Those charming christmas letters from family

Roo · Dec 31st, 2007, 05:48 AM

So how many of you have family members that send out those Christmas letters every year? You know the kind I mean... the ones that discuss how perfect everyone is and how beautiful the children are, and are rarely infused with reality?

I love the xmas letters, and we get a lot of them. I really enjoy hearing from friends- but I have a second cousin who sends them every year, and I'm always waiting with baited breath to get them, because they are so off the wall, they are entertaining. This SAME cousin is also a semi-whack job and includes brochures from the JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY in with the xmas letters. Charming. Not.

A few highlights from this cousin's past letters:

-- bragged about how her daughter was "accepted" to Barbizon modeling school. (What she fails to mention is that anyone can go to Barbizon if they can pay for it, including your dog-- who in this particular case is more attractive than this cousin's child. Did I mention they also live in WYOMING??)

-- solicited for donations one year to pay for her other daughter's NOSE JOB so she could win more pageants. (Yes, they do pageants too)

-- excitedly discussed how her husband bought and rebuilt the engines on several "vintage" Ford Pinto cars!

-- one year sent a letter encouraging everyone to shop at Wal-Mart because it is "good for America"

--recently announced that their son had moved to San Francisco to "find himself" and had a very "friendly" male roommate!

--lots of writing about the family cats, and recently described in detail how the hubby had to clean their litter boxes when the cousin fell and broke her ankle after she got drunk after Bingo.

The crazy thing is that I have not seen this cousin since 1981. Seriously. I've moved numerous times and every time she seems to find my new address. Anyone else got one of these in their family too?

Vegas Long Legs · Dec 31st, 2007, 06:15 AM

Wow! She is a "couple of sandwiches short of a picnic." lol
We got a christmas letter from one of DH's cousins son who graduated college & decided not to walk or send out announcements. His brother just graduated HS & did the announcements & raked in a TON of cash. So I think this letter was a call for "cash." I threw it away.
Did she ever give a followup on how the nose job fundraising did? It took the cousin falling & breaking her ankle to clean litter boxes? I see why you haven't seen her since 1981.

cola262 · Dec 31st, 2007, 07:08 AM

Yes, the letters and the nice studio photo with a holiday border. Not quite sure what to think of them. The kids always sound perfect and are joining new teams and becoming mvp's and getting into great colleges. The parents are getting involved in politics or community service. The letters are nice, but a little too much sometimes.

Wentworth-Roth · Dec 31st, 2007, 08:32 AM

Those letters always need to be read with a rock of salt. A grain is just not enough.

sailornep5 · Dec 31st, 2007, 10:26 AM

My husband and I laugh at those letters all the time....we are thinking of sending off a long-winded letter about our cat's accomplishments throughout the year as part of our Christmas card next year. :)

Sternchen · Dec 31st, 2007, 10:43 AM

Nobody in my family writes Christmas letters...I feel gyped!!!!

amanda · Dec 31st, 2007, 11:27 AM

we get a few of those in my family every year - mostly from the people that don't really have anything to brag about, ha. the year i went to grand nationals for debate, was part of the best high school symphony in the country, graduated top 10% in my class, and got into college my mom sent one to show up all the usual a-holes in our family that send them (because i'm easily a much more brag-able offspring than any of the other halfbreeds in my family!), and they've shut up since then :-)

they send out pictures of the dog now. she's cuter than all of us!

sred2 · Dec 31st, 2007, 01:30 PM

My family gets these letters also.. and I always find it a bit annoying because the letters are always from people who happen to be very religious so every bit of what they write is infused with relgious undertones. Just a pet peeve but I don't like being preached to!!! Oh well...

keya · Dec 31st, 2007, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roo

-- solicited for donations one year to pay for her other daughter's NOSE JOB so she could win more pageants. (Yes, they do pageants too)

charming...

Quote:

-- one year sent a letter encouraging everyone to shop at Wal-Mart because it is "good for America"

lol!

Quote:

--recently announced that their son had moved to San Francisco to "find himself" and had a very "friendly" male roommate!

haha, that's cute

I'm thankful I've never received a Christmas letter

Jahpson · Dec 31st, 2007, 02:01 PM

LMAO!!

I havent seen such letters, but I would love to. I think thats nice how your family likes to update themselves with those written. I think its cute

I get the same ole' "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, New Years" etc...

Elara · Dec 31st, 2007, 02:08 PM

One of these days, I'm going to send out one of those, but it will include things like how my two-year old has not only become a piano prodigy and learned all Beethoven's symphonies in less than a week, but she's also taught the cat to dance AND got her airplane license at the same time. I think, perhaps, I will have suddenly become a world-class trampoline jumping champion, and my husband may just have won the award for the most beautifully decorated roast pig in Sri Lanka.

Pursegrrl · Dec 31st, 2007, 02:09 PM

Man, these Christmas letters seem to be taking on a life of their own with my family and friends. I now probably get at least TEN every year. Hey I don't even send out Christmas cards much any more so I'm surprised I even GET cards or letters, ha ha!

I have to really sit down and concentrate to get through those letters. Most are just great, but others are truly ARROGANT and it just makes me sick. And I do get a couple infused with a ton of religious undercurrent and as others have posted *I* don't need to be preached to either. Yuck.

Roo, your excerpts are priceless!

sweetlove · Dec 31st, 2007, 02:14 PM

lol! However, It's cute that her son has gotten a nice "roommate" in SF.

We don't really get a lot of christmas letters, but the few we get tends to be quite nice, so I don't really have any stories like that to share.

Traci · Dec 31st, 2007, 02:15 PM

Ha ha!! I always think about doing that...but then I always hear people talking about them so I decide not too! LOL!

cherry pie · Dec 31st, 2007, 02:18 PM

i get one every year from family members in australia that i never see. its nice they remember us but half of the people they talk about i have no clue who they are.

wouldnt be christmas without it though.

Dec 31st, 2007, 05:48 AM	#1
Roo Up to the Minute Mod Location: Rue Roo	Those charming christmas letters from family So how many of you have family members that send out those Christmas letters every year? You know the kind I mean... the ones that discuss how perfect everyone is and how beautiful the children are, and are rarely infused with reality? I love the xmas letters, and we get a lot of them. I really enjoy hearing from friends- but I have a second cousin who sends them every year, and I'm always waiting with baited breath to get them, because they are so off the wall, they are entertaining. This SAME cousin is also a semi-whack job and includes brochures from the JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY in with the xmas letters. Charming. Not. A few highlights from this cousin's past letters: -- bragged about how her daughter was "accepted" to Barbizon modeling school. (What she fails to mention is that anyone can go to Barbizon if they can pay for it, including your dog-- who in this particular case is more attractive than this cousin's child. Did I mention they also live in WYOMING??) -- solicited for donations one year to pay for her other daughter's NOSE JOB so she could win more pageants. (Yes, they do pageants too) -- excitedly discussed how her husband bought and rebuilt the engines on several "vintage" Ford Pinto cars! -- one year sent a letter encouraging everyone to shop at Wal-Mart because it is "good for America" --recently announced that their son had moved to San Francisco to "find himself" and had a very "friendly" male roommate! --lots of writing about the family cats, and recently described in detail how the hubby had to clean their litter boxes when the cousin fell and broke her ankle after she got drunk after Bingo. The crazy thing is that I have not seen this cousin since 1981. Seriously. I've moved numerous times and every time she seems to find my new address. Anyone else got one of these in their family too? __________________ " We are the first nation in the history of the world to go to the poorhouse in an automobile." -- WILL ROGERS

Dec 31st, 2007, 06:15 AM	#2
Vegas Long Legs Member Location: Las Vegas	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family Wow! She is a "couple of sandwiches short of a picnic." lol We got a christmas letter from one of DH's cousins son who graduated college & decided not to walk or send out announcements. His brother just graduated HS & did the announcements & raked in a TON of cash. So I think this letter was a call for "cash." I threw it away. Did she ever give a followup on how the nose job fundraising did? It took the cousin falling & breaking her ankle to clean litter boxes? I see why you haven't seen her since 1981. __________________ Northern Europe July/Aug

Dec 31st, 2007, 07:08 AM	#3
cola262 Member Location: NYC	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family Yes, the letters and the nice studio photo with a holiday border. Not quite sure what to think of them. The kids always sound perfect and are joining new teams and becoming mvp's and getting into great colleges. The parents are getting involved in politics or community service. The letters are nice, but a little too much sometimes. __________________ Speedyshaper.com Solutions for your sagging bags.Since March 07 Cyber Monday 10% code: CMON08

Dec 31st, 2007, 08:32 AM	#4
Wentworth-Roth Oldtime member	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family Those letters always need to be read with a rock of salt. A grain is just not enough.

Dec 31st, 2007, 10:26 AM	#5
sailornep5 Member Location: SF Bay Area, CA	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family My husband and I laugh at those letters all the time....we are thinking of sending off a long-winded letter about our cat's accomplishments throughout the year as part of our Christmas card next year. :)

Dec 31st, 2007, 10:43 AM	#6
Sternchen We're having a boy!! Location: Beauty RAOK	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family Nobody in my family writes Christmas letters...I feel gyped!!!! __________________ My 2 wonderful girls, Nicole (5) and Julia (1) will be big sisters soon! My pregnancy blog

Dec 31st, 2007, 11:27 AM	#7
amanda I Bleed Georgia Red Location: Athens, GA	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family we get a few of those in my family every year - mostly from the people that don't really have anything to brag about, ha. the year i went to grand nationals for debate, was part of the best high school symphony in the country, graduated top 10% in my class, and got into college my mom sent one to show up all the usual a-holes in our family that send them (because i'm easily a much more brag-able offspring than any of the other halfbreeds in my family!), and they've shut up since then :-) they send out pictures of the dog now. she's cuter than all of us! __________________ PROUD TO BE A UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BULLDOG! Read my blog: http://graduationday.wordpress.com

Dec 31st, 2007, 01:30 PM	#8
sred2 Member Location: Seattle <3	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family My family gets these letters also.. and I always find it a bit annoying because the letters are always from people who happen to be very religious so every bit of what they write is infused with relgious undertones. Just a pet peeve but I don't like being preached to!!! Oh well... __________________

Dec 31st, 2007, 02:01 PM	#10
Jahpson Member Location: The Playground	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family LMAO!! I havent seen such letters, but I would love to. I think thats nice how your family likes to update themselves with those written. I think its cute I get the same ole' "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, New Years" etc... __________________ Amazingly Sophisticated Happy Holidays to all my TPF friends!

Dec 31st, 2007, 02:08 PM	#11
Elara Member Location: Richmond, VA	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family One of these days, I'm going to send out one of those, but it will include things like how my two-year old has not only become a piano prodigy and learned all Beethoven's symphonies in less than a week, but she's also taught the cat to dance AND got her airplane license at the same time. I think, perhaps, I will have suddenly become a world-class trampoline jumping champion, and my husband may just have won the award for the most beautifully decorated roast pig in Sri Lanka.

Dec 31st, 2007, 02:09 PM	#12
Pursegrrl Oh! That Joe! Location: Seattle	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family Man, these Christmas letters seem to be taking on a life of their own with my family and friends. I now probably get at least TEN every year. Hey I don't even send out Christmas cards much any more so I'm surprised I even GET cards or letters, ha ha! I have to really sit down and concentrate to get through those letters. Most are just great, but others are truly ARROGANT and it just makes me sick. And I do get a couple infused with a ton of religious undercurrent and as others have posted I don't need to be preached to either. Yuck. Roo, your excerpts are priceless! __________________

Dec 31st, 2007, 02:14 PM	#13
sweetlove Member	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family lol! However, It's cute that her son has gotten a nice "roommate" in SF. We don't really get a lot of christmas letters, but the few we get tends to be quite nice, so I don't really have any stories like that to share. __________________

Dec 31st, 2007, 02:15 PM	#14
Traci MOD - tastic!	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family Ha ha!! I always think about doing that...but then I always hear people talking about them so I decide not too! LOL! __________________ The blog is back! http://www.tra-world.blogspot.com/

Dec 31st, 2007, 02:18 PM	#15
cherry pie Member Location: cloud 9	Re: Those charming christmas letters from family i get one every year from family members in australia that i never see. its nice they remember us but half of the people they talk about i have no clue who they are. wouldnt be christmas without it though.