Trials and blessings

Lately I have been spending a lot of time with my friends and neighbors, the Warners. We have been friends for many years now and our boys are almost always either here or there. We spend every Christmas morning with them and lots of holidays in between. Not to mention birthdays and just for fun. We have gone camping together, taken short vacations together. Terri and I have laughed together, cried together, prayed together, yelled at our boys and loved our boys together. They are my other family and I love them. We have been brought together lately due to something that none of us expected. LB has cancer. Stage 4. It all seemed to happen so fast but I'm sure the cancer has been in his body for a long time. Every day brings him closer and closer to our Heavenly Father. Every day we think it might be the last time we will see him. It is a sad time for Terri and Josh and all who love them. And yet, through the sadness we have seen such an out pouring of love from our little community. Almost every church has them on their prayer rolls. Many have brought food and different pastors have come by to pray with them. The sisters in my ward have signed up to bring them dinner every night for two weeks. The blessings keep rolling in.

I have seen such a peace in LB, and Terri has such strength. They are both an inspiration to me and I hope that when trials come my way I can handle them as well as they have. They have such a love for one another and that love seems to pour over to everyone who needs a friend.

LB and I haven't always seen eye to eye on things and I'm sure there have been times when he wanted to bob me over the head. I know I've wanted to pop him a time or two but the love and the friendship has always been there. Today, for the first time I told him I loved him. And I wondered why I waited so long. He has been a constant father figure to Randy and has taught him so much. For that alone I should have told him years ago that I loved and appreciated him. I knew once I opened my mouth that the tears would come....and they did. I couldn't seem to find the right words to say what I was really feeling. I hope "I love you" was enough

Happy Birthday Tyty!!

It's hard to believe that our little guy is 3 already. Kelly had planned a fun party at the park but the closer it got the more it looked like rain so she ended up having everyone over to her house. By the time everyone got there it was quite a houseful but a fun time was had by all :) Titan was getting a little antsy waiting for Ray to get home so he could "have my fire" (blow out his candles) and open his presents. Finally Dad arrived and the fun began! The high light was watching him play his drums.....Very cute if I do say so!

I just have to say that I HATE not having a computer. I really miss blogging. I have so many pictures that I wanted to put on here but they are "old" now and it just doesn't seem worth it :( So I am picking out a few random photos and hoping that it won't be long before I can post more often.
This summer is going by fast and I haven't accomplished nearly what I thought I would. Randy has been working for Dr. Hamblin re-doing their yard. Odis has been in the Beehive House with a broken leg so I haven't spent much time helping her. You would think that I would have gotten a lot done....but alas....my home still looks neglected :) We are anxiously awaiting the birth of Kelly's new baby and I know that she is really (REALLY) ready. September 7th seems like a long way off but I'm sure it will go by fast. We are having beautiful days now, cloudy every afternoon and on a few lucky days, even some rain.

Spring Please

Well, my computer crashed.... AGAIN. Time for a new one I guess but where does the money come from? Maybe the Easter bunny will bring me one :) At any rate, I'm here at the library and it has taken me 30 minutes to change my background!!! But I finally got it done.
Things are good at the McCormick home. I am looking forward to Spring and flowers and green grass. Winter just isn't my favorite time of year. Can't wait to get out and work in my yard and have my chickens start laying again.
I haven't figured out if I can post pictures on here using the library's computer. I will probably have to go to a friends house to do that.
Kelly is pregnant again. She is going to have her hands full with a 2 year old, a 3 year old and a new little one but if anyone can do it, she can. She's my hero.

Let it snow!

Shoveling the walks

Digging out the car :)




We couldn't believe it when we woke up to this much snow last week. My photography skills leave something to be desired so the beautiful pictures I thought I was taking aren't all I expected. I did get a few good ones so thought I'd post a couple. School was on a 2 hour delay two days last week and Friday there was no school at all. Then today we were on a 2 hour delay again! This is the most snow I've ever seen in Round Valley and it is beautiful. However!! :)..... I am ready for it to be gone. The kids have had fun, parents have taken pictures, we have been on the news and now I'm ready for Spring!!! :) Is that too much to ask?

Agape Dinner

On New Years Day I was invited to Kelly's church (Seventh Day Adventist) for an Agape Dinner. They celebrated Christ's life, death and resurrection with a nice dinner of foods that would have been eaten during Jesus' life time. We had unleavened breads, dates, grapes, different kinds of cheeses....primarily goat cheeses, and soups. Their Pastor and other members of their congregation read passages from the bible and we sang songs. This was followed by their communion, which also involves foot washing. It was a very enjoyable evening and I was honored to be invited. I have grown to love the people in the Springerville SDA church and it is always good to have a better understanding of what other denominations believe. How can we love one another as Christ has commanded us if we don't know each other? I am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for living Prophets that have encouraged us to love all people. I am thankful for my relationship with Kelly and her family. She is such a blessing to me and I do believe she has the cutest little ones on the planet. :)

Christmas morning 2009

My wonderful friend, Terri, making us our yearly Christmas breakfast, Homemade waffles with buttermilk syrup. YUM
Josh, Randy, and Dalton.....nice hat. :)
My new shirt to wear to Randy's wrestling meets. I look like I've been hitting the egg-nog!
Beautiful cabinet that Randy made for me. I love it.
Peyton and I being silly.

I am always so slow to post. This is Christmas morning. For the past 8 years we have opened our presents and then gone to our wonderful neighbors, the Warners, to open presents with them and have breakfast. Terri always makes it so special and it is a tradition that we have grown to love. After breakfast we went to Kelly's to see the carnage of 7 children opening presents! :) then home for a nap!! Later that day we went back to Kelly's and had a super delicious Christmas dinner. Ray cooked a prime rib and Kelly made all the fixin's :) It was soooo good and I didn't have to do a thing! Talk about being spoiled. It was a wonderful day.