Christmas Surprise

I talked about the hard to find toys of the season on the show last week. Naturally, my 6 year old Daughter asked Santa for one of those toys. Little did I know when she was sitting on Santa's lap that the toy would be one of "those" toys. But THAT toy marked a special place in our hearts this Christmas.

Knowing that Santa would be very busy making toys for lots of little girls and boys, I went to the American Girl store and asked for the "Tree house" thinking it was a barbie type plastic get up. I wanted to "help" Santa this year. The very nice but honest clerk looked at me like I had been hiding under a rock for the past two months and said, "we're sold out of those". I left thinking that I would use my internet skills and find one online. I went home to look it up the American Girl store website only to find that it was SOLD OUT there too. I soon discovered other online "retailers" and craigslist gougers were marking this sweet wooden house on a real looking tree for dolls up 300%! An already outrageously priced $250 toy was now being sold for $800 and up! I prepared to tell Callie that Santa doesn't always bring what we want but he wouldn't forget her.

Yesterday afternoon I was talking to my Dad who lives 6 hours away in a small Colorado mountain town on the Western Slope. He asked me what the kids were most wanting for Christmas. I told him about the treehouse and how I was worried about Callie being disappointed Christmas morning. We went on to talk about other kid things including my 1 year old little boy who will enjoy his first Christmas opening gifts and my oldest daughter growing out of toys and simply growing up too fast!

I finished work last night after two 12 hour days and came home excited to focus on the kids and my husband. The baby was in bed and the girls were still up at 8:30 when the door bell rang. At first I thought it was the girls joking around but when I went to the door there was a tree stump under a sheet on the door step. My heart skipped a beat and my mind raced but I quickly figured out what was underneath. The girls jumped outside the door and tore off the sheet.

ChristmasThere stood a hand crafted house on a REAL TREE. Fresh with the smell of linseed oil, a balcony, a window on the side, tree branches, "Callie Jean" written above the door, even a moon and star on the top. It couldn't have been more perfect. Grandpa jumped out from the side of the house and said he had a special call from Santa asking for help with Callie's Christmas request this year.

It was an early Christmas present that surprised all of us probably ME more than anyone. I told Callie about the Barbie house in her room that Grandpa built 31 years ago for my sister and me, I was just one year older than she is now and I was just as surprised as she was last night.

The surprise visit, the tree house, the fun we had with unexpected visitors... all part of this holiday we will never forget thanks to Santa's helper named Grandpa. We love you.