Life in Joy Valley is the online journal of me, Lori Mercer, mother of three. 

I hope this blog will chronicle our daily life in Joy Valley, a little area we call home just outside of Petoskey.  My husband Josh and I used to run the Marian Center in Joy Valley, a Catholic Lay Apostolate which was started by my late mother, Barbara Smith, in 1992, with the first Marian Conference. We continue to live here and help as much as we can, with Josh employed full-time and me caring for our three young children.

I  want to do more with this blog than just memoirs of our life.  I also hope to share my experiences as a Catholic Mom in its pages.