one more memory

Tyler and Amber invited us to play on their intermural softball team this summer and last night was the end of it. We played for the ship and the first game we won (had to beat twice) and the second game came down to one run. It did get really intense and I did get kicked out for an inning due to "profanity". Whoever said saying "shit" in softball was "profanity" does not understand the game. I honestly didn't know that rule because in flag football I swore once and they just gave me a warning and that was the end of it. So I felt really bad that we had to play a man down because of me. What's worse is that the ump didn't even hear it, the other team told. So anyways I have been thinking about it all night and sad we didn't get a shirt (mostly sad that emma didn't get a shirt). We had a ton of fun and met a lot of cool people. Maybe next year.

So I Better Write It Down

This will be a boring post for almost everyone, but I need to write the things down that we've been up to or else it will be like they never happened.

First of all Garrin is finally done with school! Summer has finally begun just in time for it to end.

We had our 2 year annivers a week or so ago. We went out to Sizzler (Garrin loves the all-you-can eat shrimp and steak). Oh and then after that we hit up the dollar theater to watch Imagine That. Kind of a kid movie, but we both really liked it. Recommend.

On the 24th of July we didn't have any plans so we decided to just go for a walk and see what was going on. We always hear music playing in the neighborhood and that night we happened upon a Collin Ray concert just down the street from our house. We stayed and it was one of the best outdoor concerts we've been to. He lives in Utah now (which is pretty cool)and did such a good job. If anyone has the chance to see him, he's worth it.

I'm 99% done with my community rotation (still have to take the final). I loved working at WIC and I learned SO much. I had the opportunity to teach a nutrition through the lifecycle class for the nursing students at UVU and I really enjoyed doing that. It took me forever to develop the power points so I thought I'd post it on here for anyone who is interested. It may have been that I just wasn't paying attention in classes, but I swear I didn't learn the practical things to counsel women who are pregnant and breastfeeding. I learned so much about that during my rotation and I would love to work in that area when I'm registered.

So anyone who heard the story about the little primary girl who prayed for the "gool teacho to be nice to the boy teacho" will enjoy what a small world this really is. At church the other day the little girl's mom came up to me and asked me if I was the "one from Blanding" lol. I told her I was and she said, "oh I have cousins down there - do you know Chris Webb"? So apparently the little girl and the Webbs are cousins. Crazy Crazy.

The annoying little barking dogs by our window have had animal control pay them a visit several times (courtesy of me) and we'll see if they'll do something about them or if I'll have to poison their food.

The other night we all decided to go camping - Tiff, Laik, Fear, Isom, fear and isom's friend and Garrin & I. So we drove up the canyon to find a million people up there and a huge sign that says you can't build open fires. We found a way to cook our dutch ovens and all the people finally left. Well we went to lay out our beds when out of nowhere 1000 gallons of water comes shooting at us from every angle to water the lawn in the mountain. So lame. So we didn't get to sleep, but maybe next time.

Garrin has been shooting his bow every week with his friend he met at the gym (so random) and he's getting ready for the hunt next weekend. I'm getting ready for a week of chillaxing.

So there you have it. Pictures will be available when someone invents ways for them to automatically upload

Doing

Wow I can't believe I am done at BYU. It has been a long/hard 4 years.  I can't say that I would ever do it over again, but I have learned a lot and made a lot of friends that I will have for the rest of my life.  I've grown up a lot and there was times that school was actually fun.  

This is a picture of the seniors in my program.  I spent 2 years with these girls in the same classroom of the ESC.  I really will miss not seeing everyone this fall.  BYU Dietetics 2009. 

This is Jena, Me and Laura.  We had our first lab class together Junior year became good friends since then.  I remember the first day meeting the girls in the program.  We were sitting in the conference room and going over the syllabus and while we were talking and asking questions I remember thinking that both of them would probably drive me nuts over the next 2 years ha ha!  They ended up being some of my best friends and I love hanging out with them now.  Funny story is that neither of them knew where they would be doing their internships and it ends up both of them will be in Georgia this fall doing the same internship. (pictures compliments of Jena)

Yay!!  My Diploma finally came in the mail and this is my phlebotomy certification!  I was almost more excited about passing phlebotomy than I was about graduating (almost).  I have been terrified of needles my whole life, but working at the hospital and taking clinical classes I decided it wouldn't be a bad thing to be certified in.  Garrin gave me the class for graduation and I ended up LOVING poking people.  Garrin on the other hand does not do so well with the needle.  He came for family/friend draw night and he didn't quite make it through the second draw.  Garrin watched me fish around for the instructor's vein which made Garrin nauseated. I drew his arm and he did fine but when I tied the turniquet around his forearm his hand veins weren't quite as plump as normal.  I got the needle in and he said he wasn't feeling well, so I pulled the needle out and he went.  I pass out all the time when I give blood but I fall to the floor and snap out of it.  Garrin on the other hand leaned back with his eyes rolled back in his head, was making choking noises, and then his back arched and his body started tensing up in his chair.  I natually freaked out and I thought I gave him tetanus.  Luckily the instructor was cool and he and some other guy helped lay him out on the floor and he eventually came to.  He was sick all night.  I just really didn't know he would react this way to needles.  I guess it's a good thing I'll be taking the epidurals in life ha.  Thank you to Fear and Laura for coming both nights to let me draw on a million times.  You guys were so chill about it.  Also thank you Jena, Jason, Misty, Lant & Amy, Alika, Brittney and Garrin for letting me get your blood.  Christy drove up from Delta for 2 weeks to take the class and she let me draw on her a lot too.  She was way chill about me poking her, but I can't say I was the same for her lol.  Our instructor kinda fell in love with her and luckily let her draw from him ALL night.  I bet she poked him 15 times each class lol.  

This is my favorite picture of Garrin.  Just one of the nights we were both studying.  It has been out whole married lives and I can't say I'll miss it.

Garrin with his hot chocolate.  Another night of studying.

Amber, Melanie, Shana and I at a football game my sophmore year.  Amber was my roomate my freshman and sophmore years.  Melanie and Shana were my suprise roomates the second semester of my freshman year.  Amber and I moved into some random apartment with 4 other girls and we all had a lot of fun (worst semester grade-wise but the most fun ha).  I learned how to play tennis and we lost a bet with the boys in our ward and had to jump in the duck pond at the bottom of campus.  I also drove with Katie Younger to Midland Texas for 16 hours the summer after.

Gorg and Jess at Lake Powell.  Gorg was my roomate sophmore year and Jess was the first friend I made at school.  We had nutrition and O Chem freshman year and sat by each other one day and became friends after that.  She's in the nursing program so we had most of the same pre-reqs and studied together for every class.  She came to Cedar for state football with me and she has even been to Blanding twice.  She came down one summer to go to the lake powell and she was so close to pulling into town when she hit a deer and took its leg off.  She also came down for my wedding.  She's on her mission right now and she finally comes back in December.

Lake Powell at the point.

Garrin is crazy busy again with school and work.  It should finally be slowing down for him at the end of June and he'll be officially graduated in July.  I am more excited for him to be done than I am for myself.  He's been going to school and working non stop since his mission.  I have been working for him until I start my internship this Wednesday!  I swear this internship has already been so much work.  I have all of my forms in and now I'm just waiting for one more contract to be signed and faxed.  Thanks everyone for your help and connections for for the long-term care.  I found one that I will love.  For some reason I underestimated the hours I needed to do and won't be finished and ready to take the RD exam until the 2nd week in April. 

It is so easy to say that you're gonna go off to school to be this or that, but the every day struggle is an entirely different thing.  The thing I am most excited for is to just enjoy the holidays and weekends.  One of us has always been in school and doing homework on the weekends.  I am so excited to not be doing finals while everyone else is shopping and wrapping presents and making cookies.  That is what I am most excited for.  Well goodbye BYU.

911!!!

So I thought I'd title my post with something that would catch everyone's attention ha. I am just using the power of the blog to see if there is ANYONE out there with ANY connections to a long term care facility (nursing and rehab type stuff) where I could do a rotation of my internship at. I have to have at least 2 weeks and preferably 4 weeks in order to begin my internship....and I am having many flaky people not giving me confirmations. I need to have one lined up preferably within the next week. Please please please ask friends/family if they know of any place in the northern Utah region. This is the last link in the chain that I need to finish up my degree and if this ends up holding me back I will not like it at all.

An advanced thank you for your help!!!

Marywood University

Well this is the school where I will be doing my internship!  No, I will not get to hang out with Dwight in Scranton because it's actually a distance internship!  I can do part of it in northern Utah, part of it at home and the rest of it in Farmington, NM.  We didn't think that things would work out, but somehow it all did (we hope).  It's great because I will get to do a lot of renal nutrition and dialysis - which is what I've always wanted to do!  

Garrin has one more semester until he is done and then we are headed home!  We thought that this would be the summer to hang out and have fun......but maybe next summer.  

We wanted to go home

We got to go home last weekend!!  We haven't been home since before New Years and it was time.  It wasn't very long, but it was great!

Cash was wondering why his gum kept disappearing (he learned how to swallow it lol)

I thought this picture was so funny.  Sagan was mad that my parents were "in her spot" so she thought if she laid there they would move.  I couldn't find anyone in my house and this is what I found.

This is my Dad's new dog.  It's ugly/cute - I can't decide.  

Simmy Sosa and I after her game against Cello.  She pitched and they won! She is so much taller than me now....don't even try to compete anymore

Me, Briona, Sagan and Filly after their game.  I love spring and watching softball.  

Me and Heather at the games.  I just hope her knee is ready for midnight madness

Again, Garrin and I at the games.

My parents......at the games.  Shane is not cooperating in photography

Merri looks mad....but really wasn't

So these pictures have a story. Oh for those of you who have to get a colonoscopy later in life....I feel so bad for you! The prep was absolutely awful!  My boss didn't let me have it off....so I went into work right after drinking the oral enema and about 2 hours later I was sent home lol.  It made me puke out both ends and by the second time I had to drink the mg-citrate I had to buy popsickles to stick in my mouth right after a swallow to get rid of the taste. I sat on the couch all day feeling awful and watching tv the rest of the day, and I swear there were more food commercials than normal that day.  I texted my grandma and told her how much I wanted to eat cafe rio and she said straight up, "well don't think about that cause it won't help you"....heartless. I was NPO after midnight and the last thing I wanted at that point was to drink anything else but by the time I had my appointment I was so dehydrated and drained (literally) that they put in my IV and I passed out. Finally after I could finally eat (it felt like 40 days) I chose a reeses, ice cream bar and I was not dissapointed. 

Getting out of surgry.

We also went to Chav and Dashelle's wedding on the monday after we got back and it was fun to see everyone and see Garrin's friends finally starting to get married.  

The world of 4-year-olds

We teach the CTR 5 class in our ward and they crack us up every week. I wanted to write up some of the things they do and say so I won't forget them.
1. We were teaching about CTR and asking the kids about how they choose the right. We were playing a game and I asked a little girl if she chooses the right. She said, "well I choose the right, but my brother, sometimes he chooses the left".
2. We had a lesson on praying and when are appropriate times to pray. I gave them a scenario about if they were in the dark or home alone and were scared....would it be ok to pray? One little girl said, "I would just call 911". Like I was an idiot for not thinking of by myself.
3. The most famous story is one where were were teaching them to be peace makers. All the scenarios in the manual were too easy for these smart little kids. So I started giving them real-life situations. One kid told me about riding his bike so I asked him what he would do if I said his bike was a girl bike and he looked like a girl riding his bike. And I gave each kid (and Garrin) scenarios that were real-life and made them think. They were on the meaner side, but the world is not a nice place and these kids need to learn how to deal. So anyways, in the closing prayer this little girl was praying and says, "please bless gool (girl) teacho will be nice to boy teacho". We lost it.
4. We have a little boy who thinks we are both "sisto palmo". Garrin got a little sick of it and made him sit there and learn "brother palmer" before he would answer him. He did it once and is back to calling us both "sisto palmo".
5. Garrin is so so so patient the majority of the time, but I can understand being around kids for 2 hours for a guy in primary isn't ideal. So it was towards the end of class and these 2 kids were fighting over a crayon. I was helping another child and didn't think much of it. Garrin finally had enough and doesn't say much but reaches over and says, "give me that crayon", takes it from them , both of them look up at him completely shocked and busted into tears lol. Had to be there.

These are just a few of the best ones, but I will update more as they happen. We have such a cute class, and we were talking about why we came down to earth and asking each kid why they thought they decided to come down to earth, and a little girl just looks at us and said, "because of the plan". Almost like asking us, "did you forget?" The same little girl is a little angel and everytime she tells us something she starts out with, "don't-cha-know.....". And if one kid made their mom pancakes for breakfast that week, they all made their mom pancakes that week. It cracks us up and we love it.

No pictures this week, but hopefully we'll do something worth taking pictures of very soon. There are officially 5 more weeks of school left (for cheyna), 2 clinical work sheets, 2 more nutritional biochem exams, 1 final project, 1 research methods exam and 3 more management assignments to go before anything fun in life can happen again. Too bad that it is almost the worst time in history to be graduating from school with the economy the way it is. Garrin is just working constantly as well with school and working full-time. Almost 100% of our marriage has been spent going to school and working and we're ready to be done with that. We need this summer just to enjoy hanging out without all the stress, and finally will have the time to eat breakfast together and maybe go on a vacation. That's all I want. I found out I have to get a colonoscopy this weekend so I'm hoping to get some answers about what has been going on down in that region lol. I've never been a patient at a hospital before so it should be an adventure. Garrin will get to experience first-hand how terrified I am of needles. I also finally have a weekend off (it's been almost 8 weeks straight that I have been working weekends) so very much looking forward to that. We'll be taking some pictures of something fun soon.

Too late for Christmas

I never got the chance to blog about Christmas or anything that happened since then. I know it's late, but I always want to write down the traditions of Christmas cause that is always what I remember. We've always had a lot of Christmas traditions and I hope we never have to miss any of them. We got to go home Christmas eve and left before New Year's Eve. It was the shortest time I have spent home during the break since I've been alive. This first picture is of the tree tradition my mom started a couple years ago. The decorations are candy bars and the presents are pop. We love this tree and when there's nothing to do during the break....that is all we do. She also started a bingo game that we decided we love. She got tons of food that we can take back to school (since 4/6 of the kids in our family are in college now) and envelopes with different amounts of money in them that we played for. Being married definately paid off in this game cause Garrin chose the envelopes and I chose the food. Notice the huge bag of fudge rounds that we played for....most of them ended up on my butt after a few days. We loved that game and are hoping it is tradition :). We also played celebrity which is now another tradition and it was my family, nate and my grandma (so mostly my family lol) and it is always so funny. Nate played with us last year and he always has to act out the presidents and he always looks like he's mowing the lawn lol. You'd just have to be there. I don't have very many pictures, just the ones on my phone, but we went to my grandma Kathy's and then Garrin's Palmer side. We're lucky we always get to hit up both sides. My grandma kathy goes all out for christmas and she always has a picture video with pictures of all the grandkids and great grandkids from that whole year. Then all the cousins exchange name presents and the adults have a game, and we play the right/left game with candy and money and this year she did a fun thing where we had to guess all of the cousins' favorite drink, candy bar and gum. She had us fill out questionaires last Christmas and she used them for this Christmas. She always has about 4 hours worth of fun things for us to do. Oh yeah and every year she picks out the cutest pajamas for every single grandkid that we all wear to the party. After that we went home to have my family's little party and we open our name presents and play our games.

We stayed at Garrin's house this Christmas and first opened presents with his family and then went up to open what was left of my family's Christmas. We got the rest of The Office collection and stuff for food storage from Garrin's parents. We watch the office all the time and food storage is something we haven't started yet so we really appreciated those. Garrin got a gun from my parents (which they say is for both of us, but we all know they just forgot to shop for me lol) and I (we) got a bread maker. Also Garrin was great and got me a bosu and my emu boots that I had been in need of. I decided instead of trying for suprise I would make it easy for him and just make a list with prices and where he could get them the cheapest that he can choose from for all special occasions lol. It worked well. The best presents came courtesy of the Wii! My parents went all out with wii fit, american idol, rock band, guitar hero and dance dance and a racing game and a few others. We all played it the whole weekend and I miss it. I should have gotten a video mostly of Sagan trying to sing and Simone doing dance dance. She's like those chines girls who are way good.

I did get some pictures with Cash and I miss him so much. He said my name one night while we were playing no-peeky (which is a Palmer family tradition that Devan always wins). He kept saying, "cheyna, no (snow)". It made my day that he knew who I was cause we honestly don't get to see him very much.

This is a picture of Cash raiding my purse and finding a tampon to eat lol.

Since then we have started school, garrin is managing a technology department, I started at the hospital and we are crossing off the days on the calendar until school is over. Applications for internships are all in and I decided to apply to Utah State and Southwestern in AZ. We don't find out until April 20th and I wake up with nightmares almost every night that I don't get accepted to an internship.

We had a fun Valentine's day. I had to work that night so we went to Magelby's for a breakfast buffee and decided breakfast is the way to go from now on. The highlight, however, is that I FINALLY SAW TWILIGHT!!! We went friday night and we were late so we had to sit on the very front row. That didn't do it justice so I'm just waiting for the next time I can go again. I wanted to read all of the books before I saw the movie. So stupid me started reading them 3 days before the semester started and had to try to read those and do homework at the same time. I finally got done and went to buy tickets to the movie and they took it out of the theater! I had to wait until it went to the dollar which was almost a month. Anyways I did see it and I did love it and I will go see it again.

Second-to-last finals are OVER!!

Seriously I did not do that good as I hoped on my finals, but who cares cause they are over for both of us and we only have one more week of them to go through in our entire lives. (7/8 are over!!) (Do they have finals in grad school? who cares anyways) Poor Garrin had all of his finals scheduled and 2 of them were at 7:00 am. He has been getting up before 5 every morning to study and we've both been staying up late. Luckily I only had one scheduled so I got to sleep in until 7. I do hate it when I'm in a final, I've studied everything, and they throw in some random lecture from like the beginning of the semester that you didn't take notes on cause you're thinking, "who would ask a question on this?" ....and then they do. I also hate it when there are multiple answers to the question and if the professor were in the testing center I could justify and back up two different answers....so you gotta do the 50/50 thing and with my luck I always choose the wrong one. I remember two christmases ago I needed to make really good grades to get into my program and during the christmas break I would wake up almost every night thinking that I still had to study for finals! I'm just glad the trauma is almost over and hopefully next year we can spend the month of December enjoying it rather than getting through it. I will finally have time to go Christmas shopping tomorrow (so if I have your name and you want to tell me what to get you, please do). Tonight we get to have a school-free night and tomorrow I get to start actual training at the hospital. Hope we get home for Christmas before the snow melts!

Blogging takes forever, but Merry Christmas!

Posting takes FOREVER! No wonder I don't ever do it. The commentary for all the photos is at the bottom. This pictures is of us at Temple Square. This was the best place of all for pictures. So many people were there. I love that little river behind us. Wouldn't it be cool to put it in your backyard and turn it into a hot tub? I think so.

Our tree! Garrin got it last year and suprised me with it when I got home from a test. Yes it is fake but we're ok with fake and we actually like fake. No hassle.

Garrin thuggin at the temple with Browning

Collest lights

Another view of the coolest hot tub idea

After we spent all day putting up lights. Major advertising for BYU

Outside body worlds.

They wouldn't let you take pictures inside. You couldn't even have gum....but I managed.

I really don't have time to blog, but a lot has happened that I'm sure I'll forget if I don't get it down. Garrin's family and my family both came up the weekend before Thanksgiving break and it was fun to go out to eat with everyone. I took Sagan to my gym and I think she's not dreading graduating and moving up here anymore. It will be so fun to have a gym buddy that always wants to work out. Simone stayed over with me while Garrin and Logan went home early for the break and I am so glad she did. We went shopping, watched a lot of friends, went on walks, and we made the best brownies ever. We also went to the track to run and poor Simone froze her butt off, but kept going lol. Oh and I taught her how to play speed and she sucked, but she got home and secretly practiced in her room and now she's good.

That next week was my birthday and Thanksgiving and it was just a good week. Garrin took me to Twin Rocks for breakfast because I have always wondered why people don't do that more. Breakfast is the best meal of all. We went there for a different date a long time ago in high school and it was one of my favorite ones. He got me so many cute clothes that I love and I also got Baby Mama from Karie. Never can get sick of Baby Mama. I don't have any pictures of the annual hoop tourny but that took up all day/night friday and they lost in the ship. Next year lol. Sagan and I went for our long run and it was honestly miserable. I forgot that one of the things I hate the most about home is there is no where to workout. I am so used to having a gym that if we ever move back it will be a hard transition. Simone and I continued the tradition of putting up my grandma's Christmas lights. I'll get a picture of it when we get home, but it took forever. We had all the lights up and we thought we had planned it all out to go to one outlet, but no. It took us like 3 hours to make it work and even then the lights didn't all come on. Props to those people hooking up the lights at Temple Square.

Yesterday I took the GRE and I ALMOST MISSED IT!. Lindon is retarded and one second you're in Orem minding trying to find the address and then it switches over to Lindon and the streets completely change. I called Garrin and he was trying to find directions while he was at work and I was flippin around and bawling. I found the place 5 minutes late and I thought for sure they wouldn't let me in. Luckily they still took me, but I didn't bring my gum in from the car. I am such a gum freak that I didn't think I could do it. Things did not go as planned, but I made it through the dang long test and I have no complaints. For anyone who is planning on taking it, you should know that you can't take ANYTHING in the testing center with you (no not even chapstick or a piece of gum), you can wear a hoodie in but can't take it off during the test, you only get one break and you should eat something before you go in.

Garrin got me tickets to Body Worlds for my birthday and we went last night. It was amazing. My favorite part was seeing the neonatal display. They showed a zygote, embryo, fetus in every week of development (yes starting with week 1). Everything in the display is real so you get these babies who didn't make it, but who look perfect. It was so nice of their families to let them be on display. Also They had a plasticized camal! Full size! It would kick a moose's butt. It showed the food it had eaten in its stomach and it looked like it was growing weeds. Apparently camals don't chew their food the first time and also their humps are humps of fat but they can draw both nutrients and water from the stores (I always thought they were filled with water). I could go on forever about it, but I am so happy Garrin took me to it. Afterwards we went to Temple Square to see the lights and I really do think that this is the best display they've had. It was such a good weekend and we have our tree up now and we're getting ready for finals and things are just good. MERRY CHRISTMAS!