MIDLAND, Texas — With the end of Thanksgiving comes the beginning of Christmas, and the figurehead of the 25th of December is Old Saint Nick.
"Santa Claus is a timeless, timeless character that is involved in every aspect of this holiday season," Santa Claus himself said.
For years, children all around the world have sat on Santa’s lap. It’s one of the joys of being a child during the Christmas season, sitting on his lap and telling him what you want for Christmas.
For kids who came to Green Acres Golf Course this evening, they got to tell Santa their wishes early.
"We’re here at Green Acres in Midland, Texas," Santa said. "And we are here celebrating the beginning of the holiday season. And we're here with Mallory Buck Photography and Green Acres Putput. And we're just enjoying hearing the children's Christmas lists and taking pictures with them"
"This is only our second Christmas at Green Acres," Project Manager and Event Coordinator at Green Acres Emerald McGinnis said. "But we want to do something fun for the community once a year during the Christmas season, so this year we decided we would just do a Santa photo op."
"Yeah, so I'm here with Santa," photograher Mallory Buck of Mallory Buck Photography said. "And we work together every Christmas season to take pictures of kids seeing the magic of Christmas with Santa."
"So I think relatively inexpensive way to get a good professional quality family photo and you're in and out," McGinnis said. "So that was the idea."
For $75 families got 3-5 digital files emailed to them of some of the most exciting moments in their children’s lives.
And seeing that smile on a kid’s face is magical to parents.
"It's really fun to remember what it was like to believe in something magical," McGinnis said. "And they really do and so that's really cool. You know, it's really real to them. And so, as an adult, you just kind of have to live vicariously through them because we're so busy with our day-to-day. So that to me, that's the most magical part is just Christmas is magic. Santa is magic, you know, and I love that part. So Christmas is my favorite season, always has been"
"Yeah, it's awesome," Buck said. "It's like when you're a kid, Christmas is the best thing ever know when you're a grown up seeing it through a kid's eyes, It's just that much more magical."
"I think that's a good word for it: magical," Santa continued. "So oftentimes, in the busyness of life, we forget about the magic of the season. And when you see it through the eyes of a child there's something really special about this time of year."
Along with seeing the most famous man with a white beard, event goers also enjoyed mini-golf, arcade games, a snack bar and other games for the whole family.
And at the end of the day, that’s what Christmas is all about: family.
"It's really just my family," McGinnis said. "I've got a big family and it's an excuse to kind of go all out with everything, the food, the decorations, the outfits. It's our favorite time of year. It's never long enough. I'm always sad when it's over."
But for now, Santa’s in town, so families can enjoy his presence at Green Acres, and even though it’s still November, you can still feel the Christmas magic with every snap of the camera, even if you’re not in front of it.