To our Family and Friends
Merry Christmas and the happiest and healthiest of New Years! That is our prayer for all of you.
Our year centered around two things. One, we moved to Washington. Two, we went on a vacation to Alaska.
We Moved to Washington
The Year 2016 was a big transition year for us. The year was taken up with our decision to live full-time in Washington. This involved so much, which included selling our home in Fresno; spending time with family, church family, and friends; arranging for our move; and finding another home in Washington. We’re not big “moving people,” so this was “big.”
Our Fresno home sale went perfectly … beyond perfect. It sold last March, and we rented from the new owners until we left for Washington in late May. We are still in contact with them. They are happily settled there now and making it their own. Read more about it.
There were lots of “lasts.” Lynn taught one last semester at Fresno State, starting in January and ending the middle of May. He started teaching there part-time in 1986. He also worked his last Clovis Rodeo as Director. I wrapped up some website projects and started to scale back my web design business. I still have maintenance clients, and eventually I processed paperwork in Washington for my business. Not sure yet just how active I will be up here.
My brother Jeff, Sister Susan, and I spent a day in Tuolumne County, touring the areas of our childhood. The time spent with our grandparents in their home in Moccasin while we were growing up will always be a part of us. I wrote a blog post about it with some photos.
We also attended a wedding for one of Lynn’s cousins, which gave us an opportunity to see his extended family. It is quite large, but we’re hoping to make some family gatherings during future trips to Fresno. Meanwhile, thank goodness for Facebook!
We spent as much time as we could with family, church family, and friends. Our College Church of Christ church family signed an alternative guest book for us by Bleu de Toi during a potluck lunch at the church right before we left Fresno. It’s at the framers now, and we can’t wait to have it grace our home.
We Found a Home in Lynden
The story about that is in this post. That worked out beyond our wildest dreams! Since escrow closed in late July, we’ve been making it our own, such as what’s in this post. That, and enjoying our Washington family, has been the focus of our year. The kids and grandkids have really liked having us here (at least we think so)!
The kids helped us unpack boxes and loved looking at our “stuff.”
Brian and Vicki like having card partners! They are both very busy with their working lives and the raising of five children between them in a blended family situation. We love being here to help as needed.
And we are very close to the grandkids. Grason, our 13 year-old grandson, pops in often after school on his bike. Now we know how all of our other friends live their lives. Most of them enjoy their children and grandchildren who live in town. We always envied that.
We can now go to 15 year-old McKenna’s advanced choir performances and Grason’s soccer games. Earlier this year grandson Landon was accepted into a program called Running Start to attend Bellingham Technical College where he is enrolled in their two-year welding program, while at the same time completing his last two years of high school. He started this fall and loves it! Such a great choice and we are proud of him. McKenna loves her music and her choir. She and Grason are also very involved in their church youth group. McKenna is excited about a trip to Disneyland that she will be going on with her Advanced Choir next May. She recently went to her first date and dance. A few times a month, I have been taking grandson Slater to receive his allergy shots, which gives me 1-1 time with him. He is my brainiac and reader grandchild, and we have some interesting conversations! Now at over six feet tall, Grason is still enamored with anything having to do with cars, trucks, longboards, off-road vehicles, and bicycles. He and grandpa enjoy talking about all of that. And Ashlyn … she is a pistol! She has to be right by my side whenever she’s in our home. I love it!
All of that boring stuff such as getting a new dentist, vision doctor, primary care physician, insurances, etc., all went well. Amazing, in retrospect.
An Alaskan Vacation
Amidst all of the relocation, we went on an Alaskan cruise. More about it is on this post, and there are lots of photos on Flickr. Suffice it to say, it was a wonderful experience!
Our SoCal Kids
We are so glad that our youngest son Evan, wife Megyn, and their four furbabies are happily settled into a home in Inglewood. It was hard for them to leave the Marina Del Rey Area, but they love the extra space and the home is beautiful. Sara, our oldest grandchild, turned 21 last October. She is still very busy with her part-time jobs and full-time college schedule. We are excited that they will be coming up to Washington to spend time with us during the holidays.
And so, the year winds down …
We drove down to Fresno in November to see family, friends, and church family and to celebrate Thanksgiving. Gracious family and friends “put us up.” We also drove to Southern California to see Evan, Megyn and Sara. Some photos from our time there are in this Fall-Winter 2016 Flickr photo album. I will be adding Christmas photos to this album.
We are getting involved here in Lynden. We attend Cornwall Community Church in Bellingham and love it. Lynn acquired a golf membership and I’ve already found exercise partners. One is going to classes with me at the local fitness center … within walking distance. A book club is being formed after the first of the year (I hated leaving the one in Fresno). There is more work to do on our condo.
We are more than grateful for our good health, particularly in light of the many we know that are struggling with health issues. They are on our minds during this season. Each day is one to cherish and enjoy! Thank you Lord!
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