like it?

Like my new design and name??  it was definitely time for a face-lift. And blogger has added all these new cool options and fonts you can do now with your blog. i love it! I also am a fan of that bar at the top of my blog; they are links to my other blogs! cool huh?! these things excite me. 

i decided that we'll always be the talbi, but we've been that for like 4 years now! its time for a change. "Mama & the Manfolk" is perfection. i will soon have 3 men in this home with me. yikes! and i designed it all by myself! i';m getting a teeny teeny bit more photoshop savvy.

I've added a few new "buttons" to my side bar. one is "Bee a little better" . i saw it on a friends blog. its just a simple , clean blog that inspires you to be happy, and better, and well- happy. who doesn't need a good dosage of that every day?

I also added "Clean Mama". if you know me at all, you know that i am not a clean mama. i'm a messy , crazy, disorganized mama. i drive myself crazy about it too. this blog has little tips on organization and how to keep your house clean, one step at a time. it inspires me.

(this is pretty random, i know. but i took these photos, and i like them)

Also-- i joined good reads. i know a few of you do it too. (i have that on my sidebar too) i don't really understand it all quite yet, so if anyone wants to explain it more to be, that'd be fine. there are soooo many books i wanna read. i love to read. i think its cool they have a site where you can make a list of what you have read and want to read. i think it also suggests books that you'll like too? that would be extra awesome. anyway- if you are on it , "add" me as a friend and tell me some good books that i'd love to read. currently i'm reading the true blood  "sookie stackhouse" series. if you've seen it on HBO, well i'm sorry & the books are really nothing like it. they are WAY better and not droppin eff bombs every second. they are a bit racy though, so if you despise of those things, don't read them. but i find them interesting. i also find it pretty interesting that i find it interesting to read about vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, telepaths, fairies, witches and other super natural creatures. i have not yet run into a dragon, good thing, and i don't think i will. i'm on book 10 out of 11, so i don't think its happening. i usually hate sci-fi, but i guess you could say after twilight, i'm broadening my horizons. i mostly love novels & fiction. wait- is fiction the stories that could really happen? or is that non-fiction? basically, i usually like reading about things that could happen, things that get me all emotionally involved with real characters and a real story.

Have any of you read "Matched" ? if not, do it. its easy, very clean reading and ITS GOOD. you won't regret.

Anyway- next on my reading list is the "Uglies" series, "The book thief" and "the Work and the Glory series". let me add that i  LOVE series. i love knowing there are like 10 more nice beautiful thick books of the story i'm reading. and I HATE when they're over!

what's on your reading list??? what have you read that you LOVE that you must share with me?

tell me. yes YOU. tell me!!!!!

Mothers Day

Mothers Day was so great!

I was very spoiled.

I love when that happens!

I got lots of sweetness and loves from my Jax bear.

 got this awesome leather recliner. its kind of for all of us, but mainly for me & baby M.

try not to notice my fat fingers and face. i'm retaining water already like crazy!

my sweet little man was such a good boy to keep this gift a secret from me for a few days. he was so happy to finally give it to me. i love his cute face!

its my favorite perfume & a cute card from the boys that jax even signed himself!

i love getting cards. it means so much to me for some reason.

i have been craving ihop pancakes like crazy!

they are so so so so so so good.

THE best pancakes EVER.

so, we got to go eat there :)

Andrew was so great to baby me the whole day. He cleaned up the house, took care of jaxon, and let me sleep as much as i wanted!

since i didn't get to see my mom on mothers day, i gave this to her a week earlier.

i'm so mad i didn't take a picture of hers. this is how it looked though, just with her kids names on it.

hope you had a HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!

Happy Mothers Day

 

Happy Mothers Day to all of the Mamas out there.

You are special.

[warning: things may get a bit cheesy]

Happy Mothers Day to my Mom, I love you!

I am so thankful for everything you do for me.

You are always willing to help me out in any way you can.

You are always there to give me advice when I ask, but you don't force it on me.

I hope you have a great day!

I am grateful to be a Mom, even though some days, I'd give anything to go back to being young and carefree. Motherhood has not been easy for me. its been a big learning experience filled with tears & frustration. Some days, i ask myself what the heck i got myself into (and i'm sure when man #2 comes along, i'll be asking that a few times a day) BUT,

I love my little bear Jaxon more than i ever knew i could. He is such a sweetheart. He has taught me a lot about life, and about being a mother. He has softened my heart, and put things into perspective.  I am thankful the little stinker is my son.

I am also excited to meet my little Mason in a few months. He will no doubt be a sweet little man who will melt my heart.

I've learned that Mothers are SO important. I am Jaxon's Mom. I've been given that responsibility, and wow, its a big one. Everything little thing i do and don't do, is making an effect on that little guy. He looks to me for answers, for love, for comfort. Its a bit scary if you think about it! I am basically responsible for the person he becomes! eeeek!

I don't think you have to give birth to be a Mother. If you have ever "mothered" someone, cared for them, taken them in, sacrificed yourself for them, and loved with all your heart,

then Happy Mothers Day to you, too.

Easter (are you sick of these yet?) part cuatro

a tradition that i grew up with, that we now have to do every year (andrew is finally getting used to it)

is rolling easter eggs down a hill.

yeah, yeah, i know its weird.

i didn't know it was weird when i was growing up though!

seriously, you don't know anyone who does this????

YOU guys are the weird ones!

anyway, jax loves it. what boy wouldn't?

but our tradition differs from my families.

instead of chucking them down the hill as hard as we can , destroying them beyond recognition, WE gently toss them down the hill, trying not to crack them because we like to salvage them and make egg salad sandwiches! yumma! 

no photos of me, and hey, that's fine!

when or IF i get skinny and hot again, i'll put too many photos of me and you'll be sick of it.

oh and this little cutesy house is "the holiday house"

they always have tons of decorations for every holiday.

this pic doesn't do it much justice.

oh! and guess what ? We DID color easter eggs , since you were wondering.

yeah, i just need to edit those and post them...

i will soon.

hope you had a splendid easter!!!

Easter part tres

The Lake!

We are horrible people. we never go to church on Easter. Instead , we go do something fun outdoors. see, i told you, just horrible huh?

i would like jax to go to church though, so he can learn the true meaning..that would be nice.

Anyway...here is us, my fam & some cousins playing at the lake!

again, jax had too much fun!

dad'll love this.

i'm mad i didn't get any pics of my mom.

oh, are you wondering about that 3rd brother that you've heard i have?

yeah, Carson. him.

He's apparently too good to come to family things. its pretty sad, actually.

so, no memories of him or with him.

Easter part dos

Easter Morn

The Easter Bunny decided to look past Jaxon's smelly ways, and come to our house anyway.

he was soooooo excited!

i love holidays with these 2 men.

hopefully mason will share the same love for all things holiday, like the rest of us do . (like he really will have a choice)

Jax got a "star wers light saver"

"star wers mighty beans"

an old school etch a sketch

and lots of eggs full of candy.

spoiled stinker.

we just did candy this year.

well truth be told, i got andy an easter present and he felt horrible that he forgot to get me one. (i let it slide, he was doing finals.) 

sooo i gave him his present later, and i trust that one of these days he'll get me one.

Easter part uno

Easter Egg Hunt!

This is the Easter Egg Hunt that we (me and andy) hosted this year. I had to do it for Jaxon, he loves and looks forward to these types of things. 

I'm really happy with how it turned out! well considering that lots of people couldn't make it...it still went fine.

Here are a few, and you know what i mean by few photos of Jax with his cousins playing on the rocks and looking for eggs!

jax was pretty pissed off when we told him he'd already found his 12 eggs.

(each kid got to find 12. yeah doesn't sound like much, but thats 144 eggs people!)

\

cousin Julia & Jax.

she follows him everywhere and he doesn't quite know how to handle it.

 its pretty funny.

hey! my family was there too. 

here's a creepy picture of my dad and tanner.

the kids had a blast!

what did you do for Easter? 

Did you have an Easter egg hunt?