Welcome to The Adventure Hearts!

As named by our three year old, namer extraordinaire. She has come up with quite a few names and words that we are sure not to let go, like snackrament, bite-amin, hanitizer, and jo-mamas (pajamas),  .... She also comes up with dances and names them, purely for the entertain and from the encouragement of dad, and always named Heart at the end. So far her dances include, but are not limited to, the love heart, the koala heart, the spit heart, and (brace yourself) the fart heart. So naturally when I decided on a name for our blog, The Adventure Hearts it was!

Here's a little background on us.

I'm Desirée a.k.a Mom, or Basha.

Nicknames stick in this household, largely due to my husband who likes to both give them and reinforce them until they are branded on the person with whom they were given. When my son was two he suddenly stopped calling me mom and started calling me Basha. No idea. He eventually went back to calling me mom, but the nickname had a life of its own by that point, and to this day the name Basha is generally used more than mom.

Things that spike my serotonin levels are all things health and wellness, nutrition, fitness, farmer's markets, early mornings, health foods trends, breakfast, babies, biking, good music, new music, herbal lattés, all things social, brunching, lunching, goal planning, cooking, trying new things, being outside, and spontaneity. Oh, and traveling of course! Because traveling kind of encompasses all of the above.

My vices include dark chocolate, french fries, ice cream, and staying up too late every night.

Scott a.k.a Dad.

The chief trailblazer, leader in adventure, executive dreamer, can be found grinding away hard at work almost always, but strives to balance it out with some quality hang out time when he can, and loves to surf, play ping pong, and create music when he has the opportunity. We just sold our vintage set of turntables that have lasted us a decade and a half and that was a sad moment for him, but, hey - there is no traveling light with those babies! If he's feeling extra ambitious he might pick up a new language since he is quite the skilled linguist and speaks 3 languages fluently (English, Czech, Polish) and two more at a working proficiency (German, Spanish). No matter how much he optimistically packs into his schedule though, he always schedules time (yes, he actually schedules it) to read stories with the kids at the end of every single night, and in return he gets spoiled with 6 little feet that enthusiastically take turns walking on his back.

Liam and Ella, the twins, a.k.a Squishy Girl and

The Honeybadger

Ella is all things girl and Liam is all boy. They are opposites in every way, but inseparable just as much. Ella is our little athlete gymnast who takes her practice very seriously and can always be found practicing her handstands and stretches. She is also the rule follower, star student, and responsible one of the family. Liam loves skatebaording, riding his bike and scooter, loves trying out new sports, and especially loves basketball. Contrary to Ella, Liam loves to test boundaries and learn things through experience rather than obedience. Ella usually keeps a watchful eye on him to make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble. Both of them play the piano, although for Liam it is a passion and he could sit at the piano all day, figuring out songs by ear and working tirelessly on his songs until he can play them perfectly. Ella on the other hand makes it through her practice, but not without many, MANY tears. They have been homeschooled so far in their school years and their first introduction to school will be in The Czech Republic. Even though they know they will be unable to communicate with pretty much everyone at first, their adventurous hearts and very social nature has them beaming with excitement!

Edith a.k.a The Cute One

While her nickname sounds slightly favoring (let's be honest, she IS kind of a favorite) it was actually given to her by Liam and Ella. They had always called their beanie boo's their "cute one's". When Edith was born she had the most massive blue eyes you had ever seen! The kids said she looked like a cute one! Our very own beanie boo baby. Edith is the heart of the family. She is equal parts fiery, sweet, and funny. She is extremely affectionate and quickly makes best friends with anyone who will pay her a little attention, and she has quite the fan club. She knows all the right times to come and give me hugs (when I am fussing at the older two) and regularly expresses her love to everyone. She gets her linguist abilities from her dad and has been talking a mile a minute since she was itty bitty, and so conversations with her are truly an entertainment! She also adores her little sister and hardly leaves her side. After Lydia was born, she and Lydia tandem nursed and rather than be jealous, as I anticipated she might be, she would lay there and caress Lydia's little head until they both fell asleep. There is not a jealous bone in her squishy little body. She is a rare soul who just sincerely loves to see other people happy!

Lydia a.k.a Wydia (if you can't say your Ls) or The Tiny One

Her nickname is self explanatory! She was the tiniest of the crew, but little did we know she would grow into her nickname by staying a little peanut in the 5th percentile for weight on the pediatric charts! Even though she is a little feather, she has dimples on her thighs, is high on the charts for length, and never stops eating! She is the sweetest little baby who freely gives hugs and grins and is absolutely adored by everyone in the house.

The Background to our Traveling Journey...

I have a BS in Accounting and Master's degree in Business. Scott graduated from Georgia Tech University with a degree in Industrial Design and most recently was a Creative Director at a leading advertising firm in LA. For many years we have both been working hard toward the goal of becoming independent so that we could travel the world, expand our experience, chase adventure, and immerse ourselves into new cultures for lengthy periods, so that we are able to provide our children with an expansive understanding of the world they live in through their own experience. At last that day has reached fruition! Scott has finally finished the extensive feat of gaining dual citizenship that has taken years of painstaking effort. I watched him power through a process most people would have given up on long ago. He has also finally made the transition in his career to establishing his own company. Then in September, once summer is over and all our friends head back to school, we leave on an airplane for The Czech Republic by way of London and Germany.  We will sell and donate everything we own, with the exception of the bags we can carry, leaving behind everything we know, and will embark on a thrilling journey of many unknowns! We will be living in the city of Brno, the second largest city in The Czech Republic. It is located about 2 hours southeast of Prague, and about 2 hours north of Vienna. The older two will start at a Czech school right away, and Edith will start at a nearby preschool shortly after. We will all be living bounds outside of our comfort zone and it is going to be fantastic!