When I was about 3 or 4 years old, my new home became the quaint little town of Huntsville, UT.  We lived on the border of the small town of Eden and Huntsville, across from Hinkley’s Arabian Horse Farm…. now the Spring Creek Ranch.  It was such a lovely place to grow up.  I was a ragamuffin little girl with tangled hair and dirt on my face constantly.  I climbed trees, dug in the dirt, played in the ditch and made friends with all the outside creatures. For many years my dog “Critter” was my best pal.  We may have been considered poor growing up, but I would have never known that.  We lived in a little two bedroom, one bathroom farmhouse with hay fields surrounding us.  When I think back on those simple days, there are only fond memories….. Of course over the years I’ve found some childhood trauma that required my attention and healing but we’ll save that for another day and overall, my thoughts about childhood are very pleasant.  My brother and I created paths and secret forts in the huge lilac grove that lined the irrigation ditch just outside our home.  When days were hot, we would find an old food cooler for camping and turn it into a boat.  We would take turns giving each other rides down the wild waters of the Lofts ditch. I believe it was in these days my soul fell in love with being in the raw outdoors, in nature surrounded by my guardians and protectors, The Mountains.....continued....

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://redefiningjoy.me/2022/07/27/returning-home/

A good mother in law is like hitting the lottery!!

Trent and I had only been dating a short time when I flew into Utah and he picked me up.  He had four loud and wild boys in the back seats and announced we were going to have dinner with his parents.  I was a little nervous because I had just flown in and didn’t exactly feel on top of my game as I would have wanted to when meeting his mom and dad.  Little did I know, there was no need to be nervous at all.  I was welcomed with open arms and so much love from both of them.  Six months later, Trent’s dad became our guardian angel and his mom was heart broken.

Karen Nielsen is a woman who made a huge impact on my life with her beautiful acceptance of me and all that I am.  I’m paying tribute to 50 women who have had an impact on my life and shaped the kind of woman I want to be and Mama Nielsen is on this list.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://redefiningjoy.me/2022/04/20/the-women-of-my-life-karen-hutchinson-nielsen-24/

I fell in love with Gwen Gibbs way back in 2002.  I say fell in love because I don’t know if you become friends with Gwen, to know her is to love her.  When you meet Gwen, when you are around Gwen, you simply are in a space of happiness and love.  She radiates this every time I am around her or even talk to her on the phone.  Gwen, or as she was sometimes affectionately known, G.G., has the warmest heart of anyone I have ever met,  Couple that with her cheerleading spirit and you feel loved and supported the minute you are in a room with her.  She is a super smart, well spoken, confident, strong and classy woman, not to mention she is so much fun to be around.....

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://redefiningjoy.me/2022/03/29/the-women-in-my-life-gwen-gibbs-forsey-22/

Not many long term friendships begin in a VERY small work space with high stress, rushed deadlines and a daily high paced hustle. These are the circumstances that cemented my relationship with my dear friend turned sister, Carin Snodgrass Miller.  This year I turned 50 years young and I’m paying tribute to 50 women who have made a big impact on my life.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://redefiningjoy.me/2022/03/21/the-women-in-my-life-carin-snodgrass-miller-21/

Sister in laws are those sisters that were able to escape your childhood fights.  They get to skip right to the good stuff.  If you are really lucky, they become just like a REAL sister to you.   Mikal Nielsen is one of those fabulous sisters-in-laws.  Mikal has had a HUGE impact on my life in so many ways.  Our relationship has a strange little twist and that twist is one of the reasons I have grown to love her so much.

You can also read this as a blog post at: https://redefiningjoy.me/2022/02/12/the-women-in-my-life-20-mikal-nielsen/

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://redefiningjoy.me/2022/01/22/the-women-in-my-life-19-donna-kirkpatrick/

My sister in law, Donna, has been one of my heroes since the day I met her.  She is a bad ass warrior with the most loving, caring mama bear heart a human could possibly have.  I’m spending my 50th year around the sun, writing about the 50 most impactful women in my life and Donna continues to show up on this list for me all-the-time.

The next woman on my list has probably been the most impactful person in my healing journey...and what I now affectionately refer to as my Journey to Joi.  I met Vicki Ann Clough in October of 2009 and my life has never been the same, thankfully.  She taught me the meaning and the actions behind… “You can only change yourself, but when you change yourself, you change everything!”  To understand the impact she had on my life, we have to take a trip back to before our paths crossed.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://redefiningjoy.me/2021/11/06/the-women-in-my-life-18-vicki-ann-clough/

My sister Lexie has long been a woman I have admired and looked up to.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://redefiningjoy.me/2021/11/05/the-women-in-my-life-17-lexie-moran/

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://redefiningjoy.me/2021/06/04/the-women-in-my-life-16-miriah-stuart/

My dear friend Miriah was introduced to me by a mutual dear friend of ours.  Miriah and I were only acquaintances for the first few years after we met and barely crossed paths a few times.  But, as in any good story, there is Divine Timing in the magic of a deep and true relationship.

A short time after I had separated from my was-band I started thinking about Miriah.  I didn’t know it, but she had started getting similar intuitive nudges to reach out to me.  I don’t remember who called who, but a phone call was made and we chatted about becoming each other's accountability partners on some of the things we were working on in bettering our lives.  I admired Miriah for her accounting abilities, her entrepreneurial skills in equine massage and healing.  I also loved having conversations with her as she was very well spoken and so smart!  Miriah had done so much work on herself.  I admired the determination and discipline she had for her self growth.  She was also a champion at being a strong, confident, independent and compassionate woman ….. I definitely wanted more of that in my life!