JustinN
12-19-2014, 06:08 AM
In the spirit of my last post, and keeping things good in here, let's stop and take a moment to discuss things we're thankful for. Thanksgiving shouldn't be the only time of year we reflect on the good things that happen to us. I had a heavy reminder of this the other day when we went to Walmart and a biker group was collecting toys out front for the Toys for Tots drive. We bought a toy and had my daughter give it to them, with her understanding the toy was for a little boy who didn't have toys. It was a sobering reminder of how great most of us have things, but there are many people who don't have things going so well, and regardless of the reason, their children can't do anything about it.
Now, back to something fun... My daughter, Saoirse, turned three at the end of July. This year Santa is THE MAN. It has been one of the best things watching how excited she gets every time she sees him! She has sat on his lap five times now, and overtime she is just as excited as the previous! The first time we went to Bass Pro and had her picture with him (They have a really good Santa here, with stuffed Reindeer and a carousel, games, crafts, etc). They had to change the photo printer cartridge just as we got to the front of the line, and with the delay Santa came over to the line and told "The Night Before Christmas". Satires was in awe at him standing so near, and telling the story she knew so well (She eve helped him with the story a few times when he tried to add a dramatic pause). After that she sat on his lap and told him all about the things she wanted. it really was a great experience and I think helped her set the tone for her Santa interaction this year.
The second time, she got to ride on the float with him at the local Kiwanis parade (my mom is the president of Kiwanis so we might have had some special access) and she got some one-on-one time with Santa before the parade started. The third time we were at my old college, which the alumni association does a Breakfast with Santa. We were standing in line to get a balloon snowman made by a clown when Santa walked in. I was holding her and she started waving at him, motioning for him to come over, and yelling "Santa! I love you! Come here Santa!". The fourth time was the above mentioned Walmart trip and we had just picked out the toy to donate, when we rounded the corner, and there he was, sitting in a chair waiting for visitors. They had JUST set it up, no one was even around yet, so she got to run over to him and talk for a minute. A line quickly formed and we left, but it was kind of neat that it was a chance encounter and she didn't have to wait at all, just pure excitement with immediate interaction. The fifth time was this past Tuesday, she had her Christmas program with her pre-school and at the end of their performance, he showed up and took pictures with all of them. Every single time has been a magical experience for her and seeing her delight has really changed my thinking from what I want for Christmas, to just how special this time of year is for her!
Also, I filled my truck up for $1.97 a gallon....That was pretty special too - especially since I've been very fortunate and have been hunting way more this year than I ever have, so I've needed to burn the extra gas. There is just something special about standing in the woods for a few hours, doing nothing but enjoying nature and reflecting on all the great things in my life. Also, shooting a deer with my bow and getting to provide meat for the family is a pretty awesome experience.
That got a little long, so in case anyone TLDRs it but wants the gist (TLDR = too long, didn't read) - My daughter LOVES Santa, We have cheap gas, and I get to hunt a lot - ;)
Let's hear from everyone else! Tell us about how great your 2014 is wrapping up, and know that 2015 will be even better!
Now, back to something fun... My daughter, Saoirse, turned three at the end of July. This year Santa is THE MAN. It has been one of the best things watching how excited she gets every time she sees him! She has sat on his lap five times now, and overtime she is just as excited as the previous! The first time we went to Bass Pro and had her picture with him (They have a really good Santa here, with stuffed Reindeer and a carousel, games, crafts, etc). They had to change the photo printer cartridge just as we got to the front of the line, and with the delay Santa came over to the line and told "The Night Before Christmas". Satires was in awe at him standing so near, and telling the story she knew so well (She eve helped him with the story a few times when he tried to add a dramatic pause). After that she sat on his lap and told him all about the things she wanted. it really was a great experience and I think helped her set the tone for her Santa interaction this year.
The second time, she got to ride on the float with him at the local Kiwanis parade (my mom is the president of Kiwanis so we might have had some special access) and she got some one-on-one time with Santa before the parade started. The third time we were at my old college, which the alumni association does a Breakfast with Santa. We were standing in line to get a balloon snowman made by a clown when Santa walked in. I was holding her and she started waving at him, motioning for him to come over, and yelling "Santa! I love you! Come here Santa!". The fourth time was the above mentioned Walmart trip and we had just picked out the toy to donate, when we rounded the corner, and there he was, sitting in a chair waiting for visitors. They had JUST set it up, no one was even around yet, so she got to run over to him and talk for a minute. A line quickly formed and we left, but it was kind of neat that it was a chance encounter and she didn't have to wait at all, just pure excitement with immediate interaction. The fifth time was this past Tuesday, she had her Christmas program with her pre-school and at the end of their performance, he showed up and took pictures with all of them. Every single time has been a magical experience for her and seeing her delight has really changed my thinking from what I want for Christmas, to just how special this time of year is for her!
Also, I filled my truck up for $1.97 a gallon....That was pretty special too - especially since I've been very fortunate and have been hunting way more this year than I ever have, so I've needed to burn the extra gas. There is just something special about standing in the woods for a few hours, doing nothing but enjoying nature and reflecting on all the great things in my life. Also, shooting a deer with my bow and getting to provide meat for the family is a pretty awesome experience.
That got a little long, so in case anyone TLDRs it but wants the gist (TLDR = too long, didn't read) - My daughter LOVES Santa, We have cheap gas, and I get to hunt a lot - ;)
Let's hear from everyone else! Tell us about how great your 2014 is wrapping up, and know that 2015 will be even better!