oh my bestyears, I can't believe how calm your (very attractive) children look next to the maniacal looking cat. I'm afraid of being scratched just looking at that picture. Thank you to everyone for sharing your cards, there are so many wonderful photos of kids & animals. I probably mentioned this before but my sister received a photo card from her friends, just the adults and not the kids or pets. They wrote something clever about how everybody has cute kids and pets but how are the adults holding up? It was funny and pretty bold, since after a certain age many of us aren't willing to share photos of greying, aging selves with old high school friends.

Well, how did the evening go? Pink, I would take Deborah's advice, she is wise... -BUT- I would also set boundaries. Snooping-no way! You don't want her driving your child? - don't let her! You are the Mom control the situation. I would have been thrilled if my MIL had sent pictures of my child to friends and family. She was good to my child while she was growing up but there was always tension between me and her- I was always the outsider or outlaw(and the closest neighbor). I sucked it up and carried on, never called her on anything. She was never overtly mean to me but made little comments and made many demands around the holidays. My DH was always aware of it but never took a stand even when I ranted and raved over her. Ten years ago my husbands father died and there was a huge rift in the family, we didn't see or speak to MIL for over 8 years even though she was 1/2 miles down the road. I was shocked last Christmas when I saw her comming thru the yard on her walker! DH's brother had brought her to have Christmas dinner with us. She had had a stroke, and was much older looking than when I last saw her, but I greeted her with a kiss. Then I went out on the deck for a smoke and a drink! I stayed on the side lines and kept my mouth shut, just let DH and DD visit with her, it was strained, but at least they got to "visit" for a while, and all went well. It felt so good! I think she must have seen what shes been missing - family! She came back for Easter too. I am the one that cooks for the holidays now and the house is always full of her kids, gkids and ggkids and I like having her here too. I try to dwell on the good times, DH and DD are still wary (they were very hurt)but they are comming around. She taught me alot, about being the wife of a farmer, raising kids and how not to be a mother in law. I hope I can be a good future mother in law. Things change, be open to it.

I have already posted this on another forum but here's our card for this year. Amos and Andi are 5 years old and are brother and sister Minilabradoodles. Asher - my GS is 29 months. Amos and Andi learned "place" at puppy school and I used it the first year to get a good picture. Every year since when I pull out their jinglecollars, they run and place for me. Asher was the one I had trouble getting to stay still - about 40 pictures and this was the only one that was "almost" perfect.

#1 Dreaming of a white Christmas #2 Joy to the world #3 Away in a manger #4 We three kings #5 Deck the halls #6 Jingle bells #7 Noel #8 Walking in a winter wonderland #9 Go tell it on the mountain #10 I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus #11 Hark the herald angels? #12 Dashing through the snow #13 #14 #15 #16 O holy night #17 O little town of Bethehem #18 #19 Silent night #20 #21 O Christmas tree #22 Chestnuts roasting on an open fire #23 O come all ye faithful #24