My family has two central themes that I discovered in the exploration of my genogram: adventure and togetherness. I took a look at these themes in my genogram presentation but wanted to expound upon them a little bit within my own nuclear family, with a focus on self identity.

Sometimes these two themes might work in contrast with one another – for example, the desire for exploration and yearning to stay close to home. Or perhaps wanting to explore new careers or places, while other members hold to traditional values and places. When turbulence hits the family, there are two contrasting options – to buckle down in the family, or to flee individually. To flee would be to lean into this new sense of adventure, while buckling down as a unit would fall into togetherness.

Yet adventure and togetherness can work in beautiful tandem when they are combined within the family unit.

And my family combined these things when I was 8 years old – we packed up, rented out our house, my Dad took a sabbatical, and we hit the road. We homeschooled and traveled for 365 days – just us. Besides grandparents meeting us along the way, it was only us – no one we knew, only us.

We went to 29 countries, took 45 flights, and only almost died a couple of times.

And as we walked through this unknown, exploring this adventure, the experiences we went through drew us together. Our adventure drew us to community and togetherness with one another. And I see this in my own heart – it’s bursting at the seams to run, to fly – but I want to do it with those closest to my soul.

These dogs were so cute and looked so much like a family.

I wanted to do something about love. These are my stuffed animals that I love very much.

They used this stadium for the 1896 Olympics.

DESIGN was the first thing that came in to my head.

We built a stick fort called ”The Bunker”.  It had an outhouse and everything.   It is called ”The Bunker”because When W was breaking down a tree I called to H get in ”the Bunker” because the Bunker is the most protected point in our stick fort.”

I built an outhouse next to the Bunker which is a tiny place with a piece of wood going around to put your thighs on.

We were in Wengen, Switzerland in the Alps when we found some woods and went in it, and it was a two day process.

We are staying in a US Army Base called a Garrison.  This is a picture of the people that live in this house.  They are older now.  There is a soccer field about         100 meters along the street.  There is lots of American food in the refrigerators, and English-speaking neighbors even though we are in Germany.

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Today we helped out with the Friends of the Lake District.  We took down an old fence so the cows and horses wouldn’t get tangled up in the barbed wire.  I am using the “wee beastie” tool  in this picture, taking out a staple that holds the wire to the pole.  It was kind of hard work, but it was kind of fun.

A shoutout to our friends in Fairfax and Falls Church schools starting school today.

“Hope they have a good day.”

We all know God is everywhere but I really saw Him whale-watching in Husavik. (You can view a great video here.)

The whales were amazing like God but way less powerful and amazing than Him.

God made them amazing just how He made everything beyond good.

God does everything.