First Official Christmas Gift

Last night we got our first Christmas gift in the mail from Grandpa Jack, the step-mom-in-law's dad. Grandpa Jack likes to send useful items. Especially if they happen to be sitting around his house. Things can be hit or miss. Josh has gotten several shirts that he likes. But then one year there was the ice scraper from a Kansas City TV station. Jack lives in Rochester, New York, so we never really figured out why he even had that to send to us. Usually he sends things to the In-law's house, but this year he sent it direct, so it was my first time opening the package and seeing the wide array of items all at once. Our first gift of the season consisted of:

Matching argyle hat and scarf
2 pounds of Heluva Good Extra-Sharp Cheddar
2 4 watt night light bulbs
2 pens
2 expired coupons for Swanson chicken broth
1 pair of men's work gloves
Large Ziploc bag of mixed nuts
Small Ziploc bag of rubber bands
2007 American Eagle silver coin
Christmas wrap and gift labels
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 2008 calendar

For the most part a nice way to start off the season. We'll definitely enjoy the cheese and nuts. I put the silver coin with the one's we got for 2005 and 2006. The expired coupons have gone the way of the trash can and the work gloves are in the goodwill pile cause they smelled a bit mildewy. Josh likes the scarf and hat though. We might each wear one so we can be sickeningly cute and matchy. I might give the Christmas wrap away, as I've been planning on a more cohesive theme for my gifts this year. Pens, light bulbs, and rubber bands are always useful, right? And the calendar has some really lovely pictures, although it's alongside the morbid law enforcement death totals for each state. All in all not a bad package this year. I'll send Grandpa Jack a thank you note and a separate Christmas card because he likes getting mail. Sending him anything else would rather defeat the purpose of his packages though, don't ya think?