a typical day in my life

it's still summer here and the kids still have about 2 weeks before they go back to school so a typical day will be much different when school starts back. i shared a typical school day with mandy over at a sorta fairytale a while back, so today i will share what a typical day is like when my children are not in school.

8:00 am - wake up! get dressed to workout clothes

8:15 am - go running. mackenzie usually holds down the fort while i take off for about 25 minutes while i get in about 2 miles. if it's raining or an off day, i will workout at home.

8:45 am - shower and dressed.

9:00 am - breakfast. the kids usually get some type of cereal during the week and a larger breakfast (usually pancakes) on the weekend. i get oatmeal with fruit and black coffee.

9:30 am - check the garden. we have a container garden with hot peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. we collect any veggies that are ready to be picked, and water it for the day. it's so hot around here we have to water twice a day. the second time is usually an afternoon shower by mother nature.

10:00 am - playtime and movie time for the kids. chores for me.

12:00 - lunch.

1:00 pm - outside water play (either in the pool or the water table).

2:00 pm - nap time for kids (only the 3 youngest). me time...blogging, check emails, etc.

3:00 pm - snack time (usually outside)

4:00 pm - playtime/craft time and tv time for kids. chores for me.

6:00 pm - dinner.

7:00 pm - bath time for kids.

7:30 pm - winding down and getting ready for bed.

8:00 pm - bedtime. jason & joni time...tv, computers, reading, whatever

12:00 - good-night!

on thursdays, phoenix and tyler see their therapist, so the day is a little different. i try to get all my errands i need to run on that day as well. i usually do the grocery shopping on sundays.

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

 

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

my biggest pet peeves

i am overall a pretty friendly person, but some things just down right annoy the crap out of me. i started making this list and realized the reason i must always be in such a fowl mood. in fact, this list of 10 turned into 12, and i could have possibly kept going but decided against it.

1. when drivers don't use their turn signal or wait until the last possible second to use it. ahhhhh! stop it!

2. unkempt children. we've all seem it... mom with nails done, the latest fashions, burberry bags, hair cut and styled on schedule, and kids wearing raggedy walmart clothes, 4 sizes too small, dirty mismatched socks, who obviously need a hair cut. your kids should be your greatest accessory, so, dress them like you care!

3. people who don't clean up after themselves. i am talking about those people who do it so frequently it almost seems like they are doing it just to get on my nerves.

4. bad table manners including noisy eating/ eating with your mouth agape. 

5. dirty dishes in the sink. i always feel like no matter how clean a house is, if there are dishes in the sink, it looks worse than it really is.

6. standing over me to read or look at something. holy cow, go somewhere!

7. drivers who park to close to my vehicle or take up two parking spaces. 

8. parents who drag their sick children out in public. this includes taking your sick ass kids to school or daycare. unless you are going to the doctor's office, keep your kids at home of goodness sakes. this drives me insane, especially being a previous employee in childcare.

9. when i am interrupted while talking/ when someone tries to finish my sentence. this happens to me so often, having kids, and i have yet to get over it. i will literally be trying to say something and be interrupted 5 times. by the time everyone has shut up long enough for me to talk, i feel like what i was trying to say has been built up so much by then that it will only be a let down when i am finished. example: after being interrupted 5 times... "i just wanted to say that i read somewhere that making macaroni and cheese is much better with 4 cheeses instead of 3." everyone else listening... "OH WOW, that's what we have been trying to hear you say for the last 10 minutes?"

10. lying. most of the time people lie for no reason, and the truth usually doesn't irritate me as much as the fact that you lied does.

11. when the toilet paper is not replaced after it is gone off the roll. "FUCK!" we all know this never happens when you just have to pee. so, now, i am going to have to wobble over and get a new roll. and... "look there! there is the brown tube laying there on the floor waiting for me to pick it up!"

12. when i am pushing a stroller, clearly on the right side of the flow of walking traffic, and a person coming toward me, no stroller and clearly on the wrong side of the walking traffic, expects me to be the one to move out of the way. i feel like this is ALWAYS me. like i am ALWAYS the one who has to move. and those people are jackasses because it is obvious that moving is a far less harder task for you than me. EAT SHIT!

*sorry for the potty mouth! i felt that my pet peeves deserved a true to life experience of what it is really like for me! {grin}

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

my most embarrassing moment

i had to skip the one about the people who have influenced me most. i have to let that one resonate a little longer in my brain. however, moving on to my most embarrassing moment is a bit difficult for me as well because i don't get embarrassed easily. i honestly don't.

but, thinking back and choosing just one instance, i guess i would say it would have to be the time my oldest daughter mackenzie announced to a room full of people...

"when i grow up, i am going to have big boobies like my mommy!"

she was approximately 3 years old and nothing actually prompted her to actually say that, it just came out of nowhere and shocked not only me but everyone who was listening. i am pretty sure my face turned 30 shades of red the moment i noticed all eyes on me, because i knew they could now only be doing one thing...looking at my boobs.

mackenzie 2001

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

 

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

5 things i am passionate about

in no particular order...


1. music - i have always had a passion for music. i had my own record player, one of the ones that close up  like a little suitcase, when i was younger, and carried it around everywhere i went, with my records... i even remember getting electrocuted one time while trying to plug it in. i had a lot of records, but my favorite was a cyndi lauper record that i played over and over and over. i honestly don't remember a time growing up that i wasn't singing and dancing in front of a mirror, imagining that i was performing in front of an audience. later as i got older, there were times i would even sneak out just to go out to late night clubs to dance. music defines different parts of my life...i can hear a song and remember certain times of my life. even now, i have a passion for great music...music from artists who stop trying to be famous and start becoming a musician.

2. expression of my creativity - i don't remember a time in my life that i wasn't doing something creative. i have a short attention span, but i still always remember doing something to show my creative side. as a teenager, i loved to journal with friends. it was the old school version of blogging. i had several friends and tons of books that were filled with photos, drawings, writings, magazine clippings, and more. i even filled my walls with photos and magazine pages, and posters. it was my way of showing my creative side. all of that has carried over to my blogging because it is basically the same as what i was doing then.

3. God - although i don't often talk about my relationship with God to anyone (not just here on my blog), i spend a lot of time talking to Him each day. sometimes i have a hard time dealing with the path my life goes down and get frustrated with questions of "why me?" but when i reflect on my life, i see that through all the bad, so many wonderful things have been given to me in this life. i will never give up on Him because i know that he will never give up on me and has great things in store for my life.

4. family - jason and our children are my life. Most days are chaotic, and some days i cry because i just want 30 minutes of quiet time, but for the most part, i want nothing more to than to be with my family.

5. photography - you don't have to be a professional at something to have a passion for it, and i love taking pictures. in high school i got my first real camera and even received private lessons, just me and a friend, from my school, on how to develop my own film in a dark room. of course, now i don't need a dark room, and enjoy combining my passion for photography with my passion to express my creativity by using photoshop.

..........

and because i can't complete a post without a picture... here is a random photo of me in high school. apparently, i was pretty passionate about a new look because just a few days before graduation, i decided cutting my hair super short and dying it black seemed like a great idea.

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

 

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

my dream job

i had to think a minute about this because i am such a wishy washy person. i am passionate about doing so many things, but notice that when i am forced to do them, i get bored and soon my interest fizzles out. however, here is a short list of a few things i could see myself doing forever...

1. photography - i love taking photos, and although i wouldn't consider myself a professional, i love taking photos for the few customers i have. i wish i could afford to take a few more classes to improve my skills including how to properly use my camera (i shoot strictly in manual, but still feel like i am missing something here) and editing with photoshop.

2. a sandwich shop owner - i'm not talking about a subway here. i mean a place where you can go to get something like a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich with avocado, and some kind of gourmet mayo or something...and even vegan choices too.  i don't know, just something yummy and yet not so trendy like a panera bread either.

3. professional blogger - as cheesy as that sounds, i love to write. i used to keep writing journals with multiple friends growing up and it was kind of like the old school way of blogging. we would write and add pictures, either ones we took ourselves or cut from magazines, and share them with each other.

4. a travel channel employee - more like, one of those people you see who travel all over and try out different hotels and bed & breakfast places, or to find the world's best hamburger joints, or the best places to eat in hawaii, or family friendly places to have fun in the bahamas...you get what i mean. yeah, one of those people. i could definitely incorporate my love of photography and blogging into this one. PLEASE HIRE ME TRAVEL CHANNEL!

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

 

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

the hardest thing i have ever experienced

the last two years of marriage to my ex husband had to be the hardest thing i have ever had to go through. he was drug addicted and severely abusive to me and even threatening toward my parents also... eventually causing them to stop speaking to me for some time. i was scared and alone and very unsure of what direction my life was going. it is an extremely difficult subject for me to talk about but, during that time i was subjected to abuse including being hit, pushed, hair pulled, cut, kicked, objects thrown at me, verbally abused, and more.

the most severe was when he threw the television remote at my face. the force of the hit broke my jaw in three places, requiring reconstructive surgery to my jaw and a permanent plate to be inserted in my jaw. the surgery left me swollen, in pain, drugged up, unable to care for my children, and unable to eat anything that wasn't a liquid because my jaw was wired shut for a month. i later found out i was actually pregnant during that time, through all the x-rays and surgery.

this was just a brief synopsis of what it was like, and i'd like to say that that was when i left him, but it wasn't. it took about another year before i actually sought out help from an agency that helps abused women. a restraining order was issued, i later had to go to court, and eventually i got full custody of our 3 daughters. the hardest part of it all was doing it alone. however, that was also the most rewarding part as well. i was able to make it through all by myself.

*sadly, he never chose to seek help for his drug addiction, could not get himself together enough to see his girls, and later died in his home. 

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

 

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

what makes me most happy right now

the path our life is on right now is a little rough and has really got me down in the dumps, but this little guy definitely put a smile on my face this morning. I am also pretty happy about the weight i have lost in the last 2 weeks. physically, i feel great, and look forward to all of the other benefits of eating healthy and working out have for me.

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries

things i would tell my 16 year old self

this was such a hard one for me because i honestly didn't know what to say without fearing some kind of "butterfly effect" that would cause me not to have my 3 girls, jason, or my 3 boys. i was really only able to come up with 6 things that i knew would save me a few headaches as i got older.

• as hard as school seems now, life will be a lot harder. enjoy life...and school...now!

 

• stop stressing about your weight. at 100 pounds, you are NOT fat. wait until you have children and struggle just to get down to your new goal of 125. 

 

• be more aware of what you eat and start running and exercising now. although eating pizza, burgers, fries, and shakes on a daily basis does nothing to your figure now, you will struggle after having children and getting older.

• contribute to a savings account and learn how to budget your money now. life will be a lot less stressful as an adult when you have a little extra money tucked away. you will have six children and money will be tight sometimes. always have that backup. 

 

• listen more. to yourself, to your parents, to teachers, to friends, to God, to everyone. 

 

• stop wearing those ridiculous baggy clothes!

 

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

my relationship with my parents

my parents divorced shortly after i was born, right around my first birthday and i have no memory of them being together, ever. my mom went on to marry my step-father when i was about 4.  my dad went on to marry my step-mother when i was about 5.

my mom and mackenzie

growing up, my step father became the vice president of a huge restaurant franchise (a little place where bees live and apples grow), my mom worked, and life was pretty much about that for them...traveling, fancy restaurants, lavish parties, and late nights out. i was not a terrible child, but many of my rebellious acts were most likely a cry for attention. needless to say, my mom and i were never really able to grow the kind of relationship i wanted from a mother and her lack of effort only made it easier to push her away. 10 years ago, this november, my step-father died of a self inflicted gun shot wound to the chest in his and my mom's home. since that day, my mom and i have basically grown further apart but usually talk about once a month and see each other on holidays. we live less than 20 minutes away from each other. don't get me wrong, i love my mother, she has done so much for me over the years, including buy the house we currently live in (it's ours, she just put forth a very large down payment for it), but i wish things were a little different.

..........

my dad and step mother with mackenzie

since i lived with my mom growing up, of course i didn't see my dad as much. as i became a teenager, i hardly saw my dad and step-mother because i was a selfish teenager who only wanted to hang out with friends. my dad is probably one of the hardest working men ever, and has made very little money all his life, but got to where he is (a lovely home on a large piece of land) by saving his money and living a pretty simple life. i love my dad and the best thing he has ever given me is the comfort that he would always be there for me no matter what. i get emotional thinking about how amazing my dad has been all of my life and how big of a douche i have been as a daughter...i could be visiting more, calling more (i'm calling today!). now that i am older, i enjoy spending time with my dad, but i just don't get over to his house like i would like. my step-mother and i get along great and have so much in common. i feel comfortable talking to her and am so thankful for her as a second mother.

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

my 3 biggest fears

1. something happening to one of my children or happening to me and not being there for my children. of course what parent doesn't have this fear, but i always think worst case scenario when my kids want to do something i think is unsafe or could get them hurt. my kids would say i am an extremely overprotective parent because of this fear. like... if we are riding in the car and someone nearly runs us off the road or i slide on a slick spot after a rainstorm... my first thoughts go to a horrible image in my head of what could have happened. i pretty much give myself anxiety worrying sometimes.

2. swimming in lakes. i would rather get eaten by a shark in the ocean than to swim in a lake. they are creepy and nasty and full of slime, parasites, and dead bodies...at least that's what i see in my head and why i won't go in.

3. spiders and bugs. i actually remember being very young and picking up all kinds of bugs and was known in my class as the bug catcher. until one day when the teachers volunteered me to get this bug out of a cardboard box and into an aquarium. when the teacher opened the box there was the hugest praying mantis ever and it jumped toward me. i screamed and flipped out and have never liked any kind of bug since that day.

it took a lot for me to hold this caterpillar. i basically held it long enough to take this picture, 

hence the look of  "hee hee, this is soooo fun (sarcastic voice), hurry up and take the picture!"

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

20 random facts about me

1. i never really owned a cell phone until about 3 years ago.

2. i wore a dress or skirt from contempo casuals (today it would be a cross between wetseal or forever 21) every day my sophmore year in high school. the following year as a junior, i wore nothing but cords, flip flops, and vintage tshirts. mouths dropped when i walked in on the first day of school my junior year because i had changed so much.

3. one of my biggest fears are swimming in lakes. there's dead bodies in there, right?

4. right now, my hair is the longest it has been since i was a freshman in high school.

5. other than my blog and social media, the website i visit most is IMDB.

6. i am distantly related to clay aiken and ironically, our birthdays are on the same day, same year. *twilight zone music*

7. i hate doing laundry and most often we have a huge pile of laundry (imgine the huge pile...now multiply it by 12) that needs to get done.

8. my favorite sport is hockey.

9. i love to just ride in the car, but i hate driving!

10. when i was born, my mom had been told she was having a boy.

11. i think shrimp tastes terrible but smells so good.

12. i am only 5 ft. tall.

13. i love corny one liner movies and have been known to use those corny sayings in everyday conversation.

14. i kinda sorta have a potty mouth.

15. i sleep with the tv on every night.

16. i love chapstick (i carry over 12 sticks in my purse), but almost always wipe it off within minutes because my hair gets stuck in it.

17. i carry about 15 pens in my purse too but never have my purse when i actually need a pen.

18. i am the opposite of a hoarder...a minimalist. i get rid of stuff on a pretty frequent basis and would get rid of more but i know jason would freak out.

19. my middle name is crystal and it was given to me because my mom loved crystal gayle.

20. my first pet was a german shepherd named gypsy.

go HERE to find my full list of 30 things. be sure to head over to best of both worlds to link up your own 30 things list or read and get to know some other awesome bloggers.

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: mamacherry

30 things

last year, i did 100 things about me but, i got pretty excited about this list i found over at heather's place, best of both worlds (she originally found it here). i have decided to take a stab at accomplishing it over the next 30 days because it's such a great way for you all to get to know me better. you're welcome to join me and i can get to know you better too. heather is doing a linky to go along with it, so if you decide to participate, be sure to head over to her blog and link up to share with others. you may find someone you have something in common with.

all of my posts will be listed here and you can find a button in my sidebar that links back to this list so you can read each one as i go along. if you participate, be sure to create a post with the list below so you can link up each of your posts too. then go over to heather's blog, on monday, july 23, where you will find a one time link up. don't have time to do them all? that's okay! you can pick and choose which one's you do. it will be fun!


30 THINGS...THE LIST:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrassing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misunderstand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for

joni - sixcherriesontop (at) gmail (dot) com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | instagram: sixcherries