{ Is that you Santa? }

This image literally gave me goosebumps and a tingle up my spine.

I love Santa. Love him.

Do you remember the total overwhelming excitement of Christmas eve and waiting for him to come? It would just consume me. I believed in Santa possibly way longer than any of my sisters or brother or friends - I think I knew, but was just holding on for dear life because I loved him so much! I think a big part of it was that I am the youngest of four, my older sisters and brothers tried to make me believe for awhile longer, I was always 'the baby'.

My dad is a pilot and would fly over our house in his light plane on Christmas eve after we came home from midnight mass, Mum would play sleigh bells on a CD, it was so exciting - I truly believed it was Santa Claus coming to put my presents under our tree! We would leave out two beers (now I realise, one for my Dad and one for my brother who is 13 years older than me), and carrots for the reindeer. In the morning we would find them nibbled off and empty cans of beer at the door. I think this is why, despite having two chimneys in our house, I always believed Santa came through the door. It was logicial - right next to the Christmas tree! I even 'knew' where Santa landed, there is a long strip of lawn next to my parents bedroom, which I thought was an ideal sleigh landing spot. I remember checking for evidence and I think one year I uncovered some suspicious divets!

Now I love how excited my niece Chloe gets about Santa {my other three nieces are too young to fully get into it}. She has elaborate stories she tells me about how Santa sprinkles magic fairy dust on her dog Jesse who sleeps in the laundry, because that's where Santa comes in because she doesn't have a chimney. This year she will be at my Mum's though, I wonder if she will think he comes through the door like I did? My brother {Chloe's dad} who so many years ago drank Santa's beer is no longer allowed beer - Chloe says Santa can't possibly drink and fly!

Well Chloe and her sister Charlie, my brother and sister-in-law are Thorpdale-bound right now, and Yea is halfway between their house and Thorpdale, so I best run to catch them on their coffee/toilet stop before another two hours in the car!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! 
*exit to sleigh bells ringing in distance...*

{ Image found here }