In case you haven't heard...

I'm over the moon! And Bryan won't have to get into any trouble (haha, inside joke). And this is really the only appropriate time to show private parts and not blush about it, or be reported as a slimeball, so here goes:

Those are definitely girly parts!

This girl was pretty much rockin' and rollin' in there; she didn't stop moving for a second! It was really cute to see her strike so many poses and wiggle around, like she KNEW she was on camera or something. That's totally the McBride side of her; no fear with the camera rolling!
We saw her kicking and twisting, and even opening her mouth a few times. It was too precious.
The boys came with us in their PJ's (it was a super early morning appointment), and they were also mesmerized. So cute! Now Einstein says "I have a baby sister!" Curly is indifferent. I think he's still a bit young to care until he actually sees her for real.
I thought this one was pretty funny, so I had to add it. She's looking so dramatic, like she can't bear to hold her arms up for another second!
So, there you have it folks! We are finally evening out the score here. A little more estrogen in the family is definitely a good thing. So now I have to re-learn all the girly-girl stuff! Hopefully it will all come back in a hurry. :)

Best. Week. EVER.

***Pictures to come***
(that is, if I remember)

This week was SO awesome! Despite the yucky heat and humidity, I had such an awesome time with my husband and boys!
Bryan had basically the whole week off, so we spent most of it goofing off and just spending TIME together. How I love doing that! I wasn't worried about money (which hardly ever happens to anyone, really), and I wasn't stressed about his work. I was just content, and that is a gooooood feeling!
Wednesday was our 4 year anniversary, so we whooped it up by heading down to Ikea to replace our dilapidated, mismatched bedroom furniture! Actually, all the furniture we own (except our bed, that would give me the heebie-jeebies) has been bought/gleaned from the wonderful world of Craigslist, all acquired at different times. So none of our stuff matches or coordinates!
Anyway, going to Ikea was great because two things happened: we got matching his/hers dressers, and I FINALLY convinced Bryan that Ikea makes good quality furniture from actual wood and not particle board. And it's relatively cheap. I like that, too! :) He had never been to Ikea before, so it was fun to see him enjoy most of the showrooms and get his take on furniture items. I'm not a fan of all their stuff, so it was interesting to see what he liked and hated versus my likes and hates!
After Ikea and lunch, we dropped the boys off @ my bro & SIL so we could have some grown-up fun! We spent the rest of the afternoon at Disneyland. It was hot hot HOT! And super humid! But it was still so fun; not having the kids there (dare I say it) made it even more fun. Just the fact that we were there together. alone. able to talk about adult things and not worry about lost/hungry kids was a major plus. Since it was later in the afternoon, all the lines had died down quite a bit. It also helped that most kids were already back in school!
We ended up walking around Downtown Disney, which was pretty cool, too. We ate on Main Street and walked wherever we wanted to; no stroller to maneuver! :) Thanks again to Lisa and Nate for watching our kiddos for us! :)
This week would have been just as awesome with just our anniversary. But we found out some GREAT news this week, too! Bryan got a letter in the mail, congratulating him on his recent 'Alan and Ruth Stein' scholarship award. HELLO!!! It was a huge undertaking to get all that paperwork filled out! And it ended up to be a substantial amount of money, which we are so incredibly grateful for! He was one of ten recipients, out of thousands entered. I couldn't be more proud of him!
As if our week couldn't get better, it actually did. Our great friends Eric & Katie Harding offered to watch our kids so we could go to the temple this week. Wow, what alternate universe am I on this week; TWO dates in three days??? And we had a great time!

I love weeks like this. I've always been a strong believer in opposition, and how everything has an EQUAL opposition. I know that's not written anywhere exactly that way (I've looked!), but I think that's how it works. Anyway, that belief kept me going through our many many hard times last year (I could list them out for you, but believe me, I don't want to depress you). Things have been building up for the better for us, and this week has reaffirmed that to me!

So Bryan, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! I love you so much and I'm so glad that you convinced me that it would be okay to date you, even with the funky familial connection. You know as well as I do that we've had our fair share (or more) of downs, but we've pulled each other up by the bootstraps and relied on one another. And of course, Heavenly Father.
I'm so proud of you and what you have accomplished! You are a great man; hard working, full of integrity, a wonderful Patriarch to our family, and an amazing example to our children! I am aware of the sacrifices you make, they do not go unnoticed. I love you! Your boys love you. Can't wait to spend the rest of eternity with you. Starting today...

Te amo!

Need a meal???

Okay, so I have this lasagna recipe that is easy, delicious, and award winning(I once won a Relief Society lasagna cook-off. I was stoked!). And I opened my big mouth on Facebook and told the world! So now I've promised to post the recipe online. But I'm more than happy to share!
It originated from a family recipe from Bryan's side(Bryan's mom got it from a ward that they were in, so actually, it's technically not even a 'family' recipe.). I tweaked it to my liking/laziness factor, and as it turns out, everyone around me really likes it, too! It's not a secret, so I don't feel bad in divulging it to anyone. Just know that if you are sick or have recently given birth/ I visit teach you or you need a meal for whatever reason, this is the meal I give to people. It.Is.FABULOUS! It's quite cheesy and melt in your mouth. I want some just thinking about it!
Also note that I'm not that organized and I never think to actually take pictures of the food I make (I don't have pretty enough serving dishes anyway), so this picture isn't MY lasagna. This picture looks kinda gross to me. It seriously does not even compare to how a lasagna could look and taste! :) I think this is actually a picture of enchiladas posing as a lasagna. Anyway...
Another great thing about this dish is that there aren't any soft cheeses in it, so it's safe for pregnant women. I really hope you enjoy this; we love it!

Best Lasagna Ever

You will need:
Meat Sauce
Cheese Mixture
1 lb grated mozzarella
Lasagna noodles (I use Barilla No Boil Flat Noodles. I swear by them. Not to mention that it makes this recipe much MUCH faster to make! You can find them in all grocery stores, but not Target or WalMart. Go figure.)

Preparation:
Meat Sauce:
1 lb ground turkey
1Tb minced garlic
drizzle olive oil- for fewer calories, substitute a few sprays of Pam cooking spray (to keep meat from burning in pan)
1 tsp salt
1tsp Basil
SMALL DASH cinnamon (seriously, just a dash. This is the secret ingredient; If you put in too much it will make your lasagna too sweet and pretty much be ruined)
32 oz (2 lb) Spaghetti Sauce (I prefer Classico, but it doesn't make much of a difference)

• Brown ground turkey in the olive oil & garlic; drain fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cheese Mixture:
3 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 lb (yes, 1 pound) grated mozzarella cheese
2 eggs (original recipe says to beat them first, but let's get real. This isn't souffle. It doesn't make a difference)
2 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

• Mix all ingredients together well. It's easiest to get a good mix if you put half the cottage cheese on the bottom, the other ingredients, then the other half of the cottage cheese on top. A little bit of a pain, but the rest of the recipe is so darn easy it's not too bad.
• In 13X9 buttered pan, layer in this order: lasagna noodles, cheese mixture, meat mixture, mozzarella cheese. Layer until you have nothing left to layer. I can get about 3 good layers. (you might have a few lasagna noodles left over, no worries) Top with remaining Mozzarella.
  
• Bake @375 for 30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting (super important! I know you just want to cut into that thing, but it needs a little time to cool and set. If you cut right away, you have a huge gelatinous mess on your hands!)
• Best served with a crunchy garden salad & garlic bread.
• ENJOY!

This bugs me

You know what really irritates me???

Analog clocks

that 'tick'

too loudly.

Like the one in my kitchen.

ticking
away

right now.

It's really annoying.

Almost as annoying as a blog that hasn't had a new post for weeks.

Like mine.

More {interesting/funny/consistent} posts to come.

After someone stops that incessant ticking! :)

What we've "Been Up To..."

Arriving February 2010

• Yes, I am nauseated. Not throwing up, but smelling everything disgusting within a 5 mile radius. And even stuff that wouldn't normally be disgusting. Fruit snacks? Soap??? They are on my disgusting list. Don't even get me started on dirty diapers!
• Yes, it was planned this time. Surprise, I know! haha. Call us crazy.
• No, it's not twins. I made double sure. :)
  
• Yes, we are hoping for a girl this round. Third time's a charm.
• Yes, we now need a bigger {fill in the blank}
• Yes, still in the first trimester, but we have a feeling this one's gonna stick around. If not, I'm sure everyone will be notified accordingly.
• Yes, I am extremely exhausted, irritated, and hungry all.the.TIME. and wondering how long I will still hack it in the ward nursery without biting the heads off of anyone -child or adult- that comes withing a 5 mile radius of me (see bullet point #1). Not that I'm hinting, or anything...
  
• Yes, we are thrilled, and even though not everything is perfect about the timing (actually, nothing is), Heavenly Father said it was time, and our spiritual experience could not be ignored any longer. So we went for it. And it's already been a blessing.

P.S. Actual due date is still TBD, due to some crazy measurements and a few unknowns at this point. So we will know within a few weeks when we can expect this bundle of joy.

YAY FOR BABIES!!!