Another year is almost at an end. We’ve had a fun and event-filled 2017, as well as early 2018 birthday celebrations. Below is a summary of our year and that of our family:
Tulip Festival
In April, we went to the Skagit Tulip Festival for the first time, and really enjoyed it!
Read our story and see more photos at this link.
Easter in Fresno
We flew down to Fresno for Easter. Robin’s sister Susan always hosts Easter, which includes an Easter Egg (not eggs, really) Hunt. She hides small objects that are difficult to find, and each object is assigned to a gift. It’s lots of fun, and she’s been doing it for years! Our son Evan and daughter in law Megyn joined us there. See some photos at this link on Flickr.
A Patriarch Passes
In early November, Lynn’s Uncle Frank Garrison passed away. For years he was the patriarch of Lynn’s mother’s side of the family. No more faithful follower of our Lord could be found! His compassionate (although fun and witty) personality was loved by all and affected many. He was a committed Christian, although he and his wife Aunt Mary had suffered many heartbreaks, including the loss of both of their children and their oldest grandchild. Uncle Frank will always be missed! We were fortunate to have been able to attend his memorial service on November 18.
A Year Filled with Friends
Several friends visited us throughout 2017. Our good friends Dale and Carolyn Kole came up at the end of January for Carolyn’s birthday. They also spent three months up here over the summer. They stayed in their motor home which is located on their lot in Latitude 49, where we have our small summer home. We played lots of cards and shared many meals. While the guys golfed, Carolyn and Robin worked on projects and “did lunch.”
In early July, Gary and Grace Pendleton arrived to stay with us for a few days. We enjoyed catching up and spending quality time with these good friends from Fresno.
Then, in September our longtime friends Larry and Terry Cowger arrived to spend a week with us (actually, they stayed in their trailer located in a nearby KOA campground … but we were together most of the time). They were eager to relax after their drive up and we had fun visiting some of the local sights.
Lynn went fishing in September with his high school buddy (and the best man at our wedding) Scott Holmes. They had lots of fun fishing near Vancouver, WA and caught lots of salmon. Scott then drove up to our home in Lynden to spend a few days with us, and he and Lynn enjoyed golf and spending “guy time” together.
To see photos of all of these visits, go to our photos at this Flickr link.
More Fun with Family and Friends
We spent many hours of family time with our Washington grandkids. A highlight was our family vacation to Silverwood in Idaho. See photos of our vacation at this Flickr link.
The big family event this year was Robin’s niece Meredith’s wedding to Peter Sandrik, which occurred on November 17. We flew down to Fresno for the wedding, and our sons Brian and wife Vicki, and Evan and wife Megyn, also attended. This was a joyous event for Robin’s family! Here are some more photos.
Then we made a quick trip back to Washington to have Thanksgiving with our Washington family.
On to Kauai!
A few days after Thanksgiving, it was time to depart for a week in Kauai! We spent it with dear friends David and Gay Morris, Sandee and John Koobatian, and Gary and Grace Pendleton. Photos are in this Flickr album. And then … it was time to begin Christmas preparations! Early in December Robin, daughter in law Vicki and granddaughter McKenna went to a performance of Nutcracker by the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle … whew, the year flew by!
Celebrating Birthdays
Evan, Megyn and Sara flew up for Evan’s birthday, and to spend time with the family for the holidays. See photos of their visit in our holiday photo album on Flickr.
Lynn celebrated his 70th Birthday on January 4, 2018! See more at this link
And now, for some family updates . . .
Since we always seem to begin with our oldest son Brian, this year … we begin with our youngest!
Son Evan and Family
Evan continues his work at Activision, where he is a Producer in a Motion Capture Studio. He and his wife Megyn dote on their daughter Sara and their furbabies … one cat and two dogs. Sadly, Megyn’s mother Suzanne passed away this year. She will be missed!
Sara, 22, continues her education towards a career in animation and/or graphic arts. We love seeing her when we visit California, and are happy that she can come up to see us during the holidays. Early in 2017, she embarked upon a study trip to Rome, Italy where she earned course credits and toured the sights. We are proud of her and her commitment to her education.
Son Brian and Family
Brian continues to do well in his position as a purchaser at Alpha Technologies. He and wife Vicki spend most of their time away from work with their children, and together with us as a family. And they remain big Seahawks fans! Speaking of their kids …
Landon, 18, spent last summer working at a local farm during the harvest season. He’s currently studying for the 2nd year completion of a welding certification in conjunction with completing his High School requirements, through a program called Running Start at Bellingham Technical College. He will graduate and receive his Welding Certification in June 2018. He begins part-time work as a fabricator at a local business after the first of the year. Landon has made great strides in achieving his goals.
McKenna, 16, is also enrolled in Running Start, but through Whatcom Community College. (WCC). Her goal right now is to be a teacher (hopefully with some focus on music and the arts, although she also loves math). So she is attending WCC during this academic year and the next, while also finishing her high school requirements. Commuting back and forth between WCC and Lynden High School means she has a hectic schedule, but she’s loving it! She is currently rehearsing for her role in a musical production scheduled for next March, and enjoys attending some of the high school social events.
Slater, 15, continues to be our “braniac.” He and Robin exchange books and enjoy discussing merits and shortcomings of the books that they read! He started high school last fall, and is doing well in his accelerated classes. He enjoys “Knowledge Bowl” which is an after-hours school activity that challenges students using a quiz show format. He is also wanting to enroll in the Running Start Program, and is focusing on that as a goal.
Grason, 14, is the “tall kid that rides around town on his bike or longboard.” He spent a portion of last summer working at a local farm during their harvest season. He, like his sister McKenna, is very social and loves spending time with his friends. He is in his last year of middle school. He and Robin have participated in a few 5K events and we enjoy the times that he just “pops in” for a treat or a hug!
Ashlyn, 8, is our youngest, and our little pistol! She does her best to hold her own in a houseful of teenagers, and often succeeds. She loves swimming, playing on her tablet or anyone else’s ipad, playing with her friends, having sleepovers with grandparents, and 
loving on her family!
And Now, Lynn and Robin
Lynn has adjusted well to being fully retired. He often golfs, mostly at Homestead Farms Golf Course which is by our home. He has also gotten involved in parking and security at Cornwall Community Church, where we now worship. He serves as an officer in the Associations for both of our homes, which keeps him busy. He’s also been spending more time in culinary pursuits (mostly baking)!
Robin really enjoyed re-landscaping parts of our yard area at our home in Lynden, and also our summer home in Blaine. She attended some workshops in the area to learn more about plant care, and which plants (including perennials and annuals) grow best in the area. She still enjoys reading a lot, working out at the nearby fitness center, and occasionally does some website work, mostly maintenance for prior clients. It’s time to cut back on that and give back! Robin is also involved in the Be the One Mentoring Program. She is currently volunteering in the middle school art club that meets once a week.
The rest of our time is spent doing fun things together, spending time with the kids and the grandkids … and being with our great friends, both new and old. God is Good . . . all of the time!
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