Dear Santa: A Letter from the Grown-Up Me

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As a kid, I remember Christmas being downright amazing.

During the winter months, our cable provider with Disney made the Disney Channel available as a selling incentive, now it's available on basically every cable provider but at the time you had to pay extra.  I loved it!

Christmas time also meant waking to up to Market Day french toast sticks with syrup and my mom playing a range of Christmas cds.  Getting up in the mornings was awesome.

I adored decorating the Christmas tree and have several pictures of my dad lifting me up, into the air to put our angel on top.  We had a little one with blonde, ceramic hair that was meant to be more of an incredibly large ornament than a tree topper but she did a great job as the beacon of our family tree.

Our ornaments would be placed out and each one had a significance to it.  One of my favorites was a blown glass sailor that my grandma gave to my dad for his service in the Navy.  Others were the million and one Disney ornaments I collected over the years and of course, the ones you make in elementary school out of the lids of jars and handprints.  Simply classics

Did you write Santa letters as a kid?

I sure did.

In fact, rough drafts.

Mine were elaborately long, filled with details as I scoured the pages of the Penney's mega toy catalog, American Girl, and any commercials that invaded our preview of the Disney Channel or on ABC Family. I would nit pick, erase, delete (as I got older and more tech savvy) and would debate whether or not an item was deserving enough to make it on the list.  I didn't want to ask for too much but then again, "ask and you shall receive." ya dig?

So as a grown-up (ew, when did that happen), I started thinking about what that letter to Santa might look like today.  Something along the lines of "Santa Baby"...I suppose.

Santa honey, I wanna yacht and really that's
Not a lot
I've been an angel all year
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight
Santa cutie, there's one thing I really do need, the deed
To a platinum mine
Santa cutie, and hurry down the chimney tonight
Santa baby, I'm filling my stocking with a duplex, and checks
Sign your 'X' on the line
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

So out of some fun, here is my letter to Santa, if I had the wants and desires of an adult and the childhood wonder and adoration of Santa from my youth (which admittedly never really went away).

Dear Santa,

  I hope you're doing well sir and that you and Mrs. Claus have enjoyed your time off.  I'm sure the off-season never stops being hectic but you certainly deserve some time to yourselves.  Just saw "Rise of the Guardians" and I definitely have a different perspective on how you handle your job.  Kudos sir, kudos.  I've been a wonderful young lady this year.  I graduated from a great university with a bachelors degree, commissioned into the Air Force, and welcomed my husband home from his last deployment.  I don't want to ask for too much this year, but if you would be so kind to look at my Christmas list, I would most certainly appreciate.

With Lots of Love,

Kimmie

P.S. I've whipped you up some cookies from Pinterest recipes...so you know they're good ;)

First item of business

Belle's Library 

from "Beauty and the Beast" fame

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Santa, as I'm sure you know, I'm a voracious reader and although I've had to slow down a bit for training, I still love reading.  The discovery of a good book amongst the shelves of a used book store or even a Goodwill gives me such great thrills.  I probably spend more on books than food.

I realize that creating a mythical library out of nowhere can be a daunting task, but I've already found the perfect solution

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Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Austria's National Library

Yep, right behind that statue over there, you'll find my copy of 50 Shades of Grey.

I joke, I keed.

But seriously, I'm running out of room on my bookshelves.

 Every girl dreams of vacationing to a wonderful land so for my second item I would like

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

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With my husband and I not having a honeymoon, this would be a wonderful place to call our vacation home.  It's one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  

Accounts indicate that the garden was built by King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled the city for 43 years starting in 605 BC (There is an alternative story that the gardens were built by the Assyrian Queen Semiramis during her five year reign starting in 810 BC).  the gardens were built to cheer up Nebuchadnezzar's homesick wife, Amyitis. Amyitis, daughter of the king of the Medes, was married to Nebuchadnezzar to create an alliance between the two nations. The land she came from, though, was green, rugged and mountainous, and she found the flat, sun-baked terrain of Mesopotamia depressing. The king decided to relieve her depression by recreating her homeland through the building of an artificial mountain with rooftop gardens. - The Museum of Unnatural Mystery

 Talk about romantic! He could have been a total jerk but he built her this massive garden to remind her of home.  That's like if Ryan created a massive snowglobe to overtake our house, so I could have snow for Christmas! *hint hint husband hint hint*

The Third Item

As stated before, Ryan and I never went on a honeymoon and we spent more than 75% of our first year of marriage apart due to his deployment.  We've always wanted to go to Europe so if we could go on a European Cruise, that would be amazing!

 I've never been and I have always wanted to go!  I want to see all of the historical landmarks and just see the architecture.  I would swoon and I know Ryan would just love it.  Plus, it would be nice to take a romantic vacation together.  I always feel like we're constantly doing something or worrying about this or that.  I think that's why people are always surprised to hear that people as young as we are happened to be married.  

My fourth and last item:

New Wedding Band

When Ryan and I got married, we didn't have a lot of money or time (almost two years later and that hasn't changed :P)  however, we did get very simple wedding bands.  I love my engagement ring because my husband picked it out and for not being a romantic guy, he did a great job.  It's a heart, solitaire diamond on a silver band.  My wedding ring is a silver band.  Although in reality, getting a new wedding band may be a few years off, I would love something with a little extra sparkle.  So yes, I do suppose I follow the song, "Santa Baby" a little bit on that one. 

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I am so grateful for everything I have in my life, including my family and friends. 

They continually support me and cheer me up whenever I am down.  

They are there for everything, no matter how far the distance.  

So I lied, my last and final item would be to go home for Christmas, although that's not feasible for us this year.  No worries though, enjoy this holiday classic with a fun twist 

(filmed not too far from my hometown).

 

xoxo,