The Christmas season is upon us! In celebration, I’ve put together a ‘Tis the Season to Read Giveaway. More on that at the end of the post. First, let’s talk Christmas cards!
I love receiving Christmas cards at this time of the year. You?
When I was growing up, my mom took a family photo each year and sent it out in Christmas card form. I’ve made an effort to do the same. Today, I bring you a peek into the Clem (my maiden name) and Wade Christmas card collections.
Our first family card. That’s me in the middle! My mom was expecting baby #2, so there’s a tiny “?” stocking hanging on the mantle.
One of the Christmas cards mom sent out during the 4 years when we lived in Germany. During that time, both my parents worked at the English-speaking Frankfurt International School that my sisters and I attended. All five of us would pack into our Audi sedan each day for the trip to and from the school.
I’m the one in the middle with the huge 80’s hair. By this time, we’d returned to our home in Riverside, California. That’s my high school handwriting on the right, so I must have lent a hand signing cards that year.
This is the first Christmas card photo I sent out after His Highness and I married. We were living on the Caribbean Island of Anguilla at the time. I feel benevolently toward these two. The way I would toward a pre-schooler or a puppy. “Oh, little newlyweds, you. All stress-free, and relaxed, and beachy.” <I pat them on their heads.> “Just you wait.”
Since they didn’t sell Christmas trees on the island, I cut down a weed bush, stuck it in a pot, and decorated it. My hair cut here was an ill-advised attempt to mimic the style of Rachel from Friends. Huh. It looks nothing like Rachel’s.
I’m a fan of this one from my mom’s collection. My sisters and I were all into dark lipstick and His Highness looks like a disgruntled hit man.
This is our first Christmas card after baby #1 was born. I’m smiling here because if I didn’t smile, I was quite afraid that I’d start wailing, “I’m never,” <hiccup hiccup/tears tears> “going to get a decent night’s sleep” <hiccup/tears> “again in my life!” Also, hose. I haven’t worn a pair of hose in at least a decade.
This is the card we sent out the Christmas after baby #2 was born. This one’s in the running for our worst card ever. I was desperate to get a photo snapped, so we simply stood in front of a tree in our front yard and our neighbor served as photographer. Daughter is smashing son’s head. Both kids have weird expressions. We’re sun-dappled. I remember thinking at the time, “This photo stinks but it’s the best of really bad choices and — unlike the relaxed, beachy me of 10 years ago — I’m the mother of a three year old and a newborn. It’ll have to do.”
Our first card after the birth of baby #3. I wrote most of My Stubborn Heart while pregnant. I was just a few chapters from the end of the book when #3 was born. For the first ten months after bringing her home from the hospital, I didn’t glance at the manuscript once. But eventually, I opened the document back up, got to work editing it, and — in time — sent it to a literary agent.
Which brings us right up to the present! Here’s our card this year. I’m very thankful for my family, my work, my friends, my readers, and the Lord, who’s walked every step of this journey with me.
Will you be sending out cards this year? Do you include photos?
And now… a Christmas giveaway!
This giveaway is open to USA residents who are Facebook users. If that describes you, entry is quick and super easy.
Click here to enter my Christmas giveaway!
When you reach the landing page on Facebook, click “Get Started”, at which time you’ll interact with my Facebook Messenger “Chat Bot” by answering the provided question. That’s it! You’ll automatically be entered to win. I’m excited about the Chat Bot because it will enable me to send you a Facebook message a few times a year when I have a book release or news to share.
One grand prize winner will win all the items pictured above. The books I’m giving away: 3 of my books (winner can choose which 3 she’d like), Cowboy Christmas Homecoming, You’re Gonna Love Me, and Blue Ridge Sunrise. 7 runner up winners (one chosen each of the 7 days of the giveaway) will win a Christian fiction novel written by one of my author friends. Best of luck, everyone!
Becky Wade
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Thanks for making me laugh out loud this morning, Becky! Hysterical!
🙂 My pleasure!
We haven’t ever done the Christmas card thing. We’re terrible about getting pictures taken together in general but I always get lots of candids during vacations.
Your cards through the years commentary is priceless! 80s hair and pantyhose, lol! Thank you for the giveaway, sweet lady!
It’s difficult to get a picture of the whole family! First, you have to recruit a photographer. We’ve taken our Christmas card photo many years on Thanksgiving because we have family around on that day to take the picture and because we’re all at least (somewhat) dressed up. Then comes the difficulty of getting even one DECENT picture. Everyone smiling. Everyone with open eyes. Everyone looking in the same direction. LOL.
Loved seeing your family through the years! I send a picture with a letter, it is always from whenever we are all together, which some years it has been just once with the kids in Chicago and California. This year it had to be from June because even though we were all in California for Thanksgiving the photos just were not good at all. But, it includes my new granddaughter!
So long as you’re able to get everyone together, I’d call that a success! Congratulations on your new granddaughter!
The open eyes comment really struck a chord! All your pictures were fun! I want to congratulate you on your award. Also I want to mention that I have never done this type of giveaway using Facebook, and after clicking and going through, I realized I wasn’t currently signed in to my account. So, I signed in and did the link again from the newsletter. I may have inadvertently gotten a second entry or perhaps not. I was not trying to get two entries. The Facebook first name is my nickname, Cat.
No problem! Thanks for your patience and for persevering, Cathy. This type of giveaway is brand new to me, too. 🙂
Love the pictures! I send cards, but no pictures.
Thanks for the giveaway. I will see if I am able to manage entering.
I do send Christmas cards. However, due to time and expense, I don’t seem to send as many as I use to. I like to write notes to insert into the ones I send instead of just signing them. Seems like we call and wish a Merry Christmas to more and more instead of doing cards. Honestly if folks living off and send a Christmas card and I haven’t seen or talked to them in a while, I want more than it just signed. I have to laugh because it reminds me of my Dad who use to say they were “yes we are still alive” cards. When they came with just a signature, then he knew they were among the living and to keep their address in his little book. I have sent photo cards but it’s usually for special year or a year when something significant happened – like when we got our new fur-baby.
“I have to laugh because it reminds me of my Dad who use to say they were “yes we are still alive” cards.” That’s hilarious! So, so true. It’s always nice to know how many of my friends are still alive each Christmas. 🙂
My mom always writes a Christmas letter and it has been fun looking back at those over the years. We sometimes do a picture and sometimes it is just the kids. Thanks for the giveaway, the messenger thing in FB was a cool way to enter!
“Thanks for the giveaway, the messenger thing in FB was a cool way to enter!” I’m glad to hear that you thought so! I love the bot’s capability to interact with users instantly.
Thank you for the delightful blog this morning! You and your family are beautiful, and the best part is … your Christmas pictures are full of sun, warmth and beach! Merry, Blessed Christmas to you!
Thank you, Hilda! A blessed Christmas to you, too.
Becky – I had forgotten your maiden name was Clem. My next book (More Than Meets the Eye) features a husband and wife set of secondary characters named John and Charlotte Clem who were based on actual early settlers in Pecan Gap, TX. John and Charlotte Clem came to Texas from Arkansas. In 1888, the railroad came across the Clems’ land and built a depot. The town grew from there. John started a lumber mill and became the first Baptist pastor and eventually the postmaster as well. I wonder if John and Charlotte are in your family tree somewhere? How fun would that be? 🙂
Wow! That would be incredibly fun. My Clem relatives definitely were Baptists from the south. My husband and I are going to try the Ancestry DNA thing — so maybe that will eventually put us in touch with relatives who’ve researched Clem family genealogy.
What a sweet post. Loved all your family Christmas cards and the real life explanations of each one. Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family! 🎄
Merry Christmas to you, too, Jeanne!
I do send out cards. I bought a tin at Lifeway after Christmas for 90% off and have enough for the next decade! Just kidfing, but at least a few years. As a matter of fact, I sent one out to all the authors I influence for, including you! You are in my top five favorites.
That’s so kind of you, Susan! Thanks. And way to go — taking advantage of a 90% off deal after Christmas!
I still send out cards each h year. I don’t put in pictures though anymore. Thanks for the give away. I was unable to enter. I use a Kindle Fire and when I clicked the link to enter it would take me to some site where kindle apps where shown . Must be a thing with the Kindle fire since no one else seems to be having trouble . I will try later with my iPhone. I love your Christmas card pictures.
Sorry about the trouble you were having, Shirley! Are you a Facebook user?
I loved seeing your Christmas cards and all of the photos! Really fun post! It looks like His Highness is almost smiling in your latest one. 🙂
Almost!! He’s a very happy person, in general. But he tells us that his facial muscles just can’t do a fake smile. =O
THIS is so great, and what a hoot! I am impressed that you have all these cards still and super impressed that you did them after your family got so big. I couldn’t keep up after a while and quit sending cards. This makes me want to get started again. Thanks for sharing!
It’s so nice to have someone recognize my Christmas card efforts! My family certainly doesn’t. When I try to corral them for a family photo, I’m met with grumbling and/or whining and/or sorrowful resignation. 😉
I haven’t done Christmas cards in quite a while. I loved looking at your’s! Maybe I’ll hit the store on the way home from the office tonight. Loved your list of faves in your emails. I am also a huge See’s candy fan. 🙂
Ahhh, See’s Chocolate. Happy sigh.
This is the first year I’m not sending out christmas cards! 🙁 We will be traveling and so I decided to make life a little more simple. Love your cards and seeing your sweet family!
I do love the idea of simplifying in December. If it’s too hectic — it passes too fast!
What an excellent post! I truly enjoyed that little “history” lesson. I think I especially resonated with the picture of you and your husband right after baby #1. I was the exact same. If I didn’t smile big I was going to end up a sobbing mess. How can such an amazing blessing feel so overwhelming?! Happy holidays to you and your family.
“How can such an amazing blessing feel so overwhelming?!” Yes. Exactly, Nicole. I was so very overwhelmed for the first several weeks!
My mother died 5 years ago today. It is hard still for me to get into the Christmas spirit. She would send out cards by the hundreds. So far, my husband and I have received 1 card.
“It is hard still for me to get into the Christmas spirit.” That’s understandable, Janet. May the Lord meet you where you are this season and surround you with His presence.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. My birthday is a double whammy. I was born on Thanksgiving Day and every so many years my Birthday & Thanksgiving are on the same day.
We usually do letters in cards but I have been saving photos this year to give a photo card a try. Guess I had better really DO something soon.
Loved this post! Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by, Jen!
Thanks for the fun post, Becky! I love your commentary and seeing your family pictures. I usually don’t send out pictures, but I often do a Christmas letter. Sometimes it’s a Valentine or Easter letter, though, depending on when I get around to it.
Haven’t got myself in gear this year. Need to get those cards done. Great to see your cards . Nice keepsakes. Thanks for the post.
This post cracked me up! I still have 100 of last year’s photo cards that I never sent. OOOPS. This year’s cards still have hope….but I’m sitting here reading blog posts instead of addressing envelopes.
I entered on Facebook. Haven’t used that feature before. But I also hate Facebook, so….
“My Stubborn Heart”, my fave, second only to Bo & Meg’s story…
This was such a fun blog & cool way to do a prize entry! I always send out Crustmas cards, but never with photos. Or update letters. I spend tons of hours (and money) designing & creating handmade cards. They are my way of showing my love to others with a card that’s also a personally-made gift. And they all focus on Jesus. It’s His birthday, after all. 🙂
*Christmas!!!
I’ve only sent out pictured Christmas cards twice..and that was it. I prefer the traditional writing a note in a card, but haven’t done so this year yet. Need to get started for sure!
Yes we took our pups after church and got them taken so now waiting for the cards to send out then people that are sending due to a Christmas card list that I got on I am sending them regular cards I like doing them.It takes me a long time to address as I am severely disabled but I take my time and do it slow so the mailman can read my husband gives back the ones that are unreadable and I do it again have to keep the fingers moving so they don’t all crimp! Thank you and Happy Holidays.
We are new grandparents and this is the first year we have sent out a picture Christmas card. Loved your pictures through the years.