Santa Claus says “Hello from the North Pole” to Jason Pratt, 4, via a video conference at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, December 13, 2011. In reality Santa was holed up in a hospital conference room. Ryan Mathus, left, a systems engineer with Cisco Systems Inc., was a member of the team that wheeled the portable video-link setup into young patients’ rooms who would have had difficulty being transported from their rooms to visit Santa. Registered nurse Shannon Jackson is at right.(Janet Jensen/Staff photographer)

U.S. Army Spc. Patrick Intorre, right, and Janai Roberts kiss directly following their wedding ceremony while Shanna McMahon, left, and Zach Braun offer protection from the rain, in front of the W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory at Wright Park in Tacoma, October 11, 2011. The couple selected Tuesday to wed since they consider eleven their lucky number. Pierce County District Court Judge Pat O’Malley, who officiated their marriage, selected the location after the couple were denied a mid-day marriage time by other judges. Intorre’s work schedule wouldn’t accommodate 4pm–when courtrooms are available for marriages. Without a courtroom O’Malley offered to conduct the brief ceremony at noon under a tree at Wright Park. And to make sure everyone found the same tree he suggested meeting in front of the Conservatory.(Janet Jensen/Staff photographer)

Samantha Caron, 4, determinedly sets out across the monkey bars while a deer, background, munches on leaves at Old Town Park, in Tacoma, July 11, 2011. The deer’s appearance initially attracted park-goers attention but soon both species went about their own business. And Samantha joyously succeeded in achieving her long-time goal of crossing all the bars.(Janet Jensen/Staff photographer)

Fire spinners Jacob Jung, foreground, and Tai Rae, of Vashon Island, practice their moves with double staffs on Ruston Way, in Tacoma, July 6, 2011. The pair spent time on the waterfront before Jung boarded the train to visit family in Oregon.(Janet Jensen/Staff photographer)