PORT ANGELES — The two little girls could only watch, wordless, as Santa Claus handed one shiny package after another to the four other kids at Rose House.
The presents kept coming and coming, from the moment a jolly elf — Steve Porter of Port Townsend beneath the beard — burst in the front door of Rose House.
The home, Healthy Families of Clallam County’s refuge for women and children who have survived domestic abuse, was first on Santa’s list this Christmas morning.
He and his helpers carried in the big boxes, each encased in fancy paper, and passed them out, calling out each recipient’s name; kids and moms unwrapped goodies like fleecy blankets, plush toys, sweet-smelling lotion, comforters and pajamas.
And it was Savannah Dorrell-Beadle, 6, and Alivia Garcia, 7, who received special presents from Granny Claus.
Santa handed them each a handmade doll in a fancy dress and hat, and the girls could only gaze at these wholly unexpected gifts.
Alivia arranged her doll’s outfit a little bit, and with reverence placed her beneath the Christmas tree.
Her name, Alivia told a reporter, will henceforth be Lucy. This name “looks good on her,” she added.
Santa/Porter’s mother, Peggy Coulter of Port Townsend, makes these dolls each year for the girls at Rose House.
“She still stresses out about how they look,” Porter said, adding that he’s seen his mom start all over again when a doll didn’t meet her standards of perfection.
Christmas dinner, gifts
Porter, along with Santa’s elves Anna Rogers of Port Townsend, her son Eric Roberts, 14, and Rob Grey of Sequim, were the team who rendezvoused Friday morning to bring Christmas — including a turkey with complete fixings — to Rose House.
They came bearing gifts donated by Healthy Families’ supporters, who spend much of December shopping and wrapping items chosen especially for the women and youngsters staying at the shelter.
Santa and company gathered all those gifts together — a somewhat chaotic task — and drove in a loaded red Jeep to the safe house amid the brilliantly sunny morning. Upon arrival, before emerging from the car, Porter paused to put his face, or rather billowing facial hair, on before knocking on the front door.
This Santa was most excited, perhaps, about a big red Craftsman toy tractor, a battery-operated vehicle he had picked out for Alex Churchill, 2.
Alex looked flummoxed when the big guy and his elves wheeled the tractor into the Rose House living room. Instead of climbing on, he turned to his mother, Crystal Carmichael, for a hug.
Seconds later a curious Trenton Beadle, 22 months, found his way into the driver’s seat, pressed an index finger on the accelerator and drove toward the kitchen.
Soon Savannah and Alex joined him, as their moms laughed.
“Are they sharing?” one asked as Alex and Trenton traded places.
“Yes, they are,” answered another mom.
Then as Santa rounded up his crew and headed out amid choruses of “Merry Christmas,” Savannah and Alivia settled onto the couch, dolls on laps.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
