"Santa knows my name!"

Monday night we made a hurried trip to the mall with Ty & Kamen after realizing that we had not visited Santa yet and Christmas WAS 2 DAYS AWAY!! What bad parents we are! lol Actually Ty is well aware of the true meaning of Christmas but Santa is a part of our Christmas tradition as he was in my family. Rox had given me a heads up that at the age of 10 - Kamen was a little skeptical of most Santas and that it was important to him that Santa call him by name. After quickly figuring that one out (a whispered conversation to Santa's helper while we were looking at picture packages) and then the boys were on their way. Ty approached first and Santa called out, "Tyler, what do you want for Christmas?". It wasn't until he called "Kamen, how about you?" that the boys had stunned looks on their faces. Their picture is so cute - partly because instead of the hilarity that ususally surrounds these two - it is a softer, sweeter version! The both came running out to tell us, "Santa knew our name!" Kamen added, "He must be the REAL Santa!" Sharp as he is, he noted that WE hadn't even talked to Santa before the boys got to go see him! The rest of the night, they marveled at the fact that they had talked to the "real" Santa, otherwise, how would he have known their name??!!

It was actually a cool spiritual thought as well. After all, we know the true Messiah, one who knows us BY NAME. The one who came to earth as a baby and left it a Savior. Every night we read our Advent book and have read Luke 2 many times this season. But Jesus Christ isn't some far off Savior - He lives in our hearts and calls us BY NAME! My mind can't remember the actual song that goes something like, "He knows my name, He knows my every thought, He sees each tear that falls, and hears me when I call, and hears me when I call..." Isn't that the greatest gift ever!

"I don't want to ask for too much!"

IN pictures - finally!
With cousins at the Children's Museum (world's largest!) - Ty's favorite place

Ty at the Dinosaur area talking to the scientists on duty (I think they are called paleontologists - probably have that completely wrong!!). Ty enjoyed getting to talk to them and observe them working on fossils etc!
Let it snow - and it did!!!
It was cold - very cold!!
And now on to the rest of the story!!!!!

"I don't want to ask for too much!"
That is what Ty said when I asked him what he thought Santa might be bringing him. He said "Hmm... maybe 4 presents? I don't want to ask for too much." He was quite serious and although I have no idea what was going through his mind - it was not the response I quite expected. In fact he had only asked Santa for one thing - a blue power ranger (all of about $7). I'm not sure if he thought Santa couldn't carry it all or that Santa was having a hard year but for some reason he didn't expect much. He was quite excited Christmas morning to see an air hockey table (and enjoyed beating all of us!) and a lot of other presents but after the first couple, he started asking "is that for me too??!". It wasn't the excited glee you might have figured and to be honest, he looked a little confused. I think he really thought that 4-5 presents would be ok. The more I thought last night (after a wonderful day spent with my mom and sister's family and phone calls with dad and more family!) the more I realized how true of a spiritual concept that is. We so often don't want to ask for too much from God. And I think that we sometimes set ourselves up for diappointment when we ask for things that are only for our comfort and not really seeking the heart of God. But either way God has the resources of heaven ready and waiting. This next year I want to ask for too much. Too much of His grace and power and peace. And wake up expecting all of it to be available to me. What a gift to open that every morning!