I'll preface this with the fact that our children do not believe in Santa. Though we humor the season and do family pictures with him at the dept Christmas parties, watch fun Christmasy Santa movies, and make Santa cookies, they are quite grounded in reality. So, just as the children know there is no woman flying around in the middle of the night with a fat wallet and a bag of teeth, no cupid kids taking people out with a bow and arrow and no rabbits that go around laying eggs....since when did rabbits lay eggs anyway....so they also know that a massive dude with flying reindeer living in sub zero temperatures dressed in a vibrant house robe with an equally colorful nightcap and black mud boots does not truly exist either. I have no issues in the least with those that do let their children believe and go with the whole Santa thing for Christmas...it's just what we've chosen to do and what we feel is right for our own family and what we are trying to instill within our own children.
Some call it Scrooge, some tend to think our children are deprived....I tend to think they're grounded in reality. I can't quite rationalize the hypocrisy of telling our children lies when we are continually telling them and raising them to be completely upright and honest people. And people argue this point to death...especially in the circles large families tend to frequent....and I do agree that those who let their children believe in Santa are far from raising compulsive liars. That theory is laughable, at best. But the world tends to be completely black and white to this heart of mine and the big jolly fat guy.....along with the egg laying rabbits, killer cupids and crazed night owls loaded with a bag of teeth....falls in the black and white category. He either exist or he doesn't. I'm not real in love with lying to them for the 1st however many years of their life only to break it to them later and explain how I lied to them for years on end, all while disciplining their untruthful ways.....not to mention that Santa and his modern day reputation is nothing but greed....the I want's and what can I get's. The attention is taken completely away and shifted from the birth of Jesus and the absolute depth of the meaning of Christmas to a rotund dude in a big red robe that tells you to make lists of everything your greedy little heart wants. Scrooge, perhaps....but true none the less. I'm not into Christmas to create greedy little souls and have them making lists of every toy in every mail order catalog that arrives. I'm in it to teach them what it is to bless others, to give from their heart and create in them the willingness to die to self such as the gift that they were given in the life of Jesus. It's not about them....it's about the absolutely amazing birth of Jesus, what they have been given and how to give back just as they were given to. Christmas is about blessing others.
Next year we have a radical plan to not do gifts at all but to just spend a week away as a family in a cabin in the mountains....isolated from the commercialization and focusing on the actual reason for Christmas, the depth of it and what we were given in the birth of Jesus and in His death, what we have in each other as a family, what it is to give to others, the joy that comes while watching them receive, and just having fun together as a family....away from the stress, the greed, and the "me" factor. We'll do a simple tree up in the snowy mountains of New Mexico, do easy meals and invest in a ton of family games before we leave. We'll spend the days in the snow and spend nights by the fire playing family games and eating popcorn, laughing until we cry and making memories that last an entire lifetime... rather than giving toys that they will probably not remember by Christmas of next year. If all goes well it may become a tradition.
The more children we have, the older we grow and the more time that elapses the more we both realize it's just not about the stress that surrounds this season or the monetary purchases. It's what we make of it as a family and what we want to instill within our children and the heart of giving in every way. Giving to those that the Lord lays on each of our hearts. Giving back in thanks for the many things we have been given or blessed by throughout the year. Everyday is about giving back for us...but in this season, just as the wise men laid it at the feet of Jesus, so we lay gifts at the feet of those that He lays on our hearts as we seek to bless others. It's going to be an amazing transition and the children have begged to try and pull the plan off this year. They are ecstatic about making the change from receiving in such abundance from everyone to giving out of the joy of their hearts and creating with their hands what they can give. They're excitement excites my own heart and we all eagerly anticipate the arrival of next Christmas, as we have more time to plan and make arrangements for travel.
So, back to Santa....they are told the truth. The truth that St Nicholas really did exist and the whole story of his life and legend and how the modern day Santa came to be known. The lttle ones often get the story screwed up though and upon being told that St Nicholas did once live but is dead now sweet four year old Garrett gleefully told both our Santa believing friends, and then Santa himself, when seeing him walk through the door..."Santa is dead." I laughed at that one. But, they do know Santa is not real and never has been. After telling the story over and again this year Grant did come to me and say...."Mom, so the real St Nick gives real gifts but the fake Santa gives fake gifts?" Ummmm......no, son. But, I suppose he's headed in the right direction.
And on a funny "the things they say" note. Garrison came to me a few weeks ago and began the following conversation.
Garrison..."Mom, when you die I don't want Daddy to ever get married again."
Me..."Why?"
Garrison..."Cause I just don't."
Me..."Ok, buddy. But when I die and if it's when you're still little the Lord might just send somebody to Daddy to help take care of him like I do and help take care of you too. It'd be lonely without a mom. But the Lord would make sure she was just perfect and that she'd love you sooooo much....just like I do. Or maybe he wouln't send anybody either. I don't know. But I don't plan on dying anytime soon so don't worry about that stuff now, buddy."
Garrison...."Nope. I've decided I don't want anybody else."
Me..."Why?"
Garrison....."Cause you take sooo many showers every day. You're just so clean and you just always smell so good and you're pretty. So....I just want you."
Well...I suppose it's nice to know you're loved, cherished and longed for by your children because you shower twice a day and use Bath and Body Works body spray.
And having 10 kids does have its perks. Due to sheer volume of kids Santa now makes personal home visits!
Upon getting the news that he was coming the children and I went on a 2 hr fanatical cleaning frenzy in which we cleaned everything from top to bottom and restrung our pathetic, 1/2 lit Christmas tree and decorated the entire thing. I told the children Santa was going to have to go on Prozac if he saw our sad excuse of a tree in the state it was in....1/2 lit, looking like it'd been run over by a mac truck and 1 lone obnoxious ornament 1/4 of the size of the tree. After a harried morning and putting in a desperate call for working husband to come home and detail the bathrooms all was well and good ole Santa did not end up being cemented to the floor or super glued to the couch. Bathroom cleaning husband teased that the South Pole Santa was on his way with the health dept in tow. So, the health dept didn't end up showing up...but at least they could have and we wouldn't have been in danger.
Just chillin' with Santa and the loot he brought with him
Holding Mountain Santa's walking stick. Henry made the stick himself and carved the Santa at the top of it..the top you can't see in this pic.
Who knew little kids could hand feed the big guy.
He's looking a little more like a member of the KKK Christmas sect rather than a skinny Santa Jr but it's the only good shot I got of the hand carved Santa at the top of the stick along with the holly, ribbon and bells.
Ummmm....Mother Christmas? And if you look close you'll figure out that Grant has his arms wrapped around Garrett and Gavin and he's the one holding the guns. Not exactly sure what Garrett and Gavin are doing...besides not paying attention to having their pic taken. And Graham had fallen asleep so he missed out on Mother Christmas.
I really love the reindeer look attached to the whole Santa garb.
Yet more anonymous Santas
How many little boys can you fit in a Santa coat made for a 6'3 man?
Santa in his everyday attire.
On a more serious note....this has to be one of the kindest, most generous and loving men I've ever known. How grateful we are to have Henry as part of our lives and how blessed I am by his continual kindness and how he loves and continues to give to our family in so many countless ways. Time and the investment into our children's lives is a lifetime gift. He is amazed and in awe of our children and we are just as equally amazed and grateful for his presence in our lives and his willingness to teach our children a trade, and skills that expand so far beyond mere taxidermy. He continues to give in so many ways to our family. His personal reputation is amazing and he is the most renowned taxidermist in this part of Texas....and we have the honor of him training our children and investing into our lives in so very many ways. We are entirely blessed to have him in our lives.
Evye was invited to the shop a few weeks ago to see what it is Grayson does while he works and see if it interested her at all. She proved to hold her own well amidst the guys and intrigued them by her willingness to help and learn, and her intense interest in it all. It went so well that she was invited back again and she impressed them even more the 2nd day. So, Henry offered her a place alongside Grayson two days a week. So it is that we have two taxidermying children. On the slow days they do woodwork, build birdhouses, do bead and leather work and a ton of arts and crafts. I'm so grateful for this opportunity. Not only are Grayson and Evye hunting regularly but Garrison gets to make his first hunting trip after the first of the year. I go next week! It's been awhile since I've been out there and I may find my need for glasses greater than I anticipated....but I plan on shooting....whether I hit something or not.
Henry loving on his honorary grandbabies
So, this wasn't exactly the end of the year family picture I had in mind but it works well and gets us all in there.
And new pictures of babies. Graham's red hair is finally visible in some pics. And sweet baby Gatlin boy is still just as bald as ever. There's a little sneak peak going on at the nape of his neck in a tiny tuft of hair. When it does finally start to grow, based on what I can see, I think it's going to be about the color of Ivye's.
