A Family Tradition

I know that Christmas card letters have their share of detractors. But, I love getting cards and letters from people at this time of year. I'd much rather have a mass-produced letter than simply a signature, though it's great when people include a hand-written note, too.

Even in this electronic communication age, I send quite a few Christmas cards. It's been a way for me to keep in touch of childhood friends and college buddies, along with sending greetings to family members across the U.S. and seasoning's greetings to neighbors.

For us, the photo Christmas card is a family tradition. I starred in my very first one in 1957, as a 6-month-old baby.

Though my brother, Kent, was born in December 1966, he didn't make the Christmas card until 1967. This is the first photo card with all my siblings. I would have been 10, Lisa, 9, Darci, 6 and Kent was 1.

My parents included their children on the family Christmas card until we graduated from college. Since then, we make occasional appearances with a full-family photo. But with the family growing so quickly, the last extended Moore family Christmas card is already obsolete. It only had one of their great-grandchildren included. Since then, there have been three more born, with yet another on the way.

Randy and I sent our first photo card in 1981, the year we were married.

 Then, we didn't send another one until 1985, the year that Jill was born.

Christmas Card Photo - Jill - 1985

We sent one with the three of us in 1986, when Jill was 15 months old. After that, I usually stayed on the other side of the camera and just included the kids. (When you're the one doing the work, you get the most votes.)

Christmas Card Photo - 1986

The first one with Brent was in 1988. Brent would have been about 7 months and Jill was 3.

Christmas Card Photo - 1988

Before the advent of digital photography, I developed rolls of film trying to come up with the perfect photo.

This year, Jill and Brent didn't make the Christmas card cut. (I don't think either of them is too upset.) Instead, Kinley joined us for the first time.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!