Let me tell you about our day out with family. I think I mentioned in my last post that my son, Edward, took the time off to spend the weekend with us. He is currently based in London and we rarely get to see him except when he comes over for the weekend.
So he arrived Friday and rested for most of the day. He said he just finished a major project and thought he needed a break from the stress. I’m happy he thinks about our home as his go-to place for comfort instead of going out with his friends to drink the night away.
I cooked his favourite beef casserole to celebrate his coming home.
This weekend was all about family
When Saturday came, the day out with family was just about to begin. I got up early to prepare our meal for the day. I wanted to do something special for the weekend. But seeing how Edward just wanted to relax, Harry and I thought that maybe it was best to just have a picnic like we used to. We decided to have a picnic at Southampton Common. It a huge area near our place – more than 300 acres to be exact.
Sarah woke up early as well to help me out. Of all my kids, she is the one who seems to have inherited my love for cooking. Lately, she’s been very busy with her school work. It is her last year after all. We talked about her plans to move to London with her brother. He volunteered to look after her while she tried to find a job. I didn’t want to have both of them so far but as long as they are together, it should be okay. Edward’s always been very protective of his sisters and I love that about him.
When everyone was up, we loaded everything into the car and drove off to our picnic destination. We got a nice spot near the pond and set out the food that Sarah and I prepared.
The family that eats together…
So what did we have in our picnic? Well, I made a huge batch of beef casserole the day before so we brought the leftovers. I baked some bread that morning so we have fresh loaves of bread with us too. Sarah made her special salad – since Rebecca’s been very vocal about staying away from carbs at the moment. I am not sure what diet she is currently on and how she will stay away from that blueberry cheesecake that Edward brought home from London. It’s her favourite.
I also roasted some chicken that morning. I sliced it thinly and packed some ham and cheese as well. We had some sandwiches and the beef casserole that I made. Rebecca seemed content with her salad but she ate some of the roasted chicken too.
Sarah whipped up her homemade iced tea and we stored that in a jug filled with ice. It was quite a meal! We were all so full that we were just content lying on the blanket. I had my book with me so I was really fine lounging about. Harry and Edward took a walk near the pond while the girls played a board game and talked about their boyfriends.
This was one of the nicest day out with family that we have had in a long time. I guess as I write this, I am feeling a bit nostalgic since my kids are moving out one by one. But I know that Harry and I taught them well. Seeing how close they are to each other, I know they will be alright. Maybe I am just reassuring myself since I know that Sarah will be joining her brother in less than a year. But then again, we will always have this picnic tradition with us. I hope they look back on how peaceful and relaxing it was to spend this quiet day with the family. No matter what, we can always recreate this whenever they are feeling stressed, sad, or lonely.
Oh well. I hope your weekend was just as awesome as mine was!