i found contentment sunday

Sunday was a perfect day.  It was the best, most simple, day I’ve had in a while.  It was a day where I felt a deep level of contentment, which I haven’t felt in sometime.  Why am I always so restless?

Our day started with getting everyone up and out the door for Sunday school.  There was the usual grumbling about sleeping, but not too much, which really made me feel good.  Out the door we went into some glorious sunshine.  After Saturday, which was rainy/misty all day, the sun felt great. 

After the girls went to Sunday school, we headed over to church, bringing along Jenna’s bestie Kiry.  Honestly, I threatened them with severe consequences if they didn’t behave in church.   (Consequence:  Kiry could never come to church with us again.)  And guess what?  They were angels, singing along with all the hymns and sitting quietly.  No one got up to use the bathroom during mass.  Trust me, Greg and I know this trick from our own childhoods.

We got home and Greg and Claire decided to head off to the movies to see Beautiful Creatures.  Jenna, Kiry, and I decided it was a great day for a hike.   So we grabbed some lunch and headed up to our favorite spot at the Conowingo Dam.  Of course Lily came too.  Here’s some pictures of our fun time.  We even found a baby lobster (or crayfish if you want to be all correct about it).  I taught them how to pick him up so they wouldn't get pinched.  One of my favorite things to do growing up....

Starting the hike.  Jenna's dressed in her Sunday best. 

 Learning something hopefully.  Lily's like "come on already!"

 Spidergirl

 Jenna the hiker.

Kiry the hiker.

Holding on for dear life.  Those rocks were covered with algae and slippery.

 Our baby lobster.

 "Don't come any closer".  He did NOT want to be picked up.  

So proud of her for holding the baby lobster. 

 They wanted to take him home as a pet or just eat him.

Live big snail.  She wanted to take him home too.  No new pets at my house.

A slalom to end our hike. 

Warming up at the coffee shop.  

After our hike, and getting wet and muddy, we headed off to find a coffee shop.  Our journey took us to Havre de Grace and Concord Point Coffee.  Apparently lots of other people had the same idea.  All the tables were full so we ended up sitting in a big window, filled with sunlight.  The owner’s daughter Zoe (4) even joined us for a game of Candyland.  It was perfect.

Later at home I tried a new meatloaf recipe that I somehow got from Miranda Lambert.  (I must have gotten it from a magazine or something.)  Um, it was awesome.  Here’s the recipe for this most gigantic loaf of meat.  It’s yum. 

Miranda’s Meatloaf

Ingredients

• •2lbs Ground Beef
• •1lb Breakfast Sausage
• •2 Eggs
• •1 dash of Worcestershire
• •1tsp. prepared Mustard (Dijon)
• •1/2c. Brown Sugar
• •1/4c. Ketchup
• •1/2c. finely chopped Bell Pepper
• •1/2c. finely chopped Onion

• •Topping: 1c. Ketchup
• •1/4c. Brown Sugar

Directions

1. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Prepare topping while baking.

2. After baking, pour grease off of loaf. Spread topping over loaf.

3. Place pan back in oven for 15 minutes.

Let cool for 5-10 min before cutting.

Don’t you love the part about pouring the grease off??  Haha. 

Then I read and almost finished the book Wonder by RJ Palacio.  It’s a young adult book and it’s great.  Jenna read it and loved it.   It’s really fun to read the same book as my kid.

And that’s it.  My day ended snuggled in my bed, completely content with life.