CHRISTmas PACKAGE

We sent Taylor's CHRISTmas package out weeks ago.  Allowing plenty of time for delays so it would still arrive at the mission office a week before Christmas Eve, as the mission president had requested.  As of 4 days before the cutoff, it hadn't even been logged by the post office since leaving our house.  Finally after many prayers, it was logged in at the Denver, Colorado post office. (The black hole of the postal system.)  It proceeded to California, where delivery was attempted on a Saturday.  (The Mission Office is closed on Saturdays.)  Then it was attempted again on Monday.  This time it was logged as "no one to receive it, they left a note."  Which now meant that someone would have to go pick it up and quite frankly I wasn't sure that would happen.  I was in tears!  Most of the items we had sent him had been carefully picked out or hand made and would not easily be replaced.  Especially if it had to be done quickly! 

More prayers were offered and I contacted the mission office.  Sis. H said she had received over 200 packages today and she really didn't think she would be able to locate Taylor's package even if it was there.  I described it to her and she said she would look.  Seconds later she got on the phone, laughing.  It was there and easily recognizable.

I apologize, I didn't realize this picture was so blurry and it is the only one I have.  We sent Taylor the 12 days and 12 ways of Christmas.  The 12 days were fun little gifts to open each day, letting him know how much we loved him.  The 12 ways contained a story, a scripture, an ornament with Christ on it and a challenge for each 12 days leading up to Christmas.

My good friend's niece custom made this stocking for Taylor. 

It was very hard to part with.  I loved looking at it. 

Even the name tag was pretty authentic looking.

 We decorated the outside of the box.  This was Jonah's side.

 Mom's side

 Mom's side

 And Shane drew this!

 We were so relieved his package got there safely and in time!  Not only were his Christmas gifts in the package, but it also contained the remaining half of his 12 days and 12 ways of Christmas and his favorite San Francisco 49ers t-shirt.