The First Geilf Delivery

Doug and I just got back from our first Geilf the Elf trip and as I’m flipping through my photos I just keep thinking- is this really my life?  It seems so magical- I can’t believe how well everything went.

You know how every once in a while when you’re cooking you make a mistake, and through your efforts to fix it you end up with something better than the original recipe would have made?  I kind of feel like our Geilf the Elf delivery (or Geilfmas as the kids referred to it) kind of turned out like that.  Everything was so magical, it definitely turned into one of my most memorable Christmas seasons. (not to say anything against Christmas- I love Christmas!  But it sure was great to see that the magic of Christmas could carry on in a different setting)

I’ve talked about my sister’s Christmas planning dilema before, but here’s a quick recap.  This was the first year she couldn’t be with her  kids on Christmas day (they spent the 25th at their dad’s house).  How do you celebrate Christmas with young kids on December 29th when Santa clearly schedules his delivery for the 25th?  Luckily Geilf the Elf organized his delivery this year to help us out :).

We started early by showing our support for Geilf.  We all wore Geilf t-shirts (available here) and hung signs in our windows (download a free one here!).  We sealed the deal when we found the Browns Point Lighthouse keeper’s cottage for rent on VRBO.com.   I mean, if you put a sign on a lighthouse, Geilf is bound to see it- right?!

So on the afternoon of the 29th, after the kids celebrated Christmas at their dad’s house, we packed up and drove them to celebrate our first ever Geilfmas.  The cottage was adorable- it was built in the early 1900s and was decorated accordingly.  We felt so prim and proper with our very own parlor and claw foot bath tub.  My 6 year old nephew was still a bit weary of Geilf.  A week or so before Christmas my sister had a conversation with him that went something like this-

“But Mom, what if someone just made him up?”
“I don’t know, do you think he’s made up?”
“Well, we’ll see.  If he leaves presents then he’s real.  If not, he’s made up.”

The morning of the 30th arrived and Geilf did, in fact, leave presents for each child.  (wrapped in wrapping paper stating “made in Geilf’s Workshop” and hidden throughout the house)  In the afternoon I heard my nephew tell his sisters matter of factly, “Geilf proved he’s real!”

In the end the vote was unanimous- a Geilf delivery is a must at every other year 🙂  I feel so lucky that we got to take part of such an amazing tradition in the making!