Way to go Brooke

This month was crazy! We had Mother's Day, Memorial Day, birthdays, graduations, I mean you name it and it happened. So the last event to post for this month is Brooke's high school graduation.

Brooke, Abbey, Meagan, Amy, & Sarah

It was weird driving up to the Marriott Center on BYU campus Thursday for Brooke's graduation because it reminded me so much of when I graduated from high school. Well, I guess a lot can happen in nine years, but still I thought about those days nine years ago. I remember my senior year being the best. I didn't think it could get any better and then it ended. It's funny I really thought I knew a lot back then and now I think about everything I've experienced since then and I wonder how I thought I knew anything at all. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm even the same person from then to now. It's not like I even know a lot now but I sure as heck know more now than I did then, so that's got be saying something right?

Dad, mom, Rhett, Wyatt, Brooke, Jenni, me & Jon

Anyway, I'm excited for Brooke. She's worked hard to make this year a success. She's really grown up this year and it's been fun to watch. She's getting ready to take the next plunge into life and move out. Oh the days of roommates and funness and drama and more funness. Those are good days yet to come for her.

Erin, Abbey, Brooke, Elli, Amy

Abbey, Brooke & Amy

Memorial Day

Grandpa Johnson's Grave
(don't ask why it wouldn't rotate the right way I was struggling as you can see)

Oh there is much that has been going on in the Heath household. Okay, well I guess since Jon and I are living with mama & papa Johnson technically it would be the Johnson household, but still it's been crazy. May is just a crazy month. So first off, Memorial Day! Another day we spend a lot of time doing the whole grave thing. I guess it's a good thing I like my family because we sure spend a lot of time together during the summer.

Sunday May 24th we headed up to Sandy to put flowers on my grandfather Johnson's grave.

Dad at Grandpa's grave
me, Jenni, Wyatt, & mom (it was raining as you can tell)

Mom & Dad at Grandpa Johnson's grave

Monday we spent the first of the day at the Orem cemetery with family just doing what we do best. Hanging out with family at grandma Cotant's grave. Then ran to a movie and finished with a fake bbq. Oh how I LOVE holidays and summer!!!

Grandpa Cotant, Kris, Sandra, Nancy, Kip, Amy, & Sarah
Dad, Kerr, Wyatt, Brooke, Kenzie, mom, Jenni & Grandpa
Kenzie, mom, Abbey, & Jen
And JON. This is how he feels about going to the cemetery and sitting in the hot hot sun...he would rather sit under a shady tree.

Wyatt & Brooke

Abbey & Kerr

Grandpa & Amy

Nancy, Kip, Amy, & Sarah

Me and my hubby

Kris & Sandra shadin it under the umbrella

Dad & Kerr

Wyatt, Jenni, me, Brooke and my crazy husband

(So do you think we take too many pictures? Wait til I post graduation pics. Yeah my family is pretty much crazy and it is a tradition to seriously get every combination possible.)

Happy Mother's Day

Me and my mother at my grandma's funeral (11/2006)

Mother's Day for me is always filled with mixed emotions. I love that there is one day set aside to specifically honor our mothers, but I always end up shedding a few tears as I reflect on the many memories of mothers and grandmothers who have past.

Oh how I love my mother. She is such an example to me. She has taught me many things and without fail my mother is always my number one fan. I grew up with a mother who attended all activities I was apart of. She never missed anything, and yet to this day she still attends everything. My mother is one who is compassionate, loving, sympathetic, understanding, and competitive. Although she will truly never know just how much she has taught me, I'm grateful for days like Mother's Day where she is specifically honored and recognized for all that she's done.

Thanks mom!!! I love you!!

The other people I love to honor and remember are my grandmothers. Gratefully I have one grandmother who is still living and another who unfortunately has passed. This Mother's Day we spent time in Bountiful at a church meeting where my grandma Johnson was honored and recognized. It was fun being with aunts, uncles, and cousins. We then drove down to Orem and spent a couple of hours at the cemetery with my mother's family as we joked around and reminisced about various memories. What I love most about Mother's Day, it gives an excuse to get all the family together and just hang out.

Jenni, Grandma Cotant (oh how I miss her), Grandpa Cotant (love the glasses gramps)

(Dad's sisters) Heidi, Claudia, Aneladee, Des, Grandma Johnson, Cindy, Margot, & Maralee

Grandma Cotant's Grave

Grandpa Cotant & Mom

Jenni & Abbey (cousins)

Grandpa enjoying family time at the grave

Grandpa Cotant, Mom, Kerri, Kris (the fam)

Jenni, me, & Abbs (cousins)

Ashlyn & Jason (Jason was pooped on by a bird while we were hanging out it was hilarious)

me & Chad (Love my family!!)

Little cute Ashlynn

Kerr, Kris, & Kori (siblings)

My mom's family & my grandmother's grave

Kris, Grandpa, Kori, mom, Kip & Kerr (the siblings)

My handsome grandfather!!

Jason, Lyndi, Jenni, Abbey, Chad, Andrew, me, Brittany, Brooke (the cousins)

The College Graduate -- Way to go Rhett!!!

The Graduate!!

My brother recently graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelors in History. Yeah, way to go Rhett!!! We love you and are so proud!

I promise he is in the picture somewhere receiving his diploma.

Jon and I during the graduation ceremony. As you can tell Jon REALLY likes graduations.

Aunt Kerri & Grandpa Cotant during the ceremony.

Pictures waiting for Rhett to come out: Grandpa Cotant, Grandma Johnson, me, Jon, Wyatt, Mom, Brooke, & Jenni

My family is a little crazy with occasions like this. My mother insists on getting every combination possible for pictures.

Parents: Dad, Rhett & mom

Husband & wife: Rhett & Annie

The in-laws: Tom & Mary Carter, Rhett & Annie

The Whole Gang: Dad, Grandma Johnson, Grandpa Cotant, Jenni, Rhett, Annie, Jon, Kati, Wyatt, Brooke, and mom

The grandparents: Grandpa Cotant & Grandma Johnson

The cousins & aunt: Chad, Kris, Rhett & Kerr

Da boys: Kris, Rhett, & Chad

Happy Birthday Husband!

Well it's been a while since the last time I blogged so I have lots to catch up on. Really fast, Jon and I will be staying in UT for at least the next year. YEAH!!! I guess we'll see where life takes us at that point. I recently got a job with Mountainland Rehabilitation -- Physical Therapist Coordinator, so well see how that goes because I start Monday. Umm what else, Jon and I are currently living with my parents in Orem until our lives get back in order. And I can't really think of anything else so there ya go!

Anyway, Jon turned 29 on the 6th of May, so I've posted a few pics to capture the moment.

I really don't know what he is doing here, but whatever!

Wyatt, Jon & Jenni

Me and my babe!

Recent Thoughts...

So I know it's totally random, but I have a number of things on my mind and I decided to blog about them to get some insight and opinions. First of all, my life is crazy. Have I mentioned that before because if I haven't I am now. Well, now Jon and I are in UT and may end up being in CT within the next two weeks. Umm, have I mentioned I love adventures but value structure? Yeah, so this whole moving around thing as exciting as it might be definitely has it's annoyances. I'll let you know what the verdict is when we figure it out (seriously is life ever really figured out).

Second, I've been reading many of my friends blogs lately and have noticed a recent trend with topics, "itching for spring" and "losing weight". For all those that live in states with winter, I'm pretty sure we can all agree it's TIME FOR SPRING!!Now, losing weight...oh the dreaded topic yet seems to always be in the back of every one's mind. Is it really any coincidence that we want spring and immediately think "crap, warm sun, shorts, swimsuit...DIET". No, I think not!

Yet we find ourselves getting on the scale more, looking in full length mirrors (sometimes naked and sometimes not but that's always a secret), grabbing our stomachs, watching our thighs jiggle and wonder, "when did this all happen". We may reflect on what we thought we looked like last summer and then we start to think about the time since then...the holidays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines oh the good food that once filled our mouths and is now flubbering around our butts and thighs and reminding us everywhere we go and every time we get dressed that it's there.

I'm sure somewhere in the time between summer and now there was a New Year's resolution to lose weight or exercise more or eat more healthy OR something regarding food, body, weight, nutrition, and/or exercise. And seriously, can we talk about how annoying it is that in America as soon as you walk into a grocery store all processed foods are displayed appearing to be our friend but really they are the deceitful enemy seductively calling our name.

As many of you know, I am a huge advocate of health, fitness, and nutrition part of it because of my current health struggles and the other part is because I just absolutely love it. I love believing that change is possible in someone and then when just a little ray of hope is in them it happens. The look on their face is priceless.
So to each of you that fall into the category of recognizing summer is on it's way and wishing your body was a little less blubbery and a lot more lean I say this...

1. If weight loss or fitness is your goal, choose to be healthy and fit on purpose. Make it a lifestyle. Remember although weight loss and fitness makes us feel better, it doesn't determine happiness.

2. Remember the simple things, adequate sleep, lots of water, replace white foods with brown ones.
3. It's not always necessary to measure and weigh everything, but portion sizes are important. You have a hand so follow the guidelines from The Eat Clean diet. Vegetables - heaping handful, protein - the size of your hand (palm to finger tips but watch thickness), complex carbs/grains - size of tennis ball, fruits - handful. Don't forget healthy fats (raw almonds & walnuts & olive oil).

4. When you want to eat, ask yourself if it's your tummy that's hungry or your mind and then listen to your body as you eat. When your stomach starts to show signs of fullness regulate how much more you can eat before you become too full. It's not always about finishing everything on your plate even if they are the "correct" portion sizes. Believe it or not our bodies are smart so listen to yours you might be surprised by what your stomach tells you regardless of what your mind might think is the "right" amount.

5. While at the grocery store, stick to the outside of the aisles this is where the better choice foods are found. Think about replacing processed foods with fresh foods. (Don't go to the grocery store hungry definitely not a good idea.)
6. Enjoy your food, so chew it. By chewing slowly you allow the best digestion for your stomach. From the time you put something in your mouth, it takes about 15 mins for your stomach to signal the brain that it is comfortable or satisfied. Unfortunately we live in an extremely fast paced world and to accommodate the speed we make adjustments and in making those adjustments we usually make eating time fast. So the next time you eat think about having a seat and exercising the jaw by taking a few more chews (30-70) with every bite.

7. Exercise. Find something you love and that works the heart and then stick with it. Make your workout YOUR WORKOUT. This is your time it's not a time to think about what you need to get done or the groceries you need to buy it's workout time. Allow your warm-up to be a time of reflection on your health and fitness goals the very reason why your there to begin with. Then allow your music or thoughts to think about what your workout is going to be that day. You're there to workout so you might as well give it your all. There really is no sense in just giving it 50% if you took the time to get dressed and sweat. Definitely make it worth your while, but it up to YOU!

8. If you "cheat" then make sure you love it and it's worth it because you work hard to make up for it. Also may I suggest you scoop it out or measure it or something before you start to eat it so you don't binge on it.

8. LIVE LIFE & BELIEVE! Remember, we are only here for a short time, so make the best of it allowing the bumps along the way to be tacked on as "experience". If you're nutrition and fitness are not as perfect as you would like, believe it or not it's okay. As long as you are doing your best and your committed, results will happen. Know you have what it takes to make the changes you want.

Okay, so I'm done being on my soap box. Good or bad I always have lots to say about health and fitness, but now I need to get to work myself and take some of my own advice. It's time for me to reflect on a few of my own personal goals and reevaluate and make adjustments as necessary. BEST OF LUCK!!!

"Nothing is as Constant in Life as Change"

Friends forever!

After much pondering, prayer, fasting, and evaluation Jon and I find ourselves back in Utah. As I spent the week packing up our apartment, my mind was filled with many thoughts and emotions. I thought about the life Jon and I created for ourselves in CA. The friends we made, the individuals we became, and the challenges that created the rock of our relationship. I ask myself, "did I do all that I was called to do and did I learn all that I needed to learn"? Was I the example I needed to be? Did I lend a listening ear to my new friends and was I the leader I needed to be for my Young Women girls? I hope so, I hope I gave my all and each person knows how much I care about him/her.

Jon and Lisa Blaser. Jon and I will miss FHE game night with them for sure!

Living in CA was one of the greatest challenges and most rewarding experiences. I will miss the area but more than anything I will miss the people. I met people from all walks of life. Each one had a different story and left an impression on me I will never forget. I'm grateful for my experience in CA and I will never forget the things I learned, the person I became, and the people who impacted my life for good. To my friends I left behind I miss you and I will never forget you! Thank you for your friendship and your love! (I'm grateful for technology knowing we can always stay in contact.) To my friends and family I come home to, I'm excited to share with you the new ME. More than anything, I'm sad to leave behind my CA home but I'm excited to see what new adventure awaits us. The last six months were filled with many roller coasters both good and bad, happy and sad, challenging and rewarding. Now I wait to see what the next six months will bring. I have no doubt it too will be filled with many challenges and struggles but there is no greater joy than knowing we're doing our very best and trying to do all we can to be faithful and do what we feel is right that in of itself is rewarding. Who knows, if our journey calls us to move again, I'm sure I will say all of the same things about UT I said about leaving CA I will miss the people.

Jen and I. One of my good friends I met at the gym.

Carmen and I. Another good friend I met at the gym.

Oh how I will miss all of my gym friends and the awesome gym workouts!!! I have always loved health and fitness, but in CA it reached new levels and really became a huge part of my life.

Kels, Jayme, Lauren, & Meghan. My Young Women Laurels.

Of course we had to get a funny one.

Oh how I will miss these girls so much. I hope they know how much I love them, enjoyed teaching them and getting to know them. They impacted my life in ways they will never know. I truly admire them for their strength as they fight daily battles of being righteous daughters of God. Girls, may your light ALWAYS SHINE BRIGHT FOR ALL TO SEE!!!