We were so excited to finally take the kids to Lake Powell! Lake Powell was a family tradition when John and I grew up, but we haven’t been there with Charlotte and Johnny until this year. Our close friends, the Kohlers, invited us to join them for three nights on a houseboat. I think we all could’ve stayed a lot longer. We did a lot of water sports, hiking, cliff jumping, fishing, star watching, lizard catching and enjoying time with friends. The kids are hooked and so are we! Can’t wait to do it again.
Lots of things to remember: Captain John (official houseboat driver), ski boat overheating, night swimming off the slide, the tube crash (poor Charlotte), Johnny catching lots of lizards, a fish taking the whole bait and fishing pole, playing cards, yummy dinners, not showering, hiking to an old boat wreck, low water, wake surfing, water skiing, knee boarding, John’s epic Top Gun moment driving Grady’s speedboat through the canyon at full speed, using Starlink for the first time, Otter pops, catfish,
Europe finally opened up (post-Covid) and we came running!
Barcelona was our first stop where we toured the city in a day, went to an amusement park and practiced Spain Spanish. We tried to get our bearings straight with the new time zone, etc. Charlotte and Johnny adjusted right away and slept over 12 hours every night. We loved walking through the bustling streets hearing all the sounds and smelling all the smells. Our city tour lead us through the Sagrada Familia and also to Park Guell where we experienced lots of Gaudi art. The amusement park was next and was definitely a highlight. It’s called Tibidabo (which is really fun to say) and is located on the top of a mountain overlooking the city. Tibidabo is one of the oldest parks in the world and is still functioning (mostly). There were a few times I might have have been nervous for our safety. Overall, Barcelona is such a fun and lively city with plenty to do. Mellors took it all in and I’m sure we will be back again soon.
Our next stop was Mallorca, a short flight from Barcelona. There we got to relax at the beach for several days. The water was dreamy; that beautiful turquoise blue, calm and shallow. We went ocean fishing and toured around on an old fishing boat. We ate some amazing food and mostly enjoyed the slow pace of a European beach town. We didn’t find another American the entire 6 days. On our last day, we went into an old city center where the original stonewalls still surrounded the city. It was amazing to walk around the historic cobble streets and shop at the local market. Mallorca felt like a world away from anywhere. We loved the rustic, old European vibe and tried to pull off a little South American Spanish when possible. Not sure we really got away with it.
Our last spot was Paris. Ahhhh… Paris. We love this city. We enjoyed even more incredible food, toured the Louvre, went to the top of the Eiffel Tour, and played at the local carnival across the street from our hotel in the Tuileries. Once again, I found myself nervous for our safety as the light-hearted European carnival attendees loosely ran the show. Paris has always been so good to us and everyone is always so kind to our children. I could’ve stayed the rest of summer in Paris:) Someday.
It was a whirlwind of a trip (12 nights abroad) and we tried to soak in every charming moment Europe had to offer. Charlotte and Johnny are rockstar travelers and can get over jet-lag and new beds and strange food faster than John and I. We love to see the world through their eyes and they truly are our inspiration for so much adventure. Thank you, kids, and thank you, Europe! We missed you.
Things to remember:
European breakfasts at every hotel, small spaces and closets, stone walls and buildings, Gaudi, art everywhere you look, interesting food, city smells, the scary Ferris Wheel rides and the virtual roller coaster ride (with the pink dragon) at Tibidabo, the rooftop pool, European bathing suits or lack there of, Rose all day, taxis, the dinner in Mallorca on the mountain, Charlotte braiding Johnny’s hair, cats, the king bed in Mallorca, the cruise ship music at night, our balcony view, skip ball in swimming pool, slowing down, Johnny catching a fish within the first 60 seconds, filming the scene from Aladdin under the tree, rain in Paris, more rain in Paris, waiting under the umbrellas at the Louvre, filming WWII German movie in lobby, John feeling sick in crowded Eiffel Tower elevator, Eiffel Tower opened late due to striking workers, the carnival in the Tuileries with another virtual ride, Johnny running like Naruto with his hands behind him, feeling homesick, anchovy lunch, riding ponies next door, John walking down main street with giant inflated toy, macaroons, loving our tribe and grateful for culture and experiences abroad.
Once again our Mellor National Holiday arrived… hay cutting 2022. We were lucky enough to have uncle Roy and aunt Patrice join us this year on the ranch. Daddy worked hard; from sun up until sun down, multiple days in a row (on the ranch and also at his “real” job). We like to call our ranch a “gentleman’s ranch”. Nevertheless, it takes a lot of hard work which helps us all rally. We had a pretty good crop with 113 bales (up from 72 the year before). We gave most of them to Abby who inherited our two horses when we moved to Park City and then we were able to give some bales to a local sanctuary. It’s a full circle moment of goodness for all involved. Grateful for these warm summer days on the ranch.
Charlotte’s cat, Zeus, who is featured in many photos below passed away about a month after these pictures were taken. We will always love and remember him. RIP Zeus.
We’ve said it many times… Punta Mita is definitely one of our favorite places! It holds some kind of magic that calms our souls. It’s like finally taking a much needed deep breath and everything just melts away. We were grateful to spend our spring break there and enjoy that calm for seven days. The days just blend together and the world fades away. It’s our little family of four taking a lot of deep breaths.
Things to remember: Tide pools with creepy crawly things, golf cart rides everywhere, Charlotte driving, Johnny driving, reading a book by the fire every night, the weirdest oysters our first night, amazing food, Sufi with all 4 of us, playing cards, music, sunsets, speed bumps, wave diving, Charlotte’s epic sunburn, breakfast at the house, surfing (kind of), Charlotte’s separate living quarters, morning mist/fog, frisbee, and Punta Mita’s magic.
Charlotte turns double digits, but it feels as though she’s been 16 for a couple years. When she was born, we received a gift that said a common saying, “Sugar and spice and everything nice. That’s what little girls are made of.” Wow, that is our Charlotte. (It’s still in her closet.) She’s strong and bold and beautiful and I do not worry about her taking on the world. I do, however, hope she can stay 10 as long as possible and not grow up too fast.
Charlotte pushes herself in dance and in school. She also pushes me in my journey as a parent. Boundaries are getting less black and white with her negotiations and determination. It’s Charlotte’s world, and I’m just here to hold on for the ride. I truly wouldn’t want it any other way. She just gets things and sometimes “parenting” her feels silly. I will continue to yearn for more patience and humility.
Charlotte strives for perfection and holds a high standard for herself. I admire her hard work and commitment in all she does. If you give her a task, she will nail it! It might take longer than expected, but it will be done well. She is currently very involved in dance and is spending 14-15 hours a week dancing. She is on a competing team where they will compete in jazz, contemporary and hip hop next spring. She has taken on another dance solo and has also achieved the status of point where she practices once a week with a private ballet instructor on point shoes (her first pair of high heels). This last competition season was a huge success with her team where they received many awards and 1st place titles. Charlotte also took her hip hop solo to Nationals in Las Vegas and won 1st place in her category. Go Charlotte!
When Charlotte is not dancing, she’s home listening to music and enjoying art, fashion and makeup. For Charlotte’s 10th birthday, she and I were able to steal away to Las Vegas for one night to see the Michael Jackson show where all of her favorite things were combined – dance, music, art and fashion. It was an inspiring show for both of us. I love spending one-on-one time with her and getting her fashion and makeup advice. She’s my best girl and I’m the luckiest mama! Can’t wait for more, Charlotte!
One last note worth documenting, we gave Charlotte her first iPhone for her 10th birthday. There were multiple factors that weighed heavily into this, mostly her dance schedule and her dance friends. We’re still working on the balance, but wow, what a time to be alive!
I remember hearing someone say “BVI” and I had to ask what that meant; this very special place in the Caribbean that all the cool people call “BVI”. Our family was lucky enough to experience this very cool acronym last February for ski week. Instead of skiing in Park City, we journeyed on our favorite catamaran, Sea Boss, through BVI. From here, it is only the pictures that can tell the story.
Things to remember… the longest journey to get there (sleeping in the Atlanta airport), lobster, lots of lobster, conch shells, eating fresh conch while snorkeling, fishing, caves, The Baths, snorkeling, pirate night, busting my cheek, glow worms in the water at Anegada, early morning fishing, Hanna and Stu forever, tarpon fishing late at night with the Top Gun song Danger Zone playing, capturing a scale of a fish, paddle boarding, fly fishing with Stu, flamingos, a long walk on Cow Wreck beach and the rum to follow while riding in the back of a truck/taxi, saying a prayer for “Lobby”, the rainbow, Johnny stung by fire coral, hiking up to the ruins of a deserted estate while fighting the bugs, COVID tests via Zoom, forgetting the kids’ bag on our way home, Hanna mailing Charlotte’s favorite buddies and blankies home.
We stand amazed by this place and hope to come back soon.
Christmas came and went again like a dream. Santa stopped by on the beach via parachute. Charlotte and Johnny seemed less amused with meeting him and “sitting on his lap”. He brought a few presents and some candy which the coatis (Mexican racoons) ravaged through (glad they had the tummy ache and not us). Like every Christmas, we hope the takeaway was an experience that fills our memories with love and time spent together. Luckily, we get to do this as a family at one of our favorite spots, Rosewood Mayakoba. We feel incredibly grateful for this special week we get to spend in the sun and sand.
Things to remember: First and foremost, the near plane crash we lived through on our way to Chichen Itza; we’ve never been more scared and more relieved to feel the ground (we didn’t quite make it to the pyramids). COVID restrictions of masks, testing, etc. Massive crowds and chaos at Cancun airport on arrival. Breakfast, lunch and dinner; every bite is an experience in and of itself at Rosewood. Bike riding to and from the beach as well as to the village to play arcade games. Charlotte and Johnny had their own bikes this trip. Riding beach cruisers as a family through the jungle on our way to the beach might be the highlight of my entire year. Sailing with daddy where Charlotte and Johnny made an obstacle course under the boat that they called “Tom and Jerry”. The lifeguard pulling in the sailboat because the wind died. Johnny’s “dabs”. Charlotte reading a book on the beach. Playing dodgeball on the paddleboards. The Mayakoba boat where we found a deserted island to explore as well as a deserted boat from Hurricane Wilma. Playing giant chess. Swimming in the rain on the last day. Diving, swimming, digging, running, sunning, eating, biking, discovering and mostly loving life together.
Thank you, Santa. We will try to be good so we can come back next year.
NFR is a special event for feeling some of the goodness America was built upon; hard work, horses, dirt, pride and a little bit country. John and I were thrilled to be able to bring Charlotte and Johnny this year to experience NFR for the first time. We walked away with a renewed sense of hope for America and wholesome goodness that gets to live on at home on Mellor Ranch. God bless America and long live cowboys!
We were also able to squeeze a little bit more out of Vegas with a trip to see the Grand Canyon, Cowboy Christmas, amazing meals, bubble baths and last but not least, the Carrie Underwood show. Charlotte and Johnny are hooked. We can’t wait until next year.
Our self-created family holiday happens once a year (July) at Mellor Ranch when John cuts and bales the hay field. It never ceases to bring pure, good old-fashioned fun for all of us. John gets to use all of his tractor equipment, Charlotte and Johnny get to run around wildly in the field, Prissy and Ginger get to catch voles and I get to bring out the big camera. Below are the memories captured and documented.
If one is seeking adventure, Costa Rica is the place. We went from ziplines in the mountains to black sand beaches with howling monkeys in-between. It was truly adventure packed! There were plenty of critters to keep us on our toes (literally) and lots of winding dirt roads to help us slow down and soak in the rugged scenery. We also enjoyed practicing our Spanish and eating amazing local food. Our house was a major highlight as it sat up on the hillside above Coco Beach. The sunsets were incredible and so were the daily rainstorms as we swam in the pool. Overall, Costa Rica was a remarkable discovery with our two very curious children, especially as our wanderlust souls continue to crave uncharted territory through these Covid years (I can’t believe we’re saying “years” but it continues to rage on).
Things to remember: Ziplines, the bus ride to the water slide, the water slide in the rain storm, hot springs, rivers, mud, scorpions, lizards, frogs and crabs at night, june bugs, howling monkeys, more rain storms, sugar cane, crocodiles, humidity, breakfast on our patio, black sand, dirt roads with lots of bumps, mosquitos and even bigger flying bugs who remain nameless, more ziplines that might possibly be unsafe, boat time, beaches left undiscovered, feeding monkeys, feeding crocodiles, dogs, bone marrow, cats, fish spa, eating lunch in the deep backcountry, chillaxing in our infinity pool as we overlooked the bay, Johnny getting a fever the day we left, COVID tests on our patio, the lightning storm on our last night.
Below are pictures from one of our ziplining experiences where it actually felt safe and regulated … hence a professional photographer.
And now for the abundance of iPhone pictures that happen so easily without settings and without a giant camera to lug around.
