Today is a big day. I'm a little nervous and a lot excited. We'll see how it goes!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, and Ive already written a thousand words... then you better have some time on your hands!

I logged in a few days ago to write but then I just ended up giving my blog a little halloween facelift and didnt write a darn thing!

As I sit here writing this time, my dog is asleep at my feet and my husband is right next to me enjoying playing Ghostbusters on the PS3. Today hasbeen nice. The weather is a whopping 72 degrees. Pretty weird for October in Utah! We woke up this morning and relaxed for a little bit than sat outside in our yard. Our landlords were having a yardsale so we talked to them a little bit. I also got to sand and paint a door mirror I have been wanting to fix for a while! I love restoring/refinishing old furniture. Its pretty relaxing and relatively inexpensive. In the last year, i have restored a bed, a side table, a kitchen table, a shelf, and now the frame on a mirror. I was doing it all by hand so Justun surprised me with a nice electric sander and it is SO much easier! My next piece is my buffet table but I know it will be a long process and I want to wait til we move so we can match it with whatever colors will be in our house once we buy one so right now it is still pretty much a yuck brown color. All in all i think I have spent maybe 200 dollars, if that and that includes all of the furniture AND the paint and supplies. Thanks to Craigslist and the DI!

I guess now that I'm writing, Im writing quite a bit! This month has been so busy! I havnt felt this overwhelmed since highschool. Instead of being in YW, having Prom and homework and working at Bob Evans, its well... teaching YW, church, and more church, and the working at the hospital!

Since the last blog post, I have...


-had my birthday (my friend and I went to Peach Days and spent the day shopping)

-gone to Lake Powell

-had Young Women every Tuesday (we have gone to the food bank, made humanitarian aid kits, had a movie with popcorn, did modgepodge keepsake boxes,and made caramel apples while planning future activites!)

-Had my co-workers over for dinner of Taco Soup and Caramel Apple Making.

-worked in the temple every Wednesday

-Had my 6 month dental check up

-been on call 2 different weeks for work

-gone on numerous dates/outings with my husband

-had a breakfast activity for conference with the YW and my 1st counselor

-gotten very little sleep!



Im hoping things will start to calm down sooner or later. Not that it hasnt been fun though!


Anyway, there are some more fun things coming up. I love fall and am excited for Halloween. I'm not sure of our Halloween night plans but we are still trying to go to a Haunted House soon and Also right after Halloween we have the Mystery Dinner at Jess's House. Justun and i LOVE Halloween time! We love going to the Halloween stores and checking everything out. Justuns dream is to do a big yard display once we have our own house. That way we can just buy a few things each year and start a collection. Plus we'll have places to store everything.

Another thing that I'm excited for is a holiday devotional just for workers and a guest at the temple. All of the temple workers are invited to the top floor of the temple on Sunday the 1st (of November) and listen to an apostle speak. There is an 8 o'clock session where Elder Oaks will talk, and an 11 o'clock session where Elder Uchtdorf will talk. Justun and i are going to the 11:00 session. Im not really sure what to expect but I am really excited. I don't know what the top floor of the temple looks like, but this meeting is supposed to be in place of our regular sacrament meeting at our ward. I think it will be great!

One last thing that I am excited for is my annual work Christmas party/gala thing. They usually have it the first week of December so its only a little over a month away! Last year it was really nice! It was at the Marriott Hotel and was decorated like a really nice wedding reception. They had it catered with lots of good food and we all won great prizes!

Well I guess thats about all. Im sure you are sighing a breath of relief since I wrote more than Ole Mister Webster. I guess thats what happens when i only blog once a month!

Check out my pictures!

just showing some love for my favorite fast food place!

camping at the family reunion

what little sleep and no makeup can do

Demolition Derby Time! The only place you WANT to wreck!

Sometimes you can find weird things in Utah...

Love that lake Powell!

Caramel apple making with the Young Women

And we're done!

SWEET POTATO PIE!!!!!!

life

im back. You know, where i work, the radiologists just pick up the dictaphone thing and talk into it and the words just appear on the screen. I wish I had one of those!!!

Anyway, Last weekend my best friend Nikki came to Oklahoma to visit me! It was such a fun time. Some of the things we did included... eating lots of good food (the Mayan, Chilis, Cafe Rio, Spoon Me), went to Lagoon (a small amusement/water park), strolled through the farmers market and bought some fresh raspberries and Nikki got a fun henna tattoo, went to the Gateway (a big outdoor mall), went to the movies, hit up the church distribution center, went to church, and walked around Temple Square. I REALLY miss hanging out with her so it was so nice to do things and just talk to someone I have known for a long time. I don't ever like to complain but I didnt know that moving to Utah would be so hard! Some days are better than others but I'm just so far away from my family and friends and things that are familiar. I'm getting more used to it, but its almost like I left everything behind when I got married. Well, i guess its because i did! I have a good job, and Ive met a lot of great people and made some new friends but it was nice to have a familiar feeling when she was here and to remember all the fun times we had. I am doing everything in my power to go visit her in Oklahoma in March, Im just still working on convincing Justun its worth it. Everyon and everything he has ever known is within 45 minutes of here so it doesnt really make sense to him to spend that much money. Here's to donating Plasma I guess! One way or another, Im hopeful!

In other news, we went camping this weekend which was nice. I felt like we hadnt seen Jess or West in awhile and they just bought a nice camping trailer that is so cute so we stayed in there with them. I love camping but was a little sick of it since it felt like to me we have been spending half of our summer in our tent. I was starting to feel like a hobo and the campfire smell would hardly go away when we would go camping AGAIN so it was nice that we didnt have to unroll our mummy bags or set up our tent. It was a good little one night trip.

Not a whole lot else is going on here. Im still working at the Temple on Wednesdays and doing my calling pretty much everyday other than that. Although I was always really active in YW, I never realized how many things my YW presidents did! I have firesides, dances, stake planning meetings, ward mutual, stake mutual, baptism trips, lessons on sundays, service projects, New Beginnings, Night of Excellence, CAMP, not to mention little things like when its our turn to clean the building, and the youth session at Stake Conference. I love it all, i just have a hard time keeping it all straight! Now I have a question... I really wanted to take some online classes because I only have a few left to apply for the Radiology program, but i feel so busy! Should i cram in school or no?? I dont know! I work 40+ hours a week and am oncall with a pager twice a months so Im thinking about stopping working at the temple on Wednesdays but I love it so much! That's just the only thing that i dont HAVE to do. Mondays and Thursdays are completely filled with Laundry and housecleaning and I cant give that up so Wednesdays would just be my only free night during the week to do anything so I am torn between working at the temple or taking classes! Okay friends, what is your advice?!? I know many of you juggle all of this, plus children. how do you do it?!

i love...

Let it be known: I LOVE MY NEW CALLING AS YOUNG WOMEN PRESIDENT!

Sure it was a little weird to go to Ward Council Meeting for the first time, but I am learning a lot, and it was especially nice to have my husband sitting there with me beacuse he has to attend it as well. I'm so thankful that he takes the church and his callings seriously. That we are able to attend the temple together, a lot of couple cannot these days. I'm excited to go with the youth to their temple trip this month, and to create fundraisers and attend girls camp! Im way excited!

As long as I am loving things....

I love: working at the temple- and knowing I am pleasing the Lord.

I love: that my wonderful husand washes dishes more often than i do, and that he

made a DELICIOUS dinner of mashed potatoes, broccoli, and steak last night!

I love: the fact that I get a nice pay raise in december!

I love: knowing my best friend is coming from Oklahome VERY SOON!

I love: that its starting to feel like fall, my most favorite time of the year!

I love: that I came home from work Friday not feeling well and woke up from a nap

to a delicious cake with lots of icing that justun had made.

I love: my beagle, and that she sleeps with me every night!

I love: that Justun will discuss baby names with me even though we clearly don't

need to yet.

I love: caramel apples- and can't wait to make and eat many of them soon!

I love: my family

I love: my sno-cone maker

I love: my best friends here in Utah

I love: the delicious scones w/ rasperries and honeybutter justun and I made Sunday.

I love: grocery shopping!

I love: the new swimsuit I bought online this weekend....

I love: life!!!!

lots of things going on!

So, the last week has been really good for us McCormicks! Last week I found out that in December I will be getting a 20 percent raise! YES TWENTY PERCENT! My job title is being reclassified so we are going to be making significantly more than we are now! The hospital has stopped yearly raises due to the economy so the very soonest they can re-classify us is December 1st. Well actually they have already re-classified us, but our new pay will start December 1st. Now to make it up to us that we have to wait til then, we are getting a 3 percent bonus check in November! 3 percent isnt that much, but its bonus check, so really it will just be like getting two checks at the same time! All of that on top of the pager sort of makes me want to work here forever. Sorta. Maybe.... But i do love my job, and in this economy its good to be employed and have such great benefits. If I ever have to work outside of a hospital in the future, i will be so bored! Its fun running all over everywhere. Last week I had to deliver some things to the O.R. and saw all sorts of cool stuff. I would not do well at an office job behind a desk that doesnt have an always changing environment. Been there, done that, hated it!


Wednesday night I worked in the temple. I love love love doing that! Its nice to have a few calm hours of the week where you can do service and just feel peace. You learn so many things about the temple that you really wouldnt learn otherwise. Just cool tidbits and facts. Plus you get to see more areas than most people. I got set apart finally too. It was a terrific spiritually feeling.

So Thursday night Justun took me out to Red Lobster. I don't eat seafood much, but i can definitely eat some coconut shrimp! He got the feast (a variety of sorts) and I got my coconut shrimp, and it was delicious. It was nice sitting down to a nice dinner for no reason at all! Love that boy!

Friday after work we drove up to the Uintas and camped with our best friends Jess and West and their friends Nate and Amanda that we really like, and Jess's sister Jeni! It was so fun! Jess and Jeni made Navajo tacos over the campfire and they were delicous! We had so SO much food! The weather was perfect too! That night got a little cold but it just made for a nice cool morning when we woke up. Amanda made us all breakfast in the morning and then we all jumped in the car and rode up to the provo falls. We had so much fun walking across, and playing in the water. Pictures to come!

Sunday was eventful! I was called and set apart and am now the Young Womens President for our ward! I'm really excited about this one, yet a little overwhelmed. There are so many things to know and do. From Young Women in excellence, to activites, to girls camp. Its going to be an adventure but I am ready to take it on. The girls that are in there are so fun and sweet. I can also tell that i already really like my first counselor and my second counselor is such a great girl also! I'm excited to jump right in and especially help grow the numbers! Wish me luck!
Also on Sunday, we were sitting in sacrament meeting and a guy we know came up and told us Olive was running around the front of the church and that our landlord couldnt catch her! Just jumped up and went outside and a few minutes after, i went out to make sure everything was okay. Our poor landlord tried so hard to grab her Olive kept running across the street acting like it was a game. Justun got her and walked her the 2.5 blocks back to our house. We all think she followed our scent to the church because she had to go out of our driveway, turn left to the end of the street, and then turn right and walk 2 blocks to the church. She was just so happy and wagging her tail when justun picked her up. Goofy dog!

Last night we went to eat some cheap good Mexican food and then went grocery shopping. We didnt realize until we were checking out that we bought like 8 different types of juices and lemonades and hardly any food! I guess we were just so full from dinner food didnt really sound good! We also got some things for when we go camping at Lake Powell next month.

Well today is Tuesday and its my first YW activity night. We are going to just get to know each other and work on personal progress to see where they are at. I also picked up some cards that we can fill out and sign that I'm going to mail out to the inactive girls. All in all. The rest of the week should be good. I get the pager on Thursday and then on Saturday we are going to the Summit county fair up in Coalville (about 30-40 mintues from Salt Lake).

I've started to really enjoy living in Utah. Its starting to feel like home, and will even more so feel like home once we get a new house! Im happy to report that I've made some terrific friends here, and I feel like Ive known them for life. Right now our life couldn't really get much better! I hope this post wasnt too boring but found everyone doing well!

happenings from the last week...

Okay, I am giving myself a break here, telling myself I am updating this blog more often than i used to, even though its definitely not every day. I decided now, that once a week is do-able! Last weekend wasn't too eventful, I threw a bridal shower for my friend Amanda, which went well. We had a good turnout and no problems. This past week was good. Work was just work but I had Friday off! Utah celebrates Pioneer Day on July 24th to remember the pioneers that settled here in Salt Lake. Almost everyone gets off work around here, which is really nice! There is always a big parade here in Salt Lake on the 24th and on the 23rd, people set up tents and sleeping bags and chairs to hold their spots for the parade the next morning. Justun and I considered doing that but by the time I got off work Thursday, the streets were already jam packed with people. The parade route was a little less than a mile from our house so we figured we could just walk there in the morning, besides that, Jess and West were coming over that night. We all went out to Chinese then Jess and I went shopping to our stores, while the guys went to stores they needed to go to. Our plan for Saturday was to have Mexican up at their house for Kamas Fiesta Days, so the guys went to get all the food and then they stopped at FYE, meanwhile Jess and I went to Down East, Barnes & Noble, and Wal-mart. Our husbands always joke saying we are never allowed to shop together because we always encourage each other to buy things, but then we continue to still go out so I guess it doesnt matter! LOL!

Friday we woke up and went to the parade. It was lots of fun and i just love big crowds and lively places so I really enjoyed it. That afternoon we went to Kamas for their parade and then we went on the Heber Creeper (a touristy train that goes on scenic rides) with his brother and his brothers wife, plus more of Justuns and Sams family members. It was really cool! We got pizza and drinks and cookies on the train, and when it got dark, there were fireworks. Some of the cars on the train were open so since you could walk back and forth from car to car, sometimes we where inside and sometimes we were out! It was a fun trip! We stayed the night up in Kamas that day, slept in during the morning and then in the afternoon, we went to a reunion for about an hour for Justuns grandmas side of the family. After that we went to Jess and Wests to begin our fiesta! We ate a ton of good food! Justun makes Carne Asada and we all love it so that was the main meal. After that we went to the demolition derby. Some of the people in Kamas take old junker cars and paint/mod them to compete in the derby. The do several heats of crashing each into each other and trying to total out or make the other cars stop running. Several times our section got sprayed with hard dried chunks of mud off spinning tires! On of the cars ended up on its side, and a couple started on fire so the fireman standing around had to put the flames out! It was so So fun! This was the first year i got to go, and Im excited to go every year from now on!

Well today is Sunday, we had a good day at church and came home and ate dinner and are now just relaxing. The next big thing coming up is Amandas wedding on the 14th, then Nikki is coming at the end of the month, YAY!!!

food, folks, and fun!

So my post last time about blogging everyday, appearantly didnt go as planned. Am I surprised? Not really. Eh. Oh well! Lately things have been going pretty well. Work is work. Its nice to have a job and I got a new boss on Monday, met him today for 5 minutes this morning, and havnt seen him since. That's fine. I think bosses should only come around where there is a problem anyway. Right?!

The weekend before last was forth of July. We had tons of fun! Friday the 3rd I had off work and spent the whole day with Jess shopping and going to lunch and then making bridal shower invites for a friends shower this weekend. They are SO cute! And thanks, Jess, for helping! That night her husband and my husband came home from work and we all hung out at their house. The next morning we got up really early and went to breakfast at the Diner www.roadislanddiner.com and then watched the Oakley Parade. It was fun, i love parades. Justun and West made it even better by throwing all the candy they got, near the horse poop in the middle of the road and watching kids attempt to sift through the mess to get the pieces! LOL! It was halarious! That afternoon we went to the junior rodeo. I absolutely love watching the little kids try to chase farm animals and ride sheep! They are so cute and fun! They chased a cow with money taped on to it. And then they let chickens go and whoever caught the chickens could keep them. Then they put these little 4 year olds on the back of sheep and have them hold on to their necks and see who can stay on the longest. Its sounds kind of cruel, but it was so funny to see, and Justun and I agree that someday our kids WILL be doing that! That night was the actual rodeo. Let me tell you that Rodeos are probably one of my top 5 favorite things to attend. You never know what will happen and you find yourself holding your breath in the during the dangerous evens. AKA Bull Riding. Still i love to go! We go to one at least every year, sometimes more!

This past weekend we went to Idaho for a family reunion on my (dads) grandmas side. Its was fun seeing people I havnt seen in years! Seeing my grandma with her sisters is a riot! They say the darndest things! I have never heard so many old terms in my life! We loved the little 3 day getaway.

Well that's about all for now. This weekend Im throwing a bridal shower on Saturday and then we are thinking about going to Lagoon later that afternoon. I already have a bunch of tickets I got at work so no we just need to find time to use them!

Oh let me tell you a little story. Yesterday I came home from work and Brandon (justuns brother) was over and Dana was here since she is living with us. Justun and Brandon were going to work on the front yard up by the street so Dana and I went grocery shopping and were going to meet them back here at home. Well we got back and Brandon and Justun were working on the yard and there was a mexican guy out there too. Well he and Justun were going back in forth talking in Spanish so I figured it was one of our neighbors. We have never talked to our Mexican neighbors before and Justun recently told me he wanted to start getting to know them so I just assumed. Well when I got out of the car and walked over to them Justun told me that he had "hired" Nicolas. I just laughed because I thought he was joking. I went inside to put groceries away and Justun came in a few minutes later and said that the guy was walking around Home Depot looking for work. He hired him. Justun has always been really generous and given bums money. One time I was with him when we were dating, he gave a lady at a gas station a ride a couple miles back up to her home. Well he said that he really wanted to help the man because obviously he needed money if he was willing to work for it. The man helped Justun and Brandon for about 4 hours. Afterward we fed him Hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, veggies and watermelon til his little corazon was content! Justun packed up all the leftovers for him to take home and Brandon gave him a ride. When we went to bed last night Justun was telling me that the man was here from somewhere down in South America and hadn't seen his wife or kids in 3 years because he was working here since he can't make as much in Mexico. He said he keeps only what he needs and sends the rest to Mexico. It about broke my heart to hear that. I learned that it doesnt need to be 4th of July in order to think about and be grateful for our country and freedoms. In fact, I love celebrating 4th of July but this year, sort of took for granted the freedom that we have and the fact that Im only apart from my husband a few hours of the day for us to afford the things we do. It made me also grateful for Heavenly Father's blessings and happy to see the hand of the Lord as it has helped us. I wish we could afford to just give Nicolas all the money he needs to bring his family to America but I know Heavenly father is also mindful of his needs and knows the desires of his heart, and the hard worker that he is. I'm also glad Justun has such a giving heart for all the Lord's children.