the traveling package

We sent a package to Katie Beth in Paris for her birthday. Her birthday is June 30, and we shipped the package on June 21.

Jacob went with me to the post office, and we were both shocked at how much it costs to send a box to France! Of course, Katie Beth's birthday is worth it, but you can imagine my disappointment when in late July, she replied to an email that I'd sent asking about the package and told me that it hadn't arrived yet.

She said the mail is very slow there, so maybe it was just running behind.

I was pessimistic and thought we'd never see the package again.

I was wrong.

I just didn't expect to be the one to receive the package in the mail.

I answered the doorbell one afternoon to find our postman

with this beat-up box.

I recognized it immediately.

Katie Beth's name and address were marked out with a big X, and there were labels stuck all over the box saying "Non Réclamé" or "unclaimed."




I guess this bright red circle helped it find its way back to me.

So, Katie Beth, since your package didn't make it to you, you get a post of pictures of it!

:(

If you had in fact received the package, this is what you'd have found when you opened it:
a birthday cake and icing with a note that says

"Since I couldn't make you a cake, I figured I could send you one to make."

Oh well, I'm sure you had a cake anyway, but I thought a good ol' boxed, preservative-laden American cake might be kind of a nice change of pace from the "patisserie" fare you're used to in Paris!

There was also a pair of earrings

with this note stuck to the back.

and a Southern Living magazine...

so you can keep in touch with your roots

and a birthday card:

hopefully you can click on this picture to enlarge it!

Since we were mailing a package to France, we thought we'd include a few things for Alexandre (that's Christian's penpal, who is one of Katie Beth's students)

We found him lots of American goodies in the $1 section at Target!

So, here it all is.

Each of these items has traveled to Paris and back. :(

Jacob said that maybe we've learned that the post is a cheaper way that we could get ourselves to Paris

... AND BACK!

Hope you had a wonderful birthday, Katie Beth!

So sorry that your package didn't make it to you!