Cards... check

I love Christmas cards. Getting them, that is. Sending them is a pain! Getting the whole family clean and coordinated, recruiting a photographer, hoping for 5 smiles and 10 open eyes, choosing the best of what's actually captured on the memory card, getting the photos printed, cards assembled, addresses located, confirmed and printed, envelopes stuck, licked, stamped and into the mail... all takes so much time. My bloggy friend Nicki greatly simplified the process for me this year with her great creativity and generosity. (You didn't really think I would be able to come up with something so cute all on my own did you? When she decides to start charging real customers for her services, you all ought to head her way!). But all of the hassle is worth it for the fun of rushing to the mailbox each December day to find updates, photos and Christmas greetings from friends and family, near and far.

Each year our extended family has a little informal competition for the most entertaining card received during the season - whether it's for a fabulous photo or one that obviously has a story behind it; a well-written letter or a ridiculously detailed saga. We love them all! But I think this year's award will go to my parents. For at least the past three Christmases, Danny has been trying to get us to take the family picture in a spa, complete with loads of bubbles. Us girls have all balked, opting for more traditional options that were sure to be easier on our hair and kid wrangling duties. But don't think that kept Danny from starting up with the idea again shortly after Christmas last year. He didn't even let up after we posed for a "boring" photo on Thanksgiving. So the next day we all hopped in the spa, added a little soap, and voila! A picture we all ended up loving! Based on the volume of cards my mom sends and the volume of readers left here on my blog, 8 of the 9 of you have probably already seen this. But just in case you missed it, my family: