Christmas Letter

I like Christmas letters but let’s face it, sometimes Christmas letters are hated as much as fruitcake (which I also like).

Not to get off topic, but have you ever had really good fruitcake? My husband’s aunt makes fruitcake every year and it is a labor of love, let me tell you. She starts making it well before the Christmas season and it is soaked in brandy. It takes time to let all that richness soak in. You only eat a little bit of it at a time because it is so dense with flavor (and brandy). It’s really good. A little piece of advice: don’t turn up your nose at fruitcake, it can be a delicious treat.

Anyway, back to Christmas letters. I like reading a yearly letter that accompanies a Christmas card. Not that many people send them, perhaps because of the sigma attached to them. I do not know why they are so hated. I like to know what my friends and family have been up to in the past year. I know that people tend to complain that Christmas letters are braggy, but I ask you this, would you like to read a Christmas letter that is down in the dumps? Nobody would. I assure you, if you received a Debbie Downer Christmas letter you would complain more than if you received the so called typical Christmas letter.

I sent out some Christmas letters this year. It was the first time for me. I decided to take the plunge even though they have a dubious reputation. I did not send them to everyone, mostly just friends and family who I do not see very often. If you did not receive a Christmas letter, take no offense, it probably means that I think that you read this blog or I know that we have been keeping in touch throughout the year.

I feel down this Christmas letter because this this is the December that I got a little addicted to Staples. Yes, Staples, the office supply store. It’s a odd thing to get addicted to. Let me explain.

I have never really enjoyed office supply stores in my life. I used to think that they had the power to suck the energy out of me just by stepping into them. I experienced this phenomena before so I mostly tried to avoid going inside unless it was the only option.

Then I decided that I was doing to try to sell my holiday name tags as well as Winter Trivia Night In A Bag at my son’s elementary school family holiday festival and I suddenly needed to do more printing than felt appropriate to do at work. Long story short, I looked around for printing options and I found that I could submit my documents online on the Staples website and pick them up the next day at my local store. So convenient!

And that was it, the siren’s song of the ease of printing at Staples lured me into its clutches.

After I printed my trivia night packets and names, I thought to myself, “Wow, the printing at Staples looks amazing. Maybe I should print some more things.”

So I did.

I decided to write a Christmas letter and have it printed in color.

Staples recommended that I use a higher quality paper than I used for my black and white print outs, so I took their suggestion. Thank you Staples for helping me spend money!

But I ask you, can you put a price on telling your family’s story in color ink on Standard White’s 32 lb. bond as opposed to Basic White’s 24 lb. bond? I didn’t think so. I am almost entirely sure it made a difference.

How did it go?

The Christmas letters came out looking like a fundraising newsletter. I hope people don’t open them and think that they should immediately through them away. So professional! But also with a few typos. I really should have waited a day and proof read them instead of sending them off as soon as I composed the letter. Luckily Staples also sells Wite Out (yes, that is how it is spelled).

Now they are sent out. For you who I speak with regularly or are just curious about the contents of the Christmas letter, here goes:

December 2022

Dear Friends and Family,

            I wanted to write today to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

            We Schnicholfritzs (readers, you know our real name) have had quite a year. Mr. Man turned 7 in November and started 1^st grade this past school year. Preschool Nugget turned 4 in February and has been attending preschool in the afternoons beginning this fall. Both boys had their dalliances with soccer this past fall and perhaps will play again next year.

            This past summer we took several camping trips, all in Pennsylvania, in our pop-up camper. We are glad to report that after spending plenty of time outdoors, Mr. Man persuaded the whole family to take up fishing. So, Mom and Dad bought themselves fishing licenses and we went fishing a few times this past summer. We still haven’t caught anything yet, but we are having fun.

            This past summer the Schnicholfritzs traveled to the camp in western Pennsylvania where Katie was a staff member and camper during her youth, for its 75^th Anniversary weekend. We had lots of fun swimming in the pool, trying out the climbing wall, and reconnecting with old friends.

            We also enjoyed a summer holiday at Chincoteague Island in Virginia, where we had a great time exploring the ocean and the joys of coastal living. Mr. Man had a great time visiting the nature center at the beach and learning the names of the life that washed up on shore. He bravely ran out into the waves to the chagrin of his parents.

My sister Liz joined us for several days of the trip and he showed her all the great things he learned. Preschool Nugget’s favorite part of visiting the ocean was watching the lifeguards while they worked and checking out their ATVs as well as playing with his trucks in the sand. He also liked riding his training wheel bike up and down the lane where we stayed. Everyone loved visiting the outdoor shower at the rental after we returned from the ocean. It was magical.

            In April, Katie ran in the St. Luke’s Half Marathon held in Allentown. Not to be outdone, Mr. Katie ran in his first half marathon, the Delaware & Lehigh Half Marathon, in Palmerton in November.

            In 2023, Mr. Man will continue to hone his reading skills and Preschool will continue to work on his speech and occupational therapy skills, like his pre-writing strokes. Katie and Mr. Katie will hopefully continue to keep running so they can keep up with their active boys.

With love,

Katie

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