About Me

Welcome to Nine Joy Street: Finding Joy in Life’s Moments and Memories. I’m Jyl (pronounced J-I-L-L) and you’ve landed on my personal blog. So glad you could make it. I hope you’ll cozy up and make yourself at home.

How Did I Get Interested in a Gratitude Practice?

I love lists. LOVE in all caps, actually. I once listed 300 of my favorite things, sharing everything from my favorite book to my favorite fungus. Most every email I send has a bullet list. And every journal from my childhood started with a list of the places I had visited and all of my favorite names. So, it’s no surprise that I have a bucket list. But here’s where things got complicated…

Read the full post on How I Developed a Gratitude Practice here.

A Little Bit About Me?

Here are some random facts about me in list format, of course:

• I’ve been married to @TroyPattee for 20 years this July (2017).
• We are parents to Chase (16) and Connor (13) and to a beagle named #Hashtag (4).
• As far as food goes: I love every kind of cheese imaginable and am pretty sure I could win a salad eating competition.
• I’m not sure if I ever graduated from high school (long story) but I did graduate from BYU with a degree in English.
• I am typically the first one on and the last one off the dance floor.
• I am more myself when I am traveling than at any other time. My idea of heaven includes lots of road trips where I can see foreign places while connecting with new friends and those who matter most to me.
• I’ve completed over 20 journals. My great grandmother gave me my first one when I was 6 years old.
• I don’t believe in using umbrellas since I love the feeling of rain on my face.
• I was planning on moving to New York City when I met Troy. He guaranteed I’d visit there every year throughout our marriage if I married him and lived in Utah. He’s kept his promise. No place energizes me like New York City!
• Faith, gratitude, and focusing on joy get me through even the most difficult of days.
• I like TV shows, movies, novels, and people who share REAL stories. Life is a roller coaster. Let’s not pretend we’re always on It’s A Small World.
• I call the beautiful Utah Rocky Mountains home.
• I am always most comfortable in a room filled with books.
• When I asked my family to choose a word that most describes me, they said Passionate. Other words they shared were Driven, Intense, Determined, Committed, Fierce, Extrovert, Strong. Most of those words make me want to take a nap.
• I take advantage of any opportunity to get together with friends and family. People make me happy!
• The color purple… the actual color and the movie… are my favorites.
• After visiting all 50 US states a few years back, the number 1 item on my life list is to visit 50 countries by the age of 50. I’ve got a little more than 3 years and 8 countries to go!

Do I Blog as Hobby or for a Profession?

I blog both personally and professionally. Although NineJoyStreet.com is personal in nature, I am available for sponsorship opportunities and regularly partner with brands primarily over on MomItForward.com. My husband also works regularly with brands over on his blog, Dadventurous.com. Here’s a little bit more about our professional side.

• View my full bio here.
• Check out Mom It Forward Media where we connect brands with digital movers and shakers in our Mom It Forward Influencer Network for sponsored opportunities, live events, and much more.
• Click here to view our Family Forward retreats in partnership with Universal Orlando Resort.

Please feel free to reach out by clicking over to the Contact page where you’ll find all the ways to connect with me.

If you’d like to learn more about Nine Joy Street, please click on the page in the About drop-down menu entitled “About Nine Joy Street.”

And, to join the Nine Joy Street Movement to connect, collaborate, and share your most joyful moments and memories, visit our “Join the Movement” page.

Thanks for visiting!