Saturday, December 5, 2015

For The Children

When you see the normally impeccably groomed Mr. Mickey sporting a fuller beard in the fall, you will know that he is preparing for one of his greatest roles.




Santa has arrived!






For a couple of hours, these precious children can feel safe in the arms of Santa as they share a laugh and tell him their secrets.















Taking a nap at the feet of Santa.
















Our dear friend, Tony Seaton, started this project on his own several years ago because of his sincere love for children. It is now a labor of love for a small group of friends who contribute to buying a coat, shoes, an outfit for school, and a toy for each of these children.





There are tears, laughter, and full-on joy as the day unfolds. One little boy's family had just lost everything they own in a fire that destroyed their home this very morning.







"Here is a gift for you, Santa!"











I love to watch this man give his full undivided attention to the children as they come to sit on his lap and receive the gifts we have provided for them. He makes each child feel as if they are the most important person in the room.

The children's guardians or family members, if they have any, are treated to a full lunch and a day of celebration.
 
I feel so very blessed to be a part of this day and this man's life.



The jacket I am wearing is by Damee NYC from Shop My Fair Lady.


As evening approaches, Santa is also ready for a nap!



This extraordinary day begins early in the morning and continues well into the evening as Santa tries to visit all those near and dear to our hearts.


We ended this very long day at Gourmet and Company, where Santa gave a gift to every person working tonight in our favorite restaurant.




The best gift of all is love!

30 comments:

Unknown said...

Just lovely.

Yvonne said...

What a lovely inspirational story. You can see the love emanating from Mr. Mickey. Thank you for sharing this.
BTW - I love your jacket!

Nancy said...

Reading this post this morning, in light of all the sadness of recent events worldwide, brings comfort to my soul. You & Mr. Mickey are examples of wonderful people doing good works where they can. Bless you both!
Nancy

Unknown said...

My heart swelled looking at those wonderful pictures. Thank you both for all you do.

Unknown said...

My heart swelled at these pictures. So sweet.

Unknown said...

Wow, what joy radiates thru these photos!It really reminds us the the greatest joy is found in giving not receiving, although we DO receive joy and love, and what is more valuable than that! Give Santa a hug from me!!

Susan B said...

That just makes my heart so happy to see! What a wonderful gift to your community!!

NCgal said...

There IS a Santa Claus! Thank you for the prompt to keep a tissue close while reading this.

Jan Maier said...

Genuine love emanating from Mr. Santa's eyes. The sleeping boy and baby are priceless photos! This is a great way to start my day! XXOO

Carol said...

So very wonderful!

A blessed Christmas to you.

Unknown said...

Absolutely inspirational...Such sweet photos...You can see the absolute love and trust between Santa and the children...Mr. Mickey's personality shines through...

The Memiors of a Reluctant Move-aholic said...

Dear Susan,
What a lovely post today. You and Mr. Mickey are an inspiration of the true meaning of Christmas, which is "the gift of love".
Thank you again for the beautiful gift of yourself and all the things you say and do on your
blog. I appreciate all the research you do and the information you share.
Merry Christmas!
Judith Presgrove

Diane said...

Such precious moments of giving in celebration of the season! It is a good reminder of what is truly important about the holiday, isn't it? Thanks for sharing, and making our hearts tender as we reflect on these lovely children and your acts of generosity and service to brighten their Christmas.

nkeeling said...

This is absolutely precious and heartwarming!

Cristine said...

This made me teary. I absolutely love knowing men like your Mr. Mickey are out there. And I love that you appreciate him so. Sending my very best wishes to the both of you!

dmp said...

Beautiful!

Canuck-Girl said...

What a beautiful,inspiring event; looks like everyone had a wonderful time! Santa and his helper look wonderful again this year - this man just does not age despite keeping SOOOO many children happy.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

He's a marvelous Santa! You can see the joy on his face as he talks to the children. Bless your efforts on their behalf!

Deanna

Joanne said...

It's important to give to those less fortunate and Mr. Mickey did just that. There is nothing more important than putting a smile on a child's face. I can tell he truly cares. A very touching post, Susan.

Unknown said...

Love this inspirational story so much! You both are wonderful role models. Thank you for this beautiful heart-warming post.

Sweet Sue said...

So very sweet. As Miss Adeline would say, "Marry The Man, Today."

Unknown said...

You are truly blessed to know people like this!

Unknown said...

Yes, Susan, there IS a Santa Claus and you are blessed to share your life with him! What a joy to see this post... There is nothing that compares to smiles on the faces of little ones, especially those whose lives have been turned upside down.
God Bless!

Unknown said...

I just love seeing this..It brings tears to my eyes..If only every community could have this..What a wonderful world we would have..If only this was our life and we only did good things.This indeed trumps anything bad..Thank-you for sharing your world with us..

Andrea said...

What a lovely event! How wonderful to bring joy to a child! Mr. Mickey is a fabulous Santa! And I love you in the red coat!

christy said...

Another wonderful post. You and Mr Mickey are such great role models for us all to live our lives to the fullest and give to others. You both look so happy as well. Just lovely.

On another note, it must be difficult to ignore those nasty comments from some very sad people, but be assured that you do a fabulous job of sharing your life and your style with us all. I enjoy it all whether it be style (have learnt a lot), your adventures and your eating habits. I don't need to lose weight but am very interested in healthy eating. I also admire you for sharing not only your successes with style but also your journey with the less successful. I think you are very brave to do all this and keep posting about it.

Enjoy the season and wish you a very happy and successful 2016.

Unknown said...

Wonderful photos - Mr. Mickey is a GREAT Santa!!! Beautiful acts of love for the season.

Sharon said...

This just tickles me pink, and also a few tears as well. How blessed you are to share your happiness with those precious children. Big hugs to you and Mr. Mickey!

Merry Christmas said...

Wow! I've been struggling to get into the "Christmas spirit" this year. This post was the cure for me!! Thank you for sharing your life.

Lin said...

What a wonderful post, thank you both for all you do. The picture of the baby and Mr. Mickey "napping" is fabulous.