Christmas Greetings

 

I think Christmas cards are going the way of the dinosaur. They are soon to be extinct.

 

However, I'll be one of those people hanging on until the bitter end. I've been part of photo Christmas cards for most of my life. 

 

 

 It's a family tradition. I starred in my very first one in 1957, as a 6-month-old baby.

By the time 1958 rolled around, I was already sharing space with my sister, Lisa, on the annual missive from Bob and Janis.

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

We didn't send another photo card until 1985, the year Jill was born. It was only natural, I suppose, that we continued the tradition with our own children.

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

Back when Jill and Brent were little, this annual attempt was captured on film. And you weren't sure what you'd gotten until the film was developed. I have rolls and rolls of film chronicling the misadventures of getting two little kids to look their best in the same frame. The move to digital photography makes the storage problem easier - though it can't help everyone look great in every frame. 

Kinley made her first Christmas card appearance in 2012.

When Brooke joined the family in 2014, I featured several outtakes of the girls on the blog. This was just one of them. Kinley, almost 3 at the time, was definitely in her cheesy smile stage. 

 

This one was from 2020. (Boy, the girls have sure changed!)

We didn't do the formal family portrait this year, so some snapshots had to suffice for the 2025 Fritzemeier Christmas card.

No matter whether you're a Christmas card advocate or you aren't, Merry Christmas from our family to yours! 

Peace on earth, good will toward all.