Dec 4, 2013

Thanksgiving weekend is the big weekend for Christmas trees to be harvested from our surrounding forests.   There have been a few going down the road prior to this, but many families make getting their tree part of their Thanksgiving tradition.  There will be trees on top of cars, trees in trailers, trees riding in the back of pickups, whatever will work to get the tree back to home base.

The family of Steve and Terrie Mainini were all together for the holidays, or at least part of it.  The Mainini sons, Mario and Tony were here for the whole time.  Daughter Angelina, wanted to experience Black Friday in Salt Lake City before she came up for the weekend.

The Mink Creek girls volleyball team came away with a win at the Preston North Stake Championship game.   Coached by Laurel Wilde, this bevy of young ladies gave it their all and beat the opposing team, one that had never lost a game all season.  Congratulations are in order!

Matthew Westerberg, son of Wendy and Terry Westerberg, has proven to have an eye on international doings in his educational goals.  Currently at the University of Wyoming as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, he is a Masters Peace Corps International Student.  Matt is interested in civil-military relations in transitional democracies. He plans on developing his thesis around this topic and pursuing his research while serving as a volunteer for the Peace Corps beginning mid 2014.

Jeannine and Johnny Iverson had a great visit from her brother Allen and Vilma Pack of McKinney, TX.  An interesting tidbit is that Brenda Seamons Kemsley, daughter of Scott and Cathy Seamons of Mink Creek, is a Visiting Teacher to Vilma.  This is a surprise connection for both Brenda and Vilma! 

Health-wise, it seems to be cold season now.  Coughs and sneezes punctuate any community gathering.  Soft tissues are on the required list for children and adults alike.  It doesn’t help much to have a constant wind coming out of the north, with ice in its teeth.  Each morning we expect to see snow.  So far it has been short jabs of sleet and rain.  The forecast is for a 30 degree drop in outdoor temperatures.

The Christmas spirit seems to be hanging on to the coat tails of Thanksgiving.  Haven’t noticed any outdoor lights yet on our very dark hillsides, and we are three days into the month of December. The night sky is very dark right now too, but the stars are crystal clear and full of sparkle against that black navy background.  Don’t you wish you were here?!   There is probably some nostalgia for those nights if you now live in a city where there is no starlight.   It is one of my favorite Mink Creek bonuses!