Do you remember when you found out that Santa wasn’t real? More likely then not, if you have an older sibling, like I do, we probably share a similar story. It goes a little something like this: Big brother tells little sister – bam – cat is out of the bag.
Me and Acey on the Cruise on Bay
In my case, Acey wasn’t being malicious, he has never been that kind of brother, but I remember it still hurting… “Nooo, remember when Santa put all the lights up and decorated the house last year for Christmas morning??!” a young Julianna pleaded that it wasn’t so. Brother Acey only replied, “That was mom.” Tear.
I always remember liking Christmas, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I started loving Christmas. It all started when my dad (also known as Papa, Big Ace, and most affectionately, Hundahdah) did a bobcat and dumptruck removal for a friend. This removal was a little unusual for him, usually he would remove dirt, asphault, concrete – what have you – but this removal, he was asked to remove the entire contense of a friend’s garage.
Jolly Ol’ Saint Nic and Phil
Now Hundahdah has been known to pack away a thing to two – Unbeknownst to us, Hundahdah stashed away a percentage of the garage contents – only to have them re-emerge as carefully wrapped Christmas gifts. A fire extinguisher, a industrial stapler, a universal water faucet, monogrammed button up t-shirts, a jar of electrical wire screw caps…
That was the year that I fell in love with Christmas.
Dad’s gift to me
Christmas 2014 was right on par, I don’t know how Dad does it, but they just get better then the last. You might not believe it, but Dad use to actually be a Grinch. Over the last couple years, he really has transformed into Jolly Ol’ Saint Nic himself! The above picture is one of the many gifts Dad got me this year, a globe in a box – accompanied by a $20 bill – he said “That is so you can teach your kids about the world one day.” Haha – I love my dad.
Zoe is just waking up
Christmas wouldn’t be so sweet with out these two faces.
Maddie getting ready for Christmas morning
This year Dad got us all about 4 gifts, they didn’t come from a bobcat and dumbstruck removal, but they probably did come from the garbage – if not the garbage, he acquired them in some other way only known to him. All heartfelt and personal. Below Phil got some old fishing gear and… a broken Pinoccio figurine! But of course!
Maybe some would call them “gag gifts,” but these are specialized. There is a story behind every, seemingly obscure, gift. These are the gifts I looks forward to. I actually still have some macadamian nuts from 2 years ago – That year dad hand picked and gifted us the nuts. Along with about 20 minutes of verbal instruction on how to properly crack them. Again, love my dad.
Maddie and Zoe both got boxes of cereal! Those, I’m certain he paid for – at the .99cent store. Yes, that is a genuine smile from Maddie. Like I said, each year better then the last.
When I was younger, I don’t know if I would have said I had a favorite holiday, but now – there is no competition. Christmas.
ZoZo and her Fruit Loops
Looking forward to next year.
Lifeguard Maddie on the look out – binoculars gifted from Dad