Up to Good

Instead of being up to NO good, it's been quite the opposite!

Laynie doing service at her Activity Day

Hunter's mission farewell

Laynie trying on some disco stretchy pants!  ha ha!

5th grade camp

Laynie with her good friend, Ryder.

 

Bike the Bear

On September 19th, our family traveled up to Bear Lake for the annual Boy Scout "Bike the Bear" challenge.  Matt and Gavin wanted to do it this year, and I'm so glad they did.  Laynie and I went up to support them and Robert and LuAnn joined in!  The rented an Air BnB in town.  Laynie and I slept there with them.  Matt and Gavin camped out in a tent and got up early to ride.  Matt would send us updates at every 10 mile station they made it to.

Meanwhile, we ate breakfast, collected tiny shells on the beach, 

then drove to where the boys would pass us.  Laynie like poking her head out of the sun roof.

Louie went wild with her cat calls.  In fact, we all did!  We each had our own:

Louie: Woot, Woot!

Cindy: Ah-ooga!

Robert: Ka-kaw!

Laynie: Eeeee!

Joy, Steve and their son joined in on the fun.  The Laytons are wonderful friends that we've met through the Scouting program.

They did it!!!  5-0 miles!  Way to go biker boys!

Afterward, we ate out at a restaurant.  And crazy coincidence:  

As we were leaving, our nieces (Sam and Lili) were coming in!  So we had to snap a picture!

two days later, I found myself in the hospital with another kidney stone... (but no tumors were detected, so that's a good thing, I guess.)

 

Great Aunt Greta

Oh how we LOVE our great, great aunt Greta!  In mid August, she fell in her home and wasn't able to call for help for 4 hours.  In falling, she hyper-extended her knee and had to have it amputated.  For an around 3 weeks, she went back and forth from a long-term care facility to the hospital, battling pneumonia, kidney failure, etc. etc.  Finally, her kidneys couldn't sustain her life any more and she chose not to do dialysis.  A machine kept her alive long enough to say goodbye to her MANY nieces and nephews that adored her and grew to love her because she was a woman who unified.  She sent cards to everyone on their birthday - to all 300+ of her family.  She never married or had any children of her own, but she was like a grandma to me once I moved up to Provo.  She started hosting cousin get-togethers and then Christmas, Easter and Halloween parties.  We attended as much as we could because we knew it was important to her.  Growing up, she planned and put on the Mellor reunions each summer.  I would often take the kids to Aunt Greta's house to do service - mow her lawn, weed, etc - if my own health would permit.  She called me when I was going through cancer treatments.  She even brought me brownies for my 29th birthday.  I was sad that day bc I was still single and birthdays made me realize just how single I was, but she told me to not be sad and to be happy.  Wise words, indeed.

She lived to be 81 years old - always thinking of others in those 81 years.  I miss her.  When I didn't receive a Halloween card in the mail this year, I cried.  Just knowing she's not around anymore kinda leaves a hole in my heart.  I love you, Aunt Greta.  Until we meet again!

Love, Cindy

Saying goodbye to Aunt Greta.

The kids loved Aunt Greta.

We will miss you!!!

Aunt Greta's home in Provo.  For as long as I can remember, this is where Aunt Greta lived.  I'm not sure of the exact address, but it's in a trailer court behind the Jahovah's Witness church on 500 N...  Lot# 11.

Greta passed away the morning of Sept. 7, 2025.  the night before, she had watched a BYU football game with her brother, Charles.  Greta loved doing that.  How fitting for her last day on earth.  She was buried in Fayette Cemetery on September 13th.  Her funeral was lovely.  She had a room full of nutcrackers and little momentos that each of her nieces and nephews could choose from to have.  Her great grandfather, James C. Mellor, donated the parcel of land to the city of Fayette that the cemetery is on.  In return, he wanted any of his Mellor posterity to be able to be buried there for free.  So Aunt Greta is back in her beloved Fayette, to rest now.

James C. Mellor's headstone...

which is shared with his wife, MaryAnne.

Abraham Palmer's Grave - I believe he was William Mellor's father-in-law.

Laying Aunt Greta to rest.

Uncle Charles's family really helped Aunt Greta in her old age, especially her niece Kim and nephew Neldon and his wife, Brenda.  They lived close to her and were there to take her to doctor appointments, help her with her home, etc.  They are very special people for doing that.

William C. Mellor and Delilah Palmer

(My 2nd Great Grandparents)

Warren and Rachel Mellor

(My Great Grandparents)

 

Uncle Lloyd and Grandma's 100th Birthday

Uncle Lloyd was traveling down to Colorado and decided to stop in at our place.  He almost didn't make it - traveling through Utah County in the dark and missing the exit, twice!  But he did and we were so glad!

While here, he ate dinner, recorded some stories of Grandma Cahoon (his mother) on her 100th birthday, then ate some cake in honor of Swanee.

The next day, he went to church with us then left to go to Gunnison and we followed him as far as Pelican Bay to say goodbye.

Until next time, Uncle Lloyd!  We love you!

 

The State Fair

On September 5th, Gavin's 8th grade class took a field trip to the State Fair.  I got to chaperone this awesome group of boys:

Conner, Dallin, Lucas, Gavin, Brody, Quin and Liam

A farmer and his alpaca.

Smelling the sheep.

Playing in the cattle chute.

Watching this farmer groom his cow.

Holsteins!!

Arts and crafts exhibition.

I'm so grateful Gavin has a good group of friends.  I hope they stay that way and always make good choices.