D
Dear Family and Friends,
Winter has arrived in Alaska, freezing all the lakes with 4 to 6 inches of ice, nearly a week before the snow came down and covered everything. Then the strong winds came blowing off the snow, leaving the ice like polished grey marble. A skater’s paradise… Needless to say, the hectic pace of summer has slowed, and the continuous daylight has dimmed into more and more darkness. We have entered the hibernation phase of our year.
We now have a little time to get in touch with most of you through the annual Christmas letter. It is getting harder and harder to remember what in the world happened last week much less for the whole of last year, but the new digital cameras, blogs, and high powered computers sure help to jog some aging memory deficient brains. So, I’m now looking over last years photos to see what really happened. The digital photo file records the date, minute and second each picture was made … photographic memory for all! I only wish there was a space on those files for writing the names of people and other comments. If you want to see some pictures check out www.marksalaska.blogspot.com and www.theeroundrobin.blogspot.com . My brothers, sister, and I have had a great time keeping connected and humoring one another with that second blog.
Hockey is one thing that fits in nicely with winter. I helped coach a Bantam team that won a few tournaments and achieved 2nd place for their level in the state tournament last spring. For a fun workout I play adult ‘rusty blades’ hockey twice a week also. And to relax I watch too much NHL hockey on the Dish. The NH3 plant is shut down for the winter because of a gas shortage, but they let us stay on and repair stuff or take as much time off as we want.
We took Lois’ spring break in Kirkland to visit Heidi and John living at the time on Bill Gates lake. Then a few months later they came up to visit us. The big highlight of the year was having several brothers and cousin and nephews drive up from Minnesota to visit in July! (Lois Ann likes it when people visit because a little bit of extra work gets done on the house preparing for the visitors.) We went to Homer, Resurrection Bay and Exit Glacier in Seward, and even Dawson City. Holly arrived home from Perth when they were here, and Christoffer was able get some time off also.
John and Heidi moved to Anacortes, WA in June; so after the Minnesota visitors were back on the highway, Lois Ann and Holly went down to see the Quick home. John is the area director for Young Life, and Heidi helps with that, also works at a Montessori school and the YMCA. John’s dad invited me down in August to see a once a year car show that was amazing. The next day we went to see Mt. St. Helens which was also great. Then took me up to see John and Heidi’s new place and play some golf too.
Holly is still here at home hoping for a work visa to go back to Australia. Christoffer had been busily electrifying the military bases in Anchorage and has recently been at Beluga power plant checking out a new generator. CBS, Holly and I went on a few nice mountain hikes together this summer. Lois Ann is working at the elementary school again and often comes home with funny stories of the little kids.
We hope you have a wonderful Christmas. GOD BLESS YOU,
The Stynsbergs
