BELGIUM TO LUXEMBOURG TO USA: randy

It's that time of year again for our annual Easter Potluck dinner. We would like your participation on Easter Sunday, the 31st of March 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. If any of you are unfamiliar with the American tradition of potluck, here is a little education for you.

We will pick up a main course of an Easter Ham from Jack O' Sheas in Brussels, here is last year's masterpiece. 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 25th so we have enough time to get back to everybody on that.....Randy would like you to know you can never have too many desserts.

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

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.