From Italy to the USA

Well it has officially been way too long since we have updated our blog, and we offer apologies to any who have been disappointed without any updates.
Truth is, we just wanted to know who our real, hardcore friends and family are. If you are reading this after 5 months of nothing, you fall into that category. Congratulations!

So much has happened since we got too good to blog. Where can I begin? I think to keep this post from taking me another semester to write, I will stick to only the most colossal and important events (THE VIKINGS STARTED TRAINING CAMP!!!)


and go light on the humor. 0 trans-fats by the way. Anyhow, back to finding a beginning point for the recap, I will start with the biggest and best news first. By last time we wrote on this blog, we had not yet made it general knowledge that Duquesa is pregnant again! Come early November, Jerome won't be the only one calling the shots around here, although I am sure he will still get his in. We are waiting for the surprise on this one, so no news on the sex or name of agent #2. Duquesa is excited to experience a birth on this side of the ocean, although we will have to be much more careful about what we say to the doctors and nurses now that they will be able to understand us. Jerome can't wait to be an older brother, but he will be sad once Mount Belly disappears off of mommy since he won't be able to scale it anymore. Please say prayers that we have a completely healthy pregnancy this time round.

Chronologically, the next milestone in our lives to speak of is the same which demanded so much time, and thereby kept me from such recreational activities as writing blogs and wild-gypsy hunting. I finally finished my thesis in mid-May, just beating the tag (the deadline). After the dust settled, I truly enjoyed the topic and was mostly pleased with the final draft. The title is Eros and Sexuality in Origen's Commentary on the Song of Songs, and it ended up receiving perfect marks from the professors who graded it. So as not to prolong the shameful boasting much further, I will just say that I then turned all my attention to the exams, the final one of which is called the Lectio Coram, an hour and a half oral exam in front of a panel of Dominicans for the attainment of a Licence in Spiritual Theology. Thanks, I'm sure to all of the prayers said for me, I earned top marks in the Lectio as well. Those marks proved to be enough to push my GPA high enough to graduate Summa Cum Laude, as I found out when my diplomas arrived in the mail. So much of the credit goes to my amazing wife who ran our household, raised an infant, helped me research and study, and enabled me to put all my energies into the work. It's truly her diploma, too.



After the final exam, we had a little more than a week to soak up Italy before bringing the show Stateside for the first time since our wedding. Duquesa's parents, H.C. and Molli, were able to fly out for a few days to see a bit of our life in Santa Marinella and help us move. Frankly, we don't know how we would have handled it without all their help. Jerome was just so glad to meet his Papa and Honey for the very first time!












We had a great time for a few days, capped off by a truly incredible wedding. Our good friends, Kevin and Eleonora, were married the Saturday before we left. To shortly sum up the grandeur of the event, I will just say that the dinner and reception were held in a castle overlooking the Mediterranean. Yeah. Bellissima!





















Then it was time to see family all over the place! In Brackettville, we spent some time with Molli, H.C., Daphne, Sam, Clay and Grandad. Jerome got to see and touch all sorts of animals for the first time, such as goats, donkeys, chickens, guinea pigs, cats, and rattlesnakes. He even got to sit in a big truck! He took quickly to all of his family that he was just meeting, although as the pictures show on the left, he developed a bad habit of head-butting them when he was hungry. Jerome just shot me a dirty look. He doesn't want me smearing his good name. He is a sweet boy. Actually, the Hunts taught him a little game they call bump-bump, and that is what the pictures are of.









While we were there, some friends of Duquesa took the opportunity to throw her a baby shower. They had a great time I hear, playing all sorts of games and ate all sorts of delicious food (I know because I got a peak into the inside of this feminine event when I delivered Jerome once he woke from his nap). My favorite was the dessert made of diapers; I think they call it Hungarian Huggies Surprise. You never know which bite will have the secret chocolate filling! Hmmmm...
Thanks for the shower ladies!





Then we were off to see W.T., April, Hayden, Ashtyn, Buddy, and Emerson Leiton in Poteet. Brinx and Quinn were off on summer excursions, so Jerome did not get to meet all of his Hunt cousins. Still, there were plenty of people for him to meet, and he had to adjust to not being the only little one around. We all had a blast!




To the right: I got a glimpse into my not so distant future ;) It looks like a happy one!













Our last stop was in Boerne to see Nani for a while. She showered her Great Grandson with classic baby gifts like a silver spoon and a little red wagon. Jerome played and played at Nani's house while Mommy, Daddy and Nani talked and talked. The little red wagon went

clickity, clack
clickity, clack
While Jerome's little fist went
whack, whack, whack

Sorry, I've been reading too many children's books lately.




After the whirlwind tour of Texas, we sped on up to Minnesota to see Paul, Christina and Isabella before they left to live in England for a few years! Most of the Showalter family convened to both see them off and welcome us back, so Jerome got to meet even more of his family. Forgive me for not listing all the names; I would turn 27 before I finished. It was great to finally see Bella, even if only for a day. The next time she and Jerome meet, they will be talking and walking and God-knows-what else!



Then it was off to Desert Springs, California, with Opa for a week of vacation. Jerome tried on some swimming diapers and flirted with every lady in the pool. They couldn't resist his two-toothed smile. We all got some sun and a little R&R. Daddy's first attempt at golfing after years in Italy had its high and low points, ending with a wicked slice and a broken window. The people in the condo were quite nice about it; they tried to convince me that I had wounded their little girl watching television, only to let me off the hook a few seconds later. As far as the window goes, thank God for insurance! The course was sure nice though. We even took a little trip into some wine country where I wowed them with my ability to tell the difference between a red and a white wine while blindfolded! I, of course, attributed my mastery to my long stay in Italy ;) The highlight of the trip may have been our night out to a Japanese restaurant, one of those where they cook the food in front of you. Our chef was hilarious, not to mention highly skilled. He deftly launched shrimp into our mouths from across the room, making us look like seals. It's all good when your having fun!

We returned to Minnesota and set about settling in. Jerome gets constant attention and care from his extra helpers here: Nonna, Nonno (which mean grandma and grandpa respectively in Italian), Michael, Renee and Sarah. While Duquesa has gone into nesting mode, I have been working on determining my next course of action, mostly revolving around whether or not I will pursue a doctorate and weighing my career choices. Say some prayers for that please. On that note, I will get back to it. Ciao tutti!