Better communication before hand would've helped out a lot. People often don't think alike and they're not mind readers. If your sister wanted the gift delivered to Denver, she should've told your mom that. It's not right that your mom was made to feel bad because she ordered what her son-in-law wanted.

But like someone else said, what would the holiday be without some kind of family drama? Though considering I've got friends with some serious health issues and have relatives dying, well, worrying about the size of a gift should be a minimal issue, you know? It's all about perspective.

And I'm with you. Let your sister and her husband deal with having it shipped home. That would solve the problem.