2015 was an incredible year for the Windermere Foundation. We reached a goal that we set back in 2013, which was to raise $30 million in total donations by the end of 2015. Not only did we reach that milestone, we did it three months early, thanks to the support of Windermere owners, agents, and staff that increased their giving, held more fundraisers, and brought new donors into the fold.

Kate and Peter spend a lot of their free time on Whidbey Island, WA. In fact, Peter practically grew up there. The island holds special meaning to them and their relationship. For a couple renting a small apartment in downtown Seattle, Whidbey offered a great escape from the city. So before they upgraded their city apartment to a city condo, they decided to invest in some land for their future...

Our closing date had finally arrived! We were officially the owners of our little Wedgwood home. We rushed over to the house as soon as we got the go-ahead with boxes delicately packed and a cheap bottle of lukewarm champagne. Tyler carried Addie over the threshold. We prayed in the kitchen together. It was one of my favorite moments we've shared to date.

The Washington State economy has added almost 370,000 jobs since the lowest point of the recession at the start of 2010. Additionally, total employment is 176,000 jobs higher than seen at the 2008 peak. With a vast majority of our metropolitan areas having fully recovered from the job losses seen during the recession, I expect to see somewhat more modest job growth in the coming year.