By now you’ve likely read a few (hundred) Christmas card-related posts. Settle in and get ready to read another one! I’m late to the party, but my outfit is cute and I’ve practiced my witty conversation, so I’m sure this post will be worth your time.

The reason I’m so tardy to the party (Sorry. I couldn’t help myself, but I promise to never say tardy to the party again. Starting now.), is that I have Christmas Card Traumatic Stress Disorder (CCTSD). Due to my condition, I kind of stalled on getting my cards done this year.

Most people’s card trauma starts when they have kids. Mine, however, began the year I was pregnant with H. That year was my first experience with taking hundreds of pictures just to get one semi-decent shot. What did people do before digital cameras?

The year was 2005 and we decided to send out a photo card for the first time. We wanted to send a picture of us with our canine child. Turns out, dogs can only sit still for so long. Gretchen got really bored, really fast, and she wanted to look at us, not at the camera. Roughly 720 tries later, give or take, we ended up with a couple pictures, but they were blurry or dark or both.

We liked this one, but could not get it light enough to use.

The one we finally went with, because the dog was smiling.

We used that second picture, because Gretchen was smiling. I also liked it because at the time I was sporting more of a pudgy-not-pregnant look, and that photo sort of disguised some of the pudgy.

We ordered our cards from Shutterfly and they were perfect. I’m so glad we jumped through the hoops to get the picture, too, because not only was that our last Christmas as a little family of two plus dog, it ended up being Gretchen’s last Christmas with us. {Sniff. She is missed.}

It also turns out that was the easiest Christmas photo shoot we’ve ever had. Once the children arrived on the scene, Christmas card photos have been a joke. If you’re a parent, you know what I mean.

Last year was our first Christmas with both of our boys. I really, really wanted the perfect picture of the precious brothers. Hahahahahaha. Ha.

I am not exaggerating here – two hundred tries later, we had nothing. Mark looked at me and gently, but also kind of snidely, said, “Do you think, maybe, you have lost complete sight of the point? Your Christmas spirit seems to have disappeared.”

So I pouted. For a while. And then finally got a grip on myself, realizing that Mark was right. We took a cue from H, who was obsessed (that’s putting it mildly) with his Super Man costume at the time. We did separate photo shoots with each of the boys when they were in good moods, photo-shopped them together, and sent out a card that said, Have a Super Holiday!

I cropped out (most of) their faces, but you get the idea...

So this year, we got smart. We let a professional take our pictures, and while the shoot was crazy, the photos are beautiful. Once again, I’ll be using Shutterfly for my cards, but this time the lighting is perfect and the boys look like angels (who are we kidding, though?).

I’m thinking about going with the card below, but I have not decided yet. Too many choices!

Yes, I’m aware that it’s already December 3. So, you know, maybe don’t look for your card in the mail any time soon.

But when that card does arrive, it’s going to be really cute.

I wonder…

:: What card would you pick? Take a look here and here and here, then let me know what you think.

:: Do you have a card trauma story? If you’re a parent, I know you do!

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This post is part of Shutterfly’s Blogger Christmas Card Promotion.

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Hey, guess what? I’m being featured over on Friends 2 Follow Friday at 3 Moms in One today! Go check out the blog – you’ll be glad you did. And I’m not just saying that because I’m featured.