Twas the night before Christmas, When all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, Not even a mouse…

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there…

Did I Ever Tell You About the Christmas
The ‘Real’ Santa Claus Visited Our House?

I want to share with you a story about how we ended up with Santa Claus at our traditional family Christmas party.

The first of December a few years ago, my battery charger for my Makita drill stopped working.  Now for this girl from the South, I absolutely NEED my own tools and I need them working at all times… haha

So, Steve and I asked around and found that there was an old fashioned hardware store that had been around for many years who may have the charger or an out of production battery in stock. As we entered this older building there was a lady at a desk in the front room.  She had piles of papers on her desk and was surrounded by boxes of tools, old and new.  She instructed us to walk through several rooms to the back to get some help. As we wound from room to room, you could definitely tell this was a business that had been around for many years.

Finally, we found a counter with a window. Walking up, we clicked on a bell and waited for help.  An older gentleman walked up asking what he could do for us. I showed him my 5 older Makita batteries and 2 chargers, telling him nothing worked. We honestly didn’t know if it was the batteries or the chargers that wouldn’t work.  He asked us to hold on for a second so he could check with someone else.

Well, I could see through the open window another older gentleman in the far back.  He was piddling around in his work overalls.  He had caught my attention immediately, so my eyes stayed glued to this fellow… and then… he turned around.

I gasped when I saw his face covered in a white beard. Wire rim glasses were sitting at the end of his nose. I could hardly believe my eyes, but his cheeks were plump and rosy and when I heard him laugh, I knew!

At that very moment, I pulled on Steve’s arm and whispered: “Look!  Look!  That’s Santa – I’m absolutely sure of it!”  I felt like a child again seeing Santa for the first time.  Only this time, I was a grown woman over 60 years old and I truly was seeing the REAL Santa for the very first time. I think Steve was as surprised as I was. I couldn’t take my eyes off Santa Claus as he walked toward the window.

Every word, every smile, every laugh, every twinkle just confirmed to me that he was REALLY Santa Claus.

After some discussion, and my revelation that I was SURE he was Santa, his “ho, ho, ho” along with the twinkle in his eyes was all I needed.  We found that this jolly and kind old man volunteered to be Santa at a children’s orphanage in the area and many other places each Christmas. That’s when I knew we had to have him at our family Christmas party!  I asked a total stranger whom I was sure was really Santa to join our family celebration 3 weeks later. He was thrilled with the invitation and after asking where we lived said he would arrive around 6 pm on December 24th!

He showed up in a Santa suit which had to come from the North Pole and enjoyed several delightful hours with our family.  The children and adults alike laughed and talked with this jolly olde soul, including Steve’s 90-year-old mom.

We all still remember this magical night; it’s one that we will never forget!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!