This time of the year, I like to give a little glimpse into the lives of our employees with their fun holiday traditions. We wish all our clients a wonderful holiday season.
Ken Martin Tradition: My wife, kids and I, go to a tree farm and cut down a tree. I like it even better now that the kids are big enough to cut down and then carry the tree to the car. Movie: It’s a Wonderful Life starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. An oldie that still “holds up” over time. Food: Mmmm, Pie – Pumpkin, Apple, Pecan. I love ‘em all. Beverage: If I’m not driving, I’ll take a Gentleman Jack Daniels on the rocks (please).
Diane Martin
Tradition: Family cookie party. Movie: National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Food: Scotchroos – so incredibly good! Beverage: Eggnog.
Stefanie Hegge Tradition: My family opens all presents on Christmas Eve Evening, and we sleep in on Christmas. We’re not morning people. Movie: Elf starring Will Ferrell Food: My mom’s cream cheese dip! Yum! Beverage: I’m a Cider over Eggnog type person.
Kris Arnason Tradition: A modified Icelandic tradition; we must have halibut on Christmas Eve. Movie: Holiday Inn – another oldie and Bing Crosby sings ‘White Christmas’! What’s not to like? Food: All the different candies and cookies but definitely not fruitcake! Must have Enstrom’s almond toffee from Colorado (my home state) though. That has been a tradition since I was a little girl growing up in Denver. Beverage: Eggnog in coffee, and Eggnog with a little Maker’s Mark makes my day too!
Marcella Fitzhugh Tradition: Decorating the Christmas Tree with Maranda and making our home festive and beautiful. Movie: Christmas Vacation: oh my gosh that will never get old! A lot of good times laughing with the family even though we’ve seen the movie like a million times! Food: I know this sounds cliché’ but I love the Christmas Popcorn Tins when I see them in the store even if it’s on the top shelf I will find a way to get one down! Beverage: Baileys and coffee topped with whip cream, yummy!
Tammy Arsenault Tradition: Family “ELF” ornament exchange/game. Kind of like a white elephant (we call if the ELF game) …the game part is best part. Movie: The Family Stone. Food: Homemade scalloped potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce. Beverage: Hot spicy cinnamon tea.
Terri Tradition: eating KFC – this is a tradition from my days in Japan. It’s a big tradition over there for some bizarre reason. Movie: A Christmas Story “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Never gets old. Food: KFC naturally but ball cookies rolled in powdered sugar is a family staple during the holidays. Beverage: Egg nog – wish they had it all year long.
Eric Stjern
Tradition: Every year we go shopping for unusual Christmas ornaments – each person picks one. The more unusual the better. Movie: A Christmas Story , watch it every year (You’ll shoot your eye out kid!) Food: Mom's homemade cherry streusel. Beverage: Spiced Mexican Hot Chocolate (Bourbon based).
Amy Timmerman Tradition: We take an early December weekend and decorate the house and tree. We love to end our weekend with hot chocolate, cookies, and relaxing by a fire watching our favorite Christmas movies. Movie: National Lampoons Christmas Vacation is our favorite holiday movie followed by A Christmas Story. Food: We make a big seafood Christmas dinner. We have crab, lobster chowder, and drunken clams. We try a different dessert every year some have been exceptional, one was not edible. This year I am going to be making cinnamon roll crusted apple pie. Beverage: Peppermint hot chocolate for the kids, Irish hot chocolate for the adults.
Shannon Dagley Tradition: Go to my parents on Christmas Morning with Eggs Benedict. Movie: It’s A Wonderful Life – always a life lesson! Food: Pumpkin Pie – My Dad’s the pie maker of the family! Beverage: Egg Nog, spiced in a crock pot.
Karina Farrell Tradition: My favorite part of the holidays is gathering at my parent’s house with my brother, his wife, and their son. We play games, watch movies, and ride snowmobiles. Movie: I love re-watching “The Santa Clause” movies, starring Tim Allen. Food: My dad makes these amazing things called doughgies. They really are just deepfried balls of dough and you can top them with things like powdered sugar or jam. I personally drizzle syrup on mine. Beverage: Hot chocolate is my favorite, but it has to be made with milk, not water. Sometimes I will add Peppermint Schnapps too.
Blythe Stine Tradition: Every year since I was very little, my grandpa would take me for a drive on Christmas Eve to go look at all the Christmas lights and decorations everyone put up. As I’ve gotten older, the tradition has continued with my significant other and friends. Every so often my grandpa will still come as well! Movie: A Christmas Story, because you obviously can’t have Christmas without a leg lamp, cussing at furnaces and going to a Chinese restaurant. Food: My grandma makes the BEST homemade stuffing (as does everyone’s grandmother). We generally will stand in the kitchen and eat it on its own before dinner is done, and then are too full to eat dinner. Beverage: Spiked apple cider. If you ever want to try to make it, get some fresh apple cider and heat it up (Bellewood is my favorite brand), put a shot or two of fireball in, and top it off with a large scoop of Haggen’s brand hot buttered rum mix. You’ll thank me later.
Merle “Mac” Moore Tradition: Our family will stay up until the early hours of the morning playing the card game Canasta. Some of the most legendary moments have come out of who wins, and how they won. Movie: My favorite Christmas themed movie is Die Hard, but I don't think they actually play that on TV during the Christmas Season. Food: My mother in law makes the best pumpkin pie. Beverage: My favorite holiday drink is Eggnog.
Holiday Hours
We'd like to inform you of our holiday hours and the days our office will be closed or closing early.
November 28th - Thanksgiving – closed
November 29th - closed
December 19th - closes at 12:30 for holiday employee party
December 24th - closes at 1:00
December 25th - closed
December 31st - closes at 1:00
January 1st - closed
Wishing you a fun filled holiday season!
Meet Our New Staff!
Karina Farrell: Karina grew up in a military family and was born in Germany, then she spent her early childhood moving around. Her parents settled down in Easton, WA when she was 9 years old and she has lived in WA ever since. She graduated from Washington State University (2010) and Central Washington University (2012) with 2 bachelor’s degrees. Prior to joining the First Rate Insurance team, she was a claims adjuster for 7 years. In her spare time, Karina loves to travel back to her hometown and spend time with family and friends. She is the proud Auntie of 3 wonderful children who keep her on her “toes” and young at heart.
Blythe Stine: Blythe was born and raised in Washington and has enjoyed spending most of her life exploring the state! She was first introduced into the insurance industry a few years ago with State Farm and is excited to now be working with First Rate Insurance. When Blythe isn’t at work, you can usually find her going on adventures around the Pacific Northwest with her friends and family, starting an art project or reading a book at home with her two cats, Tom and Todd.
Merle “Mac” Moore: Merle “Mac” Moore has lived in Washington State most of his life. Together, he and his wife have 8 adult children, and 2 grandchildren. Mac loves to gather knowledge, which makes the Insurance industry a perfect fit. There is always something changing, and always something new to learn. When he is not at work, he is usually exploring ideas, taking classes, or working on projects he finds interesting. His family likes to joke that, "he should really get a hobby." to which he replies, "learning is my hobby." Over time, this passion for learning has shaped Mac into the type of person who likes to think outside the box and he is able to view complex and unique problems from many different perspectives.
Our Referral Program
Thank you for continuing to refer your friends and family to our agency! For every referral we receive, we will send you a FREE Starbucks coffee card for $5.00 and donate $10 to the American Lung Cancer organization. Also, we have a monthly drawing where the referral winner receives $25.00 and we donate $25.00 to the charity of the winner's choice.
Congratulations to the referral winners this past quarter!
September - Jesse Botello October - Taylor Lyman
The person you refer doesn’t have to purchase a policy. There are many worthy charitable organizations in our community. Help us, help them! Our referral program is open to anyone, whether they’re a client or not.
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If I Damage My Car From Hitting Wildlife, Am I Covered?
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This time of the year, I like to give a little glimpse into the lives of our employees with their fun holiday traditions. We wish all our clients a wonderful holiday season.
Karina grew up in a military family and was born in Germany, then she spent her early childhood moving around. Her parents settled down in Easton, WA when she was 9 years old and she has lived in WA ever since. She graduated from Washington State University (2010) and Central Washington University (2012) with 2 bachelor’s degrees. Prior to joining the First Rate Insurance team, she was a claims adjuster for 7 years. In her spare time, Karina loves to travel back to her hometown and spend time with family and friends. She is the proud Auntie of 3 wonderful children who keep her on her “toes” and young at heart.
Blythe was born and raised in Washington and has enjoyed spending most of her life exploring the state! She was first introduced into the insurance industry a few years ago with State Farm and is excited to now be working with First Rate Insurance. When Blythe isn’t at work, you can usually find her going on adventures around the Pacific Northwest with her friends and family, starting an art project or reading a book at home with her two cats, Tom and Todd.
Merle “Mac” Moore has lived in Washington State most of his life. Together, he and his wife have 8 adult children, and 2 grandchildren. Mac loves to gather knowledge, which makes the Insurance industry a perfect fit. There is always something changing, and always something new to learn. When he is not at work, he is usually exploring ideas, taking classes, or working on projects he finds interesting. His family likes to joke that, "he should really get a hobby." to which he replies, "learning is my hobby." Over time, this passion for learning has shaped Mac into the type of person who likes to think outside the box and he is able to view complex and unique problems from many different perspectives.
Thank you for continuing to refer your friends and family to our agency! For every referral we receive, we will send you a FREE Starbucks coffee card for $5.00 and donate $10 to the American Lung Cancer organization. Also, we have a monthly drawing where the referral winner receives $25.00 and we donate $25.00 to the charity of the winner's choice.
