wordless wednesday: a few photos of phoenix and tyler

i never shared these fall photos i took awhile back so here they are today. this was just a normal day at my grandma's house when i took this little series of photos of all my kids, but they have become some of my favorite photos i have taken of them in a long time. i even ordered prints to put in a frame i received three christmases ago, and never put photos in. they should be here today!

 

linking up with the paper mama, angry julie monday, and sarah halstead for wordless wednesday. 

 

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

friday night ramblings and some photos

well, i screwed up my NABLOPOMO goal for the month. i was doing so well and then suddenly this week sped into view and all hell broke loose around here. i have been so incredibly busy! it's so hard to get anything done when i have all the kids at home, but it has been nice to spend the extra time with them.

we had a wonderful thanksgiving with my dad and step mother. i've said it before, but my step mother should totally have her own cooking show on the food network. the woman has spent her entire life perfecting her cooking and i bet she has collected over 1000 cookbooks throughout her life. i seriously don't ever recall anything she has made that wasn't good.

there is nothing better or more important to me than family time and home cooked meals during the holidays. i love that both jason and i share this common value. my fondest memory of this thanksgiving will always be jason and my dad playing soccer with the kids in the yard (photos coming of course)!

black friday shopping...ugh! not my thing at all! i do most of my christmas shopping online every year. a few tips to those who are afraid to shop online...

1. gather a wish list from your kids. we have been using giftbirdy and we love it!
2. start comparing prices early on. once black friday arrives, you will know whether or not the item is on sale and whether you need to wait until cyber monday. if it's not on sale on black friday, wait until cyber monday before settling. 
3.  once you have shopped, be sure to check websites like retail me not for coupon codes for even more discounts. 
4. check with your place of employment for discounts. jason works for directv, so we get additional discounts on a huge list of stores like best buy, target, and more. 
5. if you aren't offered free shipping, or you can't find a coupon code for free shipping, call the company and ask for it. i NEVER pay for shipping! 
6. while you are on the phone with the company, ask about any other unadvertised offers. i was able to get 20% off my order plus a one year subscription to rachael ray magazine last year just by calling customer service at rachaelray.com 

the best part about shopping online is that you can do it right in the comfort of your home, in your pajamas (or in the nude, if that's your thing). 

halloween is definitely my favorite holiday, but for some reason i just wasn't that into it this year and i have really been looking forward to christmas. i have planned some super fun activities for the kids and i just want to take it all in. i even made an advent calendar with activities for each day of december that i will be sure to share with you sometime soon.

last weekend, we went to the raleigh christmas parade and also hopped over to the wake forest seminary for a quick mini session with a cute little family for some fall photos. i will be sure to share our parade photos sometime this week, but in the meantime, please enjoy a few of the photos i took at the seminary.

the rest of the weekend is for spending time with my kids before they head back to school. ever seen the show total blackout? we are totally creating our own version of total blackout tomorrow night and i am pretty excited about it! this coming week i will also be just as busy trying to play catch up, plus, my birthday this week, and my best friend, amanda, who is having her baby shower next weekend. little gabriel will be here in no time.

tell me about your week! what's been on your mind or keeping you busy?

   

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

two teenagers, a step-sister and a step-brother

 

 

i love the brother/sister relationship they have. 

linking up with the paper mama, angry julie monday, and sarah halstead for wordless wednesday.

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

fall photos of the dement family

sometimes i like to pretend i am a photographer and take photos for my friends and family. I have taken quite a few photos for people over the last few years, including two weddings and lots of family photos. i shoot completely in manual but i would love to learn more about my camera and how to take better quality photos and maybe even do this as a business some day. but, for now, i am happy with the "work" i have been given.

this past weekend, i was able to take fall photos of one of my best friends, amanda and her family. amanda is expecting her second child in january, so this actually was a bit of a maternity shoot for her too. it's still a little early, however, with all the holidays coming, both amanda and i stay busy, so we may not get another opportunity for photos.

melissa over at while it rains, recently had her maternity shoot and i loved the ideas she had for her photos so much, i decided to recreate a couple of them for amanda as well. although i am not half the photographer her photographer was, i am pleased with what i was able to come up with.

linking up with the paper mama, angry julie monday, and sarah halstead for wordless wednesday. 

 

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

ryan & jacob fall 2011

a couple weekends ago, i took my kids out to take a few pics, but unfortunately, they weren't very cooperative. elijah was such a busy body, my oldest two boys, ryan and jacob, thought wrestling was a better idea, and mackenzie was busy being a teenage drama queen. surprisingly, phoenix and tyler were actually getting along and listening but, they forgot their smiles at home. they were SO all over the place that pictures were blurry, my settings were way off from trying to adjust while keeping up with them, and my patience was pushed to the max. 

these were a couple of my best photos, but i am not going to lie, i converted to black and white because my lighting and flaws were best disguised this way. 

my boys are looking so grown!

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

what i've been up to

we have been so busy, so i am so sorry if my head hasn't been in the game. starting next month, i will not be accepting sponsors for a while until things calm down around here. i am not doing a very good job of promoting everyone. i am guessing around the first of the year is when i will be able to get things back on track.

this is also the time of year that so many people start requesting fall and holiday photos. although, i am far from calling myself a professional, i do have the same people come back again and again. plus, this time of year is a great opportunity for making a few extra dollars, especially with the holidays coming up. and since i do love taking photos, it's pretty easy for me to agree to it.

here are a few more of the photos i took from last weekend.

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

my countdown to christmas | last christmas

look how much my children have changed since last year's christmas card photos.

2009

 i remember when phoenix gave tyler that black eye just a few days before their photos. they still fight like that, but no black eyes recently.

2010

 

they are growing so fast!


curious about the cherry blossom project? hop over to my new blog to see what i have been doing. become a follower too if you like.