{Texas Tuesday - Pit Stop in Waxahachie}

Hey y'all!! Happy Texas Tuesday!!

<div align="center"> <a href="http://www.masonsmama.com/" title="Masons Mama"><img src="http://i45.tinypic.com/709jsy.jpg" alt="Masons Mama" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

What is Texas Tuesday? A chance for you to show off the awesomeness that is TEXAS!! You can blog about anything; restaurants, vacation spots, venues, concerts, your hometown, shops, fashion, sports, etc. The linkup is not limited to Texans, we just ask that the post is about Texas. 

We don't make following any of the hosts a requirement, but we do ask that you include our button and at least post about a Texas related topic. Any links that are not related to the link up will be deleted. (button code is in grab box below the image above)

We've invited Texas bloggers to co host with us weekly. So far we have gotten a great response and have co hosts scheduled through the end of March. If you're interested in being a co host for our link up please email Amanda at princessofthepanhandle(at)gmail(dot)com and she will get you on the calendar. 

This weeks co-host is Kenzie and she blogs at the adorable Ashcraft Bunch. Make sure you stop by and visit her blog.


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Last weekend Mason, the Hubbs and I ventured out to Pit Stop BBQ in Waxahachie {on the border of Reagor Springs}. The food is competition style and let me just say it's out of this world good!! Nathan got a chopped beef sandwich, I got a loaded baked potato and Mason got a grilled cheese! And somehow we ended up with an extra plate that we all nibbled off of.

Not only is the food amazing, the atmosphere is pretty awesome as well. The windows are all up so that you get the "open" effect. Part of the seating is in the actual restaurant building and part is outdoors. 

They have a barn type shed in the back that they've converted to a stage and named the Grand Ol' Opry. They feature live music there often. The band that we saw was a group of guys that have been playing together since the 60s. They covered all kinds of music. We really enjoyed them.

Also in the back they have horseshoe pits and a sandpit with toy tractors for the kids. 

This would be a fun place to get a group of people together to go to!


We had a blast and will definitely be going back. If you're in the Waxahachie area be sure to check it out!

Have you ever been here? Or anywhere like it? Share!

 

{Mason's Third Birthday Party - TNMT}

Texas weather...it's so unpredictable!! We looked at the forecast 10 days out and it was like a 60% chance of rain. Then the 5 day forecast showed only 20%. That's when I got my hopes up! We had already ordered the cake, the bounce-house, the helium balloons, etc. So there was no way I was cancelling {I mean, without being forced to}. So, we pressed on. The night before the party it started a stormin'! I couldn't sleep because I was so upset about the rain. I finally fell asleep. When I woke up I ran to the window! It was wet, but not horrible. 

We got everything prepped just in time for the party, but not without worry. There were storm clouds surrounding us! But, the good Lord spared us the rain for a good 2 hours. We had enough time for lunch, cake and gifts. And the kids got to play for a while. Then the storm came and everyone was hiding under the camper awning! As the rain slowed everyone started getting their families loaded up in the car.

Mason's little best friend and his family stayed for a bit so that the boys could play. They were able to play in the bouncehouse some before another line of storms came through. Then we moved inside and let the boys play with some of Mason's new toys. A little later Mason's uncle and his girlfriend got there and he got to open more gifts. 

It was a really good day! We are blessed with such amazing friends and family.

 

 

{Friday Randoms}

Happy Friday. Although his week was pretty uneventful it feels like it has been forever long.

The majority of the week has been spent at home. I've been menu planning for the last couple of weeks, so we've been cooking and eating at home. I love eating at home. But, I absolutely HATE doing dishes. Speaking of menu planning, a couple of my friends, Steph and Tiffany are starting a "Tasty Tuesday" link-up where they share their menu and recipes. I can't wait to get ideas from this!!

I'm still fighting these allergies. We have cottonwood blowing like crazy around our neighborhood and my allergies hate it. As soon as I get home I start sneezing and my throat hurts so bad when I swallow. Yuck!

I love this time of year, but hate the allergies.

Oh and the bugs. Ugh. The bugs.

{begin rant} Our house sits on 2 acres. Almost every house surrounding us is on an acre or so. Part of our property backs up to a 3500 acre cattle ranch. It's good and it's bad. It's good because we have free range to go over on the Ranch. It's bad because no matter how much treatment we put in our yard we STILL get bugs! And snakes. And coyotes. And rabbits. But, my biggest frustration is the bugs. Chiggers to be exact. Those little invisible suckers are the devil! They bite and leave their mark on your body for weeks and weeks. We all use bug spray, but they still bite. And they just love Mason. And his boy parts. This week they attacked his "boy" area. He had like 4 or 5 chigger bites in that area and lets just say that it swelled up 3 times its normal size. Freaked me out! Anytime he gets a bite whether its ants, mosquitos or chiggers he swells pretty good. I guess he's allergic to them in a sense. I shouldn't have been surprised when this area swelled too. But I was. And I didn't like it. I gave him benadryl and have been lathering it with Calamine lotion. Anything else burns and irritates him. The swelling is starting to go down and things are back to looking somewhat normal. It's just so frustrating because we are a family that loves needs to be outside!! {end rant}

Ha. A whole paragraph on Mason's boy parts. He's gonna love me when he reads this blog one day.

Nathan is working on Saturday, so it's just Mason and I. I'm going to try to get our grocery shopping done and maybe take Mason to Toys R Us to spend some birthday giftcards. That way when Nate gets home we can just enjoy time as a family!!

What are your plans for the weekend?
















 

{Texas Tuesday - Fort Worth Zoo}

Hey y'all!! Happy Texas Tuesday!! 

 Friday May 24th we took Mason to the Fort Worth Zoo for his birthday. It has become a tradition for us, the zoo. The first year we went to the Fort Worth Zoo and the 2nd year we went to Dallas and this year we found ourselves back at the Fort Worth Zoo. It's been a couple of years since we've been to the Fort Worth Zoo and we have been missing out!! I think it's safe to say that Fort Worth is our favorite. We really love the renovations they've done at the Dallas Zoo, but it still doesn't top Ft Worth! 

This year it was Nathan, his mom, Mason and I. We had a fabulous time. There were several schools there, but we never felt crowded. Everything is just so nice at the Fort Worth Zoo...the landscaping, the eating areas, the restrooms, etc. 

And Mason? Poor kid didn't have any fun...HA!!!!

His favorite part?  The Yellow Rose Train. We rode it twice.

It was such an amazing day! We all had a good time and Mason was such a happy little guy. It rained on us twice while we were there, but we were able to take cover each time. And the showers didn't last too long. 

I'm already ready to go back. :)) 

What is your favorite Zoo??

<div align="center"> <a href="http://www.masonsmama.com/" title="Masons Mama"><img src="http://i45.tinypic.com/709jsy.jpg" alt="Masons Mama" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

What is Texas Tuesday? A chance for you to show off the awesomeness that is TEXAS!! You can blog about anything; restaurants, vacation spots, venues, concerts, your hometown, shops, fashion, sports, etc. The linkup is not limited to Texans, we just ask that the post is about Texas. 

We don't make following any of the hosts a requirement, but we do ask that you include our button and at least post about a Texas related topic. Any links that are not related to the link up will be deleted. (button code is in grab box below the image above)

We've invited Texas bloggers to co host with us weekly. If you're interested in being a co host for our link up please email Amanda at princessofthepanhandle(at)gmail(dot)com and she will get you on the calendar. 



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{Weekend Wrapup - Wood Playset}

We had a fabulous weekend. For once we actually didn't have anything planned. It worked out perfectly because our weekend was planned for us. :)) Nate's parent's gift to Mason came in and lets just say it was in thousands of pieces!! Wood Play sets are no joke people! It took both Saturday and Sunday for the guys to get it put together. Mason is so excited. I can't wait to get home this evening so he can play!! I see lots of hours spent in his little fort!! And dinners on his picnic table!!

We were able to sneak away for a couple of dinners. Friday night we took advantage of the Happy Hour at our new Taco Cabana!! Lets just say that was awesome. Saturday night we went to a place called Pit Stop BBQ. I will be featuring that on a Texas Tuesday soon!

How was your weekend?

{He said what?!? V8}

It just gets better and better!!!

2/2/13 - We were heading to the Rodeo and had over an hour of driving to do so I told Mason he should take a nap. His response?

"Mama, Cowboys don't take naps."

...

2/3/13 - Mason and I were heading into Target and I asked him if he wanted to get an Icee...

"Yes, but I need to get a prize first. Ice cream drinks aren't very fun."

...

2/3/13 - Nathan, Mason and I were heading down to the creek in the Trail Wagon and out of the blue Mason says..

"Mama, I'm havin' a good day." 

{heart melted}

...

2/3/13 - Mason and I were walking down Nana and Papa's driveway and he wanted to walk down the road. The sun was setting and it was starting to get dark. I told him that we shouldn't walk too far because we wouldn't be able to see animals. He says...

"I don't want a Coyote to eat us Mama. You're my special baby."

...

2/3/13 - "Mason, you are so cute I could just eat you with a spoon." - Me

"No Mama, you can't eat me. I'm not buuuhscetti." - Mason

...