ENNIS, Texas — Exactly one week before Christmas, Natasha and Patrick Mach could barely contain their excitement.
“I’m just really excited,” Natasha said, giggling on her porch. Patrick added, “It feels surreal.”
For three years, Natasha and Patrick have been searching for a Santa and his Mrs. Claus.
“I’m exciteedddd!” Natasha exclaimed.
The Machs are Christmas fanatics—so much so that they even tied the knot in a Christmas-themed wedding.
It all started the day before their wedding when Natasha spotted an older couple dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus at a bakery in Corsicana. Struck by their festive spirit, she told them about her wedding and her love of all things Christmas before leaving the bakery, never expecting to see them again.
But to her surprise, the Clauses showed up the next day, posing for pictures at her wedding before disappearing without a trace. The encounter left a lasting impression and a lingering mystery.
“It was just such a mystery,” Natasha said. “I’ve been trying to find them for three years.”
The Machs never learned their names or got the chance to say thank you. Frustrated but determined, they searched for years, hoping to reconnect.
“It’s like… I’m gonna try to find these people,” Natasha said.
Their search gained momentum when WFAA aired a story about their quest to find Kris Kringle and his wife. That story reached someone who knew Santa from the VA, and on Wednesday, the Clauses arrived at the Machs' home in their F-150 sleigh to make their Christmas wish come true.
When Natasha saw them, she was overwhelmed.
“Oh, they’re in their stuff!” she exclaimed, as the couple embraced their long-lost wedding guests, dressed in their full Claus attire.
Instead of Santa bearing gifts, the Machs gave one to him.
“You guys didn’t have to do that!” Santa, also known as Mitchell said, laughing as he accepted their thoughtful gesture.
They reminisced over cookies and shared stories at the same bench where their friendship had begun years earlier at the bakery.
“I remember it like it was yesterday,” Natasha said.
Even Santa, with nearly 40 years of experience, was stunned by the reunion.
“Totally shocked,” he admitted. “You don’t expect something like that.”
The Machs’ joy was contagious, leaving Santa deeply moved.
“When you have impacts like that, what else can you do?” he said. “There are no words for it.”
Under the glow of the Machs’ magnificent Christmas display—featuring half a million lights—the spirit of Santa Claus truly shined.
“It’s not just for you,” Santa said, “But for us too.”
In Ennis, the magic of Christmas came full circle, proving once again that the holiday spirit knows no bounds.