Writer's Workshop

Today's prompt is to write a letter to someone who you miss. Well, this one hit home. I decided that since the 7th Anniversary of my Papa's passing is coming up that I would write a letter to him. I was his first grandchild, so we always had a special bond.



Hop on over and join the contest


Papa,



I must say that time has passed so quickly. That always happens with time, it comes and goes before you know you ever had it. When you got sick time flew by before it was time for you to go home. It was a sad time for me and took me quite a while before I could talk about you with out a tear.



I do miss going to your and Nana's house and you sitting in your chair watching the Discovery Channel chewing your snuff. The smell of that stuff still reminds me of you.



On October 18th it will have been 7 years since you left us. I know you are in a much better place, so just in case you have been too busy in Heaven, I just wanted to let you know what I have been up too!



I am married now, my husbands name is Curtis. He is wonderful. Amazing. He loves me so much. We have a son, his name is Curtis Mason, we call him Mason. He has fiery red hair and he is just a pistol. I often think of how proud you would be of me and how much love you would have for Mason. It is funny because Mason was actually due to be born on the day you passed away. I think in some weird way that did not happen just because Mason needed his own day, a happy day just for him to come and meet us all. So, he came on the 4th and what a happy day it was.



Although you are in Heaven, we still think about you and talk about you. Mason has a book that is called, "Little Loon and Papa." It is about a baby bird and his Papa. So when he tells me he wants to read his "Papa" it always makes me think of you.



I miss you a lot and I know I will see you again some day.



Much Love and BIG Hugs,



Leslee

Bar-B-Q Bacon Chicken Pizza

Curt has a strange love for all things Bar-B-Q! Everywhere we go he has to have bar-b-q dipping sauce, pizza, you name it... He has the same love for honey mustard, but that would just be nasty on a pizza....

It is supposed to be Bar-B-Q Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza. But, we do not cook a lot of red meat, hardly ever do I cook red meat... I know... You think I am un-American. It does not bother me, I just prefer white meat to red, so that is what we eat....

This is a super easy recipe that I pretty much made up about a year ago.

1 can of crescent rolls
1 bottle of Honey Bar-b-q sauce {use as much as you like}
2 medium sized chicken breast {chopped}
4-6 pieces of bacon cut up {I used the pre-cooked bacon, so much easier}
Whatever kind of shredded cheese you like

~you can totally tell I made this up. I do not have any real measurements...

Preheat the oven to whatever the can says, take the crescent rolls and make them into a pizza shape, mine looks like an oval pizza... Roll up the edges and make sure to press out the crust underneath so as not to have a thick bottom crust, it will not cook well. Fill the pizza with as much or as little Bar-b-q sauce as you like, then comes the chopped chicken, then the chopped bacon, then the cheese.... YUM!

You are really going to like this. Plus, if Mason was a little older, I could totally make this with him. It is definitely kid friendly and small pizza's can be made from it as well... Maybe your kiddo's are old enough for everyone to make their own pizza's!

Have fun and eat up!

No comments about my super old pan, please. I think it is from the college days...
Ummmm. Deep Dish!

Wordful Wednesday- Relax

ReLaX....



For those of you who frequently look at my blog, this pic is a recycled one.... I had to use it.... It is the only picture I have of me ReLaxInG! This was taken on our girls weekend and what a great one it was... Actually we had a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad hotel experience so we got 2 free rooms.... I cannot believe that us gals have hung on those rooms for so long... All I have to say is my friends are the bestest ones!



Which leads me to why they are the best! I have been super stressed to the max for the past month, for those of you who know why, you understand this post, and those of who who do not know why, well.... who am I to talk bad about something that involves people that look at this blog so the whole world can see.... That would be ugly of me... Right?



Back to the story, my friends are the best because today when the camels back was broken and the camel could not take it anymore the camel's friend Kacey let her come over to her house to cry and relieve stress spending time with her cute little children.... thanks friend....



PS- thanks to my Mom too who gets to hear it all; the good, bad and the ugly! I guess that is what Mom's are for, right?

PSS- I pretty much used the same type of pic that Angie used... You do not mind, do ya Angie?

Wordful Wednesday, hosted by

Zumba....

So lately I have been doing a bit of exercising.... I totally need it. I have been lying to myself since Mason was born. I have still been eating what I want and drinking soda's.... That is so not like me pre-baby. So, I looked in the mirror and I said "enough is enough!" I finally saw what I have been ignoring for the past 2 years. I started back to the gym last week. I took 2 Zumba classes in one week, I cut out my soda's and went back to only water and i also had class again this week. Not really sure why I have been so terribly lazy, but I have been and that is the truth. I am not over weight or obese, but I am horribly out of shape and a little lumpy. So, here I am telling everyone that I am going to shape up those lumps and get back to my pre-baby bod {well, as close as I can get anyways!}

Wish me luck....

Yummmm-o

I love this video, I hate my voice in the background. I sound so funny.... What is with my laugh??? If I sound like this all of the time, please do not tell me.... I could not bear never talking again...

Any-hoo, this is adorable and you can see the apple just packed into Mason's cheeks...

~ps~ I figured out the video feature. I had to use fire fox, but I did it and now I will drive you all crazy with videos all of the time....

Fair-ly Great Time

Saturday night we went to the Fair in Coffee Co. with my parents. We had a great time. My Mom is so funny, I know that she and my Dad have had this date on reserve since they took Mason last year. This year Curt and I thought we would tag along so we could eat really bad foods {not bad, but bad for you} and act like teenagers riding rides. We all had a blast... Most of the pictures are of Curt & Mason, I was behind the camera most of the time... I did not want to miss one minute of his sweet little face when he rode the rides...

Mason sitting on the "Blue Ribbon" bull...

Mason sitting on Daddy's shoulders

Mason and Daddy riding rides.

Mason and Daddy fishing...

Mason and Daddy eating a carmel apple. This was one of the best parts about the fair. Mason loves apples, but when he is sharing one with daddy on a stick, it is the ~BEST~! Don't tell Curt this picture was up here... He will die, the carmel is all over his lips and his cheeks are full of apple...

So all of the pictures are of Curt and Mason, that is fine by me.... I love my boys and I love showing them off!

One of the best parts is that we did not have to bring home any fish or gigantic stuffed animals...

My smile factor.

I was doing dishes and turned around to see this. My little bug had climbed up to the kitchen table with his chip and put my sunglasses on all by himself. Man-o-man, I think I will really miss this stage of his life when it is gone. Today I am thinking that life is {sweet}.

Have a great weekend.

Hello and Good morning... I wanted to que you all in on a little secret.... A little bird told me that Kiki & Lele are having a sale... Hop on over to check out the sale... What are you waiting for?








Much, much Love.

.:Lele:.

Pray for Carol Decker

I was blogging tonight and ran across a blog about Carol Decker's Story. She is a young mother who went in for a c-section and developed an infection that left her an amputee and blind. I am not posting this to make you sad, I am posting this because prayer works and she, her husband and her 2 small children need all of our prayers now and for a very long time.

Click on this link to follow her story. Carol's Story.

Thanks,

Leslee

Wordful Wednesday- Time Out

Angie over at "7 Clown Circus" hosts "Wordful Wednesday" every Wednesday. It is one of my favorite days of the week to post. Her little trend is vastly growing in size. I am on board...

These pictures are of Mason in time out today. He was not using his nice hands. He is so good about sitting there the whole time. He scoots all over his spot and repeatedly tells me, "sonny mommy." I must say, it is too cute... Also, we just moved to 2 minutes from 1.5 and let me tell you he seems to have noticed the difference... Funny how aware they are of what is going on in there own little worlds.

Have a Happy Wednesday!

Funny Stuff. Sweet Stuff. Serious Stuff. Just Stuff.

Pewt
I am not sure who taught Mason this, but I assure you, it was not Curtis or I. Tonight when I was putting Mason to bed, I was laying beside him in his BIG BOY bed ( oh yes, for about 1 month now he is in a big bed, it has it's ups and downs) and he passes gas. I ignore it like I usually do, but he starts to chuckle... Funny, I think to myself- who taught him that? Then he said, "I pewt!" "What? You What?" He said it again, "I pewt Mommy- with a little chuckle..." Then he starts to grunt, and apparently he now has the ability to pass gas when he wants to because out came some more. He enjoyed himself and had a nice little chuckle fest before drifting off to sleep... The whole time I ignored him, but believe me, it was funny and I was torn up on the inside...


Kiss- Kiss
At night when I put Mason to bed I lay down with him until he drifts off to sleep. Since he is in a big bed now, I cannot leave him or he thinks it is a game and he keeps coming out of his room. Anyways, back to the story. I was laying with him about a week ago and I asked him for a good night kiss. He gave me one and then said, "mo!" which means more. I gave him another and he kept asking for more. I think he got 20 kisses that night. He does this now every single night, it makes me shine on the inside that he loves my kisses and I love his kisses too...

Potty Time
Mason is now peeing on the potty. He will not do #2, but he is all good with #1. I am so proud of him, every time I take him he goes. He has it down pat. I think he gets a bigger kick out of doing it though. He has to tell everyone around what he did on the potty! Such a big boy!

Solicited Advice
Since Mason is going on the potty, what should I do about continuing potty training. He had a dry diaper for the whole last part of the day today. He will not tell me when he has to pee-pee, I have to ask him. My question is this: Do I need to put him in pull-ups or underwear? I am not a huge fan of pull-ups, so they will not be my first choice. Thoughts?

Gatlinburg Highlights

I thought you might like to see what I like best about Gatlinburg...



All of the hand made candy stores.... Yum-o!
I took this picture thinking of Mason, he would have had one of each color in his hands...
Yuck, this is weird... Not sure that I could really eat this... I was thinking of my sister, Katie when I took this one- she hates feet....
Hand made stuff. I love these glass blown pumpkins, they had some sure big ones and some really small ones. I would have loved to have takne one home, but I have a 2 year old and that would not work out very well... It is a nice thought though, maybe when he is 10.
This picture was also for my sister, she has a weiner dog name Sophie. Sophie is a true princess and I could totally see Katie dressing up Sophie for Halloween...

Happy Anniversary

Today is our 1st wedding anniversary. We celebrated this weekend in the mountains. It was a great trip with some serious relaxing time. We stayed up late talking and slept in until check out time... I am so thankful to get to spend my time with this guy. He definitely is the love of my life...

The happy couple
a little blurry
hand made flowers all made from seeds, the seeds were dyed. I loved the way they looked. I wanted to buy a whole bunch....
Get a way in the mountains
This is us in 50 years. This old couple was so cute, I actually got a tear in my eye watching them dance.

Curt,
So glad that we get to spend forever together. I love you tons, thanks for a great weekend I cannot wait until next year...
Love,
me

Baby Maker

No not me.... My cat. I tried to have her fixed after the last litter, but I waited too long. I realized that her belly was getting a bit big so i took her to the clinic, you know... "to have it taken care of!" She was too far along, so they would not do it. Then i started to wonder if Beesley was a Republican, would she like to have her babies "taken care of..." Well, anyways, we have kittens and they are super cute. Here is a few pictures that I took last week. They are already bigger than this now.... If you live close and you like kittens, sign up here, we might even deliver it to your house....

Hello 1982

This is Hysterical! I yearbooked myself. Go {here} to turn your plain old face shot into a lovely work of art like this. I think my Mom can appreciate this picture. I am pretty sure she had this hair cut!

Let me know if you decide to Yearbook yourself..... I would love to see which year you choose. I chose 1982, it was the year I was born...

How in the heck did someone get their hair to do this nifty little trick....? This {do} seems to defy the laws of gravity!

Wordful Wednesday!

If you pop on over to check out Angie's 7 Clown Circus, you will find this cute little event schedule for every Wednesday! This is my first Wednesday to participate and I am excited! Thanks Angie, you are too fun!



Every now and then Nana will come and keep Mason for Curt and I while he sleeps or I work. She has a blast with Mason. She always brings her camera. I am sure being a great-grandmother makes you realize that you can never have too many pictures of those who you love. She normally e-mails me the pictures and it never fails, she is always feeding him candy. {I do this too, so I am not getting on to her.} What is also funny is that she takes so many pictures of him doing not really much of anything. In this picture he is watching t.v. and eating a twizler. It is nice for me to be able to slow down and look at her perspective. Mason is so sweet- he is not going to be this small forever and I love that she takes so many pictures....





Just look at this face, he makes me melt...

New Hobby

When I was putting Jessica's shower gift together, I decided it needed a few finishing touches... So, I made some hair bows for Emma Grace. I really enjoyed making these, so much I might just start another ETSY shop.... That is if Kacey does not kill me- we already have enough work as it is... I do not need to be thrown in another direction.... Oh well, just a thought, that cannot hurt, right?

I had to make some orange polka dottie bows, they are HUGE VOLS fans!
I love this ribbon, it will pretty much match anything...
Adding a flower, is so girls and way too cute. I really need a little girl, then I would definitely not have any time on my hands...
GO VOLS!
Sweet Carlyn was such a great model for me.

If you like the bows and think you might want some, e-mail me and we can talk about a price...

leslee_21@netzero.net

Sassy Friends.

We had girls night this past Friday. We went to the Mexican restaurant close to campus to celebrate Kacey's {30}! It started out great, I had a headache all day long and took meds several times- I was not missing girls night.... I made it through for a few pictures and then the migraine hit. I swear I do not even remember driving home. My head started hurting so bad that I broke out in hives and started sweating... It was a bad one. I went to sleep at 8:30 and still had the remnants of a head ache the next day at lunch... Shelly, Brandy, Michelle
Me {my big fat mouth} and Kacey
Look at Brandy being Sassy! I guess that is why she fits in so well....
Me and Kacey

Happy Birthday Kacey, you are a great friend and business partner. I hate that I had to bail.

Much Love xoxo,

Leslee

Long.... Lost... Blogger

I have been off of the scene for some time now.... Does a few days count? I mean I got on tonight to see what everyone has been doing and I am so lost. What was I thinking not checking my blog every single day. It is going to take me hours to get updated and post comments.... Man-o-Man, I will try and not do that again.

We have been so busy. We have house guests and man has that taken us for a ride. But all in all, we are making out okay... The hardest change has been for Mason, but this is not permanent and our sweet little life will go back to normal before too long. We get to help friends along the way.....

Mason is changing and growing so much. He pretty much says everything now. He pees on the potty and tells us right before he poops in his diaper. Such a go getter he is.... I could not be more proud of him. He is learning patients and he also has an ornery side to him. His hearing has become very selective, so I find myself constantly bribing him to get him to listen to me.... I hope I do not turn him into a criminal by the time he is 16... HAHA- Inside joke.

Curtis and I will have our 1 year anniversary on Monday, so we are celebrating the weekend... We are going to have so much fun, I love time alone with my honey. He makes me feel like a princess and always comes up with the best stuff for us to do...

Words to live by- says ME!

"Learn as if you were going to live forever. Live as if you were going to die tomorrow." - Anon.

"Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise." - Anon.

"Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week." - Anon.

"If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right." - Mary Kay Ash

"Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling." - Margaret Lee Runbeck

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." - Albert Einstein

Pretty Stool

Yet another Yard Sale buy... I know it- I am like a vulture. I will straight up do an illegal "u-ie" in the middle of the road to go back and look at something... {a little red-neck- yes, I know... I think it is genetics!} But I am totally safe about it.... I bought this stool when I bought the chair ( 2 posts ago). It was already white but needed some serious paint. It had a seriously 1992-ish cover on the seat. It was "country blue" and super dirty... $1.50 and I was the proud new owner of a super ugly stool that needed some paint BADLY! I was already headed to the fabric store for the chair- no luck for the chair, but this is what I found for the stool... It looks perfect on my up-stairs hall way wall!

Of course I used spray paint. I how I love thee..... spray paint! Is there a club for spray paint lovers?
Do not worry, the wall is getting some more love when I have the money and the time....

Mason thinks it is a time-out stool. He has been putting himself in time out lately. Too cute-I am so sure that will not last long!

The best re-do ever.

My neighbor's had a yard sale a few weeks ago {actually in June} and I found this for $2.00! Originally she was a gold mirror.... I just knew that she would look great with a little spray paint... I am in love with spray paint lately! My first thoughts were that she needed to be a dry erase board. But after some thought I realized that she needed so much more than stinky markers + I already had a smaller dry erase board!

I added some cork to her backing. I like the dark cork the best...
These push pins are nothing more than buttons, felt flowers left over from another project, hot glue and large push pins. They were so much fun to make. I was only going to make 6, you see how that turned out... I used all of my supplies...
Look at her detail, can you imagine her as gold.... It was just not her color...
Flower garden....
Some of my favorite stuff... A sweet note from a friend.... A pic from my sisters wedding- I just could not do with out sentimentals...


Watch out- I am on a projecting war path. I have more to come next week.....

Yard Sale-n.

I went to Kacey's the other day and I could not help but notice a Yard Sale on her street. I saw this chair while going and leaving. But something told me to go back and check her out..... When I went back, she spoke to me... I mean she said I neeeeeeed you to take me home.... I told her I only had $5 bucks cash and she said let me see what I can do..... It was not long before I was squeezing her wide self into the back of my car.... I drove cautiously home and Curt gave me the most horrid look when I got home with her.... I will have to post some pics after my Mom helps me fix this little baby up.... I honestly remember this print, my grandparents had a whole set in this lovely stuff....


Funny story: Kim from "Small Words" came by to pick something up and I know she could see this ugly duckling sitting in the dining room.... I totally felt compelled to explain my self.... Kim, I hope you did not think I was a total goober stumbling over my words trying to tell you about her..... HAHA!



Lovely gold, bronze, creme and some splashes of that beautiful country blue we all remember so well!