DALLMANN INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNE

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2011-12-21T17:56:00.007+01:00

Luxembourg City Christmas Market

Dear Friends and Family,

Time goes way too fast and here we are but a couple of weeks before going into 2012. I would say, it looks very different then last year. Our fall colors were so gorgeous this year.

We went from starting 2011 with battling about half a meter of snow and with the melting of the snow... being able to fish right off our veranda, quite an experience for me not being used to have so much snow. Needless to say, this year we are a little better prepared, we already have a shovel, which we couldn’t find in three countries last year. But the snow can stay away for me.

It had been a real struggle and we were so happy when spring arrived. This year, one of our major projects was to prepare our garden for new landscaping, so we had ten truckloads of dirt delivered so we could level the yard and reseed the grass.

But most importantly to have the garden ready for annual our Easter potluck where we had about 6o people this year and was a big success. First because it was late April and spring had settled very well, we had almost 80 degrees, which kept everybody on the terrace or outside. Randy cooked a fantastic ham with a brown sugar and maple syrup glaze that barely left him a piece to eat, as it got taken away very quickly.

At the same time, we had our friends Gina and John from Atlanta visiting us and we had to spend some quality time with them. We toured a little bit around Namur and Dinant but also around the Moselle in Remich, which was great.

But then, it was time for Randy to go back to Minnesota, which always comes like a chock to me. He says it's work, but I think it has as much to do with his mates, and playing baseball. They one 3 tournaments this year, so he is even more excited to go back to work.

Finally July arrived and I was looking forward to fly to Minnesota to be with him, visit family and the kids but most of all to see my grandson Ayden. He is growing so fast unbelievable.... it was so cool to watch Randy teaching him teaching baseball, the little boy is learning quickly.. of course he is just like his grandpa, fast and enjoying his sweets or cookies as often as possible.

For my birthday we started at Robyn's cabin having some watermelon jello shots.. first time for me, and we finished with the kids at Spanky's on the Lake in Vergas, very nice place on the water. Couple of days later, we had a surprise party with our friends Sanjay and Anju at Chino Latino, great place.

We went to a couple Twins games and even had some friends that took us to the game in the Champions Club where we had a buffet and sat right on the field. I even walked over to the dugout to get a picture of my friend Joe Mauer. The Twins do not play very well when I attend though, they lost both times.

It's hard to keep up with the kids being so far away but we are very happy to say that they are all doing very well .

Dana and Chelsey settled into their own house now in Thief River for about 2 years, we are still wondering when the big day will come for them, guess I have to be patient.

Tracy and Matt are keeping up with Ayden growing so fast and still living on a lake outside of Detroit Lakes.

Ayden started preschool this fall and seems to be enjoying it.

Julie is finishing university in Brussels in 2012 and will come and join us as from the 1st of February for an internship of 4 months in Luxembourg with a marketing company.

For the politics fans, I guess it is important to mention that the Euro crisis finally forced our little country of Belgium to form a government after being without for 541 days. We are curious to see on how long that is going to last, but we will stay on positive note.

As always we ask that you remember those who won't be home for Christmas.

Randy would like you to make it a point to read this heartwarming story of a 90 year old Belgian nurse who was awarded a medal by the US Army last week here in Brussels, 67 years after the Battle of the Bulge.
CLICK HERE or just scroll down a few posts.

Wishing you a warm, fun, family filled Holiday Season
Merry Christmas

Mimi and Randy

Christmas Market in Namur

2011-12-17T15:43:00.001+01:00

This is a French dish called Tartiflette, very good and filling on a cold day.

It's made with potatoes, cream cheese, lardons, onions, and reblocon cheese with white wine.

Army honors WWII nurse for aiding U.S. troops during Battle of the Bulge

2011-12-14T12:11:00.001+01:00

Belgian nurse Augusta Chiwy, who saved hundreds of lives duringWorld War II, receives an award for valor from the US Army, in Brussels on Monday.

Reprinted from Stars and Stripes December 12, 2011 by Steven Beardsley

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany – In the freezing winter of 1944, Augusta Chiwy traveled to Bastogne to spend Christmas with her father, and ended up tending U.S. soldiers wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. On Monday, the 101st Airborne Division formally recognized her contributions at a ceremony in Brussels, Belgium. The Battle of the Bulge was a ferocious encounter in the final stages of World War II. In desperation, Hitler ordered a massive attack on allied forces in the Ardennes, in southern Belgium. More than 80,000 US soldiers were killed, captured or wounded.

Col. Joseph “J.P.” McGee, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st, known as the “Bastogne Brigade,” and U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman were there for the presentation of the Department of the Army Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service. The recognition is the second this year for Chiwy, who was knighted by Belgium’s King Albert II in June.

“It’s a shame that due to the times, the way things were, she got passed over, looked-by,” said Martin King, a British writer who told Chiwy’s story in a book he co-wrote with Michael Collins called “Voices of the Bulge: Untold Stories from Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge.” King has since advocated for recognition for Chiwy, who is now 90, he said.

The nurse’s role has been noted before. In his book “Band of Brothers,” American historian Stephen Ambrose mentioned a black nurse from the Congo, whom he called Anna, at an aid station in Bastogne. Likewise, the HBO miniseries drawn from Ambrose’s book referred to a black nurse in one scene as “Anna, from the Congo.”

Another Belgian nurse, Renée Lemaire, like Chiwy, volunteered for American medic Dr. John “Jack” Prior at a 10th Armored Division aid station in Bastogne, according to King’s account. Lemaire and 30 wounded U.S. soldiers were later killed when a German bomb struck the station, causing a blast that threw Chiwy, in a house next door, through a wall, King said.

Ambrose dubbed Lemaire the “Angel of Bastogne” in his book, and a memorial to the nurse was erected in Bastogne on the 50th anniversary of her death.

King says his and Collins’ research revealed that Prior considered Chiwy more hands-on in the aid station’s grimmest moments, when soldiers hemorrhaged or needed amputation.

“She was the one doing the blood and guts, the battlefield trauma, whereas Renée shied away from it,” King said.

Chiwy also once accompanied Prior to the front lines to retrieve wounded. According to King, when Prior remarked that Chiwy’s small size must be the reason she wasn’t wounded by oncoming fire, she replied, “ ‘Oh, so they’re not going to see a black face in white snow? They’re just bad shots.’ ”

King describes Chiwy as a wry wit with the “heart of an ox” in a 5-foot, 2-inch frame. Born in Africa of a Belgian father and Congolese mother, she was sent to Belgium in her youth for an education. She attended nursing school and was working near Brussels in 1944 when she made her way to Bastogne.

In the chaotic days that followed, Prior and Chiwy developed a close relationship, King said. The doctor brought Chiwy to work with him at the 101st headquarters in Heintz Barracks after the aid station’s destruction. When someone raised concerns over a black woman treating white soldiers, Prior fought for her, King said.

Chiwy hoped to continue with the division after it left Bastogne, but was told she wasn’t needed.

King said he needed four years to get Chiwy’s story from her and compare it to Prior’s diaries, along with official reports from the war. Also at Monday’s ceremony was a representative from Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, and retired Gen. David Petraeus, former 101st commander, wrote a letter for the ceremony, said Col. Greg Julian, public affairs officer for SHAPE. McGee later said that, even now, Chiwy looked like someone capable of braving the enemy.

“She still has that fire,” he said. “You can just tell.”

King, who sat next to Chiwy during the ceremony, said when they first walked into Monday’s event, she turned to him and said in French, “ ‘They took their bloody time, didn’t they?’ ”

Bradley, Eisenhower and Patton in Bastogne 1944

Birthday Party

2011-12-12T17:22:00.000+01:00

We attended a birthday party for Jonathon's parents, (Julie's boyfriend) who both turned 50 in December. It was a true Italian evening!

Christmas Party 2011

2011-12-09T17:12:00.000+01:00

My marketing department put on the Christmas Party for the firm at Schéiss aux Arquebusiers. It just finished construction and we were the first group to use the banquet hall. It's a quite interesting place as it used to be the shooting range of a sport club.

We had record attendance and it turned out to be a very good night. The food was excellent, the wine fantastic, the dancing was fun, and most importantly, the speeches were short.

Our fall colors this year were the best ever

2011-11-07T05:36:00.000+01:00

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T05:27:00.000+01:00

This was the extent of Halloween at our house, the three children from next door. So Randy made sure they went away loaded with candy. My Mom went through three kilos of treats in Brussels and ran out.

Back in Detroit Lakes Ayden dressed up as Sponge Bob, he looks so cute!

Ayden's first day of preschool

2011-09-08T05:31:00.000+02:00

It was Ayden's first day of preschool today, Tracy said he really liked it and his reports from the teacher were good. Good to see he likes it as he gets plenty of Mommy time. He is growing up so fast.

I'm sure it was difficult for Tracy to drop him off, but it sounds like he had a good time.

He spent his last weekend before school at the Mall of America park and that included a visit to Hooter's with Grandpa for lunch. I think he enjoyed that too!

Randy says the home base where the Twins use to play is right in the middle of the park.

Sixties BBQ at Marina's

2011-08-14T15:14:00.001+02:00

My friend Marina, in the blonde wig.... go-go dancing below, has an annual summer BBQ in Brussels that always has some kind of theme. This year it was the sixties, and there were some great outfits. I just stopped by for awhile as I had another engagement, so that explains my lack of haute couture. Looks like things might have gotten out of hand by the evening.

I recieved my new car today!!!!!

2011-08-11T14:53:00.000+02:00

I recieved my new car today finally after ordering it at the auto show in February. I love having a bigger car again after driving the Alfa Romeo for two years. I'm still trying to figure all these things out, but telling Randy I drove back to the office in the wrong gear probably wasn't a good idea.

Holiday in Palma de Majorcca

2011-08-08T14:35:00.003+02:00

Spent a short weekend in Palma de Majorcca, an island in the Mediterranean off the coast of Barcelona. Julie was on vacation with her boyfriend the DJ man.

Very different weather as what we had in Belgium and Luxembourg these last weeks. We are having a terrible summer, grey and in the high sixties. Didn't actullay believe that blue sky, heat and sun existed until I landed in Palma. Nice change, really enjoyed it.

It's in the wealthy part of Palma where all these big yachts are parked and saw some interesting characters. Anyway came back quickly to reality on Monday with 60 degrees and rain. So am ready for my next trip!

Randy is also ready to come along next time after he saw the picture of the topless beaches below. Big surprise eh?

MANY MORE PICTURES

Tree Trimming Weekend

2011-07-25T21:52:00.000+02:00

It was tree trimming weekend here. I was exhausted after all that and stacking wood too. Wasn't very fun with the weather in the the sixties at the end of July.

Everybody but Julie

2011-07-20T06:18:00.000+02:00

Robyn's Watermelon Jello Shots

2011-07-18T06:11:00.001+02:00

They won the Championship

2011-07-17T01:01:00.001+02:00

Well they won the tournament for the Hopkins Raspberry festival, but it was 95 degrees and very humid, and they played five games. Randy was down with heatstroke and his migraines by the end of the day, but they just don't stop. I think someone has to remind him how old he is. Here is the article and picture in the Hopkins newspaper.

Marie-Claire's Birthday Party

2011-07-16T15:14:00.001+02:00

Saturday July 16 was my best friend Marie-Claire's birthday. She turned 57. Each year, her sister Patricia, organizes a BBQ and invites all Marie-Claire's friends. We had a great time. Yvo was cooking the traditional BBQ and we all were chatting away with our friends from Monsanto that we haven't seen in a long time and the family and grandchildren. A lot of memories, good food and wine but most of all we all had lots of fun.

My latest work in the Garden

2011-07-14T21:34:00.000+02:00

Birthday dinner at Spanky's in Vergas

2011-07-10T21:19:00.000+02:00

We had a birthday dinner with the kids at Spanky's on the lake in Vergas. The little man was a bit wild, and didn't want to eat his food. But then when they gave me a free sunday, he got real interested. That was his dinner.

Randy teaching Ayden baseball

2011-07-10T07:10:00.003+02:00

BBQ at Dan & Jaydee's

2011-07-09T22:51:00.000+02:00

A little BBQ with some friends just before I left, at Dan and Jaydee's. Dan made some excellent BBQ ribs.

Birthday Party at Chino Latino

2011-07-08T06:59:00.000+02:00

A fun night at Chino Latino with some new friends for my birthday. Sanjay called ahead and even managed to get my name on the menu. Things got out of hand with the saki shots as you can see, with even Randy participating. Very fun night!

Another Twins Game

2011-07-06T06:44:00.000+02:00

I went to my second Twins game in a week but they have no luck when I watch. Today they lost to Tampa 12-5. Sanjay and Anju gave us tickets for the Champions club and we basically sat right on the field. You have a free buffet and other food and drinks the entire game. I even went down in the dugout. We got in the elevator and who was their but my friend TC Bear. It was really a great experience. Thank you Sanjay and Anju.

Softball Nights

2011-07-05T05:01:00.000+02:00

They love to play, and I still cringe every time Randy hits the floor, but I do enjoy watching. I think they enjoy going to the pub as much as they do playing though.

Dunvilla Vineyards

2011-07-04T06:05:00.001+02:00

Mark and Robyn's Dunvilla Vineyards is really coming along. Can't wait to taste some wine! Another year or two I guess.

July 3rd at the cabin

2011-07-03T06:21:00.000+02:00

We spent the 3rd of July at Mark and Robyn's cabin with the all the family's. Was a perfect day at the lake.

Twins game against the Dodgers

2011-06-29T05:19:00.001+02:00

Me and TC Bear!

We went to the Twins game with Mark and Robyn. Randy's friend Cal provided us with tickets from his bank that were very close to the field, about 20 rows behind the catcher. Thank you Cal! I could take some good pictures of my friend Joe Mauer. The Twins lost 15-0, so there was not very much to cheer about.

Randy calls them stadium steaks

My friend Joe Mauer

Up to the cabin

2011-06-27T05:34:00.000+02:00

Went to Robin's cabin to leave Randy work for a couple days and discovered a new friend. It's called Summer Shandy!

Our landscaping progress

2011-06-14T05:49:00.001+02:00

A Mosel River Wine Cruise

2011-04-27T04:29:00.000+02:00

Another nice day so we hopped on a champagne cruise through the wine country along the Mosel River in Remich with John and Gina. Germany is on one side of the river, Luxembourg on the other. My flat where I stay during the week is in one of these pictures. Lots of tourists today with the weather being so nice this early.

Visit to the American Cemetary in Luxembourg

2011-04-26T04:14:00.000+02:00

With John and Gina visiting us from Atlanta, we went to the American Cemetary in Luxembourg the day after Easter. General Patton is buried here. It's located right next to my office.

Easter Dinner Potluck 2011

2011-04-25T22:36:00.000+02:00

We had just a perfect day for our annual potluck dinner this year, almost 80 degrees, which kept everybody on the terrace or outside. Randy cooked a fantastic ham with a brown suger and maple syrup glaze that barely left him a piece to eat, as it got taken away very quickly. Many thanks to my Mom, who helped out tremendously in the kitchen to get this done.

MANY MORE PICTURES

Before and After....at least until now

2011-04-22T23:09:00.000+02:00

Our Annual Easter Potluck Dinner

2011-04-12T13:22:00.000+02:00

It's that time of year again for our annual Easter Potluck dinner. We would like your participation on Easter Sunday, the 24th of April at our home in Lustin. Dinner will be at 4pm, but please come down anytime after noon and enjoy the day with all of us.

We will pick up a main course of an Easter Ham from Jack O' Shays in Brussels. Being we have so many different countries represented by the guests, if you have a country specific dish or specialty you would like to bring, and we highly encourage it, please mention it in your RSVP. If you don't, we will try to assign a food group to the rest, so we can even things out a bit. Please RSVP by the 17th so we have enough time to get back to everybody on that.

If you would like to attend, but have obligations to family or friends in town, please let us know, they're all welcome. The more the merrier. Hope to see you Easter Sunday!

Getting here: Rue Frappe Cul 10, Lustin 5170
From Brussels take the 411 to exit 15
From Luxembourg take the 411 to exit 18
Google Map

Landscaping the Garden

2011-04-04T12:03:00.000+02:00

Another beautiful weekend in the seventies so we spent it doing as much as we could in the garden to get it ready for landscaping. Randy is having ten truckloads of dirt hauled in so he can level the yard and reseed the grass. Also a few trucks of crushed rocks for the parking, so it will look a bit different here shortly.

We went up to the top of the Mount to take a view pictures, I just love the view of the whole region. I never get tired of it.

STUDS Spring Dinner

2011-04-03T12:29:00.000+02:00

We had the spring dinner at La Soeur du Patron on Saturday night in Brussels for Randy's STUDS group. A very eclectic restaurant, the food was good, and lots of good conversation as usual, we'll be back.

THE THINKER

2011-03-29T12:15:00.000+02:00

All I can say is, Randy made me do it!

Véronique & Philippe March 19th

2011-03-23T11:38:00.000+01:00

On Saturday my friend Véronique got married to Philippe Govaerts and I had the honor to be her witness. She had a magnificent dress and both were very handsome.

We drove them around, enjoyed the ''champagne'' on the trip, and we had a wonderful reception at La Reserve in Silly....one of Randy'd favorite villages. The weather turned to sunshine in the afternoon and it was a wonderful day.

We wish Véronique and Philippe all the best in their new life !

What a nice day!

2011-03-16T14:34:00.000+01:00

It reached 70 degrees yesterday and Randy had to send these pictures to me at work just to piss me off, which he did. He was working too, but somehow it doesn't seem quite the same. Hopefully spring is here, it's been a very long winter.

A Mosel River Wine Cruise

2011-03-10T20:58:00.003+01:00

Just a beautiful video of a wine cruise down the Mosel river before it flows into the Rhine river. Germany gets all the credit in this video, but the other side of the river along the route is Luxembourg.

If you pause the video at 25 seconds you can see the little village called Remich on the right side of the river. This is where we have a little flat where I stay during the week when I'm working in Luxembourg. The German village on the left side is called Nennig.

As you can see at the pause, or below in the picture, there is usually 2 or 3 ships docked in front of us where you can take a dinner cruise.

The Zythos Belgium Beer Festival

2011-03-06T21:31:00.000+01:00

We went to the Zythos Beer Festival today, and met up with some people from Randy's STUDS group. This is supposed to be one of Belgiums largest, and we have many of them. You hear the phrase "died, and went to heaven" from many of these people, and it matches the look on their faces. This beer was Delirium, which is also a world famous pub in Brussels because they have the Guiness world record of having over 2000 different beers.

One of Randy's friends from the STUDS group, Joe Stange, a mate they called the beer guru, spent his time in Belgium writing a book about Belgium beer. You see why these guys like being STUDS. Joe and his wife have finished their assignment and left for Costa Rica. He's probably on the beach right now doing the same thing.

His co-author Yvan de Baets, (pictured above) a local brewer, was at the show and we sampled one of his beers. Their book, Around Brussels in 80 beers is available here, I'm sure he'll send you a signed copy. Joe also has a blog called the Thirsty Pilgrim if you want to know more about Belgian Beer.

It's kind of shame that Randy doesn't drink much and he's right in the middle of place most of his mates in the States would die for, but if you know him, put some sugar in it and everything changes. He liked this cookie beer alot. This is flavored with Speculoos, A Belgian specialty biscuit, that I love for breakfast, dipped in my coffee. They even make it in a spread now like Nutella for your bread.

This man had the best beer holder we saw all afternoon. he said he came all the way from New Jersey for this.

These beers are from the Bocq brewery near our house, in Pernode.

We had to try the Battle of the Bulge Beer, with Nuts on the side.

The Belgians protest naked (video)

2011-02-20T10:14:00.002+01:00

As Randy says..this is a protest I could get behind. My Dad is working in Morrocco for the next month and their are reports of a large protest there today also, so that is a bit worrying.

There have been many dumb protests in Belgium thus far. One prominent actor has urged men to join a national shaving boycott, while a Ghent-based senator suggested women go on a "sex strike" until a new cabinet is formed. Others are staging a "fries revolution" to express their frustration with the non-government.

The Tiger of Celles

2011-02-19T18:18:00.000+01:00

We discovered this memorial today on one of our drives around the neighborhood in a small village called Celles, it's about 15 kilometers from our house.

If I can summarise part of the sign you see in the last picture, on December 24, 1944 Germans were trying to get to the Meuse river that runs by our house near Dinant. The tank in front drove over a mine, and they came to a stop. They were told by the local people that the roads were mined by the Americans all the way to Dinant, so they stopped coming. This was a lie of course, but the Germans believed it, and it was the closest point they got to us during the Battle of the Bulge. The picture below is the tank after it drove over the mine.

Here is a more detailed description.

After the war this woman had it brought in to Celles and opened a cafe behind the tank, which is still there today.

The Packers won Superbowl because of their Belgian heritage

2011-02-07T22:45:00.000+01:00

First of all, Randy just about fell from his chair when he had to hear this first from my Mom of all people, who knows nothing about American football. So of course he had to get on the internet and check it out. He couldn't stop laughing that Mom knows who Curly Lambeau is....and then again when he watched the video above from Belgian Television.

Super Bowl is known in Europe for the ads, the cheerleaders, the money spent, and usually not for the football itself. This time, some Belgian newspapers have discovered a story about the Green Bay Packers to explain the "importance" for Belgium to support the Packers... and it's a 19th century story.

In 1871, from Grez Doiceau, Belgium (which is just a few kilometers from where we live now), Victor Lambeau emigrates with his wife to the United States, as do thousands of Belgian farmers, steelers, glassworkers.

Arrived at Green Bay, Victor landed his family and had 8 children. The first of them was Marcel Lambeau, the father of Earl "Curly" Lambeau. I like this difference between European first names and Earl, the real American first name of this family. Earl, with his associates, will create, play for, and coach the Packers and the "Lambeau Field" sings for us like a home town...Some Belgian cities have the same name in the States and Belgium, like Charleroi, Namur, and Waterloo, there is even a Belgium, Wisconsin.

So all of us Belgians are very proud today that our Green Bay Packers have won the Super Bowl. I'm not so sure that Randy is coming along with me on this one.

Ski Weekend in St. Moritz

2011-02-07T00:08:00.000+01:00

We had a ski weekend in St. Moritz in the Swiss Alps. The weather was warm and sunny all weekend, just beautiful. Didn't have to spend all my time getting pampered in the salon. Many more pictures on my facebook page.

They even play Cricket in the snow

Apertif time!

The slopes

They have horse racing with sleighs

My new car. they sure have alot of rich people here.

The Club Med

Do you want to know more about Belgium?

2011-01-27T11:44:00.000+01:00

If you want to know why Belgium is such a screwed up country than you just have to watch these videos. Sometimes I think Randy is going to tear his hair out when I tell him, no you can't do it that way. When he asks why not, all I can give is the answer you hear all the time here. Because this is Belgium.

If the first one didn't confuse you, watch Belgium for Dummies. You'll wonder how anyone survives here.

200 days and counting.....and we have no government in Belgium

2011-01-27T11:26:00.001+01:00

A big protest in Brussels on Sunday for the politicians that haven't been able to organise a government for more than 200 days. Belgium has 3 official languages, French, Dutch, and German, and of course they blame it on the different groups not being able to get along. 40-50,000 people showed up for a protest organised on facebook and made it pretty clear the people get along just fine, it's the politicians who promote this attitude to stay in power.

Floods on La Meuse in Belgium

2011-01-08T19:01:00.011+01:00

After battling about half a meter of snow that has built up over the last two weeks we finally had three days in the fifties. The snow (pictured in my previous post) is gone, but it created another problem.
We came home from Luxembourg last night and we are now able to fish right off our veranda! We moved here to live on the river, but this is a bit close.

Their is a good picture in the Washington Post from Olloy-sur-Viroin, which is just down La Meuse from us.

A snow that stays, in Belgium......and stays....and stays

2011-01-04T19:56:00.001+01:00

We have recieved a half a meter of snow in the last two weeks and it has made the area very beautiful....if you don't have to go anywhere! They say it is the largest snowfall since the Battle of the Bulge in 1945. For a place where we're not used to snow staying for more than a day or two, this has become a huge problem, including a 10 hour commute home from work this week that I usually drive in one and a half hours.

The side streets have not been touched and there is not a shovel you can buy in two countries, we have been in at least 10 stores to check. A two month wait if you want snow tires put on. As Randy says....it is time to give thanks again to pope Al Gore and his church of global warming. Needless to say he has not been a happy camper through all this.

New Years Eve

2011-01-02T20:18:00.000+01:00

We had a great new years Eve party at Dave and Helen's in Brussels, with mostly couples from Randy STUDS group, was a very enjoyable evening. The only sad note is Andy (pictured above on Randy's right) and his wife Colleen are heading back to Austrailia next week after four years in Brussels. They both work for the Austrailian Embassy and their foreign assignment was up. Another example of some great friends we've made who leave too soon. We do plan to visit them though when we get a chance.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

2010-12-31T14:39:00.005+01:00

Dear Friends & Family,

Here we are close to Christmas and we don't know where the time went. It seems that every year it goes faster and faster and we try to do so many things, try to see everybody and enjoy our time together as much as we can. I love the Christmas spirit where we all get together at least we try and share good moments, good food and share memories. I also hope it will stay white so we will be able to say for once we had a ''White Christmas'' this year.

On November 2nd it has been 1 year that I have been working in Luxembourg and still discover new things every day. Working in Luxembourg is a great opportunity and a different atmosphere. We are in the Moselle country enjoying the sceneries of vineyards in spring and summer. We have been exploring the region a little bit and tasting their good wines. The little town where we are is called Remich and looks like the French Riviera, it is a very nice touristic place with a lot of terraces and cruise boats where you can have dinners and where they have some parties. Our street is called: ''Route du Vin, where you will find these nice Chateau's like Bernard et Massart, St. Remy and many others, really interesting places. Randy is a pro of exploring and touring so you better come and visit us so he can show you around, believe me, you will have fun, walking down the vallee and tasting the mousseux!

At Easter we had our annual potluck where we gather all our friends and family, it becomes one of our traditional outings and everybody enjoys it, specially the kids. Lots of food, chocolates and of course the eggs'chasing. Kids get really excited and run all over the place, just hoping it is not raining that day!

This year Randy left right after Easter to start his pool season, it was way too soon for me because he only announced to me three days before departure that he was leaving because they had a project ready to go. So it was a little shock to me but I had to make more trips to the states, so I will certainly not complain.

The first time I went was in June. I had a great time, saw the kids and my wonderful grandson; the little man is so cute, he just makes me melt. I miss seeing him though, he is a lot of joy and his grandpa is very good at teaching him all his tricks that he probably would be better off without, but they are loving it.

This year has been a very special year for me for several reasons, first I had my big 50, Tracy got married and we had our 10th year wedding anniversary. To my surprise Randy put a very nice party together for me at his sister Robyn's house. I was not aware of it and just couldn't believe it. We were going to her house for some aperitifs and dinner and when we got there and when I opened the door and saw grandpa, I said something is not normal here and then everybody yelled Happy Birthday, still can't believe it today. It was a wonderful hot summer day, with the family and our friends and I was in heaven. I enjoy so much being in Minneapolis and when the departure day comes it is always too early to go back but nevermind this year I was happy to go back and this time with Julie and her boyfriend Jonathan.

My birthday party wasn't done yet, so I went to see my mom, dad and my brother at their chalet in Spain with my friend Marie Claire. As you can see we had a great time as well enjoing a nice paella. Had to spend 4 days just relaxing and enjoying the sun. After that back to reality for a while and back to work. So every Monday morning I pack and go to Luxembourg where I stay the week and come back on Friday nights, always nice to come back at our house. I try to take care of the garden, mowing the lawn and all the rest while Randy is gone and I can say I am doing a good job. He just bought me a big lawn tractor when he got back, so it will be fun now.

Finally September came and we had to go back to Minneapolis for a very very special reason, Tracy and Matt got married. Our first daughter did the big step. We were so proud of her, she was so beautiful, the big smile on our face says it all.

It was Jonathon's first trip to the US and a big adventure for him. The only thing he didn't like was the 9 hours in the plane but he made it. He wanted to try everything, all the fast food places, all the malls. We could not pass the big mall of America, so that was exciting, we had a great time there. Also we were lucky to go to a Twins game at their nice stadium, just an unbelievable place, we could spend hours there just by walking around, the atmosphere, the noice, the people, only in AMERICA.

We were ready very early on the morning of September 4 and we were all counting the hours. I was so proud when Randy was walking Tracy down the aisle, it couldn't be better, both had a nice smile on their face and yes Randy was marrying his daughter, tears came to my eyes.

Tracy's eyes were sparkling, she was in dreamland, she had such a nice dress. The bridesmaids were very pretty, not forgetting the groomsmen whom were all very handsome. The weather was fantastic, bright sun and blue sky, the beach, just perfect. Excellent food, traiteur Dave's BBQ did his best, good ribs and special BBQ food, what else could we dream off. We made a lot of pictures as you can see. At times, our little man was the attraction but he behaved very well. The day was over and Mrs. and Mr. Larson were starting a new life!

Good moments always come to an end. It was time to say good-bye to everybody now for a long time as we would not go back before 2011. I hope that the Family Larson, and Dana and Chelsey will be able to come in spring, we just have to wait and see.

Christmas is full of shiny things

That sparkle, gleam and glow;

These holiday pleasures dazzle us,

And yet, deep down, we know...

That Christmas has its special gifts,

But our year-round joy depends

On the cherished people in our lives,

Our family and our friends.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

Peace and Love

Mimi & Randy

Since we have so many thousands of American boys who are buried in Belgium, in closing, I would be remiss not to say please keep all the young men and women around the world in your prayers who can't be home for the holidays.

Global warming came to Luxembourg today

2010-12-01T21:52:00.000+01:00

We received quite a bit of snow here in Luxembourg yesterday. It looks beautiful throughout the vineyards but it made driving impossible as they do not have the equipment to keep the roads clean here.

Beaujolais nouveau day!

2010-11-20T19:35:00.000+01:00

We stopped in Dijon on the our way back from the pool show and picked up some bottles of the Beaujolais nouveau as it just happened to be Beaujolais Nouveau Day, lucky me! The wine is always released the third Thursday in November.

We also stopped by to see some friends of my parents who winter with them in the south of Spain. Gilbert and Michele live in Marsanney, which is near Dijon on the Route de Vin. They were very happy to see us, and we had a bottle of Champagne before they showed us their wine cellar.

It would have been nice to stay the weekend for 'The Hospices de Beaune wine auction' which is the most famous wine charity event in the world. It is also a popular festival in honor of Burgundy wine, and it's the 150th anniversay this year, so they expected crowds from all over the world with many festivities in the village.

As you can see, they do a little of their own wine down here.

European Pool Show in France

2010-11-20T18:43:00.000+01:00

We went to the European Pool Show (Piscene 2010) in Lyon, France this week, lots of new things to see and do. Got to take a trip through wine country on the way back also.

Buzz Lightyear goes trick-or-treating

2010-11-01T02:33:00.000+01:00

My how things change in 10 years.....

2010-09-30T03:36:00.000+02:00

Mini Donuts with the Mini-me

2010-09-28T15:22:00.000+02:00

Twins Game!!!

2010-09-27T02:13:00.001+02:00

We went to the TWINS game with Julie & Jonathon and Matt & Tracy. What a beautiful park, we don't have anything like that in Belgium.

Randy said they even allow the people of Walmart into the game

Tracy and Matt's Wedding

2010-09-27T02:13:00.000+02:00

Well it was a wonderful wedding, wonderful day, a gorgeous bride, and everything went off without a hitch. Very hard for the little man not to steal the show, but Tracy was a star. Many more pictures here.

Wedding Video's

2010-09-27T02:12:00.004+02:00

Big thanks to Joe Folger for taking these from his iPHONE

My Birthday in Spain

2010-09-27T02:12:00.002+02:00

Marie Claire and I went to Spain, to Mom and Dad's chalet for the weekend to celebrate my real birthday. No surprise this time. MORE PICTURES

New rides!

2010-09-27T02:12:00.000+02:00

Randy got me a car to drive when I'm here because he wants me to start learning my way around. I had to sit in Doug's new Camaro even though I didn't dare take it anywhere.

Dunvilla Vineyards

2010-09-27T02:11:00.003+02:00

Mark and Robyn started a vineyard this year on Mark's grandpa's old farm near their cabin. It's in a little village called Dunvilla, so it's called Dunvilla Vineyards or Winery, not sure on that one. They think it will take about three years to get the first wine.

This was on the motorway leading to the vineyard so of course Randy made me get out and take a picture while cars were honking as they passed.

Surprise party for my 50th birthday!

2010-09-27T02:11:00.000+02:00

Well Randy managed to put on a surprise party for my 50th birthday while I was here on vacation and I have to say I was totally shocked. How he managed to get all those people to be quiet about it I don't know, but I felt like I was in some kind of dream world until I figured out what was going on. BRAVO!

Thanks to everyone for coming, I was really touched!

MORE PICTURES HERE

Milwaukee

2010-06-26T02:12:00.000+02:00

I made a trip to Milwaukee with Randy as they had a fiberglass pool to put in, but we also got to have dinner with Dave and Michelle Zgola who were friends of ours in Brussels. Michelle works for Johnson Controls and they spent a few years in Brussels before moving back to Milwaukee about two years ago. We have too many instances like this where we meet some great people, but once their assignment is done they go back... just when you've made a good friend

He put me to work cleaning right away.

Ski Trip to Chamonix, and a Goodbye to Kevin

2010-01-26T02:10:00.000+01:00

We had a work/ski trip to Chamonix in the Alps this weekend but Randy called me Saturday morning that his cousin Kevin had lost his battle with cancer. It really deflated me after reading all of Kim's updates on the caringbridge site and hoping along with her and everyone else that he would find a way to beat this. So young and such a giant of a man that it just does not seem possible that he could be beaten down by this. My prayers go out to Kim and the children.

It's not much, but the girls and I hiked to the top of Mont Blanc and left Kevin a little message.

New Years Eve, a quiet evening with the family

2010-01-03T02:10:00.000+01:00

Merry Christmas to you all

2009-12-25T15:11:00.005+01:00

Well we won't have a white Christmas as the snow we got earlier in the week has just been rained away. The year has been busy for us as always, even though the kids are all pretty much on their own. You would think it would slow down a bit. I'm going give you some history and you can scroll down to see some pictures that match the events further down the blog.

I was presented with an opportunity I couldn't turn down this summer and switched law firms in September to head up a new marketing department for Loyens and Loef in Luxembourg. It's a little further drive than into Brussels, so we rented a little flat so I wouldn't have to come back every night, especially if the weather is bad. It's in The Mosel wine region on the border with Germany, so another great reason for you to come and visit us. Luxembourg reminds me very much of Minnesota, it's so clean and orderly and well taken care of.

Randy's happy with the change, it gives him more things to discover and explore, and I think he likes the fact (alot) that I'm in a tax haven country also. He's still working on the house when he can, and getting back earlier every year, which is nice for both of us. He was able to be here for trips to Normandy in the spring and Bastogne in the fall for the 65th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge.

He came back about the first of October this year, just in time for visits from a couple students who were here to visit from the States. First we had Thanyla from Miami, who was sent here by Kirsten, a high school friend of Randy's who has a DNA lab in Miami. She was here on a 6 week study program in Europe.

Just as she was leaving we got a visit from Randy's aunt Ellie, and her grandaughter Katie, who is studying at Cambridge in England. Ellie was here to do the tour around the UK and they both made the trip over on the Eurostar to visit with us a few days. Never having been able to meet Randy's mother, it was great to visit and reminise with her a bit.

Only made one trip to the states this summer, but I got alot in as I had flights canceled on the way back and ended up staying three weeks. Birthday party for both me and Randy's Dad, Randy's class reunion, and Britney's wedding along with running between family and friends and trying to be able to see everybody, especially the grandson. One of these years we'll have a vacation for ourselves.

Tracy and Matt gave us a nice surprise and got engaged on our wedding day, which made me very happy, and that will be in September in Detroit Lakes. Little Ayden has grown so fast and my only regret is I don't get to see him nearly enough. He's walking now so their is danger everywhere.

Julie is in her second year of college in tourism and enjoys it alot. That, and working alot of hours at her Dad's restaurant hasn't left her much time for anything else.

Dana is still in at NDSU and on his own pace to finish school, we just don't know when that will be. He works alot also, along with girlfriend Chelsea and they seem to be enjoying life in Fargo.

We wish the best of the season to you all, and especially to Randy's cousin Kim, and husband Kevin who has courageously battled cancer this year and been in our thoughts alot. If there ever is a reason you should cherish every day, this is it. Caringbridge site

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Mimi & Randy

Christmas in Belgium 1944...We need more honest simple heroes like this

2009-12-25T12:13:00.008+01:00

The text reads: Dec. 23, 1944 - "Battle of the Bulge" - An entire U.S. armored division was retreating from the Germans in the Ardennes forest when a sergeant in a tank destroyer spotted an American digging a foxhole.

The GI, PFC Martin, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, looked up and asked, "Are you looking for a safe place?" "Yeah" answered the tanker. "Well, buddy," he drawled, "just pull your vehicle behind me...I'M THE 82nd AIRBORNE, AND THIS IS AS FAR AS THE BASTARDS ARE GOING."

To all my war history nerd friends out there, I put together a little backround info for you that makes for some great reading here, you're welcome to a personal tour, it's practically in my back yard...... Just book your ticket.

Global Warming in Belgium today

2009-12-20T17:46:00.003+01:00

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-20T13:58:00.002+01:00

Ayden seems to be enjoying it, even though Santa looks like he might have started a bit early with the Christmas wine.

Battle of the Bulge 65th anniversary

2009-12-14T16:55:00.003+01:00

Randy and I went to the 65th anniversary celebration in Bastogne for the Battle of the Bulge this weekend.....or as we say here, La Bataille des Ardennes.

Many more pictures, you can click to make them bigger.

Video of the parachute drop

Veterans Day at Luxembourg American Cemetary

2009-11-11T21:32:00.014+01:00

Guest post on the wife's blog today.
The Luxembourg American Military Cemetary is 5 minutes from her new office in Luxembourg City so we went to the cemetary this morning at 11:00am for the Veterans day ceremony.

There was a flyover right at 11, which you could hear, but hardly see at all because of the dense fog that is so prevalent this time of year. I thought this very fitting as most of the 5000+ buried here from the Battle of the Bulge had their own issues waiting for the weather to clear so they could get some air support.

The ceremony itself and 21 gun salute is very moving, especially when you are standing next to 5000 white crosses including General Patton's.

I've linked a favorite story of mine about Veterans Day from the late Mike Royco of the Chicago Tribune if you want a good read. There are more pictures from this morning and a great video about the history of the cemetary if you care to watch.

God bless the United States Military.

A special day for me!

2009-10-21T10:30:00.004+02:00

Although I got diagnosed with bronchial pneumonia yesterday, and had to start with an inhaler last night, this really made my morning, with a phone call when I got up. Tracy got engaged and it happened on our wedding anniversary.

We are so happy for them, although Randy did not think it was fair for Matt to use the little man as a prop, because who could resist that.
(click to enlarge)

Oktoberfest in Brussels

2009-10-21T10:19:00.006+02:00

We went to Oktoberfest with a group of STUDS this weekend, it got kind of wild as the tent was packed. More pics on the STUDSBLOG

Randy made me 'liberate' my German glass for his bar. He said my giant purse came in handy for once.

A visit from Randy's aunt and her grandaughter

2009-10-09T21:01:00.010+02:00

Randy's aunt Ellie and her grandaughter Katie who is studying at Cambridge in England came for a few days this week and we just had a wonderful time showing them about and reminiscing about the past. It was wonderful for me, as I was never able to know his mother and I got to know alot more about her.

Very sad to see them go, but Katie and Julie got to know each other a bit and we may see more of her, as she has a British boyfriend and hopefully she enjoyed herself enough to come back.

At the Citadel de Namur

Its called Geocaching and it's kind of like looking for buried treasure. Ellie showed us this and it probably wasn't a good thing to show to Randy, as we will probably be driving to Russia by next weekend. This treasure was in France, and that's my story and i'm sticking to it.

KATIE & JULIE

DINNER WITH MOM AND DAD

ELLIE AND DAD

MOM IN THE KITCHEN

Monkey Man

2009-10-09T20:54:00.004+02:00

The little man loves bananas, so he gets to be a monkey for Halloween.

Randy got him a Vikings sweater and a Texas one, when he was in Dallas. He likes the Viking one much better.

It was student week here

2009-10-09T20:38:00.004+02:00

Randy's friend Kirsten who lives in Miami, sent us a student who has worked for them at their DNA lab. Thanyla (rhymes with vanilla) is on a six week study tour of Europe with their marketing class and one of her projects was to interview me for her class.
We got that done and and showed her around the region best we could, and put her on the train to Cologne Monday afternoon. These kids really have some great opportunities to study and see the world a bit. It's really great having them around.
Randy wanted to keep her, as she was one of the few young republicans he's encountered, and they had some real good discussions into the evening.

COWBOYS STADIUM

2009-09-22T03:56:00.008+02:00

Braydon, Randy, Joe, Dana

Randy and Dana spent the weekend in Dallas at the Folgers with Joe and his son Braydon. They went to first game of the new Cowboys Stadium. I guess it is really impressive, even for Texas.

RANDY'S PICTURES

Dana

George Bush

Ayden is Walking

2009-08-27T06:59:00.006+02:00

The little man finally started walking yesterday!

He's already progressed to walking and talking on the phone!

Britney's Wedding

2009-08-27T06:20:00.010+02:00

My plane was canceled because of thunderstorms in New York so I ended up staying almost another week and I got to attend Britney (Randy's niece) and Tom's wedding before I left.

Matt, Tracy, Grandpa, Me, Dana, and Chelsea

Randy, Dana, Chelsea, Tom, Britney, Tracy, and Me

Tracy was in the wedding

Pictures from the Twin Cities

2009-08-27T06:19:00.007+02:00

A pontoon ride

2009-08-27T06:18:00.005+02:00

We went on a pontoon boatride at Tracy's and I went fishing for the first time. Guess who caught the first two fish?

Birthday party!

2009-08-27T06:17:00.004+02:00

We had a birthday party at Tracy's for Granpa and I, whose birthday is both July 10, and a delayed one for Ayden from the end of May.

Randy's Class Reunion

2009-08-27T05:36:00.005+02:00

Randy and Sarah Palin

Well I made another trip to the states for vacation and the first stop was Randy's class reunion. This is the second one I've been to, and we just don't have things like this in Belgium. it was a lot of fun, and everyone was so nice.

Randy and Kirsten

They had a chili cookoff for dinner and Deb, who is from Alaska, dressed up as Sarah Palin, and her chili won the cookoff. We voted for her, it was great. Bon Appetit!

I don't know all the names, but I guess it's the old mates.

Randy's friend Joe on the left.

Do you have any doubts that this is Randy's grandchild?

2009-07-06T02:02:00.006+02:00

Julie turns 20

2009-06-20T01:55:00.004+02:00

Julie turned 20 years old. Time went so fast that i still can't believe it. I still remember when she was a little girl and playing with her Barbies. Where has the time gone??

We had a nice party for her with family and friends she received a little VW Polo car as she just got her license also. She was so excited to be able to drive her own car. A little scary as driving in Brussels can be something, but I think she will do good. Will keep you posted on how she is doing.

Ayden Highlights

2009-05-15T06:37:00.003+02:00

Practically the first thing Randy did when he got back was going to see how the little man was doing. Ayden moves around very quickly now, and has learned how to babble in his own little language.

The Dallmann's do Belgium, and a few other Countries

2009-05-15T06:07:00.006+02:00

Pam and Doug brought Allison with them for a 10 day vacation to Belgium and we had a great time. Sad to see them go as usual, but they have a new greenhouse to open.

To all you friends and relatives, this is their third trip over here, some of you have a lot of catching up to do.

The American Cemetary at Henri-Chapelle, 7992 American boys at rest from the Battle of the Bulge.

The antique markets, sometimes we visited two or three in a day.

Brugge, a very pretty medieval town in Belgium.

Going to the Champagne region of France we had a wonderful day stopping in at all the Champagne houses to "test" their drinkability. Us girls were talking pretty smart by the end of the day.

Pam shows how to drink a demi-sec the American way.

Many more pictures

Easter Dinner

2009-05-15T05:45:00.003+02:00

We had a very fun Easter Dinner for about 35. It was potluck, and everybody worked hard to prepare some very unique dishes. The food was wonderful.

Pam and I took care of the important stuff, making sure we didn't run out of wine and champagne.

It turned out to be a lot of fun and we were blessed with a perfect day, so the 10 kids could run around outside all day.

We thought we could keep them occupied with an egg hunt, but they found them all in about 10 minutes.

MORE PICTURES

It must be getting close to Easter

2009-04-08T13:13:00.001+02:00

This little guy showed up in the garden this morning and was tame enough that I put some food nearby that he stayed around to eat. Maybe he'll come back for the weekend. Randy of course, thought their might be a change in dinner menu.

The Hells Angels arrive in Lustin

2009-04-08T10:13:00.004+02:00

Angel and his friends cruised in unexpectedly late Sunday afternoon and gave us a break from yard work. It was a beautiful weekend in the 70's and the roads along the river are filled with bikers and cyclists when the weather is nice.

Julie had Lasik Surgery Done

2009-04-08T09:23:00.003+02:00

Julie had Lasik surgery done last weekend and spent the week recovering and getting her sight back. It was a bit painful for her the first few days, but except for putting up with Randy calling her movie star all week because of the glasses, she is back at school and work. It's difficult to get used to her without the glasses.

The STUDS Ball

2009-03-10T22:42:00.005+01:00

We had our annual STUDS Ball, which is Randy's expat group, this weekend in Brussels. It was not real well attended because of scheduling during Carnival week, so for the first time, it wasn't formal.
Randy supplied the music, which was a hit, and we had a great time with it, along with a fondue dinner. We got back home at 3 in the morning. Pretty late for us old people.

More pictures at the STUDS site

New Toy

2009-02-26T22:40:00.001+01:00

The Cheminée is done

2009-02-19T21:12:00.005+01:00

My Dad has hands of gold when it comes to making the things that have to be customised for the house, which is most items, as everything seems to be some special dimension. We are so proud of his work on the Cheminée that I just stand and look at it sometimes. It really completes the main floor now.
The picture on top is the old one we had to take out.

This is the new one that heats the water and sends it through the boilers.

These two pictures we call my Dad's work of art

Our favorite Valentine

2009-02-15T10:27:00.003+01:00

Randy torturing the little man

2009-01-30T20:18:00.001+01:00

A Big Snowfall

2009-01-30T19:03:00.006+01:00

We got snow the week after Christmas and it actually stayed for almost a week, as snow seldom stays here more than a day. It got very cold during the week also, which made things very difficult, as the trains didn't run, and roads were terrible. The snow was kind of a nice look, although i didn't care for the cold, and I had to listen to Randy swearing about his friend Al Gore all the time.

It was so cold that the canals froze over for the first time in almost 50 years, and you could skate from Brugge all the way into the Netherlands. Both Brugge and Brussels have Christmas Markets around skating rinks in the Grand Place in the centre of town. Here is some of the skating at Christmas about a week before the cold weather came.

This is the Christmas Opera light and sound show at the Grand Place in Brussels.

Merry Christmas....Joyeux Noël

2008-12-25T15:19:00.003+01:00

Another day, another year and yet we are not in time again to send our best wishes to all of you. But we are so happy to share with with you a new arrival in our family, our grandson Ayden was born on 31 May 2008.

Big smile on his face trying to convince Santa that he is all cool and never cranky, and yes he is. Trips to visit the kids involve battles as to who will be holding him next, feeding him, bathing him or playing with him, but as you would have thought, Randy is very good at playing and teaching him all the boy tricks.

We did the last major work on our house, rebuilding the veranda, actually my brother, my dad and their crew did the work, so when Randy came home it was pretty much done. So as this year ends we are starting to see the finish line on the renovations, but still every day Randy finds something new to explore or to do. Life is never boring with him, new day, new mission, but I love it.

The Children have been great, Dana is in his 4th year at North Dakota State in Mechanical Engineering and is already thinking of continuing University as long as he can while enjoying good times with his longtime girlfriend Chelsey who is in her 3rd year of school in Fargo or Moorhead, I will never have it right.

Tracy became the wonderful mom of our little Ayden, and her and Matt seem to be doing well starting their family. They live on Floyd Lake in Detroit Lakes.

Julie was ready for a big change as well as she started University in Brussels studying International Trade and Marketing and so far so good.. Not too many complaints yet.

Randy had an excellent year in the pool business as they were building right up until the weather stopped them around Thanksgiving. I made some extra trips to Minneapolis this year as he was gone a lot, but it gave me more opportunities to see the grandson, so I'm not complaining.

I'm still at White & Case law firm, every day is different and challenging with all the economic crisis, seems like a new one every day.Time goes fast and we still have so many things to do, to learn and share.

I can’t find the words to say thank you to whomever saved my Dad’s life coming out of a stroke with no major consequences in early November. He's a little slow, but he's recovering quickly, and the main thing is he's still here.

I will finish this letter reminding all of you that you have an open Invitation should you desire a little tour of Europe, we are in the centre of everything and we love the company. Something to plan for 2009! Please consider it!

MORE PICTURES BELOW THE LETTER

Notre lettre de Noël en Français

Un autre jour, une autre année et nous voilà à nouveau en retard pour vous envoyer nos bon voeux.
Cependant nous sommes très heureux de vous annoner que notre petit fils Ayden est né le 31 mai 2008.
Vous pouvez remarquer son grand sourire pour essayer de convaincre le pere Noel qu'il est toujours gentil, et en effet il l'est.
Quand nous visitons Tracy, Randy et moi nous nous bagarrons pour qui sera le premier à le tenir, à le nourrir, à lui donner un bain et à jouer avec lui, mais bien entendu Randy est toujours le gagnant pour lui apprendre tous les petits trucs de garcon.

Nous avons fait de gros travaux à notre Chateau Mosan, nous avons reconstruit notre véranda, en fait, mon papa, mon frère et son équipe ont effectué les travaux et quand Randy est rentré à la maison
tous les travaux etaient finis. Nous sommes contents car petit à petit nous arrivons à la fin de nos renovations. Mais notre Randy trouve toujours quelque chose à faire, la vie avec lui est loin d'etre ennuyante, chaque jour il a une nouvelle mission à accomplir mais j'aime cela.

Les enfants sont super, Dana est en 4ème année d'ingénieur mécanicien à l'université de North Dakota et pense déjà à faire d'autres études tout en passant de bons moments avec sa compagne Chelsey qui est en 3ème année à l'université de Fargo ou Moorhead, mais je ne parviens pas à le retenir.

Tracy est devenue maman cette année d'un merveilleux petit garçon Ayden. Elle et son compagnon Matt sont très heureux et ont bien commencé leur petite famille. Ils habitent au bord du lac Floyd à Detroit Lakes.

La petite dernère Julie, pour elle se fut egalement un grand bouleversement, elle a commencé l'université et étudie le Marketing et le commerce international. Tout va bien jusqu'a présent, pas trop de plaintes pour le moment.

Et en ce qui nous concerne, Randy a eu une année exceptionnelle pour la construction de ces piscines, il les a construit jusque fin novembre et ensuite il est rentré à la maison. Je suis allée 2 fois à Minneapolis cette année et fut très contente car j'ai pu partager de bons moments avec mon petit fils donc je ne peux pas me plaindre. Je travaille toujours dans le cabinet d'avocats international White & Case et chaque jour est différent et engageant certainement depuis la crise financiere et économique que nous connaissons tous.

Le temps passe trè vite et nous avons tellement de choses à faire et à partager. Cependant je ne trouve pas les mots pour remercier qui de droit qui a sauvé la vie de mon papa après une trombose sans trop de conséquences. Le plus important c'est qu'il soit toujours parmi nous. Je vais terminer cette lettre en vous rappelant que vous avez une invitation ouverte et que vous etes toujours les bienvenus à la Villa Rustica.
Pensez-y pour 2009!

Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année, Mireille et Randy.

Allisons little Cooper is growing all the time too

Grandpa and I have the same birthday

Getting close to the end of construction

With Robyn at their lake cabin

Aydens first big snow day

Julie and I in Spain

Aydens Baptism

He's always a happy little guy

With Great Grandpa

It's more relaxing being a grandmother, than a mother.

Doug and Pams wonderful little Chapel

Allison's wedding

This is not something you see from Dana everyday!

Two very proud Grandpa's

The Girls and their babies

I'm sure Randy will not try and influence him at all.

For those families with empty chairs at the table this Christmas

2008-12-25T14:42:00.001+01:00

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