Year like a white water raft trip, but we popped out of the whirlpool

Dear Friends and Family,

With the frenzy of Christmas morning now behind us, and the music of the late pop superstar George Michael streaming around us, Dee and I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on our year and wish each and every one of you the merriest times of all.

First, I wanted to let you know that the androgynous wig-head that my sister-in-law Candace and I have exchanged for several years now found its way under the tree, wrapped up nicely as a special gift to me and fitted with a pair of sunglasses, a Santa hat and a flowing white-ribbon beard. I retaliated later in the day by swapping the star on top of the tree with said wig.

We had another special gift from Candee too. She made Dee and I open several small packages in sequence, starting with the cheapest dollar-store ponchos you've ever seen, followed by those goofy blow-up water wings that help toddlers stay afloat in pools then pink plastic sunglasses. We had to pose for photos by each before we could move on. But at the bottom of the stack was a gift certificate for a white-water river-rafting trip, which we shall enjoy on some wet day this spring.

This year was a little like going on a white water rafting trip for us, with many thrills, spills, joys and struggles. But, as George Michael sang, Ya Gotta Have Faith, and that's what keeps us going right?

Faith is knowing that things will have a way of working out, with some belief in the notion that a great divine spirit is guiding us through it whether we appreciate it or not. (Cubs fans are famous for having such faith).  To this end, Dee and I continue our involvement in church, where we have developed many friendships with an extraordinary group of fellow Christians. It is through Marine View Presbyterian that I again led a team to Guatemala in late May this year, where we installed a record 125 wood stoves in the homes and churches of a remote Mayan village. This was my fourth time. I felt very blessed that my brother Tom and nephew Andy, 15, could join us and that both had a life-changing experience on this humanitarian mission. I also continue my work on the board of Hands for Peacemaking Foundation that sends our team and others to Guatemala. This year I co-chaired their big auction in Everett and in December was named board president, so lots more volunteer work ahead in 2017.

In mid-March, we made our annual trek to McCall, Idaho, experiencing some of the finest ski conditions on Brundage Mountain that we've had in years, that is when we weren't stopped by a couple of scary lightning storms, one which struck a chair lift.

Dee's big trip this year was a three-week safari in Africa with her sister Candace and nephew Tyler in October. They had a wonderful time on this life's dream adventure as they explored the vast savannas of Kenya and Tanzania.  They saw lions eating zebras right before them, along with every other kind of animal one would expect to see on such trips (wildebeests, hyenas, giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, leopards, extra-large alligators, hippos, rhinos both black and white, etc.).

They stayed in luxury tents, floated over the Serengeti in a hot air balloon, were protected overnight by the colorful warriors of the Masai, and fended off a cheetah that jumped on the roof of their Land Cruiser by the sun roof as a perch for scouting pray. She leaped off, but not before first marking her territory. During a side trip to Rwanda, Dee suddenly found herself huddling next to a large mountain gorilla while avoiding eye contact so he wouldn't attack her.

They finished their trip with a few days in the sunny island nation of the Seychelles, where they did some deep-sea fishing, sailing, swimming and happy beach fun. Unfortunately, on their next-to-last day Dee went over an embankment on a bicycle, suffering some serious cuts, bumps and bruises and a dislocated shoulder that made the long trip back less than fun but the overall expedition even more memorable. It took her a few weeks to recover from that and she's still seeing a physical therapist to get her damaged shoulder back in shape.

In family news, we were very proud of son Kyle who graduated from Western Washington University in June with a highly respectable GPA and double majors in mathematics and economics. We rewarded him with a big pig roast at our family place on Camano Island. Kyle landed a cool internship at the state Department of Revenue in Olympia this summer that was extended through

October. He's now filling his time with short-term employment gigs while looking for a permanent place to land. He continues to see special friend Kylie, whom he met a few years ago, while working at Wild Waves in Federal Way and who is finishing up at Western herself this year. Kyle and I became reacquainted with backpacking in mid-August, taking a very scenic 33-mile hike in the Glacier Peak

Wilderness Area that turned out to be quite a bit more strenuous than either of us had thought, especially on the first afternoon when gaining several thousand feet of elevation in 90-degree heat. 

Daughter Hillary, 26, is as busy as ever, working full-time at Costco corporate in Issaquah while raising her own daughter Laela, 16 months now, and co-raising her boyfriend Rick's two girls, Pandora, 9, and Keira, 5, whom we also call our grandkids now too. They live in Auburn. Rick's a hard-working guy, but was unable to work for a few weeks late in the year due to a persistent health issue. I called Hillary late one night and she gave me her usual "What's up, dad?" and it sounded like she was in a car.

So I asked her what was up, and her surprising answer was that she had just become a part-time Uber driver! It's a lot of fun being grandparents and Dee and I try to see them whenever we can, which of course isn't often enough.

Thomas, 25, is still working all kinds of hours at the Factoria Target in their online distribution department and living just down the road in Renton. Without going into details, I would like to say how proud we are of him for overcoming his own set of health challenges this year. He is now healthy, well and full of new promise and ambition. If you know his circumstances, please continue to keep him in your thoughts and prayers as they are much appreciated. Thomas and I enjoyed a few fishing outings this year, including a stormy morning out on Lake Washington in my small vinyl boat chasing Coho. He got a little bow-splashed from the big waves but we had fun anyway.

There were a few other boating adventures too. Dee and I took another couple on a day-long boat ride/whale watch trip around the San Juans, only didn't see any whales. I made two other salmon fishing trips to the San Juans with brothers and friends,

navigating many miles through thick fog from Camano Island to the fishing grounds. On one, after the fog lifted, we did see a pod of Orcas out in the middle of the Strait. My twin Greg and I had a fun birthday celebration with family members on an electric boat on Lake Union. 

I did a fair amount of cycling this year - not as much as I was a few years back but it was fun hitting the road again. Being 60 pounds lighter helps on that score a lot! Now if only I can keep the weight off - the holidays were killer for me in that regard. Also managed to continue my disassociation with beer, wine and other spirits through the year. I've been 15 months now without an alcoholic beverage and feel better for it but admit the transition to dryness hasn't always been easy.

Dee and I spent a fair amount of time at our family place on Camano and at her sister's place on Henderson Inlet near Olympia, where we also enjoyed some South Sound boating and general fun. One of the highlights was a big Dirks Family gathering in July on Camano, which drew relatives from five states,

and an 80th birthday celebration for Dee's step-mother Joyce in Olympia attended by relatives from far and wide too.

We've been dealing with a big flood on our Camano property these past few weeks due to a broken outfall pipe from a community ditch that spans our property. The water flowing down from above simply has no place to go so we've had to bring in pumps to keep the levels down and protect area homes.

The long-term fix is complicated but we hope to have it resolved soon. Thankfully my dad, the engineer, has been able to lend his expertise to the issue. Our thanks to Kyle for being on 

site for a few weeks to keep the diesel and gas pumps fueled. We just installed a large electric pump in the ditch

and an ad-hoc piping system to jet water over our bulkhead, but it's only a temporary fix.

Our parents are now of an age where daily self-sufficiency is becoming more and more of a challenge, so we try to help them as much as we are able given the constraints of time, work and distance. Our siblings and their families are doing the same. 

As far as our work lives, Dee is nearing a decade at World Vision and I'll be concluding my 11.5-year stint with the lieutenant governor's office in January. We're both anticipating new opportunities and growth this year, God willing!

Well, it's actually the Wednesday after Christmas now as I finish up this post as a few things have been in the way of completion, like last night's disappointing Holiday Bowl match between Washington State Cougars and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Maybe the Huskies will fare better against Alabama in the Peach Bowl on Saturday. The first of four times two teams faced each other - in the 1926 Rose Bowl - my Grandpa Clarence was on the team! (He went on to become the UW team captain in '28).

That's my grandpa, Clarence Dirks, in the very center on the 1926 University of Washington Rose Bowl team. The Huskies lost to Alabama by just a point.

Again, we wish you a hearty Happy Holidays and look forward to hopefully seeing you in the New Year. Go Cougs! Go Huskies! Go Hawks! Go Mariners! Go Sounders! 

With Love,

Brian and Dee