Receiving mail is one of my very favorite things in life.  Handwritten letters, postcards, gifts wrapped in bubble paper or even a good ol’ Hallmark card with a few loving words are treasures I save forever!  Our lives are filled with instant gratification but the anticipation and patience required with standard mail delivery is thrilling.  I know after I have sent a package, without having told the person it is coming,  I wait on the edge of my seat to hear that they received it and hopefully felt loved by the gesture. 

So of course, one of my favorite traditions around Christmas has always been the arrival of postage-stamped cards in the mail.  I rejoice (and ironically) usually Instagram “the first card of the year”, rubbing my hands with child-like joy that the dam has been broken and more are sure to come.

Along with that tradition comes the memories of cards gone by.  At the end of each Christmas season, we take all the cards received that year and bind them together in whatever we have on hand.  Two years ago, we had an album (like an overachiever) and you can read this past post on how I put our books together here.  Last year, we went back to basics with a decorated cardboard cover and two free standing binder rings.  Whether fancy or simple, the book of correspondence is tucked away with our Christmas goodies and is made anew the following year when we begin to enjoy the season again. 

Today we pulled out the book from last year.  Being a military family in a foreign country, we weren’t able to take all of our belongings with us so most all of our “memory items” are in storage until we are station state-side again.  But we have 2015 in our hands as this is our second Christmas in Korea, and we enjoyed flipping through our favorite friends and faces all over again.  The kids laugh at the adorable babies and the furry family members featured.  We share memories of how we met these friends once-upon-a-time or how much fun we had last time we saw them.  We guess what their 2016 cards will look like now that they have new babies or hug each other tighter if we know they lost someone this past year. 

These cards?  They have our people on them.  We are blessed to know so many amazing friends and family all over the world and at Christmas, the tradition of snail mail still holds on.  We mail cards because we know how good it feels to receive cards.  Our list is filled with people we care deeply about and this Christmas Card Book is such a treasure to enjoy each year.

Do you still send Christmas cards?  Have you made yours this year?  

Thank you again for sharing your Christmas card love with us!   It is a gift we can hold in our hands and revisit each year, thinking fondly of the many people we love!