The Heaths

Way to go Brooke

2009-05-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-05-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-03-02T17:39:00.001-08:00

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"

2009-02-23T20:54:00.001-08:00

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

2009-02-15T21:31:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-01T11:14:00.000-08:00

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)

2009-02-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

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!

Christmas in UT

2009-01-11T22:21:00.001-08:00

So the night before leaving for Utah we headed over to the Mormon Center next to the Sacramento Temple for one of Jon's best friend's, Brent Hollingsworth, wedding.

Jon, Brent, & Riley at Brent's wedding Dec 19, 2008
Kati & Jon at the Hollingsworth wedding.
This was the first "Christmas feeling" display I saw the whole holiday season in CA. I really struggled with the holidays this year because it just seemed really messed up in my mind to hear Christmas music playing and see all the Christmas t.v. commercials, yet I could walk outside in t-shirt and pants with no coat and not freeze. I would hear about the snow storms in UT and think, "Oh, Christmas" and then walk out my front door and think, "Ha jokes on me 10 second take back". IT just really messed with my head. So when we saw this display at the Sac Temple I really wanted a pic. It was the first of our UT/Christmas/Holiday escapade.

So here we have this beautiful manger scene displayed at the front of the temple and my husband decides to do the unthinkable and "oooo & ahhh" over the baby Jesus. It may be sacrilegious, but please don't be offended it was all with good intent.

This Christmas was a different than most for Jon and I. It was our first Christmas together so we had lots of family parties to attend. The adventure started with The Hales Family Christmas party (Jon's mother's family).

The following is a pic. of Jon and Ann at the Hales Christmas party pretending to be professional bell ringers while the rest of us sang the words to the song they were playing.

Ann's mom gave all of her children the same gift this year. A book of pictures filled with memories from growing up. Interesting, but I'm pretty sure I was the only one wiping tears from my eyes (and I have no relation to any of those pics go me apparently my eyes leak water at anything I think should be touching or heart felt).

Ann and her siblings looking at the books.

Ann and her mom. Parents, you never know how long they'll be around, so moments like this are priceless.

Well, Jon and I were attempting to have a "family photo" at the party but sometimes we really struggle.

And the next Christmas party...Cotant Family Christmas Party - Mama Johnson's family Christmas party

Kerri & Grandpa Cotant (and yes can you see all the food in the background? Welcome to the Holidays).
Cousins forever! Kris, Chad, Rhett & Me! Why do I love the holidays? Because of family. I just love doing anything and everything with family and this Christmas was the best ever because I didn't have a job to work at before or after Christmas we were just home to be home and it was wonderful. (I'm sure Jon wouldn't have stayed as long 2wks can be kind of long, but I loved every minute!)

Cole, Brittany, Tyson, Wyatt, & Tyler - Cousins!

Without fail every Cotant party we shed a few tears. It just comes with being apart of the family and this year was no different. My grandfather sharing his thoughts on Christmas, Christ & family.

Mama & Papa Johnson...The best Parents ever! How grateful I am to have such great parents!

Brooke, Jon, Me, Annie, & Chad - Christmas parties mean lots of pictures if you can't tell.

So every family has different Christmas traditions and right now our family dynamics haven't changed too much to change the tradition just yet. So one of the traditions we have is on Christmas Eve we have a spiritual message, do some family bonding, and open pjs. Then all the kids file down into the basement to prepare for the big slumber party and Christmas morning. Lucky for me, I'm married so Jon and I got a matress as well as Rhett & Annie. Yes, this is where all the kids sleep. It's couches, floor, mattresses and pretty much wherever you can find a spot. After we've all claimed our spots and changed into our pj's, we watch a Christmas movie and fall asleep until 6am Christmas morning when we all wake up to begin our Christmas day.

This is my favorite dog EVER Kiarra. Kiarra loved Christmas as much as any of us and the best part was she knew exactly which presents were hers.

Okay, so not everyone is as excited about the 6am thing. I guess Rhett thinks our family has out grown the getting up early part but I disagree.
Brooke, Jon & my dad. Jon is pretending to be happy about the 6am thing too. I'm pretty sure there is only one 6 o'clock in Jon's day and that is in the PM. In fact, I don't know that last time Jon was up at 6am. Well Jon, welcome to the Johnson family for Christmas you're not the youngest anymore babe so 10am on a Christmas morning just doesn't work.
Oh Wyatt, he was definitely the most excited. Although he is growing up and pasted the Santa stage, he is still young and heart and I love him for that.
Mama Johnson! Christmas wouldn't happen if it wasn't for her. She does all the decorating, planning, shopping, spending and everything else that comes with making the holidays so great. Thanks mom!
Our first Christmas morning together! I love Christmas, I love getting up early, I love getting presents, giving gifts, White Christmas the movie, white Christmas mornings, decorating, Christmas music, anything and everything that comes with Christmas and my husband, well he is just beginning to understand how much I LOVE CHRISTMAS!
So this year finances were tight. I mean we live in CA, which as a newly wed couple can be challenging by itself coming from UT. The cost of living is just a little different. Jon is in the middle of starting a company and well it's just life. So we decided not to do gifts this year for each other, but freakin Jon doesn't listen and bought me a present any way. This is his famous wrapping. Thanks babe for the IPOD we both know I needed a new one.
Merry Christmas in our new pj's.
This is Christmas at the Heaths. Jon's parent, Ann & Rod. I'm so grateful for wonderful in-laws!!!
Yes, this is the man I'm married to. He lives in his own little world and ticks to his own little drum and I love him for it. He thought bringing the 80's back was a good idea. Thanks goodness it only lasted a few moments because there are no words...
Oh how I love my niece! She is just the cutest thing ever and this is Chloe with your Sock Monkey. Apparently not having my own kids and not really being around kids I'm kind of out of the loop but I guess the sock monkey is quite the thing to have a little kid. Who knew something made out of socks could be such a hit???
So there you have it Christmas in UT. There were many other events but my computer isn't working right and I'm not able to post more pics but I figure you get the idea that Christmas was wonderful.

I'm so grateful for the husband, family, and friends I'm blessed with. My life wouldn't be the same without them.

Adventures in CA

2008-12-04T16:57:00.000-08:00

This is California's tallest bridge and this is the sign next to the phone that basically says before you jump, pick up the phone below and talk to someone so they can hopefully talk you out of it. (I don't know how successful that tactic actually is but hey you never know what it will take to make someone change their mind when they are thinking of taking their life by jumping off a bridge.)
And this is the sign documenting CA's tallest bridge.
Okay, I know this is a little random but I have this really weird obsession with cemeteries. So on our drive through some canyon place in the Sierra's we passed this crazy cemetery and I begged for Jon and Brian to stop. On our way back we stopped but the sun was going down and we it was getting to the point where we couldn't see very well. But I found my camera to have a weird effect when we used the flash. I know you see the crosses light up but what you don't know is we couldn't see them. Needless to say it was a lot of fun and makes for good stories.

This place was crazy. I'm really glad I can add it to my list of cemeteries see around the world (okay around UT & CA).
Well, this is a picture of the cemetery before it got too dark. Okay, we might have been there for a while.
Brian, Jon, and yes Riley. Oh how those boys love that dog!!
He thinks he's so strong...well maybe he is a little bit.
The CA Crew from UT
These are our beautiful mountain here in CA. (But we can't really see them from where we live. Well actually we can't see them at all unless we drive like 45mins some direction on I-80.)

So I'm still new to the whole blogging thing and I'm finding that I'm not very good at keeping ours updated. So consider it a special day when I make the time to update our blog...

The Saturday's that Jon doesn't have to work or when he gets done early we've decided to do "Adventure Day". We don't know how long we'll be here in CA, so we're trying to see and do as much as possible. Unfortunately this has only happened one Saturday so far, but we're making the effort so there are bound to be more "Adventure Day's" in the future.

#1 Roseville Couple of the Year

2008-10-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Thank you for wedding presents! For our wedding we received aprons with our names embroidered on them and here we are posing in them.
One Sunday night Jon and I decided to take a walk around our complex and ended up spending most of our time on the playground. Jon enjoyed climbing the kid wall.
And I preferred the toy that rocked back and forth but wasn't really made for a skirt.
MustI explain???
Oh bless the children that come to this home because their parents are absolutely crazy!!!

Our New Temple

2008-10-19T17:55:00.000-07:00

So this is our new temple, The Sacramento Temple. It's about 20-25 mins away and absolutely beautiful. The Sacramento Temple is considered a medium temple which means about 70 people fit in a session verses a small temple of only 35 people per session. They don't rent clothes and they ask that you call in advance to let them know you are coming so they know how many are attending a session. Yep just a little different from one of the many temples in UT. This is one of the few places I know how to drive to without getting lost and pretty much the only place I drive to when I just need a break (I have no where else to go cause I don't know anyone). But let's be honest, it's not a bad option and it definitely could be worse. I am so grateful the temple is close otherwise I would be very lost living here in CA.

Me and my cousin Kris. Kris came to town to see a mission buddy get married. This was the greatest moment EVER!! In fact, when he told me he was coming to Sacramento I started to cry (I know I know, me crying is not a shock). Finally another person to talk to other than Jon. Don't get me wrong I love talking to Jon but it's nice being able to talk to multiple people. And people who know the same people I know. Oh it was so refreshing. Thanks Kris for calling when you came to visit it meant the world to me!!!
There are no words!!! Yes here we are Roseville couple of the year!! So Jon and I really struggle taking pictures. I was so excited because I finally remembered my camera and we could get a picture together at the temple (even though we weren't in our church clothes). But do you think we could take a cute picture? NO!!! We took 13 pics and this is the best one. Like I said, never a dull moment!!

Our Home...well so far

2008-10-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Reserves Complex off Gibson Dr in Roseville CA. This is the club house at our complex. When you pull through the gate this is the first thing you see. Our condo is off to the right and down the street. This is where our mailbox is, workout facility, racquetball court, pool, and hot tub.

Welcome to our condo #1122! Yes this is my goofy husband in front of our door. No worries with Jon around there is never a dull moment. Always entertainment!!
This is our living room with our FREE little table and our ONE couch (thank you mom and dad Johnson for our only couch!!). As you can see I haven't done a lot of decorating but it's in the works.
Living room. So we have a cute little table, one couch, and ONE love sac. Not the most accommodating for a large group of people but no worries we have a floor and it offers a seat to everyone. You can also see out to our deck and our fireplace.
This is the only decorated spot of the house and it's not really complete, but getting there. It's kind of weird but the fireplace and t.v. hole are behind the front door. Jon didn't really like that so I used the hole to decorate and ta-da you have our fireplace.
The picture wall I'm working on putting up. If you're wondering as to whether or not those are DVDs around the photos you are correct they are. I was measuring the wall and making an equivalent on the floor so I used the dvds for my perimeter. Hey you gotta do what you gotta do.
Ah this is our kitchen. And this is Jon in the kitchen pretending to cook. Nice apron JON!!
Just another picture of our kitchen and of course Jon making a crazy face as usual.

Now these are all of the empty boxes we unpacked that sit on our deck and are waiting for me to organize and hid somewhere. There are a lot of boxes in that stack let me tell you because I unpacked almost all of them.

This is our spare bedroom/office/bat chair/storage/library/whatever else you can think of room. Jon and I have a lot of STUFF!!!

More stuff in the extra bedroom.
Our second closet. We tried to pack as much as possible in here but I still need to do some rearranging to see if I can fit more in and less in the actual room. We have a lot of clothes!

This is the closet in our bed room. Our 1st closet and it is very full as well.

And this, this is how Jon makes the bed. He doesn't really understand why a bed has so many pillows so every day when I leave to go to the gym and he gets ready for work he makes the bed in the most creative way possible. The bed is made in every way except the "normal" way. He always makes it exciting at our house we never have a dull moment. And at night instead of just taking the pillows off and nicely putting them on the floor. It's a war as to who can put the most pillows on the other persons side of the bed. Needless to say, the "throw pillows" have served their purpose because they've been thrown many times. Our bed set is to arrive Monday or Tuesday and Jon and I can't wait. As much as we enjoy sleeping on the mattress on the floor we're both ready for a bed frame and night stands. Thank you mom and dad Heath for the bed set!!

How it all began...

2008-09-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

For the longest time I heard about this guy Jon Heath from my good friend Jordan. She would always talk about how funny he was Heath Bar this and Heath Bar that. She would talk about him ALL the time. Every time I'd ask, "Who's this Jon Heath (Heath Bar)"? She'd respond with, "oh if you saw him you'd know him". Well the day came when the famous Jon was introduced to me and I'm pretty sure I'd never seen him before. That was about April of 2007.

Summer 2007 Jon sold Dish in Missouri for a company called Atlas and the following fall he once again was back in our office. Crazy as it is, he was being pushed to take out my best friend Alyssa Barrett. Fortunately, Lyss and I sat by each other at work so when Jon made his way back to our desks to ask her out there I sat too. The three of us talked casually and then said our goodbyes. Jon didn't end up asking Lyss out as he originally planned because he was wondering who the girl was that was sitting next to her. (That's me Lyssie's best friend.)

See Jon had two sets of friends really pushing for him to ask Lyss out, the Shields and the Jensens, but both he and Lyss continued to feel their relationship was simply platonic. So this is the part that I want to say IT'S FUNNY HOW THINGS WORK OUT.

The following Friday I received a phone call from an anonymous number. Not knowing the number I simply didn't answer phone, but a voicemail followed and I listened to it with the voice from the anonymous number being Mr.Jon Heath himself. Little did I know this phone call would be the beginning of a life changing event.

For all who have been apart of or currently are involved with the DATING GAME, seriously how much easier would it just be if we just knew the end from the beginning. Oh how that would really make things a lot easier. Let me tell you, it would definitely eliminate a lot of the heart ache and tears, reading into the he said she said stuff. Oh so much easier, but as nice as that would be it would take away all of the excitement and mystery that comes with not knowing and the rolling with the punches of making the best of what comes.

Anyway, Jon and I dated October through December and broke up around January. Obviously we got back together and that was around the end of March 2008. We then found ourselves engaged around the middle of April.

At the time we planned our soon to be married life around our current lives and though we'd make our home in Cedar Hills. But as many know, with marriage comes a lot of change and we encountered our first big change in June when Jon decided to partner with a friend in a business franchise located in Roseville California. I found myself very quickly questioning and double checking my decision. Was I doing the right thing? I really wanted to make sure I was ready to get married and pack up my things and move with no questions. Even with all the uncertainty and heartache and tears I knew in the end it was right. So, August 5th 2008 I entered the Salt Lake Temple hand in hand with my best friend as we were sealed for time and all eternity.

As challenging and frustrating it's been to get married and move away from friends and family, I wouldn't change any of it. I've married my best friend the greatest guy who is absolutely perfect for me!!!

The Reason

2008-09-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

I decided to start a blog after getting married and moving to California. I refused to do so for a very long time before, but now that life has thrown me a few curve balls and I'm no longer living close to friends and family, I decided it was time.

For a long time blogs were more of a nuisance to me than anything. They took time away from doing "productive" things. There wasn't any room on my 'to-do' list to have a blog. Seriously, who had time to read or even update a blog? But now I know that it's one of the most convenient ways to stay in contact with those I love the most and are oh so far away. It's the various blogs of all my friends and family I find myself looking at frequently as I wonder how they are doing and what is going on in their lives. So need I say more....here you go ladies and gentlemen my first blog.

I figured this way our friends and family can stay up to date on The Heath's lives too.