I know you want it. The Gift of the Angel.

Okay people. Here we go another sick and twisted Clark/Witte family gifting tradition. Insert Star Wars theme song here.
My zesty life will be the official angel host with yours truly acting as the moderator of sorts and will post stories and pictures as people send them to us. It’s a family affair and that’s the way we like it. Uh, oh now you’ve got me started.

Let me educate you on the history of this li’l darling. Isn’t she just an angel?

We received this beauty as a Christmas gift last year from our dear parents. They were also gifted this angel. This year it’s our turn to bestow the blessings of the angel upon you. You? Yep YOU. But I beg of YOU to ponder this. Who’s next?

According to JClark or MamaJoan

A quick history of Angel baby!

Written Dec. 21, 2009, from the mental recollections of facts, guesses, and recent interviews by MamaJoan. The movement and full stories of the Angel has some fog yet to be lifted.

“1. What I believe about her origin is that Babs joined Helen Marie at a White Elephant gift exchange one Christmas season, and “won” her at that party.
2. The Angel’s next move was from Babs to Ron Knoester as a gag gift.
3. (Unclear) it seems Ron gifted it to Dan – no one seems sure on this.
4. One fine Christmas morning, the Witte-Kavanaugh family waited with bated breath around an intriguing, large package that came in the mail from Dan Witte (who was their “Kris Kringle” that year.” After ripping through the paper, they came upon a series of riddles and a large dinosaur egg (made of plaster). Eventually, they figured out how to open it (with a hammer & chisel). Inside, of course, they found the Angel.
This prompted a long discussion and determination on the part of certain family members to “get even” with Uncle Dan (!). It was months or even years later when…
5. The Angel popped out of the wedding cake at Dan and Fabienne’s wedding reception (in June 2000?), where everyone announced (to Dan, who must have been glad to be rid of her) “I’m Ba-a-ck!” (see the video!)
6. The next known appearance was when Dan and Fabienne made a VERY intricate present, which was mailed to Peter and Ginny one Christmas. As I understand, it was inside a glass case, sort of “disguised” as a candle (completely engulfed in wax), and came with some complex instructions about the Angel being held hostage inside with a time bomb tied to her, and some gunpowder contraption that was supposed to spark away, melt the four intersections of the glass encasement and free her – apparently it quite literally backfired and P&G had to break out the fire extinguisher!
7. Petey chose to pass it to Uncle Tony on his birthday one summer, when he and his family came to California. This elaborate scheme involved the Angel traversing the rooftops of Oakland (Joan & Stu’s house), tied to a bunch of helium balloons. Tony was alerted by cell phone (while in the hot tub) to pull on a string (I’m forgetting here exactly), which had the Angel & balloons at the other end.
8. Tony’s family stowed away the Angel for several years, but she showed up again in Stu and Joan’s house one Christmas (2007 maybe?) by UPS, surrounded by a nice arrangement of flowers.
9. Christmas 2008, Stu & Joan gave her a Texas-Longhorns basketball, a motorcycle to ride and took her to Texas, disguised as a box of nice motorcycle boots for Blue.”

P&G Witte add ons are highlighted in red. Received December 21, 2009

“5. The Angel popped out of the wedding cake (using a cool pressure tube constructed by Stu) at Dan and Fabienne’s wedding reception (in June 2000?), where everyone announced (to Dan, who must have been glad to be rid of her) “I’m Ba-a-ck!” (see the video!)
6. The next known appearance was when Dan and Fabienne made a VERY intricate present, which was mailed to Peter and Ginny one Christmas. (Actually Dan brought it on a visit, so he got to watch the unveiling) As I understand, it was inside a glass case, sort of “disguised” as a candle (completely engulfed in wax), and came with some complex instructions about the Angel being held hostage inside with a time bomb tied to her, and some gunpowder contraption that was supposed to spark away, melt the four intersections of the glass encasement and free her (the melting at the four corners only dropped away the wax, underneath was a glass case with aluminum alarm tape stuck to the inside and dynamite strapped to her back. If the tape was broken, a cell phone vibrator attached to the glass would go off, simulating an explosion) – apparently it quite literally backfired and P&G had to break out the fire extinguisher! (It’s true that it didn’t completely work, but it stands in my mind as the most creative “gift” ever! but no fire extinguisher was needed)
7. Petey chose to pass it to Uncle Tony on his birthday one summer, when he and his family came to California. This elaborate scheme involved the Angel traversing the rooftops of Oakland (Joan & Stu’s house), tied to a bunch of helium balloons. Tony was alerted by cell phone (while in the hot tub) to pull on a string (I’m forgetting here exactly), which had the Angel & balloons at the other end. (We were in an upstairs room and we chanted something in the voice of God…angel of God stuff….Tony may remember what that was)
8. Tony’s family stowed away the Angel for several years, but she showed up again in Stu and Joan’s house one Christmas (2007 maybe?) by UPS, surrounded by a nice arrangement of flowers.
9. Christmas 2008, Stu & Joan gave her a Texas-Longhorns basketball, a motorcycle to ride and took her to Texas, disguised as a box of nice motorcycle boots for Blue. (It became tradition to leave something on the angel from each exchange…that explains the dynamite…but that perhaps has become too unwieldy)”

If you have add ons or pictures that you want published just email me or Blue. I’ll make sure that your stories end up here.

Stay tuned for up to date coverage and more on…The Gift of the Angel

Update: February 9, 2010

10. Christmas 2009.  Blue and I selected the next target family member to be blessed with the gift of the Angel. The Angel baby was gifted to Johnny and Imelda.  She was decorated with a fish ornament, which really purdied her up.  Blue personalized the Angel baby with an NSA water filter.