If at first...

So today I will tell you about my brilliant plan and then show you how it went from bad to worse. Then the next time you are trying to do your best to take care of your family and be a good mom, wife, and housekeeper, and everything goes wrong, you will not feel so alone.

Chapter One- The Idea:
I called Mom and Dad up and asked them to come have lunch with us yesterday. Especially after reading my own post, I thought it was high time that I have a great big, old fashioned lunch again. So my guest list would include Nate, Steph, and Alek, then of course Mom and Dad. I would be serving; Roast Beef (the difficult version), mashed potatoes, broccoli with cheese sauce, corn pudding ( I do not recommend this), cranberry sauce, salad, hot buttered rolls, and banana pudding.

Chapter Two- The Mistake:
I did not follow my own advice and start the night before, mostly due to the fact that I was exhausted from grocery shopping all day. So I set out two rump roasts to thaw in the sink, and that was all of the preparation that I attempted.

Chapter Three-The Horrible Discovery:
I drug my exhausted body out of bed that morning (why am I always so tired?) and made my way downstairs hoping against all hope that the roasts would be ready to cook.
Nope. Hard as rocks in the middle. Oh the agony. My entire meal ruined! What on earth would I think up, thaw, and prepare in time for Sunday lunch now?! So I'm sitting down there stewing when my Prince Charming rides in on his white horse. He stands at the sink for awhile trying to get my meat to quick thaw under hot water to no avail. These honeys don't want to become lunch.

Chapter Four- The Rescue:
So Jonny drags on some clothes and runs up to Price Cutter where he buys me my newspapers, peppercorns, and two new rump roasts that of course were not on sale. No complaints from him, just walks in and hands me my roasts and then asks what he can do to help. No, I will not share him with you. He is mine.

Chapter Five- Little Things:
From then on little things kept happening such as, spilling the exact measured whipping cream and the printer running out of ink before I could print off the corn recipe, (yes I know that I could have at least done that the night before). Coupled with the fact that I had already let myself get into a bad mood because of the darn roast (it took a deliberate prayer promising God that I would try to get over it and smile and praise Him on this day) these little things tried my patience in a way that I cannot describe.

Postlogue
The rest of the morning my entire family chipped in and helped get everything done, down to the salad being prepared, the tea made, the kitchen spotless, and every bed made. We left for church which we were very nearly late for due to the rotten morning. (But I did not yell!) and as we walked out the door, I decided to pray over the roast and the corn both still cooking in the oven. So I walked to the car certain that my prayers would be answered and I would come home to a delicious corn pudding, and a roast that was perfectly rare on the inside ready to be carved. Well God does not always do the things we ask Him for. The corn pudding was done to perfection, just didn't taste so perfect. But the roast was about twenty degrees overdone and was certainly well-done. But you know what? My family loved the meal! We all had the best time visiting and laughing. No one cared a smidge that the roast was too done. They all bragged and bragged on me for everything and it was the best Sunday lunch ever!

All this to say, don't give up when things seem to be going dismally wrong. Having a good Sunday lunch doesn't require perfection. Only your best effort and alot of love.

I will close with my menu for this week:
Monday-Meat loaf, homeade mac and cheese, butter beans, salad, asiago bread (from Panera) and apple dumplings.

Tuesday-Stuffed pork loin, sweet potatoes, onion pie, green beans, biscuits, and chocolate cake.

Wednesday-Spaghetti and Meatballs (my gift of love, I hate these things), texas toast, and salad.

Thursday-Tacos