This season, more than Christmases past, my son is fascinated by Santa and his work. He wants to know all the details of Christmas Eve, the delivery system, precisely how many cookies to leave on the plate, if the Santa in my Christmas show was the same Santa at the military children's Christmas party ("Is he the REAL Santa?") and so on and so forth. He's convinced he is going to stay up "all night" tonight to hand-deliver Santa his cookies and milk. Personally, I think he also wants to take advantage of one last opportunity to be sure Santa got it right with his gift. He's such a little negotiator. A few weeks ago, he wasn't convinced that sitting on Santa's lap was the best way to share his list, so I suggested he write a letter...like I once did.
While in beautiful Denver last week to perform with the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, I popped into a cute little boutique appropriately named I Heart Denver. It carries only handmade goods from local artisans, like Etsy with four walls...fantastic! Within this adorable boutique, I stumbled upon quite possibly the cutest idea ever: the Letter to Santa Sack by Paper Plates Press. Not only did the sack contain a beautifully letterpressed notecard and envelope, but three gorgeous gift tags and a tiny thank you card from the Jolly One himself. Sheer perfection. Recalling the thrill in my son's voice when he responded to the idea of writing a letter to Santa for the first time, I snapped up the sack and promptly paid...with a smile on my face and the joy of Christmas warming my heart. I knew he'd be over-the-moon with excitement!
Sure enough, as soon as I pulled the Letter to Santa Sack out of my suitcase, my son ran to the dining room table to pen his letter. In my opinion, first grade writing skills are just the ingredient for a perfect letter to Santa!
Rather than mailing the letter, we placed it near our stockings for Santa to see tonight...which also gives Santa the perfect opportunity to leave the little thank you note in its place (wink, wink).
Thank you Paper Plates Press for creating such a delightful little gift! The memory of his first letter to Santa will be cherished for many years to come...as will the twinkle in my childrens' eyes as they experience Christmas this year. The twinkle in mine will be a little brighter because of them, and because the radiance of a star atop Bethlehem announced the birth of Jesus Christ so long ago...giving us the real reason to celebrate.
Merry Christmas, from our family to yours!
Photographs and Card Design by Kelly Armijo of Armijo Designs
Katie, thank you for capturing such beauty in a snapshot of your life-and for taking the time to share this with all of us. It reminds me of Luke's account when "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart". Mary was a mother, just like you, and I can imagine her savoring the moments in Jesus' life when he discovered special things. Maybe the first time he saw a lamb come from its mother's womb, or the first time he asked about rainbows.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your perspective. You bless me as you let God work through you. :)