The Christmas Letter

I have seen and heard quite a bit of debate over the years concerning "The Christmas Letter." You know what I am talking about. The note in the Christmas card that accompanies a family photo or two talking about all the fabulous things this person and their kids have been up to over the year.

Personally, I love the Christmas letter. I love to make fun of them. I had a former sister-in-law who sent the most amazing Christmas letters each year. It is probably the only thing I miss about her. Without any children to brag about, she managed to compose a 2-3 page single spaced letter mostly about herself, a little of her dog and of course the occasional mention of her husband, all written in third person (my favorite). Toss in a touch of poor grammar and a few typos and you have yourself great material for our holiday gathering. Sadly, I did not make the list this year.

I am not really of fan of the standard Christmas card either. I feel a little let down when a card arrives with a signature in it an nothing more. I like family photos and a little note of what is going on. Not everyone is on Facebook so it is especially great to hear from those I don't keep in touch with as regularly.

I have to admit that I send out a Christmas letter each year. I do have rules for myself that I follow.
  1. Tell it like it is. Of course I think my children are cute, smart, sweet, etc... but no one is perfect and I am not about to tell you how fantastically, wonderful they are and all the amazing accomplishments they complete year after year.
  2. Keep it short. I limit myself to 1 page, a few paragraphs of just the highlights of the year.
  3. Mention everyone. Everyone gets a sentence or two of what has happened this year.
  4. No 3rd person. I write our Christmas Letter. Why pretend I didn't?
  5. Make it entertaining. There is nothing more precious than time. If I am going to take someone's, then I need to give a little something back. I try to make my letter something my friends and family would enjoy reading vs. something I enjoy telling (although, if you can do both, even better).
Hopefully by following these guidelines, I avoid being the subject of the Christmas Letter debate. I wasn't sure if I was going to send anything out this year given that this blog reaches most people I would send a card to and then some. Plus, you all have probably heard anything I would put in the letter, but at the last minute, I made my kids sit for their picture and after some handy-dandy Photoshop work we have one lovely family photo.

In an effort to Keep it Real and Entertain, here is the final card and the out-takes.






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