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Insulated from missing Christmas gifts
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Forsyth County News

Tell us your Yuletide Yarns

Yuletide Yarns is back. This year, the Forsyth County News wants to hear the story of your best or worst Christmas present.

Here's how it works:

* The deadline for Yuletide Yarns is noon Dec. 22.

* Submissions should be limited to 350 words and may be edited or condensed.

* Please sign them and include full address and a phone number for verification. Names and hometowns will be included for publication.

* Mail letters to the Forsyth County News, P.O. Box 210, Cumming, GA 30028; hand deliver to 302 Veterans Memorial Blvd.; fax to (770) 889-6017; or e-mail to editor@forsythnews.com.

(Editor's note: The staff of the Forsyth County News is sharing some of their "yuletide yarns" in the hopes that you'll share yours for publication later this month. This year's topic: Best or worst Christmas present.)

It was the winter 1992. All I wanted for Christmas was a leather jacket. All my brother wanted was a Sega Genesis video game system.

Snooping around one day, we found our presents in the attic. In the stack of gifts was a leather jacket and a Sega Genesis.

Every day, while my parents were at work, we pulled the attic stairs down and snuck up to see the presents.

I pranced around in my leather jacket, while Zach pretended to play his Sega. There were other toys too, but they didn't matter.

One night, my dad noticed insulation from the attic on the floor. He asked my mom if she'd been up there. She said she hadn't. He knew he hadn't.

He cleaned it up, but the next day it returned. They knew then that my brother and I had discovered the stash of presents -- only they didn't say anything.

After much anticipation, Christmas Day finally arrived. At the crack of dawn, my brother and I came running downstairs ready to grab our most prized presents. Only they weren't there.  

We spent the morning opening wrapped presents, thinking each was the one. By the time we'd unwrapped all the gifts, though, we still had no jacket and no Sega.  

My parents kept asking if we got everything we wanted. Looking slightly dejected, we pretended we had.

But we spent the morning taking turns standing guard as the other snuck around looking for the gifts we were certain we had. Still, they were nowhere to be found.

As he ate breakfast, dad said, "I bet your cousins are having a great Christmas. Aunt Jody asked us to hide a leather jacket for Chelsea and a Sega Genesis for Dylan."

Lips quivering and eyes teary, my brother said: "I knew they would get those."

My dad responded, "How'd you know that, Zach?"

Head down, Zach replied, "I had a feeling."

A few hours later after breakfast, we were laying around the living room. My mom looked at our dining table with its flaps down.  

"What is that?" mom asked. "It looks like there's something under the table."

Immediately, my brother and I jumped up and ran to the table. Hidden under the flaps was my leather jacket and Zach's Sega Genesis.

It seemed as if heavenly light came shining down and angelic voices filled the air. That was the last time we snuck around to look for our presents.

And every year my parents tell the story of their favorite Christmas.