Dear Friends,

If your checking your mailbox, waiting for my annual holiday card, here it is!
In the midst of the hustle, bustle, bust, my stocking of good time intentions to get a card done and mailed has expired, so here is an overview of my year in review.

Brett graduated early from the University of Washington Foster School of Business and relocated to Chicago in March. He is gainfully employed with Accel Entertainment, as a cash logistics manager, living in the Gold Coast, a member of the East Bank Club where he has found his mother’s passion for tennis. Through the summer heat wave and mild fall, Brett has embraced his new Windy City, although, I am now receiving daily texts and complaints regarding the minus chill factor. His biggest Christmas wish is an electric blanket! Brett has embraced Chicago, and what a year to relocate with the Cubs historic win! That being said, he will always be a true Husky and Seahawk fan, where he found a local bar dedicated to the loyal fans of the Pacific Northwest. Brett remains an active participant in his fraternity SAE, and when he visits Seattle, the guys all exclaim “Daddy’s home!”

Taryn is excelling in school and was honored to receive most outstanding sophomore in swimming and most improved on her high school basketball team. We spent Spring break in Maui where we had a near encounter with a shark. Taryn has become an avid skier and is looking forward to winter sports and hitting the slopes. She is officially taller than me and continuing to sprout. Taryn continues to make her mark with global and local concerns. She is an active member of the Pink Bandana’s Guild which has now raised nearly $100,000 for pediatric brain tumor research.

Mama continues to inspire and mystify us all. With over 60 years of being in the real estate business, she is still active in the day to day operations. We have shared some tails from the Landlord Crypt this year, such as our blog “Somebody Help Me out Here” where we discovered on hidden camera a resident who daily peed in the hallway and when we busted him, he claimed he had a pee fetish. There must be some censorship laws, or I would recite Mama’s reaction telling Mr. Pee Pee to GTFO! The Seattle Times featured us in an article Persistence Pays and mama is a living of example of this. She continues to be our family leader, counselor, head chef, laundress, style consultant and confidant. #Blessed.

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/persistence-pays-for-frank-family-in-seattles-central-district/

Daddy’s legacy lives on and I was thrilled to complete the renovation of an apartment complex and re-name it The Gerald Frank Apartments.

My passions collided with children advocacy and music as I joined the Board of MoPop! formerly EMP. I served once again on the Founder’s Award Committee, and with honoree Joe Walsh, we raised a record breaking 1.2 million. I continue to serve on the Advisory Board of Treehouse for Foster Kids and we filled the warehouse with toys from all your generous donations at Canopy Blue Shop for a Cause. Again, I was one of the co-chairs for Bellevue LifeSpring Uncork the Night which raised $597,000 benefiting kids and their families living in poverty in Bellevue.

As my card says, “Every Venture should be an Adventure,” so this year my adventures have taken me to NYC where my uncle Federal Judge Richard Jones received the Medal of Honor. Chicago, Nashville, Park City, Las Vegas, Scottsdale, Miami and Nashville, and Nashville, and Nashville- o.k. my guy lives there.

The highlight for our family was my sister and co-blogger, Tracie’s release of Incompatible with Nature, A Mother’s Story www.traciemayer.com. For those who have read this inspirational story, we are asking you to please post your comments on AMAZON today! Tracie will unmask for you in her year end tomorrow… so stay tuned… and we can’t thank you enough for reading our blog www.menopausebarbees.com and living, laughing, loving, and being a part of this journey.