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.

Pictures from Barcelona:

Pictures from Mallorca:

Pictures from Paris:

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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.

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.