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We started 2012 with a long list of projects we hoped to complete at home. As the year winds down, many of them remain unstarted. Here is our list of excuses.

January

We kicked off the ear with a cold-weather escape to Maui, Hawaii. And just in time. Snow flakes began covering the airport tarmac as we flew out of Seattle. It snowed 3 days, almost preventing some of our traveling companions from arriving. We were joined by Rich’s cousins Susan Thorson (husband Murray and business partner Janine), Rob Baugh (wife Deedee), and Kathy Baringer. It was a fun family reunion.

During our 2 weeks, we saw most of the Maui island, staying in three different areas; Kihei, Kahana and Hana. To round things out, we took a passenger ferry to the island of Lanai for a day trip—a first for most of us. After continuous days of 80+ degree weather, returning to Seattle’s cool, damp weather was grueling.

February & March

This is a busy time for Rich’s financial planning business. Many of his clients are family or friends. He enjoys being able to make a difference in their lives by helping them prepare for, and survive, retirement. Since we also are retirees, we try to practice our own medicine before prescribing it to others.

April

We took a month long trip to visit friends and family. We started in Lincoln, Nebraska accompanied by our friend Pat Freund, where we visited her brothers and their families, toured the University of Nebraska and had a close encounter with a tornado.

From there, we drove to Dubuque, Iowa to visit the Freund families, Pat’s in-laws. From previous shared experiences and trips with them, they feel like part of our family too. Both families were very gracious to us—making our visits special.

Then it was on to Louisville, Kentucky to attend the wedding of Susan’s niece, the now Tara Smith. We were joined by all of Susan’s family. Dancing and celebrating were enjoyed by all. Weddings always bring families together and create memorable moments. Afterwards, we spent 10 days with Susan’s Mom in Evansville helping out.

On our way home, we stopped in Chicago for a week to visit Susan’s brother Alan and his family. While there, we celebrated Mother’s Day with them and participated in our first 5K walk-a-thon together, a Y-Me Breast Cancer event.

June

We were home a full two weeks before flying back to Evansville to attend the wedding of Susan’s nephew Joey Kiesler. During those three weeks, we restored the flower garden of Susan’s Mom and completed numerous maintenance projects that benefited from our help. We also attended the graduation party of Susan’s twin nieces Ann Marie and Elizabeth, drove to Indianapolis to visit Susan’s friends Evelyn and Catherine, and her brother Tom. Rich especially enjoyed driving to Nashville, Tennessee to see his cousin Dwight and wife Jan, and long time friends Dan and Kathy Wickard. It was great to catch up with all the dear people we see too seldom.

Rich’s niece Kelly arrived from Salem, Oregon to live with us while working a summer job in Seattle. Her schedule precludes us from seeing much of her. She extended her stay here beyond Labor Day until Christmas.

July

Rich’s brother Ron and his family arrived from Orlando, Florida to spend 3 weeks. We started with a pseudo camping trip at a resort on Lake Mayfield, near Mount St. Helens. Then on to the Canadian island of Victoria for a couple days, followed by several days in Vancouver Canada. Ron’s girls introduced us to Frisbee golf and lots of laughs trying to get the Frisbee into the basket! We also took in some Seattle attractions, including a Mariners baseball game. It was pretty boring here after they left.

August

Inspired by the movie series “Pirates of the Caribbean”, we signed up for a 3 hour sail on the square sail ship Lady Washington. It appeared in the movie series as the Black Pearl. We enjoyed it so much we celebrated our anniversary with a Lake Washington dinner cruise on a much more modern boat. It was more romantic without any pirate lingo.

September

With the end of summer approaching, Rich started his annual tree pruning exercises. Only the typical minor injuries this year. Pruning was easier because most trees were accessible without first clearing trails through our blackberry patch. Our cool summer kept the blackberries from getting their sweetest, but we still harvested about 5 gallons worth.

We made our 3rd trip to visit Rich’s Mom in Salem. As always, she had a list of projects for us and appreciates any help we give. She celebrated her 86th birthday this year. Age has slowed her down and sapped her muscle tone, making it difficult for her to maintain her prized yard.

October

Susan started meeting with her mentee again for what should be her senior year. Since attending an alternative school she has blossomed—all A’s and has taken on a Leadership position. Susan is quite proud of her accomplishments and her willingness to take a less desirable situation and turn it into a success. They have enjoyed 12 years together.

We drove to Richland, WA to spend a long weekend with Rich’s cousin Susan Thorson and her family and pets. We always enjoy our time with them. Being around 3 active dogs and 3 cats is always entertaining. They live in the heart of Washington’s wine country, so we often return with a box of expensive souvenirs. This time was no exception.

November

We drove to Salem to spend Thanksgiving with Rich’s family. We burned off turkey calories by spending most of Black Friday completing our Christmas shopping. Our credit cards sent us a “thank-you!”

After wishing for a lighter weight kayak for several years, we finally found one we liked. Our new double kayak will arrive next February. It will weigh 65 pounds instead of 100, making it easier to lift onto our station wagon. Susan is already loving that! More kayaking is sure to show up on next year’s list of excuses for “slacking off.

Other News of Note

We, too, are continuing to feel the aging process. Susan’s hip started bothering her in January, and continued to get worse. Initial physical therapy only brought limited relief. X-rays determined it is hip bursitis caused by her scoliosis in her spinal column. Now physical therapy occurs every week in hopes of avoiding a cortisone shot. Therapy has been more effective this time around.

As the year’s end approaches, we have airline tickets to spend two weeks with Susan’s family for Christmas. Her entire family will be there, as always. Upon returning to Seattle, we will drive to Salem for a shorter Christmas with Rich’s family. Our holidays are always hectic, but fill our lives with memories. Afterwards, we can again address our “to-do” list for 2013. It is sure to get longer.

Wishing you a season willed with wonder,

a new year bright with promise…

Rich and Susan