Visit with Santa

Santa made his yearly appearance at Arends-Awe one Saturday morning in early December on a tractor.  Ainsley was excited to go see Santa, but her feelings quickly changed the closer we got to the front of the line to see him.  

Lily waiting in line to see Santa

Aunt Jennifer and Lily....Mommy's arms needed a break from holding the little chunk!

Ainsley and Brayden checking out the tractors

Miss Attitude!

Joel's cousin Jacob was there to see Santa with his daughter, Alaina.  Alaina was born about 3 weeks before Lily!


Freeman boys with their girls

Ainsley enjoyed shopping while we waited for our turn to see Santa.  She found a John Deere bike!

Lily didn't seem to mind Santa much.  She just looked at him, and then the reindeer caught her attention!  I love how Arends-Awe have real reindeer with Santa!


I laughed when I came to this picture.  Poor Santa....Lily was grabbing his beard hair!

Oh, there's a reindeer!

Ainsley wasn't so thrilled to be put on Santa's lap.  Aunt Jennifer set her up there and Ainsley immediately started screaming and crying.  I love how Lily was just looking at Ainsley, like:  "What's wrong, sissy????"  And, poor Santa had a hard time keeping Ainsley in the sleigh with him!

Let me go, Santa!

Ainsley couldn't get off of his lap fast enough!  Then, it was Lani and Drake's turn. I don't think Drake gave Santa the long list like he did last year, but I'm sure they both let Santa know just what they wanted....including two front teeth for Lani!

Ainsley didn't want to get too far away from Santa after she got off his lap.  She stood off to the side and just looked at him after we were all done.  I finally went over and told her we were going to get ready to go, and we needed to find Daddy.  She didn't want to go find Daddy!  So, Ainsley and I stood off to the side while other kids went and sat on Santa's lap.  I asked her if she wanted to sit on his lap again, to which she replied:  "NO!"  I asked her if she told him what she wanted for Christmas, and she told me she hadn't.  I told her to tell him (from where we were standing) what she wanted, and she then proceeded to whisper, in a soft voice that even I had a hard time hearing, the things she wanted for Christmas.  She whispered:  "A Mickey bike" and I asked her if she wanted anything else, and then she looked over at Santa and whispered:  "a baby (doll)".  I asked her if she was done, which she said she was, but still wanted to stand there for another minute or so and just watch him.  So, there we stood.  Just watching Santa and his reindeer.  She finally got her fill and was ready to find Daddy. 

I'm okay if my shy little girl never wants to actually sit on Santa's lap.  I'm just so proud of her that she still told him what she wanted, even if it was from 15 feet away.