Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

Before we left town after Thanksgiving, I took Millie Janalee and Smith to visit Santa at a local boutique in town.  We stood in line over an hour I'm sure.  I was told it was the shortest the line had been all weekend.  Thankfully, there was a fun train table to occupy Millie Janalee for bits of time...between her trying to find an escape through all the breakables of the gift shop.  Most importantly, I was glad my mom was able to come for support...and manpower.  We got some super sweet pictures...mostly of Smith with Santa.  Since Millie Janalee wasn't having any of it.  I did bribe her with a candy cane to at least sit on his lap.  So in all our pictures she is pouting with a candy cane in her mouth.  Ha!

And we got some memorable ones too...

Our attempt at getting all the cousins together

I didn't even realize Smith was so upset until I looked at the pictures afterward.  Poor second child.  His cry isn't quite loud enough to overpower the screaming two year old yet.  And Hughes...well, he's like "I'm not gonna cry or pout.  Santa Claus is coming to town!"  Haha!  But weren't my babies dressed to the nines?!  They matched and everything.  In hopes of a Hallmark moment.  Nope.

After our long drive home the following day, Millie Janalee had a surprise in the mail.  An envelope addressed to her from the North Pole!  She eagerly waited for us to unload and clear out a spot for her to open her mail.

Opening her mail

What could it be?!

Inside, she found a letter from Santa addressed to her!  In the letter Santa talked about all the work he's been doing at the North Pole, how proud he was of her being such a good big sister to Smith, and he talked about his favorite part of the Christmas season - celebrating Christ's birth.  He promised to bring her something fun and to stick something in for Smith too.

Santa included a few other things too.  Millie Janalee has been such a sweet girl this year that she received her very own Nice List Certificate signed by Santa himself!  He also stuck in some autographed photos of himself and his favorite reindeer, Rudolph.

It was an exciting way to begin December in our home!  Smith was pretty elated about the whole thing...as he usually is.

This Christmas will surely be our favorite Christmas yet!  God is so good.