Disneyland

Just a note before I blog this week... there will be picture over load... I promise not to post even 1/2 of what I actually took, but there is a ton of pictures ;) "The Happiest Place on Earth" - someone needs to tell Grace she is suppose to smile for pictures- in 10 years she's going to wonder why she never is looking in the camera smiling... maybe not.

We went with my parents, my 3 youngest siblings and my brothers friend Ashley. Grace fell in love with Ashley- she wanted to hold her hand, smother her and pretty much just wanted to be with her all day.

Out of order picture...this is us waiting to see the princesses, we waited for an hour and overall the kids were pretty good. We really were hoping for Belle, Cinderella and Aurora- you don't know who you are standing in line for until you get there, we got Aurora, Jasmine (again) and Snow White-

Max kept trying to make Buzz fly, he kept pushing the costume buttons. He loves Buzz! On , a random side note, Buzz really creeped me out, I know he's suppose to be a toy, but his face seriously needed some help!

Jessie and Woody were really fun - Woody autographed our book and handed it back, Jessie hit him and my kids laughed and laughed- I loved how good they were with the kids!

We bought Max a Buzz Lightyear costume while we were there...I'm sure he will wear it everyday!

It's a Small World has been redone, it now features several Disney Movies including Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid, Lilo & Stitch and Cinderella. Grace loves this ride, she wanted to ride it over and over, the whole time she would sing "It's a small world, it's a small world after all". Sometimes we'd be walking in the park and she'd just start singing it, it made me smile.

Grace meeting the princesses ;)

Aladin and Jasmine were really good with my kids. Max was carrying a luggage key all day, shooting people of course, Jasmine knelt down and asked if he was giving her the key to his heart. Max looked at her, smiled and said "Uh-huh" in the cutest voice, he totally loved her!

Minnie was really hard to find- we finally spotted her on our last day in the park. Grace had an outfit I wanted her to see Minnie in so they matched for pictures...my plans didn't work out too well!

Max was so tired he didn't make it out of the park the first night, Mickey went and posed with him for a picture! Loved it!

Goofy and Pluto were the first characters we saw when we entered the park, and what does Max do? He walks up to Goofy and kicks him. That was my kid! What the heck! I'm not sure what happened, he didn't kick anyone else- who knows...

The kids loved Dumbo!

Max got to ride the roller coaster in Toon Town, he loved it!

We bought Grace a Tiana dress- she looks stinking cute!

These are Graces ducks... the top one is the girl and the bottom one is the boy. While Mike and I rode the Indiana Jones ride my parents sat outside with the kids, apparently the ducks, Allie & Jelly stuck right by her. She wanted them to follow her when we left, she was broken hearted to leave them.

It was fun to be with some of my family, the kids loved riding on Grandpa Guys sholders and taking turns riding with Grandma Kate. We sure missed the rest of our family that couldn't come!

Someone who loves puppies just as much as Grace...if you make this picture big you'll see how in love with Cruella Grace was- she asked Grace if she loved puppies and of course Grace was like yes! She asked her what was her favorite and Grace told her black labs, Cruella said "Darling, thats no good at all, they have no spots!" Her accent was perfect! She then asked Max if he could help her catch puppies in the park with his gun and if it shot a net to trap the puppies, Max was like "Yep!"

Autopia- Grace loved it, she laughed and laughed, I got thrown around like a rag doll! Lets say crazy driver!

I must be old...this was the last time I'll do the teacups, yuck! Still to come...California Adventure, Sea World & Universal Studios, but not tonight.

Quips from my duo

I really need to be better about writing down things my kids say, they crack me up! Lately Max wants to sleep on his floor, when I put him in his bed he says "Monster!" In my mind I think hmmm and sleeping on floor right next to your bed is safer?

Nicole mentioned the pillow pet one day, and yes Max does love his pillow pet. He won't lay down without it, or his green nanny. Grace still comes into my bed pretty much every night. I'm too tired to fight her, but she wants to cuddle and I don't like being touched. So I hear "Daddy, it's cuddle time." And it makes me smile, even though I know its like 3 in the morning.

My kids are starting to play better together, and that's making our days much more enjoyable. In these pictures they were pretending to be Monsters (see the theme...we watch way to much Scooby Doo) and laughing so hard!

Yesterday on the way to dance Grace asked if bee's and flies were the same thing. I told her no, bee's were yellow and black and flies were mostly all black. Then I said that they were both insects and both fly, Max perks up and says "Batman flies!" He is all boy;)

Today Grace came in riding two stick horses, she said "Hi, remember me? I'm your cousin from Seattle." How does she even know there is a Seattle?

I let Grace wear a necklace and bracelet the other day, she told her Grandma that I gave them to her because my waist was too big for them...I suppose she's right, I would have never got them around my waist!

When coming home from their grandmas the other day I asked if they were good kids that day. Grace said yes she was but Max was mean. I asked her if she was being honest and from the rear view mirror I see her roll her eyes and she says "Yes, I'm being honest, why don't you just call and ask grandma." She had the most snotty tone- she seriously cracks me up.

Today a friend of mine asked her which princess was Grace her favorite. Grace said Ariel, which is the one movie she will not watch. It scares her so bad! She likes Belle and Cinderella, she could have said Mulan or Tiana, but Ariel? Okay. (Which is one of my favorites.)

Max has really started talking now, he is quite the ham, but he struggles with his B's. "Can you bix it mom?" (fix). Well when he runs through the grocery store he yells "I run baster! baster! Baster!" I've got a few interesting looks!

I posted this on facebook, but I wanted to have it here too... The other day I asked Grace what movie she wanted and she picked Monsters Inc. She said she wanted to watch if for the perky girls. I busted out laughing, diet coke came through my nose. When I regained my composure I asked what perky meant and she said, "Big hair?"

Too much information?

I realize my last post was about Max, but the boy made me laugh so hard tonight. He came into the bathroom and said he had poo in his bum, well I knew he hadn't pooed so I told him no he didn't. He insisted that he did, and I insisted that he didn't. He climbed up on the bathroom counter, bare bum and all, put his rear end up to the mirror and bent over trying to look in his butt. For the record I was right, but I was very impressed that he figured out how to look in there....

One day I'm sure he'll thank me for documenting this.

Protector of the World

One of my favorite things lately is seeing Max protect the world. He feels its his job to single handedly eliminate the bad guys. Every time a bad guy comes on TV he runs and gets his gun and shoots them. "I shoot them mom. Bang!"
The movie they were watching here was a Barbie movie, very dangerous! Good thing Max was there to protect us! What a little stud!

My Valentine(s)

My 3 favorite peeps ;)

Okay, so I'm really not big into Valentines. I would much rather be loved all year long, than just one day of the year - so we really don't get into the whole gift/card/flower/candy giving stuff.

This year my kids surprised me at work, their Grandma Ruth watches them 2 days a week and she had some errands to run at the mall. It made my day, I took them on the train and then we ate lunch in the food court. I really love having a job that is VERY flexible, I pretty much dropped everything and spent about an hour with my kiddos.

Then we went to dinner, we don't' go out with the kids very often because they honestly drive me crazy. I spend most of the meal telling them to talk quieter, sit down, down stare at those people, leave those people alone, and over all just being bugged, but we decided to go to Training Table. What was I thinking? Sit in a booth with a phone? Yeah - we won't be going there with the kids again for a long time! They actually weren't too bad, other than wanting to talk on the order phone, over and over and over!

Lots of love to my special 3!

Elder McBride returns

My little brother Patrick came home from the California Riverside mission on January 25th. We all went to the airport to pick him up- my family made each niece and nephew a poster with their name on it so Patch would know who they were, as if he'd forget!

I'm sure the people at Delta baggage claim were ready for us to leave, it snowed several inches that morning, after several weeks of no snow and we all made it to the airport about an hour early. Max kept climbing on the baggage carousel and one time a Delta employee came and took him off, Max started screaming, "She touched me! She touched me!", I got a nice chuckle out of it, and was glad she did because he finally stopped trying.

They also kept extending the barrier stanchions, I'm sure it was something like the Clampett's go to the airport. Patrick is one of the smiliest people I have ever met. He is kind hearted and loving. When he hugged me I thought he was never going to let go, it was the hardest hug ever!

My kids did not remember him, Grace was barely 2 and Max wasn't even 1, but they both loved him. Grace wouldn't leave him alone and when we got in the car to ride up to my moms she said "Mom, I like him, I really do!" It was very sweet.

My sister Cassie, niece Libby, Max & Grace making sure Patch wasn't going to leave again!

This is the last letter my brother sent from the field, I truly loved it. If you have anyone contemplating serving a mission I would invite them to read this letter- his testimony and love for the people in Riverside is amazing! I am so proud of my little bro!

Dear Family & Friends,

I hope that you have had a great week! I love you all so very much & just wanted to write a note to let you know how much I love each & every one of you! The past two years have been the most monumental time of my life & I thank you so much for your love, kindness, support & prayers.
I remember the night I opened my call letter & reading off "The California Riverside Mission"... wow, what a shock - I was thinking somewhere far a way (my dream was, if you remember Sydney Australia), or at least New York... but I got called to just two states away. I was a little disappointed, BUT I went anyway knowing that God would give me strength & He would hopefully help me to "like" my mission.
Wow, how childish I was to be disappointed in MY call to His mission. I know now that this is the mission that I was supposed to be sent to. I have had so many special times where the spirit has confirmed to me that this is where I was supposed to be. I can't imagine if I had not met all the people that I have come into contact with out here in California. I can't imagine the friends that I have made & never coming into contact with them. No this mission was meant for me & I am so glad that I took the sacred opportunity to come out her for these two years to do it.
I remember Mary always asking me a couple of times every year, "so your going on a mission right?" haha, my answer was always "yes" , but in my head I was thinking 'wow, two whole years --I can't be away from everything & everyone for that long!' kind of dreading the upcoming & scary 2 years from 2009-2011 it finally came... I was scared for the unknown of what the mission had in store for me - but I went remembering the commandment of a mission that was given to every worthy priesthood holder. Thanks Mary & Family for always reminding me & helping me prepare for my mission.
Goll, my whole mission just seems to be a blurr. From three months jumped up to six. Six months flew by to a year. A Year rushed on to eighteen months & from then on my time has fleeted away from me. From Corona (Citrus Hills/Prado View) to Lake Elsinore (Ortega/Lake Elsinore) to Riverside (Mt. Rubidoux) to Palm Desert (Santa Rosa/La Quinta) to Corona (Temescal Valley) to Temecula (Pauba/Temecula Valley YSA/Redhawk) was my mission. Really I can't say that time ever went slow - which is crazy to me - I know that was a huge blessing from my Heavenly Father. He knew how fragile I was when I came out - but with faith exercised He has shaped my fragile testimony into something stronger!
My mission has started the true foundation for my life. I think of the primary song & scripture "The Wise & Foolish Man" & think of their foundations. I was blessed to grow up with a great family & great friends - all good influences, but I think my testimony was still small & sandy. It wasn't till I had these two years that I have not had to think & worry about myself - but for only the service of God that I have learned who I am & really knew - really knew what my purpose was and is here & forever. I now have a relationship with my Heavenly Father & His Son Jesus Christ & the Holy Ghost. I know them from service & faith. I am so grateful for this choice to serve - nowhere else could I have gained this special testimony!
"What ever Jesus lays his hands upon lives. If Jesus lays his hand upon a marriage, it lives. If he is allowed to lay his hands upon the family, it lives." ~President Howard W. Hunter. I love this quote because it makes me think about myself & makes me question myself, Do I let Jesus Christ symbolically lay his hands upon me & my life? I think my mission has been a start for that. A start - I still have so much more to do. The course to get to eternal life is long and endure I must. We need to ALWAYS let the savior place his hands of safety in our lives - not just sometimes. I love my Savior Jesus Christ & am forever grateful for his loving sacrifice for me. I'm grateful for His call to me & for letting me have these "best two years"!
Again I love you all so much. This week has been crazy & surreal. This past week on Wednesday I had a little panic-attack... haha, but with a blessing I was comforted. I am excited to see all of you. Love you all, be safe till we meet again.

--
Love,
ELDER PATRICK McBRIDE

Eggplant

We have been participating in Bountiful Baskets for almost a year now, and we love it! Each Saturday morning I take the kids and pick up our basket, Grace has so much fun seeing what we get. She always wants broccoli and celery. It's been really good for us, we have made an honest effort to use all the veggies each week and to try new things.

One of those new things this past year was eggplant- I NEVER would have tried it had it not been in our basket, but I love it! We usually turn it into eggplant parmigiana and make a marinara sauce with it, but if an effort to eat better we put away the breadcrumbs and the oil and made herb crusted eggplant-

Eggplant- sliced - rub salt on it and let it sit for 20 minutes, then wipe the salt off with a paper towel. (This makes it so the eggplant isn't rubbery). Salt and pepper both sides of the eggplant and back at 400 for 6-8 minutes on both sides. Then put fresh chopped herbs on top. We had fresh from our basket, but I bet it would be good with dried too. Thyme, oregano, basil & rosemary. Put a tiny bit of cheese on the herbs, either mozzarella or parm and broil for 2 minutes.

Sauce - 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 onion minced, saute in a tiny bit of oil until the onions are soft, add 1 can diced tomato's, 4-6 chopped Roma tomato's, 1 T Basil, 1 T Thyme, 1 T Oregano, Rosemary, salt and pepper (as much as you like.) and 1 T sugar. The recipe calls for cooking red wine, but not having that on hand I used 1 c. chicken broth and about 1/4 c. red wine vinegar, and let it simmer about 30 minutes. Also, the sauce calls for 1-2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but we omit it, for calorie reasons.

I start the sauce first, then slice the egg plant and cook it will the sauce is simmering. It seriously is better than Olive gardens red sauce! Once the eggplant is finished put it right in with the sauce and serve over noodles. We use low point pasta, splenda and cut out most of the oil. I can't wait until we get our next eggplant!