Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all,

Once again, the rush up to Christmas has left us writing our annual End of Year letter after the grand event. As we drive down to the Alps for our traditional family ski vacation, we have many hours to muse about our year and send you our best wishes for the next one.

Our year was marked with new investments in properties and personal projects. In the first half of 2007, we completed an extension on our house, allowing our dream of a big garage/eventual fitness centre, a new terrace, and a living room with vaulted ceiling, exposed beams, stone wall and fireplace.

Meanwhile in Canada, some family members put cottage properties on the market, so we decided to buy 15 more acres of forest, including the road to the waterfront and "the beach" of Lost Bay Lake as well as a new small cottage that belonged to Aunt Mary which we hope to rent to family and friends. These properties have been in the O’Connor family for generations and we are looking forward to continuing the tradition of keeping Lost Bay Lake as a place at which to unite the whole family in the summertime. Sadly, Aunt Mary passed away shortly after selling us her cottage. She was the last of her generation and was an integral part of life on Lost Bay Lake. We will all miss her.

Kevin worked more than ever this year – getting the teaching award from the MBAs and executive MBAs at INSEAD. In addition to traveling and teaching extensively, he has been working on an interesting opportunity to do private equity in the Baltics. After missing a chunk of the ski season following shoulder surgery last year (we did make it for a week in Tignes in the French Alps in February, but missed skiing during the Christmas/New Years break), he was relieved to spend his summer mastering wakeboarding and this fall getting his physical fitness back on track (his resting pulse is back under 40bpm, he’s running 10 km in under 40 minutes two or three times a week, and is lifting weights and cycling as well – woo hoo!).

Kate took her career in a new, passionate direction, developing as a coach for individual managers and their teams. She completed her training with the Coaches Training Institute and Team Coaching International and is currently undergoing the certification process. Outside work and home, Kate chaired her 10-year reunion of the INSEAD MBA programme in spring, began hosting a monthly cooking class in our home, was elected again for the Parent-Teacher council at our local village school and recorded several songs with a pianist from the Opéra de Paris, a project she hopes to finish in 2008.

The highlight of the year was having Nick and Katie living fulltime with us from August through December.

Nick (14) is in his final year of middle school (Gr. 9). He conquered waterskiing this summer, continues with karate and has a newfound passion for the guitar. As part of a work experience requirement at school, he went to Toronto for a week where his Uncle Ted generously showed him the ropes at Kids' Help Phone. (Thanks again, Ted!)

Katie (12) is a top student in her class (Gr. 7) and an elected delegate to the student-teacher council. She participated in the national karate championships in France in spring, sang and danced in the musical at school,and is enthusiastically developing her skills as a creative writer.

Alexandre (7), Gr .2, enjoys lots of sports – basketball, tennis, skiing - and excels at school. Last month, he went with his class on a two-day trip to Germany to visit the famous Christmas market in Cologne.

Andreas (5) is in his final year of maternelle (senior kindergarden). Still lively and loving as ever, he has taken a keen interest in piano and actually likes to practice!

Finally, the much appreciated, adopted members of our family: our au pairs. We said goodbye to Chrissy who returned to Canada to continue her studies and hello to our new au pair Audrey who comes to us to spend her gap year between high school and university. These talented, caring young women add so much to life in our home.

As we write this year-end letter, it makes us wonder what we'll be saying by the end of the following year... Undoubtedly 2008 will bring more change and growth for our family. We look forward to spending more quality time with extended family and friends over the next year and wish you and yours a year of passion and fulfilment!

Warmest regards for the season,
Kevin, Kate, Nicolas, Katie, Alexandre and Andreas