My name is Heather and my story begins when I was 2 years old.  (Actually it begins long before that, but for the sake of this bio we’re starting there.)  I remember standing at the edge of a dirt parking lot, looking out over a valley in California, USA.  Behind me stood the majestic and giant redwood trees-Sequoias.  The person next to me made a comment about a piece of trash on the ground (it was a crushed soda can) and how horrible it was that someone would litter and dirty up such a beautiful place.  I remember thinking, “Hmm.  I wonder why they’re looking at the litter instead of all this beauty?”  As a toddler, God was helping me to see that I could choose what to focus my thoughts on.  Later that year, when I was still 2, I contracted Mononucleosis (the Epstein Barr virus), which led to chronic illness and eventually, at age 14, a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. 

As a child I hated that I couldn’t live my life the way “normal” kids did, because I was sick all the time, but as I grew I started seeing God’s hand in my life and realized some of the blessings that came to me because of my experiences.  Like the fact that most of what I go through is so that I can help someone else.  Choosing to focus on the things that brought me joy helped me get through so many hard days.  When things were really bad, I would look outside.  I used to LOVE watching the clouds!  To this day it still brings me joy. 

When I was 14, I was blessed with the opportunity to be able to attend Education Week at Brigham Young University.  I was sitting in a large stadium, listening to a speaker and I remember looking to the people to my left and right and seeing the impact that the speaker was having on them.  Instantly a desire blossomed within my heart and soul.  “That’s what I want to do when I grow up”, I thought to myself.  I wanted to speak and teach and be an instrument in impacting thousands of people’s lives all at once for good.  I had no idea how, but that vision and desire has never left me.  (The thought of standing on a stage in front of thousands of people should scare the socks off of me, but it doesn’t-which is how I know it’s from God!)

Those chronic health issues ended up being for my good (as everything is-even-especially when it doesn’t feel good).  Because of what I was going through, I began my own journey of healing and learned many things which I now get to share with others.  I had a wonderful naturopath that taught me how important herbs are and introduced me to the healing benefits of craniosacral therapy.  I learned about the power of mindset, nutrition and emotional health.  In 2002 I became a massage therapist and that further helped me in my desire to help bless others in their own journey.  

That same year, I also met and married my best friend and eternal companion, Mike.  We’ve lived in Arizona, Utah, Texas and back to Utah again.  (Before marrying, I lived in Washington, Montana, Idaho-for about a minute-and Hawaii.)  A lot of women claim that their husband is the best; well I think that mine actually is.  He is far from perfect, but he is so good to me.  He has always been gentle and loving with me-especially as I went to counseling and worked through near debilitating anxiety and residual trauma that stemmed from an abusive relationship I had endured as a child.  He is a gift and blessing in my life and I am so grateful that we get forever together!  (Even if he hasn’t yet admitted that I really am almost always right.) 

We have 9 amazing children (yes, you read that right-NINE KIDS) that we homeschool.  (Only people with families as large or larger than mine won’t get wide eyed at how large our family is.  LOL)  We also have an angel baby waiting for us in Heaven.  Being a mother is my full-time job.  On the side, I’m also a massage therapist, published author, mindset and emotional health guide and lover of nature and novels, yoga, good food, traveling and movies and Jesus.  I’m not super-mom.  I don’t sew my kids cute Halloween costumes or make bread from scratch (mine ends up more like a brick unless I use my bread maker).  I’m lucky if I get more than 2 showers in a week, I rarely put on makeup and I wear yoga pants pretty much every day.  I’m a real mom with dreams-sometimes of which is simply to have 30 minutes by myself- and yet I love my kids more than anything.

Being a mom and being sick was painful beyond description.  I remember many days being so tired that I would lie on the couch and pray that my kids wouldn’t need me because I was too tired to even stand up.  I wasn’t able to be the kind of mother that I wanted to be to my children.  For decades I had prayed that I would get better, and eventually the Lord guided me to things that helped my health transform physically and I can now be the kind of mother I always wanted to be for my kids-and the kind of wife I wanted to be for my husband.  I am SO grateful!  Let me tell you, God is good!  

For years I prayed for someone to come into my life to help me truly understand the eternal principles that I was learning, and God guided me to some incredible mentors.  Over the past 9 years, I have learned from AMAZING people-some of which have become lifelong, precious friends.  They have helped me to transform my inner world, which has helped to transform my outer world.  

While my health (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) has greatly improved since I was 2-even just since I was 32 (when I found the things that helped my health transform)-I am still on my own journey of wholeness.  My journey isn’t over-it never will be-and I’m okay with that.  There is so much joy to be found in the journey!  The dirt of the trail can either be a nuisance or a gift-I choose to see it as a gift.  The greatest thing I have learned on my journey is that through Jesus Christ, ALL things are possible.  I continue to learn and grow and improve each day, and with God’s grace, He is making me WHOLE.