making its way from various Christmas trees within the warmth of her living room. The woman, Deb Merkwan, dreamed of a house of holiday cheer and décor. Five years later, her Christmas wish came true. “Christmas is all about family,” said Deb, a Yankton resident whose passion for Christmas is as spectacular as the holiday itself. Her love for the holidays is so strong that her husband (whom she married on Christmas day) developed an appreciation for Christmas as well. Ever since she was a little girl, Deb would get together with her family for the holidays and create both new memories and a variety of Christmas traditions. Her family would often gather at her grandparent’s home to enjoy large dinners and Deb’s aunt would do everybody’s hair for Christmas Eve. Another tradition in particular consisted of Deb’s aunt arriving at their house with a tray filled with Christmas goodies such as cookies and candy. This tradition became so common that, years later, Deb continued this tradition with her own family. Throughout the years, Deb has also acquired a large collection of Christmas decorations that cover each and every room throughout the holiday season. Trees of vLIVING continued on 14 Skin cancer is the easiest to cure, if diagnosed and treated early. The skin is the largest organ of the body with many different functions. It is important to protect it. About 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in this country each year. One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime. People of all races can develop skin cancer. As with other cancers, if diagnosed and treated early, we can expect a better outcome – even expect a cure. If you have any suspicious moles or spots on your skin call for a consultation. 2525 Fox Run Parkway, Suite 204, Yankton www.yanktonsurgical.com Kynan C.Trail, MD, FACS For appointments call 605-668-9670 HERVOICEvNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016v13