Relaxing weekend!

We are just coming off a really great weekend and I'm sad to see Monday rolling around again! We spent a lot of family time just hanging around and relaxing with ourselves and with relatives. It's so nice to live by all our family!
On Friday night, we just hung out with the kids, and kicked back. Saturday we had dinner at Erik's parents house, grilled out, did some cleaning, etc. Sunday, I made a couple meals and took them over to a friend who just had a baby girl. Bailey went to the the stables (Erik's family's business) with her Nana and hung out with some cousins and then in the evening we had dinner with my folks. We got a lot done around the house and spent quality family time, you can't really ask for more out of a weekend!
I made a really great soup for the first time that I doubled (and then halved so we could have some!) to bring to my girlfriend while she's recovering from birth. Another friend of mine raves about this recipe. It is delicious, but BEWARE!!! there is velveeta involved.
Velveeta skeeves me out, but honestly, it was really good. I think you can substitute shredded sharp cheddar and then mix in some cream or something... here's the recipe though (from my friend Meghan).

Meg's Loaded Baked Potato Soup
6-7 potatoes
1 large onion
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 lb. velveeta cheese
16 oz. sour cream
"real" bacon bits

Directions:

1. Peal and chop potatoes.

2. Put in pot and cover just slightly w/ water. Cook in bullion cubes until tender.

3. Add onions, cheese, and sour cream, stirring until smooth.

4. Serve and top w/ bacon bits.

MAKES PLENTY AND ALWAYS BETTER AS LEFTOVERS!

It was really yummy! I put the bacon in the soup to give it more flavor while the soup cooked and I liked it!
I hope my friend Rachel enjoys the soup!
On another note, I thought I'd broach the subject of birth here. Aside from bringing Rachel a couple meals, I needed to get my pool back from her. For those of you who don't know, I have joined the ranks of "homebirthers", having had Ryan (planned!) at home with a midwife, in water. He was born quietly in my bedroom in a birthing pool! Honestly, I'm not a hippy or anything (well not too much anyway!) but for my family and based on my research, birthing at home was the best choice for us. I'm so glad I did it and I can honestly say that Ryan's birth was by far the GREATEST birth experience I have had. The other two births were good too, your textbook epidural births. I have never had any complications or anything, but doing it at home without the epidural, doctors, nurses, bright light shining on me while delivering, etc. was really awesome. If God decides to trick us and give us another baby in spite of Erik's vasectomy, I will most definitely do it at home again!
So anyway, Rachel had borrowed my pool and then in a couple of weeks, my other girlfriend (and now neighbor!) will be borrowing it to have her first homebirth! I can't wait to post pictures of Annette and Jason's little girl (Okay, we don't know what it is, but I am sure it is a girl!). I'm so excited to see homebirthing starting to kind of catch on and am happy to help anyone I can achieve this type of experience.
Anyway, I'll conclude with some pictures from the weekend and then my birth announcement for Ryan, just because I'm feeling a little bit sentimental.:)

Friday night

Tyler with his "gwasses"


Mommy and Ryan hanging out "poolside".


Ryan even gets his highchair pulled poolside.


Bailey posing for the camera... what a character!


Hanging out with my parents


Pops and Ryan


Goofing off with Sussa's hats!


Ryan's Birth Announcement! You might have to click on it, because it's kinda big for this blog...