Mommy's Christmas Present !!!

Sam is in charge of filling all the stockings, except his own. I was the last one to get mine this morning. Usually it is filled with little trinkets and fun things. This morning, all it contained was a piece of paper in an envelope. The above clue was what it said! I quickly figured out it was talking about the tree house and sent Kaitlynn out in the morning cold in her jammies and boots and jacket to walk to the back of the property and search the tree house for me.

She came back with this next clue!
I figured out it was the new pair of boots I had just bought (that Sam thinks are ugly, but I am so thrilled to finally be wearing something besides sneakers!!) This next coupon below first lead me to my coupon organizer, which revealed nothing. Then looking at it more closely, I realized it was the chicken COOP. So I sent Kaitlynn back outside again, thankful Sam had tossed the dead chicken out the other day, so Kaitlynn could retrieve my next envelope without dead chicken cooties.
Which revealed the next clue below which lead me to the spaghetti sauce in the cabinet.
Which opened the next clue that lead me to the frozen pizza in the outside freezer. Our neighbor in Idaho made the best home made pizza we had ever had, but she promised her grandmother she would never tell the secret recipe and she WON'T!!!!
I think I missed a picture here, but the next one was easy. CALL MY MOM.

She gave me a verbal clue that lead me to the birdhouse outside.
And that clue was easy, CALL CARRIE!
Then I had to figure out which mirror to look in to see behind me to find ANOTHER clue.
I found this one below and it was the only one to really stump be for a bit. FINALLY figured out it was our MAILBOX! Again, I sent Kaitlynn out to get it. Our driveway is pretty steep and very long!
The next clue was also easy, call JuJu! (Sam's mom)
Then onto a piece of pottery on the dining room wall....
Then to call a great friend in Savannah for another verbal clue....
Now, several of the envelopes had inside them a picture cut into several pieces that I had to assemble. Once assembled, I had to turn it over to see the letter. Once I had all the letters I had to unscramble them for the final clue.
Once I showed Sam I had the letters correctly, I was given the absolute last clue, which was a website address he had created with my present.
This is where I burst into tears. He is taking me on my dream trip for my 40th birthday.
I fly into SWITZERLAND the day after my birthday in March, then we have almost 2 weeks to explore in Switzerland, Venice, Florence and days in Rome among others.

He had already arranged childcare with all the grandparents and aunts for 2 weeks.

I am still in shock. I have always wanted to go to these places and photograph them and explore them and I am going!!

I am so ready for this birthday to be here. COME ON 40!! I think the only other birthday I looked forward to like this was the 16th one.

Thank you Sam! 2 weeks exploring and experiencing new EVERYTHING, with YOU, is absolutely perfect!
This is a Christmas present that will last a lifetime!