Summer doesn't seem to be letting up.

Officially, the last day of summer is September 22. I've always considered summer pretty much over when school starts back. Yet here we are in September with a heat index over 105 degrees. Our grandsons' ball games are being canceled because of excessive heat. You sweat a few years of your life off just walking from the house to the driveway.

Then we get to the studio, walk through the door, and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Yes, we are still doing our daily headshots and family shoots, but this is also the time of year when we have to get everything ready for Santa.

Actually, “start” isn't exactly the right word.

Most people probably don't realize that Santa season starts for us sometime around June.

Nicki and I both love the Christmas season, but she says every year that eventually I go into what she calls “Santa mode.”

According to her, that's when it consumes me. Everything else starts falling away and I become completely focused on getting Santa season ready.

She's not wrong.

There is a lot to do. We have the studio to get ready, our mobile pop-ups to plan, our help to get lined up and trained, promo shoots with Santa and without Santa, schedules to create, lights and camera gear to check, and computers and programs to test.

Then there are all the little things.

Those are the things I tend to obsess over. I want everything checked, working and ready before opening day. Once Santa mode really kicks in, it's like a train running down the track. Not much is going to stop it until the end of the season.

One of the things that has been bugging me the most is not having printers and knowing that it was letting some people down. We know many of you missed being able to leave the studio with prints in your hands. We heard you, and we agreed. We're sorry it took this long to get it fixed.

I'm thrilled to say the new printers are here, they're working, and we will be printing again for Santa this year.

When you walk through that door, it's all about the excitement of the season. All the little things are done. All the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed. We're ready to see the magic come to life.

Sometimes that means watching a little one go flying past everybody and dive onto Santa's lap... even when somebody else is still up there. 😂

It's okay. It's the thrill of the season. It's the buildup that's been a year in the making. Sometimes you just can't stop that kind of excitement.

And that's why I keep doing this every year.

It's the fun. It's the excitement. And it's seeing that look in everyone's eyes when they walk in and see Santa.

And I'm not just talking about the little ones.

So while everybody else is trying to survive the last few weeks of summer, I'm checking Christmas lights, testing printers and apparently going into Santa mode.

Nicki says it happens every year.

She's probably right.

I'd argue with her, but I don't have time.

I've got Christmas to finish.

In September.

When it's 105 degrees outside.

Santa arrives at The Big Event November 14. Bring the kids, bring the Christmas lists, and come see what we've been working on.

Santa already has his binoculars out.

He's looking for you. 🎅