So Nick and I contrived to send Sav one of his homemade swifts.  We wanted it to be a big surprise so we told her nothing about it.  We hatched this plan way back in January.  The idea was that Nick would build the  swift and then I would take care of the shipping.

Now, I needed someone on Sav’s end to receive the swift, so I managed to get Sav’s mothers email under the guise of something entirely different.  We got her in on the plan too.  She promised to receive the swift and then take pictures once the swift arrived since Nick and I were really wishing we could deliver it in person.

Nick finished the swift in time for the wedding at the end of January, so that I could see it when he came to visit and then I could send it from my parents house.  I used my own return address when I sent it out, and filled out the appropriate customs forms which Savs mother had so kindly given me the appropriate instructions for.

And then we began to wait.  We waited and waited.  1 week went by and we were hoping she would have it by then.  2 weeks went by and I got an email from Savs mother confirming that it had yet to be delivered.  There was no way to track it since I sent it USPS.  We worried that it got lost in the mail, or that some border agent was an avid knitter who desired a swift.   And we waited some more.  3 weeks went by and I began to resign myself the swift being lost.  And then I got home after work and the box was on my porch, 1000 miles from where I originally sent it out.

It was another week before I could get it sent out again.  I took it to the USPS along with the copy of the customs form I had to determine why it didn’t make it across the border.  Turns out the place I sent it from had either not attached the customs form or the form got lost in the process.  They did not charge me additional to resend, and I watched carefully as they firmly attached the customs slip again.

And again we began to wait.  But this time only for a week!  I got a very excited email from Savs mom on Friday telling  us that it had arrived!  You cannot imagine 3 more excited people, Nick and I waiting for Sav to get her swift, and Sav upon receiving the swift.  Thus far it has been the most fun I have had this year!