I don't always send them, but I always intend to! I have been pretty good, a couple years in a row now... Like Bill, I think it's an extra special treat to those who get one from me, the odds are dodgy!! It sure is a feeling of accomplishment, getting those cards in the mailbox. I also write a short personal message, since I don't have kids or photos or newsletters to share. It gets a little tedious to write in each one, but I make sure I have eggnog and carols playing and make it festive. This year I wrote half while watching "Holiday Inn." I like reading the newsletters, even when they are braggy! Usually they are from relatives I don't keep in touch with so it's just a nice record of their year. I don't mind cards that are just signed (always the photo ones) but I prefer the ones with a message! I also don't compare give-to-recieve. I am sure I've fallen off a list or two for the years I missed, but I send cards to people I want to extend a greeting to, not to those whom I owe anything!

I'm sorry I find this whole thing odd... I think it's great he has put his life together and is doing well, but it would be like having a celebration party for a philanderer who hasn't had an affair for a year. Must a recovering alcholic be patted on the back and given celebration parties when he doesn't drink? I could see his AA friends doing something special, but I didn't know that sobriety was celebrated like this by many others outside of that group. I would be tempted to bring a small gift for his kid (well, just becuase it's nice to bring little kids stuff) and leave it at that.

Keep a couple of things in mind before making your decision: digital format stores nicely and is convenient; however digital formats have changed greatly over the past few years and are expected to continue to change... think about those irreplaceable -and unreplaceable- Polaroids. If you do go digital, wrap the original photos in acid-free paper and then vacuum-pack so your great-grandkid has a chance to see them. Which is another thing, if you don't want these and your kids don't want these; maybe they aren't worth keeping under any circumstance -especially if they are out-of-focus or photos of your cousin's first dog. But if you do keep a few photos, be sure they (each and every one) are well-labeled and dated. DH has albums with pictures of many, many relatives -- some are marked 'Uncle Joe' or 'Mom's Aunt Sue'... no one now alive has the vaguest idea who these folks were, and although I've heard that Uncle Joe's real name was Donald I don't know his last name, and none of the cousins today know who was the "Mom" that had an Aunt Sue. Now me, I have no photos of any relatives, because mum was sure no one would ever be interested in the past -- and when I was in my twenties and thirties, I surely was not interested. So mum disposed of everything before she passed on. Nowadays, I would dearly love to have at least one picture of my parents or grandparents. And the last thought: If the group pictures are dated and you know the details (where, why, when the pic was taken), you may find an organization that would like to have them. Genealogical societies may interested if the people are well identified; and there are historical sites that collect dated photos of the world around us.

Thanks everyone for weighing in - it's been great to read your responses! I admit that one concern I had with sending announcements was that it would seem to be a grab for gifts, which is not what I or my son would want. I don't think my family would see it that way, but I can't be sure about my ex's family. They don't send DS gifts on his birthday or at holidays anyway, so I don't think they'd feel obligated to send anything for graduation. I do think that the appropriate response to any kind of announcement like this is a card with good wishes, which is what I would hope for on behalf of my son. The actual graduation at DS's school is sort of unusual, at least compared to my own (long-ago) high school experience. There is no limit to the number of people who can attend (friends & family sit on the football field, seniors are in the stands) and so there's no issue of tickets, or of only inviting Aunt Sue but not Uncle Joe. Immediately after the ceremony, the new graduates are whisked away to a Grad Night party planned by the senior parents at a secret location. They're there all night and from what I've heard, it's loads of fun. So what this means is that any festivities that family members might want to have to celebrate graduation must be done at a different time. I can just imagine DS's grandparents flying all the way across the country and then not getting to see the new graduate, either right after the ceremony or because he's sound asleep the entire next day! (I think this is a pretty humorous image, but don't worry - I'd tell the grandparents what the schedule was ahead of time). We'll find a way to celebrate as a family, either before or after the actual graduation date. Having said all that, I don't think anyone receiving an announcement will actually fly across the country to attend the ceremony, and I'm terribly proud of my sweet son and want to share his accomplishment with his relatives.