Santa

We found a surprise in our yard on the way over to Gavin's birthday party.....this plastic Santa was laying down beside our house.  At first we thought it blew in from the wind, then we thought maybe the community's entrance feature lady had it for the landscaping for the entrance to the neighborhood, then we started to think someone was playing a joke and put it there, but couldn't find anyone who would admit to it.  When we finally got around to checking it out, we found it was plugged into our electric, so that ruled out the neighborhood lady because she wouldn't do that without asking, and it also ruled our the youth pastor at our church who was over earlier in the day on Saturday because one of our extension cords was used and (a) he didn't know where they were stored and (b) even if it wasn't ours, he wouldn't donate one to us!  The connection between the cord and extension cord was wrapped in plastic and Jon declared that a "Folger thing" and so we called my brother to see if it was a parting gift.  It was not, he told us, but that Josh & Danila put it there and told him to "check it out" on his way out of town (despite them swearing up and down to us last night that they knew nothing about it!).  Apparently, it was standing at the corner of our house when they left it, but it fell over and the light broke by the time we left the house and saw it for the first time.

Unfortunately, what Josh & Danila didn't know this summer when they bought the Santa at a garage sale in Staunton, VA, is that Jon has always wanted a giant Santa for his house.  When we were first married, he found an animatronic one that said "ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas" with motion sensors.  He wanted to put it in the giant window in front of our house.  I said no.  So, Jon is LOVING the Santa and spent time today setting it up, making the light work, weighing it down so it won't blow over in the wind, and generally being giddy about having this giant Santa that I'm not so crazy about.

Enjoy the pictures of our newest yard art.  Jon tells me this won't ever be re-gifted as a white elephant....much to my dismay :)