Christmas Cards

Every year I search for the perfect Christmas card. The one that will fully express my delight in the Holiday and pride in my beautiful family. I love receiving Christmas cards. I love displaying them and looking at them years later. I love to see how much people's children have grown as well as what everyone else is up to. Some people send cards with no pictures. That's no fun, if you ask me. Some people don't even send cards! Year after year I send them cards and I wonder if they even open them up because I hear nothing from them in return.

Christmas cards are a process. First, there's the endless anxiety over getting the perfect family picture. That in and of itself is a process. Which outfit to buy- not too matchy-matchy but ensembles that complement each other. Then, after you've taken photos, you have the agonizing task of selecting the best picture. Sometimes they're all good and sometimes it's a choice between a squinting child or an unfortunate double chin. When I've found the right one I run to Joe for approval and I get shrug and a grunt. Why do I even bother?

After the selection of the picture and "approval" from the family the search for the perfect card ensues. As always, I turn to my tried and true company, Tiny Prints. One Christmas, in protest (over the price), I switched from Tiny Prints to Costco. I believe the savings were in the neighborhood of $100. The regret over my temporary insanity will be life-long. A heavy shroud of regret suffocated my conscience at least 6 months after December... until I could redeem myself with Joseph's birthday invitations from Tiny Prints. I look through colors and themes and phrases. I like the ones that are words to Christmas songs. "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas," or "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow." There's also the size of the picture, how many pictures (1, 2, 3 or 4), flat, folded, accordian-style, ornament...

After I select the best card there are still hundreds of man hours ahead. I have to make sure the size, color, and fonts are correct. "Warm Wishes From the Stutesmans" or "Warmest Wishes From the Stutesmans." I know it sounds silly but I see these cards as a relfection of so much more than my family... it's pathological, I know.

After the order has been placed, our designer writes to reassure us that we're in good hands. My heart races as I approach my house EVERY DAY. Did the mail come? Are the cards here? While I'm waiting I make my order to the USPS for the PERFECT holiday stamp. Christmas cookies or ornaments? Classic or comical? I much prefer USPS.com over the post office. I don't even mind paying the $1 shipping fee. It's worth the stress and inconvenience of standing behind (forgive me) old people who don't know how to use the automatic postal machine in the lobby. I really don't like when their selection isn't as comprehensive as the one online. Frustrating!

This past Christmas I enclosed a holiday letter letting our family and friends know that we were expecting Jacob. That was hours and hours of agonizing rewrites and edits... What do we share? What should go in? What should we take out?

One day I pull into the driveway and discover that the box with the Tiny elephant is sitting by the front door waiting for me to open it. I run to it, open it up, and smile in relief that it's almost over. Next comes the folding and stuffing and sticking and licking and sealing... it's not pleasant.

After I send them out, I wait for feedback from friends and family. Last year I got quite a compliment. I was told that ours was the most beautiful out of all the cards she had received.
This year our card will not be delivered the day after Thanksgiving. It wont even be in November. I'll be lucky if I get that bad boy out by the end of the year. I've never been so busy in my life. How HOW HOW do people have more than one child?! How do people have more than one child AND work outside of the home? How do people have more than one child, work outside of the home, and have a spouse that's gone half of the year? Our card may not have all the members of our family on it and the stamp may not be my favorite and there may not be a letter but by golly at least I'll have sent one out!