About

I'm Joy.  The blogger.  I'm the teacher/stay at home mom that sits aimlessly at her lap top each morning with a cup of coffee and a splash of the chosen flavored creamer for the week (creme brulee this week).  Some people go to therapy and I write blogs.  This is part of my therapy.  I'm 33 years old and still have a hard time grasping the fact that I'm in my 30s.  How in the heck did that happen so fast?  I'm a simple girl....but sooooo complicated.   I began writing blogs in October 2010 and thought then that this would be a short lived hobby and now, I can't see myself without my creative outlet.  I am a blogger.  A mommy blogger.  In every sense of the term.  I live for my daughter and my goal in life to is raise her to be a good person with a good heart and for her to be happy.  I always wanted to be a teacher when I grew up and my superficial goal is to be a trophy wife.  I want to be adored, admired, pampered and loved.  Who doesn't?

I'm married to an Arborist (\ˈär-bə-rist\ n. : a specialist in the care and maintenance of trees).  Hence the name of this blog, "Living On Trees." We married in June of 2008.  Our marriage has been through its ups and downs but it's ours and we're trying to make it the best that it can be.  We are happy and in love and working to make a great life for our little family.

Our daughter, Kinley, was born December 11, 2009.  She is the best part of me.  We have a 4 year old beagle named Lucy.  She thinks this is her home and we're allowed to live in it.  We recently relocated back to the Chicago suburbs from far southern Illinois.

Not only do I stay home with our daughter, but I am a teacher as well.  I followed my dreams, worked hard and in December of 2011, graduated {with honors, go me!} with my BA in Elementary Education with endorsements in Language Arts and Social Sciences as well as a Middle School Endorsement.  My goal is to teach a classroom between 2nd and 4th grade; when they're old enough to use the bathroom on their own but not too old where they have learned (too much) disrespect.  Unfortunately, the jobs for teachers in IL are as bad as I thought they would be and here I sit as one of the hundreds of unemployed teachers.  Cuts everywhere...but I'm staying positive knowing that I will bring something amazing to the district where I will work.  I just have to find it.  Wow, nothing like tooting your own horn!

I Love
my family.

organization.

clean sheets.

fall scented candles.

jeans and a hoodie.

fluffy pillows.

girlie scented body wash and lotions.

Starbucks-white chocolate mocha (but not the 900 calories).

Dunkin Donuts-iced-cream sugar.

taking pictures.

TV nights.

chick flicks.

texting.

shopping.

making lists and crossing things off.

music.
learning.

books.

children's books.

fresh flowers.

cleaning.

facebook.

blogging.

going for walks.

festivals.

new restaurants.

designing.

hot showers.

vacations.

cinemagic.

craigslist.
Dave Ramsey.
budgeting.

paying off bills.

grocery shopping (but not putting it away).

nature.
working out.  (that's a new one)
feeling pretty.
cosmetics.
YouTube.