FOCUS Training: Day 1

Missionaries walking to the Oratory for morning prayer

We are in Ave Maria, Florida for FOCUS summer training and it's such a blessing to be here! As you may know, Ave Maria is Tyler's Alma Mater and we lived here for three months when we were first married. So literally everywhere we look we have tons of memories! Such as the bench where Tyler proposed, the dorm Tyler lived in with his roommates, and the canal where we would see an alligator every morning when we woke up, just to name a few!

Tyler and I will be here for six weeks serving as Deans for the married men's and women's colleges. Everyone is broken up into these groups of about 6-8 people and we seek to grow together in our relationship with Jesus and in virtue. Today we attended the training on character formation and leadership by Dr. Jonathan Reyes, who is the executive director of the U.S. bishops' Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development. We have two more days of Dean's training and then we'll be joined on Sunday by the new and returning staff for the rest of the summer.

I'm excited to share more of our summer training with you, as well as beautiful pictures from Ave Maria!

Flavor of the Week

For this week's blog post, dad and I are sharing our "flavor of the week." I can't help but choose chocolate and dark chocolate has always been my favorite. So allow me to describe this past week in regards to Hershey's Special Dark (mildly sweet chocolate) with Crisp Rice       

Special Dark Chocolate: We've been with Tyler's parents in Alabama this past week enjoying their company, the beautiful weather, and sleeping in. It's been a relaxing week before we gear up for FOCUS training that starts next week and lasts for six weeks. Chocolate is a comfort food for me (I'm working on moderation and temperance but that's another blog) and being with family is always comforting and a blessing. When I eat chocolate I like to take small bites and savor it as it slowly melts in my mouth. Tyler and I have been savoring each day here with his parents!

One of my favorite views in The Waters

Mildly Sweet: I think "bittersweet" would be a better description here, but mildly sweet works too. My parents introduced us to a game last week called "The Settlers of Catan." Long story short, this past week we have played the game several times each day. We keep a running score of how many times each of us beats the other. I believe the current tally is Dene': 8  - Tyler: 6. The sweet part is that I'm ahead, the mild or bitter part is that I have a frustrated husband since he is way more competitive than I am. Last I heard, Tyler was researching strategies online... so we'll see how the next few games go!

Our new favorite game

Crisp Rice: The last part of my flavor of the week is a bit of a stretch but stick with me! I like the smooth and creaminess of plain dark chocolate. I think it's more sophisticated when it's all by itself. However it's a nice change and kind of mixes things up to add something to it, such as crisp rice. Well, Tyler and I traded in our Kia this past week. We've been thinking about this for the past month and finally found the right car. It's a 2002 Toyota Camry so it's a bit like the crisp rice...not quite as nice as plain chocolate (as our previous Kia) but it's a fun new adventure.

What flavor has your week been? Check out my dad's here!

Goodbye Dubuque

Two years ago we joined FOCUS and found out that we were going to Dubuque, Iowa. We have to admit that at first we weren't thrilled with the news and it wasn't until we arrived there in August of 2011 that we were feeling better about our new home.

Dubuque is known as the "Masterpiece on the Mississippi" and it definitely is different than the other towns in Iowa. Being on the Mississippi river and nestled between bluffs with lots of trees, we enjoyed the random experience of living in Iowa but not feeling like it, if that makes sense! Here's a few pictures of our first and last days in Dubuque. Make sure you check out my dad's blog for a few stories of this past weekend when they came to visit us for the final time in Dubuque!

We loved our apartment! It was a fun location to be downtown and close to the river. This is from our first month in Dubuque before we traded in our truck for a all-wheel drive car, which came in handy this past winter!

Downtown Dubuque from our apartment

I actually started to tear up the last time I walked Frannie in the park across from our apartment. Even with the cold mornings in the winter or the rainy nights when we didn't feel like walking her, we have some good memories here!

Our favorite place in Dubuque: taking Frannie to the Riverwalk

We're so thankful mom and dad could visit us one more time in Dubuque!

It was sad to leave our apartment but we'll always remember it

The movers came to store our stuff until we move in August and it's amazing how much stuff we can fit into a two bedroom apartment!

Frannie is always excited to see mom and dad because they bring her bones!

Last picture of us in Dubuque...maybe ever? We'll see where God takes us!

Frannie in Nature

For this week's blog post, dad and I are blogging about being outside in this lovely Spring weather and playing in nature. Frannie thought this would be a perfect blog for her to take the main stage, so here she is at Mines of Spain in Dubuque. Check out my dad's post here!

Tyler's Birthday Celebration

Rental house in the Galena Territory

Last weekend we went with our teammates to Galena, IL, about 15 miles East of Dubuque. We took two nights to get away, eat lots of food, play games, and enjoy each others company. With the end of the year approaching and all of us going different directions it was a wonderful get-away and time to be together. And it just happened that it was over Tyler's birthday, so we turned it into a celebration!

Our teammate Craig found this amazing rental house in the Galena Territory, a 6,800-acre planned residential and recreational community.

Not only did we enjoy having a cabin in the wilderness to ourselves for two nights, we drove into downtown Galena on Saturday night and enjoyed the beautiful countryside!

The backyard with the beautiful view! Perfect for bird-watching!

My Grandma Maxine and my Aunt Sherry (among other family members that have picked it up) are avid birdwatchers and I thought of them a lot during the weekend! If I would have had a bird book and binoculars, I would have given it a go as well! This location was perfect for birdwatching. Not only outside, but inside there was a clock that rang every hour with a different bird call. It was very entertaining!

Tyler and Craig enjoyed the pool table

Have you heard of the game "Pass the Pigs?" It's a big hit on campus with the guys.

There are two tiny pigs and you roll them. Depending on how they land you get points. It's a gambling game (maybe that's why it appeals to the guys) because you can either keep your points or keep trying to get more, but you might "pig out" and loose all your points. Anyway, I'd suggest you check it out for a few laughs!

What is a birthday without cake? Tyler's favorite ice cream treat is vanilla ice cream and health bar. I just happened to find a chocolate and vanilla Heath ice cream cake. We enjoyed it two nights in a row!

On Saturday night we drove into Galena and walked around downtown. Our favorite stop is the Canning Company because you can taste countless jams, spreads, hot sauces, bbqs, dips, you name it!

Downtown Galena

I think Tyler had a good birthday weekend!

While In Rome...go to your Tree House

Some time ago mom shared with us an idea that you can close your eyes and visually go to a place in your mind that is peaceful and quiet. A place that you feel safe and secure. This is helpful at times when you're feeling anxious or stressed and especially comes in handy at bedtime. My dad used to say to me when I was little, "There is nothing on your plate" and I'd try to visualize an empty white plate. But if I started to pile tomorrow's to-do list on the plate with an extra helping of cares and worries, then would be a good time to go to my tree house.

I'd like to share my tree house with you! It happens to be way across the Atlantic Ocean in Rome, Italy. Tyler and I have been blessed to go to Italy two times in the last two years (and so far it's not very likely that we'll continue that tradition, but you never know with us!) and it's one of our favorite places in the world.

Sometimes I'll go back to Rome in my mind and remember all of our adventures. The sights, the smells, the tastes...especially the tastes! But if I had to pick one favorite place in Rome, I'd pick St. Peter's Basilica. This is my tree house because to me it's the most awe-inspiring, the most breathtakingly beautiful, the most majestic place..and yet it's so peaceful! I picture myself there in the early hours of the morning just as the doors are opened to the public. I go in and start to walk around, noticing how quiet it is because so few of us are there. As I take in the beauty of the artwork and the mosaics, my soul and mind are still, and even without an effort on my part I know that I am in the presence of God and I am at rest.

Where is your tree house? Check out one of my dad's here!