Family Christmas Card

We have another tradition in our family that dates back many more year than the wreath making....the family Christmas card. My dad has insisted every year (since the year after I was born) that we send a Christmas card including a photo of our entire family. I remember many many years and hours of complaining while my dad either set up the tripod or asked some poor soul standing near us to get a photo of our family.

It's always something. Some years we take it in the summer and we're hot, some years the wind is blowing too hard, some years we take multiple poses because someone looks awkward. It's really hard to find one that everyone likes. We always take multiple, which of course takes longer and leads to more complaining. We always feel bad for the person taking the picture because they end up with a much bigger ordeal than they bargained for. For the eight or so years that we dated before we got married, Matt was the photographer. Talk about pressure. I think he was glad to marry into the family to be relieved of his duty. This year we passed the torch to my brother's girlfriend, Nicole. She did a nice job, and was pretty cheerful about it so she passed the photographer test.

So no matter what, we always end up with a family Christmas card. I love it. Love it. Love it. I couldn't be more glad that my dad...who is also the best. period. :)... makes us do it. My mom usually comes up with a creative little letter to go along with the card that gives a brief overview of what we've been up to. A few years ago, my mom compiled all the photos and letters into one book as a gift for my dad's birthday. Now we look at it every year at Christmas.

It's so wonderful to be able to look back and remember all the significant events. We've had pictures from family vacations, in front of each house we've lived in, at Cameron Indoor Stadium, in Vermont, at my wedding...you get the idea. I was reading the old letters over Thanksgiving and it made me realize how much love and joy comes with being a member of a family, and it made me thankful for mine all over agin. So thank you dad for putting up with all the complaining and creating memories that are so special to us today.

I wish I had scanned some of the old pictures so I could show you a few, but I'll have to try to remember that for another time. Here are a few of the rejects from this year...you'll have to wait until closer to Christmas when they've been sent out for the real thing (plus Matt and my Christmas card - because our picture hasn't even been taken yet - we're waiting for the snow to come first!).

We weren't feeling particularly original this year and didn't have much time with the whole family together so we decided to pose in front of the fireplace.

Standing just look awkward. Plus it wasn't a particularly flattering angle for me.



Next pose. Still going with the fireplace theme but sitting instead. Now the guys look weird. They don't know what to do with their legs when sitting like that.



Fine. We thought maybe the girls in front would be better. That was the best of the bunch but we all decided not card-worthy.



You can see for yourself why this one didn't work. I think Matt's face is hilarious.



We tried again but the lighting was just bad, bad. We should have switched me and my brother - Matt's hand on John's shoulder looks a little creepy and awkward.



We moved the location one more time for the final shot - almost everyone is happy with it too, which was an accomplishment.