December 2016 In the words of the noted philosopher Stan Boreson, “Well holy smokes, it’s Christmas time again!” Another year nearly done and almost time for a new year. I do love the chance to reflect and remember what the year has been so here’s a recap of the events that you might find interesting. We started the year with two additional house guests (well, yard guests). Sidda Lee and Finch. After the loss of Atticus over last year’s holiday season these two ducks became quite a couple with Sidda assuming a very protective role for his mate. Unfortunately, this also meant becoming quite the little aggressor when your back was turned (very passive/aggressive). Fortunately we shipped them off to Kim’s new house in North Bend as soon as she moved in at the end of March. Congratulations to Kim on entering the world of home ownership! Sidda became her problem and as he was a problem to the other new ducklings he is no longer a problem for anyone. Enough said. We took a trip to Las Vegas to celebrate brother John’s 75th birthday in January. Joined by Frank and Esther and friends of John and Linda’s, we spent a few days giving back to the needy casino owners, enjoying some great food and saw “Love” - the Cirque du Soleil show based on all Beatles’ music. In between all that we had to say goodbye to Erin in February. She departed for a new life chapter in Atlanta. After several wonderful (and sunny) visits she decided to take off on a new adventure. We were sad to see her go but wished her the best as she figured out a new city, a new job and a new apartment. And at the end of February, Lynn and brother Frank went to Florida to spend a week with their sister Louise.
	In April we began an unplanned and rather major remodel project. We noticed a little water on the floor and after wiping it up several times within a couple of hours, we figured out something was wrong. Called our buddy Butch and after some quick research we discovered our single level home had acquired a basement with a swimming pool. Our ice maker in our refrigerator had sprung a leak and spread to our living room, dining room, rec room and throughout the kitchen. 100 days later we had new flooring, new countertops, new paint, a new sink and faucet and a lot of gratitude to Service Master and State Farm.
In the middle of a torn apart house, we had the joy of Tim and Meghan’s wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and setting (Tibbetts Creek Manor in Issaquah). Meghan was stunning in her dress (as you can see in the card) and had everything organized to precision. Plus we had great food, great dancing and a great group of friends and family. Keep reading for the next wedding news…
	May also held the culmination of a great project on which Lynn was assisting the Shoreline Veterans Association, the dedication of the Shoreline Veterans Plaza. This effort raised money to erect a site next to Shoreline City Hall with a flag pole, obelisks for each branch of the military and memorial bricks and benches purchased by local citizens and organizations to honor veterans and active service members.
June held quite a surprise as we were presented with the heART award by the Shoreline - Lake Forest Park Arts council at their annual gala. We both were guessing who the winner might be as they read the introduction, only to be shocked to find it was us. This is a great organization that sponsors many programs in the Shoreline and Lake Forest Park area for both students and adults and we are very happy to be involved and help where we can.
July saw us head out for two weeks on the Carpe Diem for the San Juans and British Columbia. We spent a night with dad and Lillian at their home in Victoria (while the boat stayed in Sidney) and had a wonderful anniversary dinner prepared by Lillian’s son Steele. He sure outdid the Dinty Moore stew we had planned for the boat. We were also joined during our trip by Kim and Cory (his first time aboard), Kevin and Heather and of course Abigail. And a big thanks to Colleen for dog sitting during the first leg of our journey. It’s always easier to leave Abigail home knowing she is having such a good time without us.
	On to August for our grandson Ellison’s first birthday and his party in September. Our special surprise guests were Lynn’s brother John and his wife Linda. Brother Frank and his wife Esther had kept their arrival a secret and it was great to see them. He has become such an expressive and affectionate little person. Lynn loves her grandma time watching him a few days a week and he loves feeding the birds and squirrels, playing guitar and reading books while wandering around the house constantly on the move. Adds another round of workout to Lynn’s daily kick boxing.
In September we also had the privilege of a visit from Lynn’s sister Louise. She flew up from the Tampa, Florida area and we tried to give her the best weather we could. As usual, it was still a bit cold for her. But she had the opportunity to visit with brothers Frank and John (who flew up from Sacramento to visit), the Canadian relatives and a day sailing at Anacortes. Our other big adventure for the year was a trip in November to Atlanta and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We flew to Atlanta and spent the weekend with Erin enjoying great food, great weather and of course great company. We also got to see her new apartment and Lynn tried grits for the first time (verdict = “not bad”). From there we were off to Punta Cana to spend a week with our friends Dave and Perry with an agenda of relax, swim, eat, drink, repeat. We got pretty good at all of those activities. Our Husky football season tickets have made for a pretty exciting year and we anxiously await the post-season destination and plans for the team following their PAC-12 championship. So great to break the streak of losing to Oregon and to win a meaningful Apple Cup. All the while doing it with character and integrity. Thank you, Chris Peterson! As usual, we continue to be involved in music at church and on our own. Rotary is also a big part of our lives with the end of polio so close to being completed. Dad continues to visit and we enjoy seeing him when we can and especially when he brings Lillian along. The kids are all gainfully employed and doing well and we look forward to our family increasing with one more wedding scheduled in 2017. In October of this year Cory proposed to Kimberly and she said yes. We’ll leave the wedding details for them to announce but we are so happy for both of them and look forward to a great time at their wedding and reception. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! Dave & Lynn Cheeney (and Abigail and Princess what’s-her-name)