I like Regina's suggestion about stating your preference.

I'm in the same boat as Regina and would like to make a suggestion, based on a method used at my work place. At work we do a Secret Angel gift exchange the month of December. We can give several little gifts throughout the month or one big gift at the end or any combination. However, if we know we are going to give our Secret Angel gift(s) one large gift or we are going to start later then the designated starte date, we simply let the person who organized the event know. They in turn pass a note onto the individual so they do not think they have been forgotten or abandon. I would suggest the same here - if you know you are going to be late why not send a quick PM to the person who organized it for the month simply asking them to let their SS know their package will be 1, 2, 3 etc weeks late or due to unseen events no package will be coming to their mailbox. I know several people have posted notes saying their gift would be late but those who have not yet received it do not know who the note is directed at so a PM from the organizer would at least let the recipient know they had not been forgotten.

Marcie