Santa Visits Joey + Rory ‘A Week Early, But Right on Time’

Christmas came a bit early for Joey + Rory and their 22 month-old- daughter Indiana. The family received a personal visit from Santa Claus last night.

Written by Lauren Jo Black
Santa Visits Joey + Rory ‘A Week Early, But Right on Time’

Christmas came a bit early for Joey + Rory and their 22 month-old- daughter Indiana.

The family received a personal visit from Santa Claus last night. And it wasn’t just any Santa… “He had the real beard, the real belly, and on top of that he had the kindest smile and a heart for special babies and mama’s with no hair … I loved him from the moment I met him,” Rory shared on his blog, This Life I Live.

“He was a week early, but right on time,” Rory wrote, adding “The Kris Kringle that showed up at our door wasn’t your ordinary shopping-mall Santa. This one was the real deal … or as close to it as I’ve ever personally seen.”

Family friends sent Santa to their home to deliver a box “filled-with-goodies” to them. While Indiana may have taken a while to warm up to Santa, it took no time for her to realize how much fun she could have in that big cardboard box. “She found a spot in the bubble wrap and paper and just read her books and played ’til she was worn out and ready for bed,” Rory recalled.

He and Joey, 40, who has been under hospice care since early November, spent “a long, long time” chatting with Santa. Feek said it was “a beautiful way to kick off the week leading up to Christmas.”

Joey recently set a goal to live not only through Christmas, but through the month of February to see The GRAMMYs on Feb. 15 (the duo is nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for the song “I Need You”), release their album of hymns on Feb. 14, and see Indiana turn two on Feb. 17.