Santa Claus is Coming To Town

Last week Joe came home early and we got to take Brooklynn to The Bass Pro Shop to see Santa!  I have been looking forward to this for a long time, and I was so excited to see how she would react!  I wasn't sure if she would cry or be fine with him.  Part of me thought she would cry, and part of me thought she'd be fine!   We were in line for a long time, for reasons I'll share at the end of this post.  So, by the time we got to Santa, I was really questioning how she would do.  I sat her on his lap................and the pics explain it all!

At first she just stared at him in awe, like "Who are you?!"

 Then all of the sudden she was all smiles, and acting like he was a long lost buddy!  I love this picture of her with him!  First time on Santa's lap was a success!  He was so sweet!  We'll see if she still loves him next year!=)

Sitting in front of the HUGE tree!  She looks so tiny!

Gosh, I just love this girl to pieces!  

She took a pic on the 4 wheeler for Korv and Uncle Joseph!

While we were in line waiting for Santa, we noticed a camera man, and several Bass Pro workers talking and coordinating something.  After standing in line for about 20 minutes, they asked everyone in line to move to one side, and said they had a surprise that we weren't going to want to miss.  A woman and her two children were brought to the front of the line, and the kids were lead to sit on Santa's lap.  They talked to Santa for a few minutes, and then Santa told them to close their eyes.  Their dad had been away for 10 months, serving in the army, and all they wanted for Christmas was for him to come home. Their mom had been working with the Bass Pro Shop administration to coordinate this surprise for months.  While the children closed their eyes and buried their heads in Santa's chest, the ROTC from the local High School walked in carrying the United States Flag, and behind them was the children's father.  The ROTC parted and this father, dressed in his uniform, walked forward and stood staring at his children until Santa told them they could open their eyes.  The little girl must have been around 8, and the boy around 5 or 6.  The little girl opened her eyes first, and when she saw her dad, her mouth dropped open, her face lit up, and she immediately fled from Santa's lap and ran into her dad's arms.  The little boy wasn't far behind.  It was the sweetest thing to watch!  I don't think there were many dry eyes as we all watched this unfold.  It was a good reminder of the important things in life, and I felt so grateful that I never have to say goodbye to Joe for months on end.  I also felt so much gratitude for this man and the sacrifice he makes to protect our country.   It was a really sweet thing to witness, and I think it helped us realize what's really important during this holiday season.