Greetings from Wisconsin. I cannot believe that 2008 is coming to a close. It’s been a year, once again, full of major life transitions- some very sad, others joyful, and others just plain nerve-racking!

First up on the transition list is Randy turned 16 and got his license! And yes, he now drives in sleet and snow making for nerve-racking evenings like last night when we had our 5th major storm of the season and its not even winter yet! Randy is doing well on all fronts and so far no calls that he and his car are in a ditch! He spent spring break in Italy touring with his school orchestra. We have begun our college tours. So far he seems inclined to head east. He is still our music geek and recently premiered one of his original compositions at a concert to rave reviews. He’ll be spending winter break recording some of his work so keep an ear open! He has created his own fusion of metal and orchestral music.

Next up, our lovely Larissa turned 13 – we are now officially a house of teenagers! She has inaugurated her teen years with a boyfriend (more of the nerve-racking). She is playing select soccer and doing very well for her team. She is so fast and lean. She continues with her own music endeavors including singing with Milwaukee Children’s Choir, playing the viola and she’ll be in the musical Cinderella next spring. Like Randy, she excels in school, so we seem to be on the right track despite teen status.

And finally, the sad transition was the passing of Celeste’s stepfather, Odilo Brand, in May. It took the family by surprise because we’ve always viewed Odi as invincible. He suffered an acute case of pneumonia which he must have been incubating for some time. He passed very quickly. We were fortunate to have spent spring break with him on Coronado Island about a month before he died. Celeste spent most of April commuting to San Diego every week to care for him and then the better part of the summer working on cleaning out the house Odi and her mother built on their return to the US after living abroad for years. The house was filled with treasures from an 86-year life. Every room and every drawer was another adventure and discovery, and there were countless drawers to discover! In August, we planned a memorial weekend and family reunion in San Diego to celebrate and honor Odi’s life. It was a wonderful and sad event infused with many memories.

The house in Ramona is finally up for sale providing a break in the travel schedule. When Celeste is not managing Odi’s estate, she is busy catching up on work and the many projects waiting at home. Thom is still with Assurant, but has taken on more of a corporate wide role meaning much more travel. To add to our travels, we spent Thanksgiving in NYC and took in the Macy’s parade and a few shows! We are happy to be home for Christmas and it’s sure to be a white one!

All the best in 2009,

Celeste, Thom, Randy and Larissa