By: Always Remember Photography
Take a Breath, I Have to keep Reminding Myself to Just Take a Breath!
Dear Journal,
Our first official Magical Santa Session is only 26 days away and I admit I am starting to panic a little.
The downstairs rooms are almost finished, and they are everything we could have hoped for. But today, let’s talk about the outdoors. Or, more specifically, the unfinished outdoors and a pretty big change of plans!
Remember those giant elves I was so excited about last week? The ones I purchased for outside? The ones I thought were going to be absolutely perfect?
Well… they had to go home.
Yes, they were soooo cute! I really thought they would be perfect, but then Daniel found something that changed everything.
Santa’s sleigh!
Daniel has been watching for a sleigh for years, but the ones he’s found have either been way over our budget, too large to store, or needed far more work than we could take on. Then this one came along. It was still over our budget, of course, but suddenly, we had a decision to make!
You see, one of the questions we hear from children every year is, “How did Santa get here?”
And now, we have our answer!
Santa’s sleigh will be parked in his very own Official Parking Spot, while the reindeer play in the woods until Santa calls them back with his magical reindeer bells. These are the same bells the children learn about at the Elf Academy. Just imagine the possibilities!
As much as I loved those giant elves, sometimes you have to step back and look at the bigger picture. The elves were cute and whimsical, while the sleigh brings something timeless to the experience. Our ultimate goal is to create a Santa experience so real and magical that when children see that sleigh, they truly believe Santa arrived in it.
And so, the elves had to go!
Did I mention our first Magical Santa Session is in 26 DAYS?!
And, Journal, here’s where I start to panic.
Let’s talk about what ISN’T done.
The upstairs still needs to be finished.
The outdoors? We haven’t even started! The sleigh is safely tucked away in the trailer, and that’s about as far as we’ve gotten. Oh, and there’s the custom arch Paul made for us. It’s up, but not decorated. One more thing for the list!
Everything else is still living in my head, which is a very crowded place right now.
And the cookies.
We haven’t made cookies.
Not one. Not a single cookie.
Let’s do the math, shall we? Every session needs a dozen cookies, and we have 40 sessions. That’s 40 dozen just for the sessions. Then our Takeout Bakery upstairs needs another 40 dozen, plus a few extras for our helpers. After all, anyone who helps make Christmas magic deserves a cookie!
That’s at least 80 dozen cookies. EIGHTY!
Suddenly, “we haven’t made cookies” sounds a whole lot more serious. 😂
We’re creating a magical Elf Academy, planning Santa’s arrival, writing letters, making wreaths, revising stories, and organizing rehearsals. Meanwhile, the upstairs isn’t finished, the outdoors is still a blank canvas, and we have at least 960 cookies to make!
But this is how it goes every year. We start with a vision, bring it to life, and then all those little details multiply when I’m not looking. I know it will come together, and I know every late night will be worth it when the children walk through the door and experience the magic.
And when I’m creating the artwork and storybook albums that will become family treasures, I’ll remember why I do this. I would have loved to have this kind of artwork of my own children when they were little. Being able to create it for my grandchildren as well as other families makes all the hard work worthwhile.
For now, I’ll keep checking things off the list, adding three more for every one I finish, and trying not to look at the calendar too often.
November 7th is coming whether I’m ready or not!
And somebody, PLEASE remind me…
WE STILL NEED TO MAKE COOKIES! 🍪
Introduction — Building Our Santa Experience: A Christmas Journal
Follow along from the beginning as this year's Santa Experience starts to take shape.
Week 1 — It All Started with One Desk
Week 2 — Every Story Begins with a Blank Page
Week 3 — The Chair That Turned an Empty Room into Santa's Office
Week 4 - Every Treasure Finds a Home:
Week 5 - The Magic is in the Details