton, NY home anymore. but because it is where i grew up and where my family lives-i call it home. however, when i am here and talking about chapel hill, nc...i call that home! how confusing right?!?!

my mom use to have a decorative plaque hanging in our house that said "home is where your heart is". i never thought about it, just saw it on a regular basis. 4 years ago when i moved to NC i don't think my heart was anywhere. it was unhappy and longing/searching for a place to call home. and now it is safe to say that my heart, my home is really in North Carolina.

i know this for many reasons.
1. i just love it there... the kind people, the beautiful weather, the great churches, my extended family, my brother, and soon to be brotherS (Jason is going to High Point University in the fall!!!).
2. i have complete peace in my heart when i am there. i don't have that feeling here anymore.
3. my church and church family are there
4. my great job is there
5. awesome friends
6. i believe my future is there

lots of people ask me if i would ever move back here. the answer is no. as much as i love the beach, my best friend, and the beauty, i just don't feel like its home anymore. my next blog will further address my dislike of "the hamptons".

so, my home is north carolina....and i miss it :(

The music of my life

This is fun! Got it from Joey and Jamie. Try it..

1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the questions.
NO CHEATING...


What does next year have in store for me?
Mr. Brightside-The Killers
mr. brightside sounds a lot like mr. right doesn't it!?!?!

What does your love life look like?
Once Again-Matt Redman
haha

What do I say when life gets hard?
Night, Night-Seiom Accorgo
this is sooo true-when i'm upset i always go to sleep-that is how i deal when life gets hard. i guess i secretly hope to sleep through it all!

What do I think when I get up in the morning?
Zanzibar-Billy Joel
what does zanzibar mean???

What song will I dance to at my wedding?
Mission Pen Possible-Tunnelrats
so funny!

What do you want as a career?
Walk by Faith-Jeremy Camp

Your favorite saying?
Music of my heart-Nicole C. Mullen

Favorite place?
The One Thing-Paul Coleman

What do you think of your parents?
Black, White, Tan-Nicole C. Mullen
LOL!

Where would you go on a first date?
Hallelujah-Brenton Brown
See…just the thought of a first date makes me say hallelujah

Drug of choice?
Shooby –Nicole C. Mullen
sounds like a good drug!!

Describe yourself:
sleep, baby sleep-Nursery rhymes
i do like to sleep :)

What is the thing I like doing most?
Sing Alleluai-Jennifer Knapp
that's great!!!

The song that best describes the president?
Highway Blues-Marc Seales

What is my state of mind like at the moment?
Crucified-Christafari

How will I die?
Our Little Love-Nursery Rhymes

Jamie's custom question: What makes me smile?
New Mexico-Billy Joel

Joey's custom question: What captures your attention?
Mockingbird-Eminem

Jennifer’s custom question-What will my day be like?
Keeping the Faith-Billy Joel
this is the best one!!!

evil credit cards

okay, i got the bright idea to open up a target credit card account when school started this past year. i said i was doing it to "support my school", since a percentage of what i spend is given back to my school. but it was really just because i love target and like to spend more money than i make. yes i said it and it's true! however, since september i have been blessed to have been apart of a financial peace small group at my church. so i am in the process of eliminating debt and trying to SAVE money. interesting concept for someone like me!

i cut my target credit card and another visa card up about 3 months ago now. surprisingly i haven't died of starvation or from the lack of this summer's latest hand bag. i didn't cancel my credit cards yet because i am still paying them off. anyways, i got a letter from target national bank the other day. it stated that my wonderful payment history had earned me a large credit increase along with my target card being switched to a visa target card, so that i could use it anywhere in the whole wide world. i have to say it was tempting...i started to think of all the reasons why i should accept this reward for my great behavior (yeah right). but i came to my senses and decided to opt out of the upgrade. well, let me tell you they sure don't make it easy for you to opt out. you have to read through this brochure with negative 4 font and then you have to call an 800 number, enter your account number and press 2 about 6 times to confirm that you really do want to opt out. isn't that crazy??!?!? so much effort to do the right thing. if i had decided to take the new upgrade i would have had to do nothing...absolutely nothing, just go to my mailbox and get it when it arrives. so, beware of credit card companies. they will do anything to make YOU slave to the lender.

aqueduct

before i blog i just want to give a shout out to my wonderful cousin kim and the glorious joey...you two are the only people who read my blog. thanks for the support!

soooooooooooooooooooooo...i'm working at aqueduct right now. i am "night manager", which means that i am here to supervise the waitstaff during dinner, make sure that dinner goes smoothly, and handle any needs of our guests (extra towels, show them how to work the tv, etc.) i also answer the phone and make sure that everyone gets into their cottages safe and sound at night. i turn lights on and off, lock up the buildings, etc. it is a wonderful second job for me, because it is not stressful and it allows for me to get things done.

i have LOTS of down time here. so i always bring my laptop, lesson plans, bible, etc. i use my down time to pay bills, update my blog, check email, work on my budget...i could go on and on. before i worked here i'm not sure when i use to do all these things! i sometimes am working on personal things for hours at a time!

now that school is out and its summer time i don't have as much to do. i was looking forward to getting my work done tonight and then just watching some tv tonight and just vegging out. however the tv is not working and i am sad :( i have to admit that i really love tv. its at times like this-when my brain and body are just tired, but its still not time for bed, that i really love tv. i'm too tired to read without falling asleep, so tv is perfect. i have already searched every website that i know of and i just want to channel surf until its time to lock up (11pm). so, instead of watching tv i am writing a boring blog :) sorry guys. blame it on the tv.

new york

the top 10 reasons why i am excited to go home (in no particular order)

10. jason is graduating from high school...hooray!
9. if i want to go the beach i can be there in 5 minutes instead of 2 hours!
8. i get to eat REAL bagels, good chinese food, and amazing chicken salad
7. i get to see kelley, sine and reilly :)
6. i get to see my mom, dad, jason, grammie, pa, gay and mal
5. i will be reminded of how much i love living in n.c. (traffic, lack of a.c., rude people, etc.)
4. i get to see lisa and joe
3. i will spend most of my days there with my feet planted in the warm sand, while listening to the sound of the ocean waves crashing and feeling the cool sea breeze (none of this 100 degrees by noon crap)
2. doss is coming to visit!!!!
1. i will be "home"

Bathing suit shopping...

Today I decided it was time to go bathing suit shopping. YIKES! I absolutely hate bathing suit shopping. I hate it for several reasons...

1. my body (that's the obvious one)

2. the prices!

3. the tangles mess that bathing suits are when hanging on racks.

4. trying 400 + bathing suits on

5. wondering about the other people who have tried the same on on (yuck!)

I could go on and on. Anyways, I started in Sears and was surprised to find that most of the bathing suits were 50% off. That was cool. I find it funny that the bathing suits go on clearance/sale before summer even officially starts. Then I discovered that the new trend is buying tops and bottoms as separates, mix n' match. I am a big fan of the tankini, so we were off to a good start. I found a bottom that I liked on my first trip into the fitting room. That must be some kind of record!!! I couldn't find a good top so I purchased the bottom in faith that I would find a top at another store. So after a pit stop at Auntie Ann's pretzels I went to JC Penney's and found a top! Again on my first trip the fitting room. The suits were on sale at Penney's too. So I ended up spending about $50 dollars total. It was a wonderful bathing suit shopping experience! I NEVER thought that I would say wonderful and bathing suit in the same sentence!!!!!!! So, now I'm all set for my trip home to Long Island and for lots of summer days by the pool. Yeah!

weird?!?!

so after my last work day yesterday i came home to take a nice restful nap. sometimes i nap on the couch, but when i want a really good long nap i get in my bed. so as i was sleeping i had a bad dream, i don't remember what is was about. i just know it was scary and i felt tense. whatever was happening in my dream caused me to reach up and scratch my face. i now have 2, 3 inch scratches across my cheek! i look like i was attacked by a cougar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! has something like this every happened to you? can you help me think of a cool story to tell everyone? the nap story is not very good!

summer, summer time!

i made it! another school year under my belt (so to speak). today is my first official day of summer (although summer does not truly officially start till next Thursday). i love it. my multi-tasking self tends to calm down and i start to get little things done that i normally can't do. so far today i woke up to my dog and NOT an alarm clock, went for a walk with Sister, checked my email, and now i am watching morning talk shows while blogging! how great is that?!?!

the rest of my day involves a manicure and pedicure, courtesy of a gift certificate from one of my student's parents. then i will run a few errands and probably get a nap in. i'm pretty happy right now!

down pour

i got home from work today and decided to take my dog for a longer than usual walk. the temperature was just right and i also needed to make a few phone calls. yes, i'm the one who walks her dog, talks on the phone, chews gum...and then gets almost hit by a car. i know some people get annoyed at people like me, but i'm a multi-tasker by nature. i always need to be doing more than one thing. thats a topic for a whole other blog though.

so, sister and i start walking and i notice the black clouds in the distance. but i decided they were too far away for me to worry. i was wrong! about 5 minutes into the walk it starts to rain and then POUR!!!! sister and i started running back to the apartment, but it was too late. we were soaked. so i stopped running and just admired the rain for a minute. i could immediately smell the rain on the hot asphalt and see the steam start to rise. it reminded me of being a kid, playing on the farm and getting caught in an afternoon thunderstorm. it was fun. sister didn't much appreciate getting so wet, but it was worth it.

i didn't sing in the rain, but i was tempted!

Christy

All of you who might read this already know what I'm about to say, but I'm gonna say it anyways. Christy Merrill is a great person!!! Yesterday we FINALLY got to celebrate Christy's upcoming big move to AFRICA!!!

I meet Christy 4 years ago as I started my teaching career at North Chatham School. She thought I was snotty at first because I turned down every offer she ever made to go to happy hour on Friday afternoon. I didn't turn her down because I am snotty, I was just struggling with my adjustment to teaching and moving to NC, etc. So when she couldn't get me to happy hour she invited me to church!! I finally said yes and that is how I found newhope!!! It is amazing how God works. It is really all because of Christy that 12 (yes twelve) of my family members now attend newhope and are experiencing God's love and grace in a whole new way. Cool, huh?

Well the story doesn't end there. Christy and I not only worked together, but now we went to church together. We eventually ended up in the same small group too! So to save gas money we just decided to become roommates!!!! (that isn't really why, but it makes sense, right?!?)

I lived with Christy for 2 years and God continued to bless me through her. And now she is moving to Africa! I'm gonna miss her...a lot. But I couldn't be more happy for her. She is the most obedient person I know when it comes to listening to God. And for that reason God is preparing to bless her in ways that she could never even imagine. There is talk of Christy returning with an African baby and lots of piercings...who knows!! The only one thing I know for sure is that thousands of people will be blessed by her in Africa.

If you don't already support Christy in prayer or with finances you need to get on the boat!!! This girl is going places...so lets help her get there. Leave me a comment if you want more info on supporting her.

I LOVE YOU CHRISTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

$4.76

okay. as many of you know i have been taking a financial peace course through my church. it is great and certainly life changing for me. anyways, i have a budget that is based on an envelope system. for example...if i need $150 a month for gas i put it in an envelope marked "gas money" and use that money only for gas. when i run out, well i run out. hopefully i make it to the end of the month. i am only in my second month of this new budet system and i definitely don't have it all figured out yet. but i am working on it and that's all that counts, right?!?!
so, after some poor calculations i ended up with only $6 for food to last from this past saturday until friday (which is still 2 days away). i don't really have any groceries in my house but i got creative this week. i defrosted all the turkey burgers and chicken cutlets that had gone astray in my freezer, i ate all the canned veggies that have collected dust in my cabinets. but then last night i realized that i had NOTHING left. at least not anything that i could combine to make edible. so i ventured to target this afternoon with my $6. i planned on getting some pasta because its cheap and i like it, but then i got into the store and discovered all the things under one dollar that i could buy! here is what i ended up with 2 bottles of sparking water, 1 pasta side dish thing, 2 bananas, 1 large can of peas,1 box of vanilla cookies and 1 box of pasta...for $4.76! can you believe it?!?! i thought about going back and spending the left over money but i knew not to press my luck! as i stood on line to pay i noticed that a guy in the lane next to me was buying 1 can of tuna fish, 1 box of mac and cheese, and vanilla cookies( the .99 cent ones). i think he was in the same boat as me! it made me feel so much better and i guess that god just wanted me to see that i'm not the only one who has to count my pennies. why am i sharing this? because i want everyone to know that you can survive on very little money and LOTS of faith in god! hopefully i will do better next month, especially now that i know how to spend less than 6 bucks on food in 8 days!!!

Teacher Appreciation

This week is Teacher Appreciation week. I forget its coming every year, but it always comes at the perfect time. May is filled with EOGs, 4th quarter assessments, summative assessments, Spring Fever, etc. Not to mention Mother's Day projects, PTA meetings, parent orientation for next year's class and kindergarten screening day for next year's class...you get the point. With all the craziness I sometimes forget why I teach. I start to count the days till the end of year...when really it is too soon to do it.
Then I come into work on Monday and each of my students came in with a flower for me! They walked in with a proud smile and a flower. I could tell how excited each of them were. They clutched the flower in their tiny little hand and said "This is for you Ms. Halsey!!" It's a flower!" (just in case I didn't know) My class mom came in with a huge vase and arranged them as the kids came in. All together they looked beautiful!!! I also got some really thoughtful cards from parents. Today my c lass mom organized a catered lunch for all the kindergarten teachers. Not only did we eat delicious food, but we also got to eat WITHOUT our students. Parent volunteers came in and took our students to lunch and we got to eat with other adults!! Imagine that! I did not open one milk or ketchup packet. I did not clean up one spill or remind one student to close their mouth while chewing. I did not eat corn dogs with canned peaches or pizza left over from Monday!!!! Needless to say it was nice, very nice. So, I like teacher appreciation week. I know that it is just one more thing for you moms, but please understand that we really do enjoy it! We often really under appreciated-so this week really means a lot. Now I have the motivation to get through to the end of the year (without loosing it). To all my teacher friends-I think you're great. Keep up the great work. What we do is so important!!!

Ryan

Below is a journal entry from August 2005. It seems like ages ago right?!?! So why am I posting this now you ask? Well, God is good. The prayers and prayers and more prayers that I and so many others have prayed for Ryan have been answered. Today marks 2 months of sobriety for Ryan! Praise the Lord! He has been transformed by God and I am finally starting to see the old Ryan...the Ryan that I grew up with, the Ryan that I loved. The pain of the past is still very fresh though, and I find myself still doubting him, worrying about him, suspecting things, etc. I know that only time can heal these things, and at the end of each day now I can breath a sigh of relief. I still have my brother, God spared his life...and I also believe that God is going to work though Ryan in amazing ways. I look forward to what God has in store for him. Happy 2 months Ry! I am so proud of you!!!

August 27, 2005

I use to have a brother named Ryan. We grew up together and I think I loved him more than any other sister loved her brother. My other brother Jason and I both loved Ryan. The three of us had so many memorable times growing up. I remember growing up on Loper’s Path with Ryan. Even when we both went our separate ways off to college, we remained best friends. He even came all the way from his college to mine to surprise me on my birthday one year.
I do not have a brother named Ryan anymore. I have an alcoholic for a brother. He is not Ryan now, he is an alcoholic. The Ryan that Jason and I love has been gone for sometime now. It only gets more and more painful as time goes by. Jason and I are still growing up together, but we do it with heavy hearts now. A part of us is missing and we can only remember the past to hold onto memories of Ryan. We try to talk about the good times often, to keep them fresh in our mind. Otherwise we will forget the brother Ryan we once had.
I hope and pray more than anything that Ryan will come back someday. It may never be the same, but I still want part of him back. Right now Jason and I just have an alcoholic for a brother. I hate my alcoholic brother. My heart will never fully mend until I have Ryan back. I love Ryan and always will. I pray that the Lord will send back my brother. That is all I want. I still love Ryan more than any other sister loves her brother.

To blog or not to blog

When I first heard about blogging I thought it was a selfish hobby. I frowned upon blogging and wondered where people found the time to blog. I would occasionally read a friend's blog just to see what it was all about...but I didn't buy into the whole thing. I found myself thinking, "Don't these people have anything better to do with their time? Heck, I could give them a laundry list of things to do for me." Honestly, I think I was jealous at first-because I wished I had that kind of spare time! However, I now have a part-time second job that has LOTS of down time. In that down time I started to read a few blogs. I was intrigued. I was reading things that I found very interesting, funny and just refreshing. I also was learning things about my friends who I thought I knew so well.
Blogging is really just a fancy word for journaling. (Our culture has created fancy words for just about everything.) When I thought of it more at journaling I started to warm up to the idea. However, I've never been much of a journalist either. I have about 10 pretty journals that collect dust on my bookshelves. Each one a gift or one that I purchased in an attempt to inspire myself to be a better journalist. It didn't work. Out of the 10 journals that I have they each average about 2-3 journal entries, followed by 100+ blank pages! A few years ago I started to journal on my laptop. I am a much faster typer than I am a writer. This solved the sore writing hand problem, but still left me feeling unsatisfied. As I began to explore the blogging world I realized how much you could do with blogs, like adding pictures, changing fonts and colors, etc. That was very appealing to me And most importantly my friends can read what I write! So, to make a long story short HERE I AM!!! I am now an official blogger. If I can find the time to browse myspace and look at the pictures on people.com everyday, I can find the time to blog too. There are no guarantees that I will keep this up, but at least I'm not wasting 100+ pages of a journal, right?