What was the most surprising gift you've ever received?

Thinking back to what was the most surprising gift I have ever received would be a toss up.  Thanks to TwitterMoms and Target, I had to take some time to think and reflect on the answer to this one.  Being 41, I've had a lot of Christmas memories to ponder.  My earliest memory would be the arrival of a baby brother 34 years ago.  He didn't arrive on Christmas but December 23rd was pretty close!  That one big event altered the path of many lives which produced many more memories.

I could also think of many others like marrying in Hawaii three year's ago at Thanksgiving and finding out I was pregnant right around Christmas or just all the years spent with my beautiful girls.  To choose one that sticks in my mind of the most recent present, there would be two with this one coming in second with my in-laws.

I watched a grown man reduced to tears as he opened a photo book I put together by Blurb that contained the military history of his father during WWII.  I not only utilized photos he had on his father but I added the military records and photographs that related to where he was during that time period.  The inside jacket included a picture of my father-in-law with a dedication.  He was so proud of that book that he ordered multiple copies for everyone in the family to include the extended family.

Right before that, I also watched my step-mother-in-law tear up as she opened a box that had a personalized black and white photo of her and her sister as little girls talking to Santa.  I "stole" the photo from her picture blog and had it made as a surprise.  She also ended up ordering more for her family members.

I have to say the most memorable present was finding out my dad was cancer free.  He was battling an advanced stage of colon cancer. He waited too long to go in when he had the initial warning signs and symptoms so this meant aggressive treatment.  I had a boss that was so good to me and allowed me to spend most of my summer there helping out.  He had radiation and chemo therapy which followed by a surgery to remove what they could.  He was a trooper and for being 70 at that time, amazing!  He was still mowing the yard and was active. I don't know how he did it but he did.  Three years later, he was with me while my husband was deployed to Iraq and after a battery for retests, he was still cancer free.  Christmas, three year's ago, was the best!

Giving is the most special time of this season and to be able to give such a heartfelt gift is better than any gift received.

What is your most memorable time?  Enter at TwitterMoms!