I am hopping up and own with MAJOR EXCITEMENT!

A package arrived for me today…a large 9lb package. I am waiting for several packages to arrive so I initially thought it was something I ordered, until I saw my Reddit name on it!!!! That is ALWAYS SUPER EXCITING!

My daughter happened to be over and wanted me to open it – and as usual, I declined. I LOVE waiting for Christmas. I love the excitement of walking by the package and wondering. The anticipation is such fun.

My daughter asked if she could peek…perhaps what was inside was wrapped? I told her she could..but she would have to reseal it if it was not. She carefully opened it and she squealed “Oh it is wrapped..THEY are wrapped..there is like a million things in here!!!”

What???

She took them out and it was indeed a crazy amazing stack of gifts. I just sat there..feeling excited..feeling speechless really. There are just a ton of individually wrapped gifts here. My Santa took so much time putting this together for me. Every time I walk by the stack I feel incredibly moved.

You took such time and care putting this together—for me- someone who is a total stranger to you. I have so many emotions going on in me right now..I cannot even find the right words for them.

I am so excited to open these on Christmas..and I will update this post with photos and more when I open the gifts!

Thank You so very much. I hope you have a truly magical Santa as well!!

***** UPDATE *****

I am that person that loves the wonder and anticipation of Christmas. When my package arrived – I took it out of the box and sat the HUGE stack of gifts on my window seat. Every day…for the next week+ I would see those packages calling my name and I would wonder.

I didn't personally cheat..but my 25 year old daughter read the letter that came with the gift and she was even more excited after reading it. It makes my kids absolutely nuts that I like to wait on such things.

Christmas morning arrived and I hid my stack of gifts. I am the one that passes out all the gifts – so I was hoping they would all be distracted and not notice that I had done this. Shortly after all the gifts were opened- they were indeed looking to see what was in my packages. I explained that I thought it would be nice to wait until the afternoon…after dinner and open them when my folks were here. My parents are in their 80’s and they have grown very interested in my Reddit exchanges and I thought they would have fun with this. My kids just sighed.

I brought out the stack after the dishes were done and my parents both sat right up in their chairs and were indeed pretty excited. I opened the ‘read me first’ letter and learned that this was Santa’s first exchange and that we had a lot in common –even despite the fact that I am darn near 50 and she is much younger!  After the first paragraph I was instructed to open my gifts and then come back to the letter for explanations.

My Mom pointed to the first gift she wanted me to open. It was a Snowy Owl bookmark!! Santa knew that is on my MUST DO list for this winter. I LOVE photography and I have been hoping to get a photo of one for some time and I have decided that this is the winter it will happen. The bookmark serves as a super fun reminder of that goal! I have it sitting propped up next to my computer so that I do make time to get out there and find an owl before they all migrate away in the spring. In fact, later today I am heading to the coast for my first search of the season!

I am heading out with…and bringing along my next gift..that my Dad picked as the second one to open. A lens coffee thermos!!! How cool is that!!! I love this lens shaped mug. The detail is amazing…it really looks like a lens! Hot coffee is a necessity as I explore the cold New England woods looking for wildlife to shoot..with my camera of course!!!

I was going to make my own choice of what to pick to open next but my daughter saw what I picked and told me to save that one for last! How intriguing!!!

Up next was a huge peanut brittle type candy in the shape of Texas! I am talking HUGE- over a pound of candy here! My Dad’s eyes lit up. He loves candy and he loves peanut brittle. Of course he did not want me to open it and ‘break the image” so my daughter snuck off and accomplished it in another room and then brought him some candy! He had not had peanut brittle in years and he was pretty happy!

The next box opened was a very cool book like box..with Shakespeare Lemon candy! Such a cool gimmicky item. I love reading..and candy..so my Santa got me this and wished me luck trying to publish my own book! I opened the matching shaped box and it was grape Poe Candy! Each candy is wrapped in with either Shakespeare’s or Poe’s image. Cool!

More candy was to follow..in the way of coal! I must say..it is some darn good tasting coal. I love cinnamon (my Dad loved it too!)

Next up..(how CRAZY that there is a next up - this was such an amazing assortment of gifts!) – was a Wonka Silly feet cupcake kit!! I LOVE baking and I love making various kinds of ‘different’ baked goods and I do not own this kit..and I LOVE IT. I am already thinking these will be the cakes for my grandcats next birthday party. Yes..long story there but my daughter has all out parties for her ‘cat kids” – and we will be having a party soon! I started looking on Pinterest for ideas and they have a super cool pig I can make using the feet..and the cats name is Oink…so..PERFECT!!!!! I really am quite excited by this!

I opened the small squirrel mug next. We all started laughing. My son-in-law has challenged me now and I will indeed be trying to lure the squirrels in for a photo with the mug! I have birdfeeders in the backyard and we have many squirrels that come daily so I am hoping I might accomplish this! I will update with a photo if it happens!!! 

Now we were at the last gift and my daughter was hopping up and down in her seat. I opened it facing everyone else..but I still had the back of the paper facing me. I wanted to watch their expressions. Everyone was oohing and aahing and I ripped off the last bit of paper and WOW…this was truly beautiful. I was speechless (as I ramble on and on here you can probably surmise that does not happen often!) I do love entertaining and I love unique serving dishes and I LOVE unique wood. My Santa combined all this into one. What a gorgeous piece of Acacia wood. It is STUNNING! This will be in the center of the table for my New year’s party! I absolutely love this!!!!

As I opened each item my daughter would read what my Santa wrote about it. She told me why she picked it – based on my likes etc. There was such an incredible amount of thought put into this gift I am truly overwhelmed.

Santa- This was your first Reddit exchange and you hit it out of the park. I hope your Santa was equally amazing.

Here is the hard part- I am at a loss as to put into words just how much this gift moved me. Thank You just does not cover it. Your gift brought such joy and happiness to me and my whole family. It added to our Christmas memories – and was such a vivid reminder of how much good is in the world…and how cool that that reminder – a reminder that was so loud and clear- was on Christmas Day! This was absolutely magical..the excitement was akin to that excitement I used to have as a child on Christmas morning.

Thank you so very much Scarythingthing for keeping the magic in Christmas and for putting such time and thought and generosity into a strange lady’s gift!!! I appreciate it more than you can imagine!

Drphi

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