Hi! I’m so glad you’re here.

If you’ve found your way to this little corner of the internet, chances are you’re in the middle of your own kind of transition… or you just have a soft spot for stories about family, chaos, and figuring life out one day at a time.

We’re the Hoofnagles, but most people call us the Hoofs.

A family of five currently living in the middle of a very real, very loud, very beautiful chapter of life: moving to Italy with three small kids (ages 4, 2, and 1).

Yes. All at once. Yes, it’s a lot. And, yes, we’re all living on a prayer.

Meet Us!

I’m Shannon. Also known as mom, storyteller, and self-proclaimed boss-lady and small business owner. I married into the Army life and am still adjusting to the fact that “settling down” now means unpacking in new places every few years.

My husband, Brenden, is the steady one in the chaos. He’s the Army guy who makes all of this possible and somehow stays calm while I’m Googling “how do you move a family overseas without losing your mind.”

Then there are our three littles:

  • James (4), the thoughtful, curious, always asking “why?” typical oldest child, with the biggest heart.

  • Jack (2), who is pure energy, zero brakes, full joy, and ALL BOY.

  • Alden (1), the baby of the crew, happiest when she’s in the middle of everything and fiercely loved by her two big brothers.

Together, we are quite the force to be reckoned with, often loud, sometimes messy, constantly moving, and somehow figuring it out as we go.

A woman with red hair holding a young girl with light hair, both smiling, outdoors in front of trees with yellow and green leaves, during autumn.
A man sitting on a bench outdoors with three children, all smiling, in a sunny garden with greenery and decorative blue globes in the background.
Three young children sitting on grass outdoors, smiling with trees and sunshine in the background.

Roaming Hoofs was born somewhere between Army orders and the moment it really sank in… we’re not just moving… we’re moving overseas.

Italy. With three kids. From Kansas.

This space became my way of holding onto it all. Not just the big, highlight-reel moments, but the real ones too. The packing chaos, the airport meltdowns, the jet lagged nights, the laughter that shows up in the middle of exhaustion, and the tiny, ordinary pieces that somehow become the memories you never want to forget.

Because I’ve learned something I didn’t expect:

Home isn’t a place you stay. It’s something you build over and over again with the people you love.

This blog is where I document it all, honestly and as it happens:

  • Life as a military family navigating constant change

  • Our move from the U.S. to Italy (and everything that comes with it)

  • Traveling and living abroad with little kids - the real version

  • Motherhood in the messy middle

  • The in-between moments that end up meaning the most

There are no perfectly curated travel days here. Just real life, lived loudly, with snacks in every bag and someone usually crying in the background.

And still… there’s so much beauty in it.

Most days, I’m still adjusting. Still learning how to let go of control. Still trying to hold onto routines while everything around us changes again.

But I’m also learning how to show up anyway.

To document the chaos.
To notice the good.
To slow down enough to remember it.

If you’re here…

If you’re in a season of change.
If you’re raising little ones and wondering how everyone else seems to have it together.
If you’re craving adventure but also secretly just want your own bed and routine back…

You’re in the right place.

This is Roaming Hoofs.

We’re really glad you’re here.

— Shannon (and the rest of the motley Hoof crew)