"live in a camper filled with tools and books, traveling everywhere doing everything." 

that's the quick version of the dream right there. 
michael wrote it in a journal many years ago.

there are many reasons why we chose 2014 to take off, but the big three were the ages of our boys (8 and 12) and their need to see the country, the itch to find land and put down our family roots, and the craving to go and touch the people and places we grew up with (our roots), before we started building a home.

we wanted to fix things, build things, design things .... while connecting with and loving on people. 
old friends, new friends, didn't matter. 

trusted that our needs and the needs of those we met would balance out in the hands of God. 
no expectations of unicorns and rainbows, but real, messy, crazy-intense life.  the gritty stuff.  the growing-kicking-and-screaming stuff. 

trusted that we'd know where to go next, and where and when to stop. 
no script, just steps. onward.

It was all that and so much more.

heavy on the growing and crazy-intense stuff,
but lots of reflection time built into the first 4 years.

prepping us for year 5 in chicago, which was all crazy-intense, with no reflection time at all.
yes, that too balanced out in the hands of God!