Fiji had all the makings of a perfect trip—smooth flights, turquoise waters, soft white sand, a beautiful resort, and the magic of Christmas. But the day after we arrived, paradise surprised us with a seven-day tropical rainstorm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that much water fall from the sky for so many days in a row. Thankfully, we had iPads and Kanoodle to keep us entertained indoors.
We had chosen Fiji with one big goal in mind: our first family scuba diving adventure. All four of us had just become certified in November, and we couldn’t imagine a better place than Fiji to take our very first open water dive. Despite the storm, the dive boats were eager for business, and we were eager for adventure. The moment we slipped beneath the surface, the rain disappeared. Suddenly, we were in another world—calm, vibrant, and utterly magical.
Together, our wanderlust-filled family completed four unforgettable dives. That week, a lifelong love for scuba was born.
Thank you, Fiji, for sharing your waters and opening the door to a mesmerizing new world beneath the waves.
Things to remember: Our flight from SFO to Fiji (scheduled for ~10:00 pm and a glorious overnight rest on the flight) got cancelled while we were at SFO and rescheduled for the next morning so we had to get a hotel for the quick night by the airport, the boat transfer from Fiji (Nadi) to the resort island for over an hour on a small boat in gusty conditions in the dark, our first day with perfect weather and the epic sunburns, breakfast and the “Rocket Fuel” juice, the rain, the puddles, the umbrellas, the spa, endless time with Kanoodle, John and Johnny’s long games of catch with a football in the ocean in the storm, a headstand in the rain, our little bungalow, Johnny’s cushions on the floor, movies at night, the bucket to rinse off our feet, scuba diving with rain and waves sideways, the Survivor island, lots of “bula”, Charlotte’s shell collection, delicious lunches and dinners, more rain and more puddles, weaving leaves to make a bookmark, our last day with perfect weather, Johnny’s GoPro moments on the paddle board, Johnny forgetting his iPhone at the resort, Charlotte not getting a tan, paradise almost found.
Johnny is a fierce competitor, a loyal friend, and, of course, mama’s best buddy! As I’ve said before, when I grow up, I want to be just like him.
For a 9- and now 10-year-old, Johnny has experienced so much. He cared for Wolfgang for 14 months and had to say goodbye when illness struck. Now he has Colonel Fritz to carry the torch and help heal his heart. He has loved deeply, felt loss profoundly, and is loving just as fiercely again.
Johnny continues to love playing baseball, especially with his dad as a coach. He is dedicated, putting in the effort to improve a little more each day. His team is growing stronger, both in skill and in camaraderie. We feel so fortunate that Johnny has this special group of teammates to share these formative years with!
For Johnny’s 10th birthday, he and John were scheduled for an exciting salmon fishing trip to Alaska. Unfortunately, accidents happen – John got hurt working on the ranch, breaking his jaw and five transverse processes in his lower back, forcing us to postpone the trip. Fun fact – the picture below of Johnny having ice cream and cake was taken at Riverhorse on Main Street and they made a special meal for John that was their awesome signature halibut … pureed in a blender so John could eat it ;-). For Johnny’s party, we rallied fast! We quickly booked an amazing indoor kids’ spot where Johnny and his buddies made the most of it—bowling, playing laser tag, and tearing through endless arcade games!
Happy 10th birthday to my best buddy. Keep living boldly, loving fiercely, and being your incredible self!
10U Fall Baseball tryoutsSavannah Bananas baseball game Bee’s Stadium
The Azores… I had to look up where this place was after seeing it on the cover of a magazine that read “Destinations Of A Lifetime”. The pictures looked dreamy and the location sounded exotic; an archipelago consisting of nine islands between North America and Europe. All was true except for the temperature. We packed and dressed for beach vibes when we really needed a warm sweater and a wetsuit. I think the first picture below says it all… Charlotte not enjoying the cold hike on our first day. With that being said, it was as picturesque and quaint as the magazine described. The rolling green hills lined with hydrangeas and dairy cows felt like a storybook. The color of the ocean was a new deep blue I haven’t seen before. We enjoyed the small towns lined with cobblestones, delicious food and even ventured into the thermal pools. Our hotel was located on an amazing surf beach with soft sand and gorgeous sunsets. It was truly an adventure and our wanderlust was fulfilled. However, I would recommend going to the Azores later in the summer if you want to be warm 🙂
Things to remember: Johnny laying down on the moss beds, the tour guide our first day, the ocean swimming pool, the green and blue lakes (Sete Cidades), dairy cow traffic, the abandoned hotel at the top of the mountain, the jellyfish day, all of the yummy cheese, cobblestone streets, Johnny ordering two lobsters (and devouring both), our anniversary and the 8 course dinner (or was it 9?), a dance party in our hotel room to “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”, canyoneering, coasteering, thermal pools, lunch and the “milkyshakey”, the local steakhouse on our last night, sunsets, rainbows, Johnny’s sandwich from the vending machine, dolphins, riding the speed boat forever to get to the Islet of Vila Franca do Campo, the church lit up at night, our hot tub, Johnny feeding the ducks, Johnny’s bruises from his bike crash the day before we left.
We ended our summer Europe vacation in Amsterdam for three nights where we ran into rain and more cold weather (not our best weather trip in general). We stayed at one of our favorite hotels, The Pulitzer, which made up for any bad weather. The lobby and breakfast alone is Europe at its best. We toured the Anne Frank House for the first time; a very poignant moment as Charlotte was still reading The Diary of Anne Frank. We found amazing food once again, saw the Van Gogh Museum and bought Johnny and Charlotte some sweatpants. Our last day was spent at the Efteling Amusement Park where pants and an umbrella were very necessary. It was fun and adventurous… and we were ready to come home.
Charlotte is now 12, going on 16. I wonder if her actual age will ever catch up to her subconscious age. She’s like a peer to John and I and we both love hanging out with her. She’s now dancing several days a week at a studio in Salt Lake so the hours spent in the car with her are truly priceless. She catches me up on celebrity gossip and we both share our new favorite songs. I get to hear about the silly things that go on in 7th grade and then somehow we end up talking about politics or religion. I try to tell her to enjoy this age, but she’s already beyond 12 and has to dig deep to find the patience to put up with middle school.
Charlotte finished her dance competition season with Dance Tech a little after her 12th birthday. She had an awesome solo competing in the ultra-hard category of jazz. She worked hard and truly showed dedication and commitment to her team and craft. Over the summer, Charlotte decided to continue her love of dance at a new studio that felt more closely aligned to her approach. She’s been pushed and stretched to new levels and we can’t wait to see her perform during competition season. The journey to and from Salt Lake has been an unexpected gift for my mother soul where I get to connect with her and try to keep her close. I’m holding on for dear life and I hope she continues to let me in.
Charlotte has broadened her resume to now include ranching where she has shown great affection for our two horses, Teddy and Maverick. She started riding with John and then our new horse trainer, Jenna, swept in and Charlotte’s tipping point was tipped. She also loves the chickens and helped name each one. She’s been helpful with the care and maintenance of the horses, chickens and barn. John and Charlotte’s bond has only deepened as they spend time together outside on the ranch. My mama heart might burst every time I see them together on the horses.
And then there was Isabella… Charlotte’s most fanciful cat (to say the least). For Charlotte’s 12th birthday, we decided to get her a “fancy” cat that she could keep safe inside as she has lost two rescue cats to the wild (RIP Zeus and Mochi). Charlotte wanted a Scottish Fold cat, so I began researching a couple months before her birthday. I had no idea what this online world of catteries was capable of. I found an adorable kitten out of Los Angeles for a relatively good price. I paid the deposit and booked us a trip to L.A. Well, that cat didn’t actually exist which we found out as we tried to pin down details of where to pick it up – we were scammed. Charlotte’s heart was broken. I didn’t give up. There was another adorable kitten somewhere in Florida with video footage this time and lots of communication. I paid the deposit and planned to have her arrive in April. The cat never came … scammed again. Charlotte was in tears and I felt like the worst mom ever. My next move was to go to the top and find the best show-winning Scottish Fold cat. His name is Misha and his daughter is Charlotte’s gorgeous Scottish Fold kitty named Isabella Marie, a.k.a. Bella. We flew to Seattle for one day in August to pick her up in person (before sending the money). When I saw this little tiny white puff of a kitten placed into Charlotte’s arms, I just started crying. Charlotte went through quite a difficult journey of loss, disappointment and ultimate patience. Princess Bella is deeply loved by Charlotte. Every year with Charlotte unfolds a new layer of her and I couldn’t imagine loving her more. She tests me and pushes me to new levels and I’m truly grateful to have her as my guide. When I had a daughter, I didn’t know I would have a built in best friend for the rest of my life. I feel so lucky to be her mama/bff. Happy 12th/16th birthday, Miss Charlotte!
We were lucky enough to experience Africa for the first time over our Christmas 2023 vacation. Our dear friend, Lacey, opened her heart and invited us into her special place called Zambia. Our lives have been changed forever. It took me over 6 months to go through all of our photos. It was so perfect and full of magic, I was hesitant to even revisit the photos. It felt like a dream; a true slice of Heaven.
After 4 long flights (our longest flight journey yet), we arrived at a tiny airport in Zambia. We were driven to our lodge and began our 10 day safari experience in South Luangwa National Park. The days start early at sunrise with the sound of hippos and baboons. We would have a light breakfast and head out for a morning game drive which was around 3-4 hours in an open-air, old school Land Rover. I was a little worried the kids might start to unravel with the long drives … and then time and reality just started to slip away as the dream of Africa took over. Our senses were overloaded with natural beauty and abundance of wildlife: Elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, wild dogs, impalas, hyenas, water buffalo, lions, dung Beatles, termite mounds, crocodiles, snakes, trees, chameleons, sunshine, blue skies and never ending space. Our souls were fed and calm. We stopped for tea time along the way and were able to sit and absorb everything witnessed. English black tea with milk is now a staple at our house and takes us back to those special moments on safari. Suzio was our guide most of the time and would educate us and answer all of our questions. Johnny was like a guide-in-training and eager for more. Lunch time came at some point whether in the middle of the bush or at the lodge; always the most incredible food. The afternoons were for relaxing at the pool or spa before heading out for our evening game drive. And the bliss continued.
On Christmas Day, we went to a soccer game in the local village. It was super hot (maybe the hottest I’ve ever been) and quite a moment to see Zambian kids living in their element. Charlotte chatted with a group of little girls who were mesmerized by her braces and blonde curly hair. Johnny and John chatted with a young boy and tried to explain where we came from as they sat under shade from an umbrella. It will be a Christmas Day we always remember.
The evenings consisted of another game drive and meeting up along the river for sundowners. We chatted about the day and our recent sightings while enjoying some snacks and beverages; a moment I never wanted to end. Once the sun went down, we headed back to the lodge for our final meal of the day. Most dinners, Johnny was asleep before the main course. The days started early and ended late. We soaked in as many waking hours as possible and still couldn’t wait to wake up the next morning for more.
After 5 nights at the lodge, we packed up for a few nights in the bush. I didn’t really know what that meant, but now we all say the days and nights in the bush were our favorite. Internet and cell service no longer existed and we sank deeper into the magic. A big rainstorm rolled in one day, so we stayed “in” which meant under the roof of our treehouse lodge. Lacey broke out a bracelet making kit and we spent hours together beading friendship bracelets. Charlotte says this was one of her favorite moments, mine too. It felt like scout camp but in the middle of Africa. Again, we never wanted it to end. At one point while in the bush, we came across an elephant carcass that had been killed by poachers. It was a very sad and memorable moment. We were able to witness the circle of life as packs of hyenas came to feed on it every night. The smell and the sound will stay ingrained in our minds. Later that night we experienced the explosive hatch of flying termites which apparently happens only a couple times of year. What a time!
We ended our last two nights in Africa at another camp, trying to avoid the heavy rain coming which would wash out the roads. And boy, did the rain start coming! We could feel the ground open up to enjoy a big thirsty gulp. The animals followed in suit. We felt life give and take through the gift of mother nature’s rain. On our last night, we had a dance party in the rain with our safari friends and stayed up late enjoying the smells, tastes, feels and love of Africa. It was hard to say goodnight.
To actually put any of this into words is hard. It’s just beyond words … it’s magic. We hope this moment and grace stay with us forever. Our gratitude will inspire our hearts to give and serve. We will be back soon, Dazzle!
Dazzle whiteboardJohnny carving mangoes with his new pocket knife Uncle Roy gave him for ChristmasWild Dog beerMulberry Mongoose jewelry shop where they turn elephant snare wire into jewelryBreakfast spreadMaking bracelets on a rain day. Charlotte and Johnny made bracelets for the main people that we’ve been working with. It was very sweet.SundownersTermite wings from hatch that evening
A very memorable week in one of our favorite places with our favorite people! I would repeat this week over and over if possible.
We were able to make schedules align and find the family/friend fusion in Mexico with our three families… now considered more family than friends. When life gets real, you need your Punta Mita family. Let’s grow old together.
Things to remember: Football and floaties in the pool, the cruise boat, Grady feeding the birds, piñatas, the photoshoot in robes, breakfast, surfing, margaritas, chef night, massages, golf cart races, Sufi, scuba in the pool, the fishing boat, the girls shopping in town, the turtle, tide pool exploring, the massive surf, friends and more friends, that beautiful house!
Move over Mexico, make room for … Costa Rica. I might be a bit dramatic, but not. We love this place.
Things to remember: Ziplines, horse back riding, hot springs, a lesson on sugar cane and coffee, the giant bull Caramelo, riding horses, sunsets, breakfast, hot sand, sand paper massages on the beach, playing skip ball, swimming to the dock, karaoke in the car, grocery store run with lots of ice cream, backseat shenanigans, Charlotte yanking Johnny’s ear, speed bumps, movie nights with ice cream, so many crabs, fish spa, bone marrow, the boat, creepy mangroves, Charlotte getting hit with bird poop, SeaDoos, tubing behind the boat, white water tubing, jumping off the bridge, hiking to the big waterfall, mangoes cut perfectly, Charlotte staying up late for Taylor Swift’s new album, Johnny finding stray cats and frogs at dinner, playing toss in the pool, Johnny losing 7 balls on the last morning with wild pitches, long lines at the Costa Rica airport, our family foursome in Costa Rican bliss.
Lake Powell 2023 was a success! Once again, we were lucky enough to combine forces with our good friends, the Kohlers. This year included an extra day/night and about 20 extra feet of houseboat. We shared the work, fun, kids, sand and memories. Lots of water sports, some incredible cliff jumping, interesting/scary hikes, card games, rainstorms, wind, anchors becoming unanchored, generator failing, falling rocks, fishing with Barbie rods, roasting fish, tunnels in the sand, rooftop dinners, fireworks and so much more. Hope the pictures can help us remember this amazing adventure.
Johnny’s patience and persistence paid off; about a month before his 9th birthday, Wolfgang arrived. Johnny had been asking for his own dog, specifically a German Shepherd, for at least a year. After some constant reminding and research, we found a breeder located in Idaho. We were put on two different waitlists and finally the litter was born on June 14th – 11 puppies. We had first pick for a male. After waiting all summer, we drove to Idaho in early August to choose him. Johnny sat down on the grass and interacted with 7 male puppies for about 20 minutes and then knew who it was and decided on the one with the light purple collar. It was one of the sweetest moments of his almost 9 year life. Wolfgang has been such a wonderful addition to our family and we’ve all been in true puppy love ever since.
Below are many pictures of Johnny and Wolfgang around his birthday. Johnny had his golden birthday this year turning 9 on 9/9. Johnny is truly a golden child that radiates sunshine wherever he goes. His positive nature is infectious to all around him, especially me. Johnny is thoughtful and genuine in his conversations. He still asks me how my day is or how did I sleep. He’s doing very well at school and has many friends. Recess with his buddies continues to be the highlight of his school day. He’s quite involved with baseball and had an awesome spring and fall season with his team. John is one of the coaches and it warms my heart to see those two on the field together. When Johnny has free time, it is filled with a passion for Fortnite (another example of Johnny’s persistence paying off). He and his friends have a daily Fortnite saga that we get to overhear (I’m guessing one day I’ll miss this).
For Johnny’s birthday we celebrated with two baseball games the day of his birthday with the request of Wolfgang attending and then he had another epic laser tag party with his friends the next day. The picture of Johnny with his hands up is special because it’s what you do when you hit a baseball so hard that it rolls over the bike path. That means it is a “ground rule double” and the coach had just explained that to us right before this practice. So, Johnny felt pretty special!
I’m grateful for Johnny everyday and for the love that he shares with our family. Wolfgang is pretty dang lucky Johnny chose him… and so are we. Happy 9th birthday, Johnny! Can’t wait to see where your determination takes you next.
It took two large planes, one small plane, and a boat to get to Halibut Cove which is a little island about 5 miles from Homer, Alaska. We were after the true Alaskan experience, rustic yet refined, plus plenty of adventure. It was a total success. We stayed at a lodge where our living quarters for seven nights consisted of a rustic two bedroom cabin with an outdoor bathroom. We met in the lodge for each meal with amazing farm to table type cuisine. The days were filled with guided experiences through the mountains, lakes and ocean. The nights were cozy and never dark.
Our first day consisted of a hike to a glacier lake. We kayaked to see glaciers and then had a bonfire on the beach. It was gorgeous and adventurous. We saw a lot of bear poop and sprayed a lot of bug spray. The next day was bear watching. We took a float plane to a national park and after wading to shore, we hiked/walked to view bears up close and personal. It was beyond amazing. Around the next day or two, we went fishing! We started out deep sea fishing for halibut. Charlotte and I were pretty green from the rocking waves. John and Johnny caught enough halibut to supply us for the next 6 months. After the rough waters, we trolled through calmer seas for salmon. Johnny caught his limit of king salmon within 30 minutes. Charlotte and I were much less green. Johnny helped clean the fish off the back of the boat while throwing some to the seagulls and maybe eating a few pieces of sashimi himself. John was the color that screams the happiest dad in the world. We met at the lodge for every dinner which was a 4 course wine-paired dinner consisting of freshly caught seafood and amazing everything else. Before dinner was “happy hour” where John and I had a cocktail and all of us enjoyed freshly caught oysters. After dinner, we would sit around a fire while roasting s’mores and participating in ax throwing. The sun actually never set, so most nights we didn’t realize it was past our bedtime. John and I celebrated our 13th anniversary one night where we opened a bottle of champagne on our porch around 10 pm which looked like about 4 pm. It was a moment I’ll never forget. A few more days went by with more adventures. We went to an island to beach comb. We saw Bald Eagles and combed the beach for feathers and rocks which led into another bonfire where we roasted hot dogs and played with fire. More bug spray ensued and more picturesque moments kept happening. John and I both did a real cold plunge in Alaska. I think John did more than one. I also paddle boarded in full rain gear and was able to do a headstand on the board in the mild waters of the cove. One day in the rain, we decided to kayak over to the local coffee shop and post office. Johnny trolled his fishing line along the way. We had coffee, milkshakes and sent a post card to ourselves. It felt like we had gone back 100 years. Another excursion consisted of a day in Homer (the closest city to Halibut Cove). We took a boat to get back to the mainland and got to experience the “spit” as they call it, a narrow strip of land (about a mile wide) that extends into the ocean about 5 miles – a natural feature. It is lined with postcard worthy shops and restaurants. We got souvenirs and fish and chips. We toured the city of Homer and then went back to the spit to do the oyster bar. Oh my, we ordered around 4 dozen oysters and savored every last one. To finish off the spit, we put up our dollar at the famous Salty Dawg Saloon (they even let the kids in to do this). On our last day, we went out on a boat to see more wildlife. This is when we saw the most adorable otters. There was a mama with her baby on her belly and then there was the cutest little guy that actually waved to us as we went by, picture below. We saw more bald eagles and gorgeous mountains jutting up from the ocean. I could go on and on about each breathtaking moment. Like usual, the pictures are part of our journal. Alaska was EVERYTHING and more. We were grateful for each and every moment in mother nature’s epic wilderness.
One last thing to document about this trip is the travel day home. Poor Charlotte woke up feeling sick and ended up in bed with a stomach bug for a couple hours while we packed. We hoped she could feel well enough to get to the airport. We took the boat back to the spit and were on our way to the Homer airport. However, at some point traffic came to a stop. This narrow strip of land has only two lanes going out and in; there is no other way to get to Homer. We were at a standstill for over an hour and realized the entire highway was closed due to an accident. Charlotte was still feeling quite sick and we really needed to get to that flight. After much discussion, we decided our last ditch effort would be to get out of the car and walk up the spit with our luggage to hopefully get to the airport on time. We literally dragged our four giant bags over a mile to get past the road closure (with the help of our lodge team). Poor Charlotte was miserable. We were able to get a ride on the other side and made it to the airport on time. Charlotte continued to feel unwell for the next 24 hours and had an awful stomach ache the following day on our last flight home. Quite the ending to our Alaskan adventure.
Things to remember: John forgetting his belt, Johnny’s fall on last day’s hike, slippery eel-looking creatures Johnny caught in tide pools, ax throwing inside,
