Spoilers

Whenever I hear the word “spoilers,” I think of the BBC classic, Dr. Who. The Doctor’s perfect match is named River Song, but they are ill-fated lovers because they are traveling in opposite time streams—she’s moving one direction through time and he’s moving in the other. Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey and all. Whenever their timelines cross, he often badgers her for details about his future, which she has already lived. She stoically refuses to reveal what’s coming, saying “spoilers!” with her eyes twinkling in a delightfully mysterious way. Add a British accent to “spoilers,” and you’ll start to understand what I mean.

It’s time for some White family photo spoilers!

Here is a summary of my thought process around this time every year, regarding Christmas cards:

If we don't get a family picture taken in the next 2 weeks, we won't mail any Christmas cards again. But then again...we never have mailed Christmas cards so what does it matter? But Costco has those card printing deals...but stamps are at an all-time high...but I love it when people send us Christmas cards...but that's what my blog is for...

I go around and around and around that circle every year until it’s too late to do anything about it and then I feel slightly guilty but also rather relieved that the choice was delayed long enough to take it off my hands.

We love White sandwiches. Since I still value family photos even as the Christmas card debate rages within me, we attempted some self-inflicted family photos on Friday. We strapped Layne into the booster seat, set her behind the camera tripod, and told Jay and Rose to look at her and smile. It kind of worked, surprisingly. So we had an almost-one-year-old do our family pictures this year. I emailed them to my sister Em and she worked a little PhotoShop magic on her favorite one:

This one looks good and all, but it’s not really US, you know? It feels a little stiff. So we took a few spunkier photos too.

Then I actually got onto Costco.com and ordered some real-life family Christmas greeting cards. GASP. Yes, I actually did it. I have a lurking feeling that ordering them was the easy part. I still have to figure out how to address over 50 envelopes. Anyone remember how to mail merge? Me neither.

And stamps! They are outrageous right now. But we like our friends enough to invest at least 45 cents in each of them, ha ha, aren’t you glad. Our family is almost 7 years old and this is the first year for our Christmas cards. Hopefully it’s not also our last year!

Sorry about the spoilers, but at least you don’t know what picture(s) will be on the card. A small bit of the mystery remains intact.
[oh, and if you think I may not have your address and you want a card…email me]