<p>This marks the 20th anniversary of our doing a holiday newsletter. I’ve given myself permission to stop it after this year. It hangs over my head, so I’ll skip it next year to simplify things. Over the years, we’ve added more pictures. We try to have one of the two pages be a collage of pics from the year. Here it is December 10th, and I’ve yet to start it (maybe this afternoon?).</p>
<p>In our house, they are both dreaded and appreciated. I love the ones from friends overseas, hate the ones from SIL that prosthelytize, and LOVE my brothers semi-annual parody (" …ma has taken the pledge and kinda cut back on her drinkin, much to the delight of all our kin…")</p>
<p>I love getting them and I send one out. It’s fun to get caught up on what friends have been doing. The one I send usually contains a quick summary of what the kids have done throughout the year and a funny story about something that happened to us during the year. I don’t usually put in anything about myself. Because I send it to my ex-in-laws (it’s the only way they know what the kids are doing. Their dad isn’t exactly an “involved” parent), I keep my stuff out of it. I just don’t like my ex knowing my business. </p>
<p>I usually print it out on pretty paper to keep it festive and fun.</p>
<p>I admit… I love them so much I make my mom keep all the ones she receives (and my parents are very social, so there are A LOT of them) so I can read them all. Even if I am not with them for the holidays, I ask her to keep them for the next time I am there. And I have never met some of these people in person… I only know them through their letters 
Some I have been reading for over 30 years! These people will be spooked if they ever meet me, because I know a lot about them…</p>
<p>I usually enjoy them…not so much the ones from my cousin, an RN, who goes into great medical detail, or the ones written as really terrible poems. But if they are newsy, even braggy, they’re fine for me.</p>
<p>I think I may have told this story on CC before - but I can’t find it so here it goes again…</p>
<p>My sister-in-law writes the most obnoxious bragging letters about her three perfect angels, her wonderful husband, blah blah blah… Every year, I read it and promptly swear off sugar cookies for the season…</p>
<p>So one year I decided to mix things up a little bit. She always uses the same paper- so I purchased a package of it - and then wrote my own version of her letter. Took all of the usual brags and turned them up a notch - oldest kid got the Nobel Peace prize, etc. </p>
<p>Then I waited … and when the postman came, I slipped it into the envelope and put it back into the post office box. </p>
<p>My wife started reading it, then she started laughing, then she started crying because she was laughing so hard, declaring that her sister had lost her mind… I waited a few minutes and then handed her the real letter. :)</p>
<p>This has inspired me… the letter has not come yet - and my mother-in-law lives only a couple of miles away…</p>
<p>You should do it scualum - love it :)</p>