Welcome to foureverwander!
When I think about an introduction to this blog or our Instagram page I think “wow, where do we start!” We have a complicated story that sometimes feels taboo or hard to talk about. The short answer is: we are a family of four, we live in the PNW, and we love to adventure. I feel like getting our kids out into the world will help develop resilient and curious future-adults who know how to do hard things. I started this “social media” journey not to be influencers but as our own source of motivation. We have a busy schedule that can easily take control but “needing content” (as silly as it sounds) actually forces me to stop running through the to-do list and plan some sort of fun family adventure. And I like that! I don’t want the kids to remember their childhood as a list of things we have to get accomplished, I want them to remember quality time spent together. So here we are!
Believe it or not, that’s the SHORT answer!
The long answer: We are a blended family that’s been through some rough seasons. Michael and I met through our Crossfit community in 2021, 1 year after my divorce from my first marriage and 3 years after the passing of his first wife. The boys were 4 and 7 at the time that we met. To say that we, all four of us, had some challenging history prior to meeting each other would be a bit of an understatement. We faced a lot of challenges in the beginning. Me learning how to trust again, the boys learning what it feels like to be open to another woman and what that means to the memory of their biological mom, Michael learning what it looks like to move forward after such an incredibly painful loss. But truthfully, God’s hand has been in our relationship from the beginning and slowly over time we’ve become a family. Adventuring together fulfills all of the goals I’ve already mentioned. I truly believe that seeing the world makes you a better human being. But it also brings us closer together. We don’t have biology to bind us. Anyone who has never been in a blended family before may not understand how easy it is to take for grated that biology holds you together through a lot of things that you otherwise might give ups on. We have come together as a family based on love and choice. Both of which can fail if not founded in some really solid pillars. Our Fatih, for one that God has brought us together being the primary rock that we stand on. But also, little things like shared experiences, learning together, laughing together give us stepping stones as we navigate this blended family journey.
All that being said, as much as we want to prioritize family travel for the benefit of our kids and our family as a whole, Michael and I also have the added challenge of prioritizing our relationship. Without having a foundation of our own BEFORE kids we are faced with playing catch up. Getting to know one another, establishing strong communication, continually cultivating connection (that’s a lot of c’s!), building our goals for our relationship AND our family all while RAISING a family is incredibly challenging! Makes sense why the percentage of failed blended family marriages is so high, right!? It’s an uphill battle. Depending on who you talk to it can be an unpopular choice to take vacations just the two of us. For those people raising their eyebrows and silently (or not so silently) judging when Michael and I leave the kids home to go to Hawaii by ourselves, for example, #sorrynotsorry. In order for our family to thrive Michael and I have to be solid. WE HAVE TO. I believe that with all my heart. Holding all those priorities at once is hard but it’s all part of our story.
So! All that said, that’s who we are! Welcome Step-, Blended- and Bio families! you’re not alone in the journey! Welcome to all kinds of travelers looking for all kinds of adventure: family roadtrip and/or couples luxury vacations. We love to get outdoors, we’re teaching the kids to love a roadtrip, Michael and I love boujee adults-only travel. We love it all and we’ll share it all. Engage with us! Our story may not be the norm but it’s certainly not unique so connect with us! We can have some real talk and some real joy on this journey. And I encourage you to give it a go yourself and forever be wandering. Who knows what we’ll all find along the way.
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