T o all our friends and family, Greetings!

Like last year, this year's news started just after our last Christmas Letter, when Leo and friends hosted the Holly Jolly Two. The only surprises were MM's relatives from Michigan showing up. 

The high point of the year was the wedding of Leo and Kathleen Kalinowski on May 25, in Rochester, NY where they live with their two cats. Leo now works for Wyeth as a pharmaceutical representative. Katie sorts medical records, is a Weight Watchers leader and also was youth minister. Their wedding photos are here on our website, so don't miss them! It was a great party.

Marieke completed her year with VISTA in January but stayed in Sitka and worked as a Museum Technician with the Park Service. In August she moved to Boston where she is currently working as a Museum Technician for the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. (If you don't know what a Museum Tech does, write her and ask.) Her current sources of amusement are her job, the thrift stores in her neighborhood, the tourists in the Boston Commons and Steven (boyfriend attending Boston University). All are welcome for a visit! 

Jan-Luc still travels around NYC working in the production department of feature movies, TV, documentaries and commercials. In the summer of this year he finished editing a feature film he produced and is currently editing a documentary about the anti-war movement. He thinks of you often. 

Kateri enjoys 12th grade at Rome Catholic High School and is trying to choose a college. This summer she worked 2 months as a Junior Counselor at Camp Nazareth. Kateri still practices Irish Dance, and went to a couple Feisanna (dance competitions). She's on the Youth Council for the Diocese of Syracuse and went to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis. She's being mentored by a history teacher at Rome Free Academy, interns at the County Legislature, and works at the Thruway rest stop. Her web page (part of ours) elaborates on her pursuits. 

Mary Margaret has survived another year as the Director of the Catholic Deaf Community of the Syracuse Diocese. The people are still wonderful and even more interesting, activities keep multiplying (workshops and liturgies and classes to plan, parties and picnics, and meetings galore!), lots of travel (this year it was CA, all over NY, even NYC, and Canada), and something new everyday, like getting to see Pope John-Paul II at World Youth Day! Jim and MM also went to the Van Hout reunion in Dearborn.

Jim and MC the cat haven't been doing much except sleep, eat, and hang around underfoot.

Keep in touch! E-mail us at the usual place, vandamme (at) juno.com; ask and we'll send you the addresses of our kids (which we'd rather not put out here in plain sight, sorry!).

We hope you are healthy and happy. Best wishes for 2003!

Jim, Mary Margaret, Leo, Katie, Jan-Luc, Marieke and Kateri