in the good old summer time

i enjoy summer time. I also enjoy editing photos. i also have a dang cute little man. so this is what happens when you put those things together..



this is jax's easter present. we are finally using it.
















grass. grass is so wonderful!

and of course...who doesn't love the ladybugs??

the BREAK.

Yes, it's a very sad but true fact. We needed a break from this monster man right here:

this picture doesn't really help my case, does it??

Lets try this one:

or maybe this one:

He is cute. He is sweet. Usually. But cuteness aside, this Mom and Dad needed a break.

It was so nice. Last week (yes I'm behind), My Mom & Dad took Jax for a few days. We met them in Parowan, and yes, they took my baby away from me. All the way to Richfield. You're asking how could I be so heartless? Well, you don't know Jaxon. Jk. I just needed a break. We've done this before, and the first time I cried a little. But this time, I was ready, and no tears came.

Jaxon was more than happy to part from his boring parents.

My parents go through withdrawals about every 2 weeks. He is their one and only grandkid.

It was a win-win-win situation.

SO. Let the fun begin!!! (sad!)

Andrew & I didn't quite know what to do with ourselves. For a few minutes. When the shock settled, we didn't waste one precious minute of our baby-less days.

The first night we did this:

I know, it's official, I am a geek. Who takes a camera to Applebees?? Only me, i think.

THEN....

After that I convinced Andrew to hot tubbin. But since we don't own one, or know anyone who does, this means we sneak into one! yes! I always want to do this, but Andrew not so much. I love my rule-followin husband. But this had to be done.

Really, actually, we weren't "breaking" any rules. We do "own" a hot tub. We are "owners" (whatever that means) of Worldmark condos. (It's kind of a timeshare). But you aren't supposed to go swimming there unless you are checked in and staying at the resort. Oh, well. We live here. We're owners. And we're going, dangit!

No one stopped us. The gate was open , and surprisingly we had the pool to ourselves for awhile!

YES!!!

The second day we went to the movies with our buds Kim & Cole. We saw 17 again. Way cute.

The day after that we went to Cafe Rio. And just relaxed.

It was so NICE.

It was so great to spend time with just Andrew.

Then it was Jaxon time again. We were starting to miss him.

He's pretty cute. And we kind of love him. We didn't feel complete without him!

Thanks Mom & Dad for taking him!

Breaks are nice and needed.
I highly recommend them.

Does anyone know?

Does anyone know where to make cool, cute, and most importantly FREE logos???
I reeeeeeeally need one. thanks.

Thanks, Everyone

While Photoshop Elements may always remain a mystery, I feel a little better about it now. Thanks, Everyone for taking such an interest in my Photoshop pity story! I got so many helpful comments. I will for sure be using all the help you all found for me!! I have now figured out "the eye" thing, thanks to you guys! I think it might work best on very very blue eyes. But it still looks pretty darn cool on ours!







I know I have much much much more to learn. Maybe someday I'll take a class on it. It helped to know that there are other overwhelmed and frusturated people out there just like me!

Yes, Yes, Yes!

This is what we did yesterday......FUN!



LOTS more to come!

Toquerville Falls

Last Sunday we took a little drive up to Toquerville falls. And it was divine. The drive up there was rough. Oh, how I do want a truck! The water was a little nasty looking. It was brown and the falls were all green-ish. But that didn't stop us! It wasn't even that cold! It was SOOOOO nice. What a pretty place. I love going places on Sunday with just my cute little family. Good times.

I refuse to let it happen

I kind of have a complex. It's called growing up. Getting old. Becoming Blah. Would complex be the right word? I don't really know what complex means. Maybe it's a fear then.

Recently, I got caught in that "Mama slump". You all have to know what I am talking about. It's the point in your life where...well..you just don't care. You let yourself go kinda. Cause you think, why do I need to look pretty anymore?? I am just a Momma. I'm married. I don't do anything, go anywhere, see anybody. Ok, it's not that bad. I DO get out. Occasionally.

But putting on make-up and doing my hair kinda gets forgotten. And when that starts to happen, good things don't come out of it. I get a bad "blah" attitude. I quit caring. I am ornery and irritable cause dangit, I don't feel pretty!!

Feeling pretty is important. In my opinion, if you wanna act pretty, you've gotta feel pretty. And I just wasn't feeling it. Partly because I thrive on change. If some kind of change doesn't happen for a loooong time, I get antsy and bored and blah. My husband doesn't. I hate monotony. Thats what my look was. Monotonous. Boring. I can't do that.

SO......

THIS is what I did!

I KNOW, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?? I have no hair and I like it! It's all gone. It's so great. It's so different and it's exactly what I needed to feel alive again! I feel like a hot mama now!! It's so short, but it feels wonderful! Thanks Kim, you did a GREAT job!

(p.s.) Taking self portraits is not my forte. It's quite awkward actually.

So Frusturated (sp?)

Ok, I just got photoshop elements. This has been on my wish list for ages now.

So, now I have it. And it makes no sense. I get on it, and it's completely foreign. It's disheartening, really. I thought I would get on it, and produce all these jaw-dropping photos. Nope. Certainly not the case.

I wanna do that thing that makes the eyes bright and shiny and glistening.
Can't figure that one out. Tried but failed.
I wanna do that thing where everything is black and white with one little thing colored. Like a flower. Don't even know how to try that.

Sad. Poor me.

I am sure they write books on this stuff?? Photoshop elements for Dummies, maybe? Hopefully.

Maybe I'll go get that.

Right now I am so darn frusturated about it! Photoshop was supposed to be the greatest thing that ever happened. So much glee and satisfaction was supposed to come from it. But nope. I am a sad lost girl now. sob, sob.

Anyone understand photoshop elements??
If so, do share.


I feel a little better sharing that with you.

Nothing Sweeter

I am pretty sure there is almost nothing sweeter in the world than this:

Getting a big, wet, sloppy kiss. On the mouth. Without asking for it. Lasting about 20 full seconds. By your wild toddler child. Who never really acknowledges you. Who FINALLY learned who "Momma" is. (I swear, he could say every other word, including "wee wee") Who went to nursery for the very first time today. Who didn't even LOOK BACK. Who waved "bye" with a big smile. Yeah, that kid.

Today that kid made me feel so special. I love that guy.

Egg Hunt {last easter post, promise}

So just when you thought you had read all you could about our Easter, here is yet another post. But I just had to. After all, it was Jaxon's first hunt. Totally blog-worthy. We had this hunt up in Cedar City with all of his cousins. He had a ton of fun, even though he didn't realize what the purpose was. His cousins were way cute to help him find some eggs.

Here are ALMOST all the Grandkids. Yeah, I know, crappy picture. But I had to hurry and take advantage of them all being on the stairs at the same time.

Yes, this a goat. And yes, it is their PET! And of course, the fearless Jaxon, ready to take on any animal with a smile.

All of us sisters and sister in-laws made a craft. We do this just about everytime we get together. It's wonderful. The guys don't agree though, because that means the kids get dumped on them for at least an hour. But who cares? We deserve this. This time we decorated flip-flops and made flowers for our hair. I made a bunch for my "future daughters". Lots'o'fun.

Talbot "Eastering"

On Easter Saturday, the Talbot family got together and went "Eastering". That's what they call it. Kinda silly, huh? Well anyway, on this cold dreary day we went to "Warner Valley". It's in the middle of nowhere. I can't even begin to explain how to get there. But that's where we went. It was a pretty cool place. We had Subway, and played on the cool rocks. The kids, Jaxon included, LOVED it! Joe, my brother-in-law brought 4-wheelers! Yes!! I grew up with 4-wheelers and haven't been on one FOREVER! So this just made my day! Jax was also a fan of the 4 wheelers. We took him on a ride when he was 8 months old, but not since then, & I doubt he remembered it. He was silent the whole time, which in Jaxon language, means he is highly amused and enjoying himself. It was fun times.

Grandma, Uncle Mark, cousin Trevor & Jax.

Grandma & Grandpa Talbot

Uncle Joe & cousin Katina

This also brought me back to my childhood. I always used to catch these: Horny toads!!
Yes, I caught this one. The kids did NOT know what to think about this weird spiky guy. I think he's cute.

goin on a "hike"

beautiful cactus flower!

the weather finally started to warm up. It was nice.

We hiked up to "fort pearce" --a fort built a loooong time ago.

Happy Eastering! Love, the Talbi!