BamaSanta

Greetings to our Friends~

This morning we awakened to a very cool, crisp 32 degrees.  Frost on the Pumpkin for sure.  And a sure sign that Fall is definitely here; Thanksgiving will be upon us before we know it and Christmas just a short time later!  The leaves are turning just beautifully and falling to the ground as the wind carries them swirling about with a rustling sound.  The Wind chimes are chiming away with the most blustery of days in awhile.  Yes, indeed Fall is here!

We are in amazement that Fall is here already and are wondering just where the rest of year went.  Then we looked at our previous entries and understand completely where they went.  They went to a great deal of Travel this year, visiting with our friends all over the Globe.  We have made many new friends along the way which is always a delight, but we do cherish getting to visit with our old longtime ones too. 

As we think about the forthcoming Christmas Season, we reflect on Christmas's past and are amazed how we are truly blessed to be able to do the things we do.  We have the best 'job' in the world, there's simply no doubt about that and we feel so very fortunate that we can bring Joy and the Magic of the Christmas Season to so many people in so many places.  It is said that God has a plan for us all, and we certainly have no reason to doubt that,  for all that he has done for us,  in giving us this gift that we are able to share with the masses each and every year.

We know how these hard economic times are affecting people's lives, but we don't see any self pity parties going on at all.  In fact, quite the contrary, we see people still smiling, still having fun, still going to church and thanking God for the blessings they DO have and we see parents teaching their children life's precious lessons. 

You see, it's not at all about money.  It's about the human spirit and the gift we were all given.  The gift of love, hope, faith and charity for our fellow man.  We're all in this together and we will all be strenthened through our faith and resolve to overcome the obstacles that we face.

We are looking forward more than ever seeing you all this Christmas Season and Santa simply can't wait to hear those Wish lists from his littlest fans.

We'll see you SOON!

Santa & Mrs. Claus

Greetings to our Friends~

What a whirlwind spring and summer this has been so far!  Since our last entry, we have travelled many many places and visited with so many wonderful people!  We are always astonished how much love there is in the World and so many willing to share theirs with us.

The Convention in Gatlinburg was nothing short of AMAZING!  Please check the Photo Gallery for some of the photos we took at this celebration and you will see Santa Ambassadors from all over the World along with their Mrs. Clauses, Elves, and other Helpers.  We participated in a huge parade right down the middle of Downtown Gatlinburg.  The crowd was estimated at 20,000 people which is the largest group all in one place that we have personally appeared before.  We were stunned by the outpouring of love and Joy and this wonderful event for the entire 3 days and are looking forward to doing it all again next March.  This will be an annual event in the City of Gatlinburg, so if you missed it in 2009, plan to try and attend in 2010.  It will be a night parade and we LOVE night parades BEST!

We have travelled to St. Augustine to check on the children, and found it to be a completely delightful city.  This was our first trip there (off season, that is) and really enjoyed meeting so many great people there.  What a fantastic place to vacation!  As anticipated, there were many children there and we added a LOT of names to the Nice List!  

The children are growing up so quickly, but we also noted that Santa has a LOT of brand NEW customers to visit this year, so we've notified the elves in the Workshop to prepare for a very, very busy Christmas Season.  They have assured us they will be ready.  The new Workshop has been completed so now there are 3 full workshops at the North Pole!  We have appointed "head Elfs" to each of the Workshops in order to NOT overwork anyone.  So far, everything seems to be going well and right on schedule for this time of year.

We will be leaving soon for Maui, Hawaii to see our Hawaiian friends and then on to other parts of the World before returning to America and our home away from home, Alabama.

Stay tuned, more information coming in a month or so.

Best Wishes to all our wonderful friends and......................don't forget to:

"Keep the Magic and Joy of The Season in your Heart All Year Long"

Santa          Mrs. Claus

Santa & Mrs. Claus

Greetings to my Friends!

 The 2008 Season is a WRAP and what a fantastic season it was!

Mrs. Claus and I had another wonderful year visiting and appearing at so many different venues, we've lost count.  The magic of the season was ever present as we made our way to all the fine places once again.  Many thanks to all we had the pleasure of visiting with this year, we hope 2009 will bring good fortune your way.

This March we will be spending a glorious week in Gatlinburg, Tennesee attending the Celebrate Santa convention where we are anticipating a record turnout of Santas helpers that work so hard not only at Christmas, but throughout the year making sure the Joy, Magic and Splendor of each Season is available to all people across the World.  It is anticipated there will be several hundred there to join in the festivities and fun.  Many of the venues will be open to the public, so everyone is invited to share in this joyful occasion.  It will be a sight to see, of course.  Santa and Mrs. Claus will be in attendance but so will all the Santas that help Santa out each year, so finding the REAL Santa is going to be quite difficult.

There is also going to be a huge vendor area with all things Christmas set up and for sale.  This will all take place at the Convention Center right in the middle of Gatlinburg.  If you've never been to Gatlinburg, but have always wanted to go there, this event is the time to go.

After that, Mrs. Claus and I will start some travelling and will be going many different places this year.  We'll try to keep everyone updated through the next several months.

Again, thanks to all for helping us make Christmas 2008 so wonderful for so many beautiful children.  Can you believe that for the first time in many years, Santas 'naughty list' actually was completely empty?!

In closing, we wish you a happy, prosperous and joyous New Year and don't forget:

"Keep the Magic and Joy of the Season in your heart all year long"

Santa

Greetings Friends!

There's no doubt about it, Christmas is on the way.  You see it in all the stores already, and we're hearing some quiet whispers from children that are starting to seriously think about their wish list this year.  Of course, there's Halloween and Thanksgiving to enjoy as a prelude to Christmas, but already, the magic of the season is beginnning to show up.  We are anxiously awaiting yet another wonderful Season filled with all the Joy and Splendor this season will bring.  We hope to be able to share in this with all of you!  Please be sure to check our Website Calendar and you will know where we'll be making personal public appearances.

As most of you know, Santa tries to visit as many Charitable Organizations he can all year long,  especially during the Holidays, but there simply isn't enough time to get them all in.  We have found a wonderful way to incorporate one of our favorites on the worldwide Web through our Website and ask that you check it out.  We are trying to help this wonderful organization raise $1,000. to furnish a Christmas for a family in need this year.  We're hoping those of you that read this will go to the main Website, http://www.santassleigh.org/about/, check it all out and if you are able, donate what you can to this most worthwhile cause. 

Our newest little Reindeer, Rocky, is coming along nicely.  He is a bit over a year old and is settling down and taking his job a little more serious now.  Baby Reindeer have a lot of fun while they're growing up, as it should be, but now it's time for him to get to work and hopefully in a few years qualify to become an alternate 'sleigh deer'.  We have to have several in reserve in case Dasher, Dancer, Blitzen and all the others, for whatever reason, are unable to pull the sleigh on Christmas Eve.  We are still hoping that one day we will be able to have a reserve in the holding pen that could fill in for Rudolph, but Red Nose Reindeer are REALLY tough to find!  We're pretty sure we have the only one.

Today we will be taking Inventory at Workshop #1 and Monday Workshop#2 to determine if perhaps next year we might consider adding yet another workshop.  The requests are coming in fast already and our elves are working harder and harder to stay current.  It will only get busier as the season draws nearer, but keepthose requests coming in, and the earlier the BETTER!

Speaking of Elves, we understand there have been quite a few of our elves causing a bit of mischief while checking up on some of the kids.  We had a report just yesterday from one little girl that her Elf messed up the house at night while the family was sleeping!  Please understand that sometimes the elves have to move very fast and the wind sometimes will blow things around.  And then there are some Elves that are just plain messy!  The good news is that they have visited your house and found out just how many 'nice' children there are!  We've had very few reports of naughty children this year and those that have been found have plenty of time to do better and get on the 'nice' list.  One quick way for kids to get on the nice list is to sign the Kid For Character pledge.  After signing it, though, the child MUST follow the pledge each and every day.  For those of you that haven't seen the Pledge, here it is:

                                         Kid For Character

I Promise to be a Kid With Character

I will be worthy of your trust.

I will be respectful and responsible toward Everyone, doing what I must.

I will always act with fairness, and show that I care.

I will always be a good citizen and do my share.

Signed ________________________________

Moms and Dads can print this pledge out and have their children read it, or read it to them and let them decide if they want to be a Kid For Character.

Once the pledge is signed, they must follow the pledge to stay in good standing with Santa.  Sometimes, they might slip a little, so it's Mom and Dads job to keep the pledge close by as a reminder so they can stay on the "nice' list.

This will be the last message here before the Holidays, so from us to YOU, a big hug and our wish for you and your family to enjoy the Holidays and have the best Christmas EVER!

With much love,

Santa & Mrs. Claus

P.S.

Don't forget to:

"Keep the Joy and Spirit of the Season in your heart all year long"