"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!!!

DOUBLE BEST FRIENDS WEDDING

So I'm a little late posting this, but I figure it's better late than never. For all you who know one of my best friends Alyssa, I'm proud to announce she got hitched! I know it may seem like a miracle but miracles happen and this miracle just happened to marry one of my best cousins, Jon Conley, which of course makes it all the better for me.


They were married Jan 22, 2009 in the Mt. Timp Temple in Utah and it was beautiful!! Unfortunately I was too busy talking with family and friends so I didn't take enough pictures to really capture the full event, but I posted everything I have.



Can I just say, I LOVE weddings. I love everything about them. I love watching the bride and groom, pictures, family, friends, meeting new people, talking, decorations ALL OF IT! But what I love even more, knowing both the bride and the groom! When this happens, it's twice the fun for me! The whole day is filled with constant "catch-ups". The list is endless of people to talk to and catch-up on their lives, what they are doing, and everything else. NEVER A DULL MOMENT!!

This is a picture of Garrett, me and Troy. When Jon Conley was living in the same apartment complex as Lyss and me, Crestwood Apartments, Garrett and Troy were his roommates. They were all in the same stake in CA and decided to room together when they moved to UT. Anyway, these boys are like my brothers and I just love them to death! I hadn't seen them in quite a while so it was so good to see them!

Like I said I love weddings because of the people and this picture is a perfect example. These are people I worked with at Source XII. Oh how I miss them and I was so glad they came to the reception. Me, Lindsey & Kyle Nelson, Jessica Shields, Jon & Jordan Shields, Kris & Amy Morris.


Me with my CA bros again. (And Brityn's fiance in the background.)

These are some of my bestest friends. Jordan Shields, Jessica Shields, Erika England and ME! Love these girls!!
Oh yes, the roommates. Back in the day when Jess, Lyss and I worked at Source XII, Jess bought a house in Provo and we all decided to live together. These girls were some of the best roommates EVER especially considering everything we went through that year. Funny story, when we moved in together we were trying to decide who would get married first and I was definitely not on the list, yet ended up being the first and Lyss, who I think was picked to be first, was 3rd. So far, we are 4 for 6.

Me, Jess, Lyss, Brityn, Erika, & Holly
Friends from Crestwood Apartments...Troy, Jon Conley, Garrett, me & Jon Teherro.

So there you go that is a wrap for the Jonathan Conley & Alyssa Barrett wedding. I want them to know how much I love them both. I am so happy for them and their decision to get married. During the 2+years they dated, I hopped they would get married but really didn't know what the end result would be I just wanted them to be happy and I know they are! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

The Journey of Life

Today I find myself feeling like physically my body is here, but my mind who knows where it is I'm just numb. This last week brought a new set of challenges and I don't think I was ready.

So Jon and I decided to move to CA for his business and although I was kicking and screaming, there was a part of me that was excited. I will not lie, the first months were tough! Adjusting to marriage, being in a place where I knew no one, trying to find a job, make friends. All of it was hard. I missed the people I left in UT and didn't know how to find myself in CA.

Well, we've lived in CA for 6 months now and I love it! I still miss UT, family and friends, but I've worked really hard to make a life for me here. I don't care for my job, but it pays the bills and works with my schedule. I love the friends we've met and the new calling I received (Young Womens). I've worked really hard on trying to decide what I wanted out of my life and went for it. I'm very involved at my gym and am training to be a fitness instructor with a guaranteed job. I love it! More than anything, I love what this move has done for my marriage! Jon and I have really had to depend on one another for everything and it's been great! BUT all of that may change...

This last week Jon and his business partner Brian decided to dissolve their partnership. Because of their partnership dissolving, we're probably moving back to UT where Jon owns another franchise in the property management business. You would think exciting right? WRONG! I've cried all week long. I worked so hard to create a life here. I decided I was on an adventure that I knew wouldn't last long (but at least 2 years) so I put my whole heart into it. NO REGRETS was my theme. And now...ah!!! I'm so frustrated and torn. There is a part of me that loves the idea of going back to my home and being around the people I love, but I feel like I'm just beginning here. There is so much to take in and people to meet and share the gospel with. I'm really excited about the fitness training and awaiting job. I love my calling and the girls. It's just hard. Why can't I have the best of both worlds? I found a new ME here and if we move, it will be hard starting over again in UT and to take what I learned and make it happen again.

Seriously Heavenly Father, I don't get it!!!

So my life is at a cross roads, do be selfish and I talk my husband into looking for a job in CA and running our UT franchise from CA until I say, "K, let's go home"? (Would that day ever come?) Cause I know he would do it if I asked him to. Or do I do the "obedient" thing and follow the standard of everyone else and go where my husband's job is? LAME!

At least one thing is always constant no matter where I live, my husband and the love we have for each other (aside from the gospel and family & friends). What a blessing to have such a wonderful husband and best friend!!! I'll keep you posted on what the final decision is...until then hope you are all doing well!

My Health (the neverending story)

I've had a lot of people ask about my health lately, so I decided to just post it on my blog for those that read it. For you that don't know, my health is a little crazy. A couple months before I got married, I decided to go to the doctor for intense pain in my lower right abdomen. From this, I went into surgery a week after getting married and unfortunately it didn't end there. The surgery was unsuccessful with fixing my pain but a different blessing came with it and we were able to remove the fibroid on the outside of my uterus and determine I don't have endometreosis, which is what the doctors thought was causing my pain. So I'm thankful for my blessings.

Along with all this pain we discovered I have an infection in my body called Candida or in other words yeast. This is not your typical girl yeast infection. This Candida thing is through out my body and the removal process is very intense. At first I was annoyed when I found out that I had the infection. My thoughts were, "Okay, I've worked so hard to keep myself healthy and fit. WHAT THE HECK!!" Then I came to terms with it and decided to work really hard to do my research and find out everything I can about Candida. I originally went on the Candida diet for two weeks some time before my wedding and thought that would be good enough. Little did I know that it was just the beginning of a long road.

In November 2008, it flared up again and this time worse than ever. Now the Candida is controlling my life. Basically I'm on a high protein diet where carbs only come from veggies. My food intake consists of Carbs: veggies only except high glycemic index foods such as potatoes, carrots, corn & rarely whole grains such as brown rice, oatmeal, oat bran and steel oats (I can only have these a couple times a week). Protein: pretty much anything as long as it's natural. I can't have protein powder because there are too many added preservative and artificial stuff, so fish, chicken, turkey, egg whites, tuna. Fruit: berries, tart apples, grapefruit, limes/lemons (can't say I love to eat limes/lemons on a regular basis). Fats: natural, raw nuts except peanuts and high glycemic nuts (cashews), oils, butter apparently these are all really good for the infection, but not very appealing to me. NO DAIRY except Natural Plain Yogurt and I've become extremely accustomed to this (gross I know but you do what you can). Everything is wheat free, gluten free. Also natural with no preservatives. I guess it could be worse like take away all veggies but I'm not going to lie sometimes I feel like I'm starving. It's fine though because I'm learning to adjust. Although the "Clean eating" is nothing new for me, I was already eating fairly healthy prior to my infection, there are additional changes I've made and food I've eliminated so it's challenging. And to be completely honest, sometimes I just want a bit of Jon's ice cream and brownie!!!

The most difficult part for me is dealing with what is called the "die off". Not only do I have a particular diet, I also take a pro-biotic and a bunch of other things to kill the Candida. The Candida die off symptoms include: SUGAR & CARB CRAVINGS (no joke, i feel like I'm a sugar addict and never before have I craved sugar like this), headaches, body aches, flu like symptoms, extreme fatigue/exhaustion, swelling/pain in joints & muscles, irritableness, foggy head/confusion I swear the list is endless and can I say ANNOYING TO LIVE WITH.

Anyway, I think I'm slowly getting better but it will take some time. I'm not perfect at the diet, but I really am trying my best. The fatigue is really really hard to deal with and the sugar cravings are crazy, but I know it will get better and it's definitely all worth it in the end because this infection is not fun to live with. There you go that's the update. I'm slowly moving in the right direction and I'm grateful it's not something worse. Of all the health problems to have, I'll take this one. Thanks for all the concern, it's much appreciated!