Summing up February!

February is a fun month for me. It's my birthday month! Who does not like their birthday? It was a hard birthday to have, for some reason the whole year before I completely forgot how old I was, realizing that I was going to turn 24 was a shocker. My poor husband had to hear me rant about how I didn't even realize how fast or where time went.

Nonetheless, money was really tight this year with Afton being born not too long ago, so I didn't ask for anything. My hubby insisted that we go out to dinner and that he would take me out on a date. Of course, that was the only thing I really wanted was to spend time with my man. With all the late nights with Afton, Cam working and going to school full-time, I felt like we never really got to see each other and spend time together as a couple.

My birthday had to land on a Monday this year, so we celebrated the weekend before. My mom's gift to me was watching Afton while the two of us went out on a date. Of course, I was a paraniod mother and our date lasted a  total of 2 and a half hours, but it was much needed quality time.

The day of Cam had to work, so after school he came home to take me over to my mom's. There was a knock on the door where i received this....

Cam made sure that there was no question in my mind how much he cares for me and how special I am to him.

The night ended with cake with my parents and brother. It was such a good day with cake and flowers. Yum. (:

Well in February, Afton has become more fun and playful! Her squawks are getting louder, and she is more alert and interactive.

Valentines day we had a play date with Brittney, Kooper, and Kristen. We had a valentines dinner and got to play with Kooper! Talk about a cute boy! He is fun. He teaches Afton how to shoot the moose in his room, play with trucks and is really good at sharing his stuffed animals with her.

Here is the Valentine that Kooper made Afton and me. Talk about spoiled us!

But that's not all of February!!!!

We got to see Aunt Teal! She came up for President's Day weekend. We were able to hang out with Teal bug and have her stay with us. We also went to a hockey game at the Peaks Ice Arena. It has been years since I've watched a hockey game in there, but for Cam and Teal it was their first time.

I told you that Cam is impossible to take pictures with... At least it's a good picture of the girls.  Although BYU lost, it was still a fun night.

I guess the letter F in February also means a months of first for Afton. Here are some pictures of a "Tinker".

She took over her own room!

Fell asleep on her first trip to the mall.

Saw ducks for the first time... One got to close and she started to cry.... haha! Oh... if she only knew how much she'll enjoy seeing ducks in her future. ;)

The beginning and end of her first stroller ride.

Although it is her first time doing all these things, I feel like she has been a part of our lives for so much longer. In fact, I feel like I've known her my whole life. Cameron feels the same way and loves being with his girls.

February was a month that really brought us closer as a family. We really had to depend on one another, but most importantly our eyes were open to the Lord and all his love for us. Money was tight, but we never felt like we were going without and that we didn't have enough. As long as we had each other, life was great! I pray that you all have exactly what you need and in moments of adversity, you hold dear to your loved ones.

Afton's Baby blessing

We blessed Afton on January, 27th. Yes, it has been too long and am in need for a blog update. She was 2 months old, and cute as a button. We were able to have Cameron's parents and three sisters attend the blessing, not to mention some of the cousins that live up here and some friend. On my side, my brother drove from Texas to make it to her blessing, my parents, aunts and uncles, and cousins, were all there.

 Getting Afton ready and she was moving and squirming! We were able to wear the dress that Afton's Great Grandma Mabel Palmer made, (Cameron's grandma). Here dresses are amazing, but very special since Grandma Palmer's hand have arthritis in them, and she wont be able to crochet much longer. It truly is a very special gift from a very talented woman.

One of my greater fears when blessing a child is having them scream the entire time the blessing is taking place. Thankfully, she was nothing but calm and happy. Cam gave a great blessing, some of the things that she was blessed with are being blessed with a loving family and resources to flourish, blessed with a healthy, strong body to endure trails and adversity; blessed to have a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and faith to follow Him. The ability to learn, grow and understand the principles of the gospel. Apply all that she has learned in the temple with a man she has chosen to take her there.To captivate the beauty of that moment as a whole, you just had to of been there. I thank my cousin Karen for taking such great notes.Not to mention there was a special spirit in the room,  I strongly believe my brother Enrique was all there watching his niece being blessed.

Following the blessing, we were able to have a meal at my parents house with all those that wanted to join. We are so grateful for how special that ways, and felt extremely blessed. There were many friends and family  that were not able to make, but there presence was felt. Our hearts were touched, for it truly was a very special day.

Truth  be told, Cameron is impossible to take pictures with, so as a proud mama I was able to get one with my princess. I never thought I would fall in love with being a mom, but having Afton in my life has truly been a blessing. She makes me want to be an even better person than I was or am for her. With moments like her blessing, I realize how special of a daughter of God she is, and how important it is for her to grow up in a home that will teach her Gospel truths. We are in a married, young couple Sunday school class and our previous bishop phrased it best when he said, "Adults do not produce children, children produce adults." That is how I truly feel, she was sent to our home for Cam and I to grow to become the adults that we need to be, for her and for our own eternal progression. We are forever touch and humbled by this little girl and our world will never be the same again, it will be better!

11/25/12- A day we will always remember...

Early on that Sunday morning, I mean early, at 2a.m. I (Liz) started feeling contractions that were 10 minutes a part and just couldn't sleep. Every time I was close to going back to dream land another one would come and then the cycle started all over again. At about 4:45a.m. the contractions started coming 5 minutes a part, but as a new parent we both weren't sure this was true labor yet. The day before I had been feeling contractions off and on and pretty irregular all day long, so we just weren't sold that it was really time. At about 7a.m. we went into the hospital because the contraction weren't stopping and stayed consistently 3 to 5 minutes a part.

What no one prepares you for while you're in labor is the admitting process at the hospital, I just figured that once you arrived they checked that you were in labor and get you started- which is true, but they don't tell you how long that takes. We arrived and started the check but normally they wait an hour  to see if your labor is progressing  The nurse could see how much pain I was in and decided that she would check in an half an hour instead of the full hour. So the initial check the dilatation was at 3cm, and half an hour later I was at 4cm, so they decided to admit me and I could stay.  The whole time I was thinking that if this wasn't true labor then I don't want to do this anymore, but it was and we were getting the show on the road. Today was the day that we were going to meet that little one that has been in my tummy for so long. 

Also, they don't tell you how long it takes for you to get an epidural either. I was just exhausted from my two hours of sleep the night before and in so much pain, that I was totally all for the drugs by that time. 30  minutes later (after I was told I could stay), I was able to get the surgeon in the room to give me the epidural. Also, I realized that I deal with pain through anger, so I figured that it was in everyone's best interest that I get it as well. 

A couple hours later, I was fully dilated  The nurse that was checking on me was so surprised how fast I had gone, she called my doctor and let him know that I was ready. She had me do a set of pushing and then told me to stop, she could see the babies hair and my doctor hadn't arrived yet. She was getting nervous that he wouldn't make it on time, and the babies heart beat started dropping. She got it up again by rotating her head a little bit, but it started to go down again. My doctor literally ran into the room, had his hand in the air while the nurse dressed him. I did another set of pushes and she was out!!! Afton Leticia Palmer was born Nov. 25th 2012 at 12:54am. She weighed 6lbs 15oz and was 18in. long. 

Meeting her for the first time was a very surreal but beautiful experience. I remember looking at her and asking Cam, is she really ours? It that our precious little one? 

Cam, was just amazing through the whole experience.  He was with the baby the whole time they bathed her and measured her. He helped both baby and me whenever he could.

Our little Afton is growing like a weed! As you can see, this is a two week photo of her. 

Well all, we wish you a very Merry Christmas! Hope the seasons bring you joy and happiness. Afton is signing off for us till after the holidays!!!!! XOXO

2012 Deer Hunt

We were able to make it to Blanding this year for Cam's hunt. The weekend started off with a night at the ranch and spotting deer for the hunt opener, which was the following day. The family ranch is a very sacred place for all the members of the family. It is a place to ponder, reflect, and find peace. To start off the weekend this way should have been an indicator that we were going to have a phenomenal weekend.

The following day consisted a lot of driving around the mountain and seeing a lot deer. Most of them were doe's (females), which we aren't able to shoot. The bucks (males) were a little more difficult to spot and we weren't able to get a good shot on any of them. Needless to say, the first day we were unsuccessful in our attempts to get a deer.

On our second day we kind of realized that it was a now or never moment. Either we got a deer that night or we just weren't getting one this year, because we were leaving the next day to go back to Springville and we weren't able to make it down again before his season ended. We decided to hunt the ranch that night. We invited Grandpa Palmer, Dad, and our little sister Jade to join us.

When we arrived, deer had already started to come in the field. Cam anticipated setting up else where, so when we saw quite a few deer come out we decided that we were just going to stay in the cabin and Cam would have to hunt from there.

As time passed and the sun was lowering we were getting a little discouraged because there wan't any bucks that were within shooting range for Cam. Just when we were thinking of giving up hope some doe's and bucks hopped the fence right in front of the cabin. One was 20 to 30 yards away from Cam and another was  about additional 30 yards behind that.The mood in the cabin was intense and silent. We were all so excited for Cam and didn't dare make a sound to spook the deer away. When Cam pulled back and released his first arrow and he was high and it went right over the back of the deer. The deer moved to the left and further away. The one that was 62 yards away was staring intensely at Cameron and trying to figure out what happened and what he was. Cam was able to collect his composure, draw back, and released his arrow, all in one very fluid motion. The next thing we know the deer jumps up as he was hit and starting running down the field. He went about 50 yards and dropped. We had got our deer!

This would be the smile of my handsome man right after he shot his deer. Also, you can see how happy Jade was to be apart of it and witness Cam's shot.

                               We found him! Jader is holding the antlers of Cam's two point deer.

 

Grandpa, Dad, and Cam- three generations of hunters and Grandpa and Dad were so happy and proud to be there. What a blessing it was to be able to share that experience with them.

Of course, I'm proud of my husband and will never be apart of such an awesome hunting experience ever again. Our baby girl was there too, but she is in the womb and I don't think she will remember it.(:


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The joys that life can bring....

While Cameron and I were living a part we received very exciting news. I had no idea where he was and just could not wait to share the news with him. I kept calling him with no response, so I sent him a picture message to get my point across. It was a picture of my pregnancy result. We were expecting our first little one. The thought of our family growing brought an overwhelming sense of joy.

We are so excited but it still felt so unreal to us. That is until we started going to our doctor appointments. Our first couple appointments Cam went with me. We found out that our baby is due November 24th, which suites us completely since Cam is almost a Christmas baby and I was almost a Valentines baby, it's only right that our baby is due around Thanksgiving. Our second appointment we were able to hear the heart beat of our precious baby. It fun to hear how fast the little heart was beating. Moments like that made the pregnancy more real.

After a couple weeks of finding out our due date, we decided to share the news with our family members by sending them a card with a picture of our announcement. 

Our families were both so excited to hear the news. Our littlest sister Kate made the comment that she was so excited for us to have a baby and she couldn't wait to figure out if she was going to be an uncle or an aunt. Oh man, she is a goofy one.

A little while later were able to go to an early ultrasound and make sure that everything was developing on time with the baby. Cam wasn't able to make it since the appointment I was able to get was during his class. Needless to say, we received great news that the baby was developing correctly and everything looked good.

It was an unbelievable experience to see our little baby moving inside me. I seriously cannot expresses the overwhelming joy I felt watching our little one for the first time.

About 16 to 17 weeks (night of June 21st) Cam and I were laying in our bed talking. He started to rub my tummy and he felt our baby move for the first time. I couldn't believe it so I started to press on my tummy and tired to see if I could feel it too. Feeling our baby move was another testament to the pregnancy becoming more and more real to us.

 On July 11th we went in for an ultrasound and we were able to see our baby again. For Cam it was his first time looking at our precious one. The baby is getting bigger and bigger. This time we weren't able to get a picture of the baby within one picture. We  had to see our little one in sections. It was a really tender experience to share with him. We also received the news of what we were having.

We are soon to be proud parents and joyfully announce that this November we will be joined by a beautiful baby girl!!! We cannot wait to meet her and welcome her in to our family. To our little girl we want to say. we love you and we are only 4 months away from sharing the rest of our lives with you. We are thrilled that you will be joining our family!

A mission farewell for Chaze

Last weekend we had the pleasure of throwing a farewell for our brother- Elder Chaze Palmer. We kicked off the weekend with a bonfire Friday night for the pit barbeque. The bonfire was a fun get together with friends and family. Of course, Mountain Dew was involved along with marsh mellows and starburst for roasting. We also had our good friend and cousin Parker Palmer playing the guitar as we were sitting by the fire. The purpose of the fire was to get enough coals for the pit barbeque. However, with Cam and Chaze there really doesn't ever need to be an excuse for a bonfire or burning anything to be honest. Needless to say, it was a wonderful evening with friends and family that shared it with us.

Not to mention, Cam and I haven't had a lot of alone time recently since we haven't been living in the same city. So when everyone had pretty much called it a night, Cam and I stayed out a little later and snuggled under the stars. Although the night was a little crazy and busy, it was really nice to take time for us and make it a little date.

As you can imagine, the next morning I wasn't nearly as motivated to get up as Cameron. He went out shed hunting with our friend Parker for a couple hours while I stayed in bed. We were able to catch up with Chaze in the late morning/ early afternoon. He was at the Ivin's field (the family that he had cowboyed for these last two years). Tiffni 's (Chaze's girlfriend) family had come down for the big events this weekend, so Chaze took them to the field to ride horses, ride four wheelers, and see a baby calf be born. All those things took place that afternoon, (pictures will come soon). Not to mention, I was on one of the horses for a quick ride... I should have know to wait for the other horses. However, I ventured off on my own for a quick ride. On my way back the horse started running and wouldn't listen to me. I pulled back the reins fairly tight but the horse kept on running. Not to mention, I'm never on a saddle that is the right size for me, so my feet are never in the stirrups, which is scary cause I was just hanging on to the saddle horn hoping I wouldn't fall off. Finally we were at the entrance of the corral when the horse slowed down on it's own. I hopped off and didn't get back on a horse the rest of that day. I'm not going to lie, it definitely scared me a little.

That late afternoon we adventured on a little hike in Comb (a well known name for an area near Blanding). We took the whole crew out to look at a couple Native American ruins. We had with us most of our family, (minus mom and dad- they were making dinner), Adam Rigby's family (A cousin from Cam's mom side), Tiffni's mom's family, and Tiffni's dad's family. We had about 27 of us on our hike. It was a neat little hike that took us about an hour to get everyone down there, but the families that haven't been to Blanding before really loved seeing the ruins.

Dinner time came and it was time for our pit barbeque. The prepared meat and dutch oven potatoes were totally against my diet, but I ate them anyway. Cam was my favorite at dinner. He grabbed one paper plate for his meat and another paper plate for his potatoes. Oh how I love that man. We were joined by many more friends and family to celebrate with Chaze the wonderful decisions he had made to serve the Lord.

Sunday

We had the pleasure to hear my mother-in-law, father-in-law, and Chaze speak in our Sunday service. Chaze gave a great talk about feeling the spirit and how he discovered for himself that he has heard the spirit and it prompted him to do things. The spirit isn't always that boisterous warning not to do something or to stop, but most often than not it is a still small voice.

Monday,

Chaze was set a part as a missionary. Cam was able to participate in the circle and be there for his little brother. I wasn't able to attend because I was on my way back to Provo. I know that the family that couldn't make it was there in spirit, because we all wanted to be.

Wednesday,

Chaze is going to the MTC today. He will be dropped off at 1pm in Provo. I am hoping that I will be able to catch up with him while I'm leaving one job and heading to another. Because I left early on Monday I wasn't able to give him a hug and properly say goodbye. I'm hoping I get that chance, but if I don't he will still get letters from us and know that we are praying for him.

What an eventful time for our little family, but oh the joys of having our first brother to serve a mission. Couldn't be more proud of him and his decision to serve for two years.

Saddle sore

Last weekend I (Liz) was able to go to Blanding to see my hubby. It is always a treat to see him, and truly I am happier around him. Not to mention, it was soo good to see the kids. I miss family dearly- since we spent the first 9 of our marriage living across the street from them. It has been really hard on me to not know what the girls are doing and go to their basketball, volleyball, and softball games. I do want to support them and be involved in their lives and moving away has made me feel so separated from them. However, I will say that all the support I have given and the constant efforts on my part have finally paid off with a sister of mine.

She's always been a more reserved person and doesn't aim to be the center of attention; which is odd for an late teen. I've tried to be involved in her life, but it seem the more I tried the more I pushed her away. On Saturday, she came down stairs to show me her new clothes and I even received texts and calls from her. I think moving away has actually helped our relationship grow, which is exactly what I've always wanted. At first I had no idea what i was doing wrong and why I didn't have a solid relationship with her, but now I realize that all we needed was time.

In my eyes Saturday was a very successful day. Not to mention, that my hubby took me on a horse ride. We were able to use the horse that are one the family field that belong to Uncle Tom. Needless to say, it was fun to ride along side with my hubby, even though all I did was walk the horse. (For those that know me and grew up with me, know that I'm not a super outdoorsy person. This is all new to me since I met my hubby.) Two hours out in the hills riding had me a little saddle sore.

The evening settled down with dinner with friends and family at Patio, and a watching the movie The Warrior with Chaze and his girly. This weekend was all about me and I enjoyed the time with my husband and getting to snuggle him at night. Life is short and I'm enjoying the time with my hubby!