The SunWest Life - December 2022

With the holiday season here, extending a little bit of grace to those around us goes a long way. Be the good you want to see in your community.

With colder temperatures upon us, many plants go dormant for the winter. Read on for how to care for your dormant landscpaing.

Santa Claus is coming to town. Want your wrapping to really stand out? Check out some of our top tips for spicing up your wrapping.

Every year, there is a contant battle of the winter sports. We weighed out the pros and cons of both. Which do you prefer when hitting the slopes?

12 EXCLUSIVE!

Our in-house golf-guru rates the 5 best courses in Southern Utah.

16 2022 MOMENTS

This year has flown by. With plenty of jaw dropping events that have happened, it was hard to compile a list of just a few of those moments. 18

MONEY MANTRAS

Market swings causing you some anxiety? Well, take some deep breaths. These money mantas can help you overcome it.

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Living in one of SunWest Management’s communities is more than just having a place to rest your head — it’s where you call home. At SunWest Management, we know it’s a privilege to say, “Welcome home!”

In our wide variety of communities that meet virtually every need, the perfect fit for your lifestyle is just through the front door of your next dream home in one of our Southern Utah communities.

lighting up the community

By Joseph Brimer

The last couple months of the year, much like life, are increasingly busy for Associations. Budgets are beginning to be finalized with notices being sent out the homeowners. Maintenance is hurrying along to prep any facilities or landscaping for the winter months. And architectural changes requests begin to fly in as residents’ cycle through projects before family arrives for the holidays.

However, through the bustle of the holiday season each one of us has the opportunity to create unique and personal interactions with those we come in contact with. Whether it’s someone new who’s moved into the community or someone you’ve known for years, taking the time to smile and say ‘hi’ brings warmth to the coldest part of the year. The holiday season means something different to every person and extending a little bit of grace to those around us goes a long way.

One of my favorites lines is “see a need, fill a need”. The quickest way that people spiral is from the overwhelming responsibilities that we take on. If you see a loved one or a neighbor getting overwhelmed or a task needing to be done, don’t shy away from jumping in. I’ve found that when in service of others, no matter how busy I am, the rest of life seems to fall into place as everyone around me seems to be lifted.

An added benefit of living in a community association is the comradery built by neighbors through shared experiences. Said differently, don’t just enjoy the holiday season, live it! With all the different activities around town, you’ll have plenty of options to unwind, reexperience the magic of the season, and start the domino effect of lighting the life of one person until it spreads to the community.

WAYS TO spice up your holiday wrapping

• BLACK SATIN RIBBONBlack may not be the first color that comes to mind when you think of holiday gift wrap, but a simple satin ribbon looks beautiful paired with brown kraft paper wrapping.

• GREENERY-

It doesn’t get much more classic than sprigs of Evergreen tucked into red and white baker’s twine on Christmas. So, if that is the look you are wanting to go for, this idea is perfect.

• HOLIDAY FIGURINES-

Once gifts are wrapped, use little figurines like bottle brush trees or seasonal dollhouse furniture to create snowy scenes. This is great for children’s gifts and can double as a toy.

• CHALKBOARD PAINT

A swift swipe of chalkboard paint makes the perfect spot for a seasonal greeting or your “to” and “from” label. This is a fun and creative way of doing a traditional label.

• JINGLEBELLS-

If you don’t have festive wrapping paper on hand, use a kraft grocery store bag, then embellish with holiday accents, like jingle bells strung on baker’s twine.

• PINECONES-

For a more dramatic look, use a black paper, then tie it all together with white yarn and elements like an evergreen sprig and a “snowcovered” pinecone that works for Christmas.

• DARK RED VELVET RIBBON-

Another way to grab someones attention is using a dark red velvet ribbon paired with a simple paper. This will give more of an elegant look to your Christmas gifts.

Of course, it’s the thought of giving the gift that matters more than the wrapping or even the gift itself, but still — creating a beautifully wrapped present is always a nice touch during the holidays. Adding little details makes the gift feel so much more authentic.

There are a ton of gorgeous options out there, though, if you do a little digging — and most of them are affordable, easy, and quick, too. Pinterest and Google have a ton of other great ideas that are the perfect way to spice up the gifts under your Christmas tree.

Snowboarding vs skiing

By Ally Thompson

It is a contant battle of the winter sports. Which is better? Easier to learn? With Brian Head so close and winter sports season in session, here is a list of the pros and cons of both to help you decide which is better.

Pros of skiing

• Easier to pick up the basics.

• Beginners spend more time on their feet.

• Straight-on stance feels more natural.

• More visibility of the mountain facing downhill.

• Easier to get on and off lifts.

• Balance learned from other sports transfers more easily.

• Stay off the snow – no need to sit down to remove or put on skis.

• You have poles that can help you get up from a fall

Pros of snowboarding

• Once you have the basics, it’s easier to progress.

• Easier to go off-piste / backcountry on a beginner board.

• No ski poles to hold.

• Snowboard boots are easier to walk in.

• Just one board to carry around.

• Less likely to suffer leg injuries.

• Easier to stop as a beginner, by falling backward.

• You don’t have the possibility of accidentally doing the splits.

Cons of skiing

• New skiers easily trip over their skis

• Mastering the technical aspects of skiing takes many seasons.

• You have to learn how to carry two poles and two skis without knocking someone out.

• More to drop when you’re on the lift.

• You can’t really go off-piste effectively into powder with beginner piste skis.

• More difficult to stop for beginners. Leaning back doesn’t help, you have to turn to the side and angle your skis.

Cons of snowboarding

• It takes longer to learn.

• You spend lots of time on your butt when you’re learning to board.

• You’re always strapping in or out of your boots to get on and off ski lifts.

• It’s harder to move on flat ground without poles. You have to unbind one foot and use it to propel you.

• Upper body and tailbone injuries are more common.

• It’s harder to make sharp turns as a beginner until you learn to carve.

winter landscaping

By Nick Bolton

as the weather is changing you might notice some of the grass in the area starting to look brown and somewhat sick. This most likely isn’t the case. What you are likely seeing is the grass going dormant from the cooler temps that are beginning to set in. Different types of grass will react differently with different temperature swings. Some will go brown and struggle in the winter. One of these types of grass is Bermuda grass.

Bermuda grass is a perennial warm-season grass. In frost-free climates, where the colder

temps don’t set in, Bermudagrass will be green all winter long. However, here in our neck of the woods, Bermuda grass typically goes dormant, turns brown and stops growing during Fall and Winter seasons. This will generally begin early fall and last till spring. It will come back every year and grow most actively from late spring through the hot summer months.

Bermuda grass flourishes and grows the most in areas with full sun and good drainage. It does extremely well in high heat, as well as areas that have high humidity, it is also very drought tolerant, which makes it great for our area here in Saint George. Though most of Bermuda’s roots stay within 6 inches of the top of the surface, their roots can grow up to 6 feet or more in length into the ground.

Bermuda grass has the fastest growth rate of any of the warm-season grasses. It spreads by both above-ground stems known as stolons and belowground stems called rhizomes.

sto·lon

creeping horizontal plant stem or runner that takes root at points along its length to form new plants.

rhi·zome

a continuously growing horizontal underground stem which puts out lateral shoots and adventitious roots at intervals.

Although its fast growth rate can make Bermuda grass difficult to keep under control, it helps the grass to endure heavy use. It recovers from damage much quicker than most grasses, and is the preferred grass for fields and golf course areas and fairways throughout southern regions, such as our area. On a residential home or yard, most homeowners generally are not fond of Bermuda and getting rid of this grass can be a chore, but it can be eliminated.

With the cooler temps upon us, watering your grass and plants isn’t as much of a must as it is in the summer heat so dial back those irrigation times and look for ways to conserve the water. You’ll also notice some of your other landscaping, just like some of the grass, going dormant for the year. Some of these for example are Crepe Myrtles, Mexican Petunias, and Lantanas. Although they may look dead soon, this is completely normal and if they have been getting all the proper care during the growing season, they should have enough health to pop back out in the spring along with your grass and other plants.

TOP 5 GOLF COURSES in southern utah

By Christian Gates

the best time to golf in saint george, ut is the fall and winter.

At the age of 5, my dad envisioned me being the next golf prodigy after Tiger Woods. This meant every week was filled with trips to the driving range, a quick 9 holes (after dad was off work), or a saturday/sunday a game of 18 holes. Growing up in southern Utah, I was fortunate enough to have more than a handful of beautiful golf courses to play each week-keeping each game just a little different than the last. Having this opportunity showed me at a young age that every course not only looks different, but plays different too. With 18 years of golf experience here in southern Utah, I wanted to share my top 5 courses and how they made it onto this list.

1. Coral Canyon Golf Course

If you were to ask me 10 years ago whether or not Coral Canyon Golf Course would be on my list of top 5 golf courses in Southern

Utah, I would have thought you were joking to even bring it up. As of Fall 2020, the course has been under new management, the same management that owns and operates Falcon Ridge Golf Course in mesquite (Another AMAZING course). Since the new management takeover, there have been MAJOR changes to this course improving EVERYTHING. Golfing there in 2022 compared to 2012 is comparable to night and day. The course here plays close to a PGA level. Hitting from the rough is extremely difficult, and the greens play fast. Once you get dialed in, you will have the best time of your life.

2. Sand Hollow Golf Course (Championship Course)

Take away the breathtaking views of landscape from nearly everyhole on this course and what you are left with is an experience with nothing but the best in terms of fairway, bunker, tee box, and green maintenance. The greens here appear a bit spongy but generally play quick. Keep this in consideration when getting ready to sink your bogey putt. Sand Hollow has always been at the forefront of courses to play in St George for a reason.

3. Copper Rock Golf Course

Copper Rock is the most PGA-ready course here in southern Utah. Being the newest addition to the list of southern Utah golf courses, Copper Rock opened in February of 2020. Since its

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opening it has been privileged to host a number of LPGA events. The course is expensive, with 18 holes costing over $180 in the morning and around $120 in the evening. Because of the price of this course, there is usually a tee-time available when you are wanting to go out.

4. SunRiver Golf Course

The SunRiver Golf Course is surrounded by multiple 55+ age communities that make many people, who don’t live there, think that the course is private. With the prices being fair and a good chance to find a tee-time, SunRiver keeps their fairways, greens, and tee boxes in excellent condition. My favorite part about SunRiver is the driving range. The range has each distance pole marked out to the correct yardage making your time at the driving range more effective. The SunRiver range also gives you the opportunity to hit from grass instead of matts. That alone is a reason to go out and play SunRiver. ‘

5. Dixie Red Hills Golf Course

Red Hills was the first golf course developed by the City of St George back in the 1960s. With the course layout being within the red sandstone rocks, each hole gives golfers something to remember. Although this course isn’t very long in distance (9 holes with only one par 5), there is a challenging obstacle on every hole that can give golfers of all levels a challenge.

Americans played golf either on a course OR GOLF simulator

37.5 million

Holiday Festivities

New to the area, or looking for new traditions? There’s a lot to do in St George throughout the holiday season. In no particular order, below are a few of our favorites. Merry Christmas!

St George Christmas Village at Red Cliffs Mall – Nov 25th – Dec 31st – $$

There are activities for all the family at: Food and Shopping, pictures with Santa or activities with Mrs. Claus, Ice Skating, a Tree Lot and more. Admission is $20-$25/person. See details and ticket info on their website: stgeorgechristmasvillage.com

The Best Christmas Lights Around Town – Throughout December – Free

For a free and festive evening, hop in the car and see the decked-out houses around town. HedgeHog Electric usually publishes a map each year with about 20 of the brightest homes. We haven’t seen the 2022 map yet, but here’s the link to their 2020 info and map. Car lines around the homes can be long, but worth it!, so plan accordingly.

Tuacahn’s Live Nativity ($) and A Rudolph Story ($$) – Nov 25th – Dec 23rd

If you have ever been to Tuacahn, you’ll know tickets for the Live Nativity are well worth $2$3/person. The Nativity is even great for small children. Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer is a musical performed in the Indoor Hafen Theatre. Tickets start at $29 and the performance is sure to be a treat! Here’s the link to Tuacahn’s December 2022 Events.

Dickens Festival – Nov 30th – Dec 3rd – $

The Festival is indoors at the Dixie Center. Tickets are $8-$10/person, children 3 and under are free. You can buy tickets and get a sampling of the shopping and activities on the Dickens’ Festival website.

North Pole Express at Thunder Junction – Dec 2nd – Dec 19th – $

During the evenings in December, the train at the Thunder Junction park in Tonaquint is transformed into the Polar Express. Tickets are $7 and limited to 250 each night. So, you’ll want to buy them from the St George Leisure Services Office, at 220 North 200 East, ahead of time. Check out St George City’s webpage for more info.

St. George Gingerbread Parade – Dec 17th – Free

The Gingerbread Parade is a Christmas farmers market at Vernon Worthen Park, 300 South 400 East, St George, Utah. The event is Saturday, December 17,2022 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. This is the last farmers market of the season!

Run Run Reindeer 5k Family Fun Run – Dec 24th – $$

Ivins City hosts an annual fun run on the morning of Christmas Eve. This is a family friendly event, and costs $25-$35/person. If you wear a Santa suit or elf jumper, you won’t be the only one! For event info and registration, check out the Run Run Reindeer page.

2022 MOMENTS

By Diana Juarez

2022 you son of biscuit-eating bulldog. Let’s pay homage to another year and its moments that have kept us distracted, whether we wanted them to or not.

• Though it pains me to talk about this more than necessary, the slap heard worldwide— Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock on the stage of the 2022 Oscars.

• The 2022 Winter Olympics were held in Beijing, China. They topped Toyko with their remote-controlled beds. Tokyo offered the athletes cardboard boxed beds in the summer Olympics designed to be more eco-friendly but were very uncomfortable.

• Hurricane Ian impacts Cuba and the United States leaving 137 dead and leaving millions without power, including the entire nation of Cuba.

• A few of the iconic people that passed away in 2022

• Angela Lansbury - Best known for Murder she Wrote. (October 1925October 2022)

• Sidney Poitier - First black actor to win an Academy Award for best actor (February 1927 - January 2022)

• Queen Elizabeth - ends her 70-year reign, the longest in the history of the British monarchy. (Apil 1926 - September 2022)

• The biggest movie of 2022, TopGun, 1.454 Billion at the box office. It is #11 in top-grossing films.

• Elon Musk completes his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter.

• The Godfather celebrates its 50th anniversary. A movie with one of the most iconic lines in cinematic history, “Leave the gun. Take the cannoli,” a true classic.

• After 15 years of rivalry, Tennessee football beat Alabama. Tennessee fans take goalposts out of the stadium and dump them in the river. No better way to celebrate.

• World Championship Ironman moved from Kona, Hawaii, to St. George! - I’m not too fond of it when that many people are in our town. This year, I took the time to volunteer, and it really helped me see how amazing this is for our city. I highly suggest if volunteering next year!

MONEY MANTRAS

By: JC Hallman

Market swings causing you some anxiety? These four money mantras can help you overcome it.

Whether it’s the continuing presence of the COVID 19 pandemic, a sudden boost in prices related to gas, food, housing and other essentials, supply chain hiccups, an uncertain labor market (or any number of other things), the stock market has certainly seen its share of ups and downs over the past six months As always, it’s impossible to predict what the market will do on any given day But at the start of a new year, it’s always a good idea to take some deep, measured breaths and focus on some basic money mantras. Doing so will help you push through any anxiety you may be feeling regarding your retirement account (no yoga pose required)

Mantra #1: I Am Investing for the Long Term

An old saying goes, “saving for retirement is a journey, not a sprint ” A volatile market can push the most experienced investors into making emotional decisions. However, it’s never a good idea to change your investments simply because of day to day volatility. Set a strategy that’s right for you and stick with it Having a diversified portfolio can help you build confidence in your long term plan so don’t just throw it out the window during big market swings!

Historically, equity markets have trended upward over the long term However, past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Investing involves risk, so you may want to consider working with a financial professional who can help you review your current tolerance for risk, keeping in mind your other financial goals

Mantra #2: I Will Diversify My Portfolio

Putting your money into a number of investment options that include different types of asset classes can help reduce risk. Generally speaking, if your dollars are invested in materially different types of investments (stocks, bonds and cash), and market conditions cause one of your investments to decline, all of your money shouldn’t be affected

A simpler way to understand diversification is to look at the food you put on your plate The more food groups and colors on your plate, the more nutrients your body consumes and the healthier you are. If, however, you only ate pizza every day, your body would suffer from a lack of key nutrients. The same is true for an investment portfolio’s diversification Investors who put their money in only one type of asset (such as stocks) are at an increased risk for loss of principal due to a lack of variety in their portfolio

Mantra #3: I Will Rebalance My Portfolio on a Regular Basis

Over time, market changes can lead to shifts in your portfolio’s asset allocation. For example, you may have started with a 75/25 stock fund to bond fund split, but changes in the market caused stocks to now account for 85% of your portfolio’s value That’s why it’s important to periodically check your asset

allocation to see if it aligns with your current strategy and risk tolerance Keep in mind, you may also want to rebalance to a more aggressive or conservative allocation should your tolerance for risk change due to where you are in life or how close you are to retirement

Mantra #4: I Will Seek Professional Help If I Need It

Many people consult with an investment advisor for guidance regarding their retirement plan investments. An advisor can help you determine an appropriate investment strategy to achieve your financial goals that is based on your risk tolerance and time frame

This material was created for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as ERISA, tax, legal or investment advice. If you are seeking investment advice specific to your needs, such advice services must be obtained on your own separate from this educational material.

Kmotion, Inc., 412 Beavercreek Road, Suite 611, Oregon City, OR 97045; www.kmotion.com

©2021 Kmotion, Inc. This newsletter is a publication of Kmotion, Inc., whose role is solely that of publisher The articles and opinions in this newsletter are those of Kmotion. The articles and opinions are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Nothing in this publication shall be construed as providing investment counseling or directing employees to participate in any investment program in any way. Please consult your financial advisor or other appropriate professional for further assistance with regard to your individual situation.