Mama's Pot Roast

Mama's Pot Roast

Normally it can take me a while to make pot roast. Usually I start by cutting it up, rolling it in flour, frying it so that the outside is nice and crisp and then making my own gravy....just like mom taught me. But, while searching for a new recipe, I came across Budget Savvy Diva's pot roast recipe and tweaked it to my taste. I was so shocked at how it tasted just like my mom's recipe from when I was growing up. This one is a keeper!!

Ingedients:
2-3 lb Arm Roast
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 packet dry onion/mushroom soup mix
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 32 oz box of beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4-6 yukon gold potatoes cut up into chunks skin left on
2 cans cut carrots

Except for the roast and carrots, combine all ingredients in your crock pot. Mix until well blended and then add your roast (don't cut up yet, just put it in whole).

Cook on high for 4 hours. After the fourth hour, take the roast out and cut into small chunks. Put back into the crock pot. Add the two cans of cut carrots. Stir and recover.

Cook on high for one more hour. Serve and enjoy.

Family Day Out

Today we decided to go on an adventure...even thought it wasn't much of one. We started off by heading toward Rusk. We were going to go to the Rusk Railroad Park, but then we went looking for Jim Hogg State Park. I got all confused on my directions and couldn't find it, so we found a little roadside park called Butler Park. It was essentially lots of stairs, some picnic tables, and a bench at the very top. It hasn't been taken care of and there were a lot of trees down. The morning was kinda overcast, so it was a little creepy. We didn't stay too long.

Ohhh no....a ghost!!

So after our creepy park adventure, we went to see my sister Mary at Pizza Hut. It had been a while since I had seen her, so we thought we'd stop by and visit. I'm glad she had a minute to visit. :) Noah was estatic to see his MiMi, but when she would talk to him, he acted all shy. Classic boy. :)

I love this picture of Poot with her finger in her nose...why do kids always seem to pick their nose when you take a picture? Lol.

Pootie...the lounger

Olivia is a known lounger. She will relax on her little couch, our laps, even the floor. I had to get a picture of this particular lounge of her's because she spread her little blanket out and laid on the hard kitchen floor. I went to take pictures and she and Bub got into a giggling match and kept smiling for the camera.

My older sister Crystal turned 36 today. Things kinda have became stagment between the two of us...lots of hard feelings from the past I supose, but I'm not in the mood to go into all that. Anyhow, I texted her to tell her Happy Birthday. Kinda sad, I should've at least called her. Maybe one day things will sort themselves out. We're just busy with our own lives right now.

Poot, me, Crystal, and DeAnn at TMF day at the Park in Tyler (September 2011)

Summer Class Done

So, I took A&P Intro this summer because sadly, I ended up having to drop it during the Spring Semester becasue I was taking 16 hours and Algebra was kicking my butt. Something had to go or my mind was going to, lol. Anyhow, I managed to pull an 86 and because my lecture teacher had opened up an extra point quiz for me, I made her muffins to thank her. I also made my lab teacher some. Lab was great and over all I had a 96 average in there, so that was great.

To be honest, if I hadn't done good, I was going to reconsider nursing as my major. I guess I had gotten distraught and had really been upset about droping the class in the first place. But I did good and now I know I can do this. I've already signed up for Fall classes and I'm enjoying my time off with my family before I start juggling school and work again.

A Sweet Birthday Boy

One of Noah's little friends recently lost his mom due to a car accident. She lived for a little while in the hospital, but it was too late. I wasn't close with her, but she had came to Noah's birthday party in Feburary and I knew the little boy's grandmother from daycare. Regardless, no one should lose their mom at such a young age. It made Dusty and I so sad just thinking about something happening to us and the kids not having us in their lives. What's even sadder is what the little boy's grandma was going through. I wish I knew her better so I could tell her I'm sorry, but it just seems so awkward now. I just hope she knows that I feel for her.

On a happier note, the grandmother decided to have a birthday party for Noah's friend this past weekend and most of the kids from daycare were invited. It was a pool party and since Noah is such a good swimmer now with his puddle jumper, we decided to go.

Poot Poot was timid about getting in the water, but she got her toes wet at least.

Here's the silly birthday boy!!!

I was a little scared of Noah getting on the diving board and actually, the first time he did it, he wasn't listening to me and jumped anyway, but after I saw that he was going to be okay and hold his breath I let him do it some more. Wow, I can't believe Noah is jumping off a diving board!!! Craziness!

Dustin, Pootie, and I pretty much hung out and watched Noah. He had a lot of fun. Poot had fun pointing out all the other babies around and enjoyed the two little dogs that were out and about. :)

I love watching kids at parties. They always want to help the birthday boy or girl. Noah kept asking if it was his turn. How cute.