Holidays are all about tradition. Unfortunately, in this age of hectic schedules and electronic communication, holiday cards are becoming a lost art. But not for us!
Every year, we love sending out the craziest and funniest Christmas cards we can think of. It’s our way of spreading some holiday cheer to our friends and family, and starting off the new year with a smile. Here are a few of our favorites!
#1
A Christmas Card Photoshoot In Bear Country (Part 2)
It all started in 2009 when we dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Claus for a children’s event. We took a fun picture on our front stoop with our dogs and sent it out as our Christmas card for a laugh. People loved it so much that it became a yearly tradition. We look forward to our Christmas Card Day all year long, and so do the photographers!
We’ve also created a Halloween card. We made it at the house featured in the American Gothic painting in Eldon, IA (USA). We took the “standard” tourist picture for the front of the card and then added our own rendition on the inside.
#2
The Elfie Visit
#3
A Holiday Front Window
This is a family endeavor, although, most importantly, we thrive on my wife Louise’s eye rolls and head shakes when deciding what to do each year. We usually get our ideas from classic Christmas movies, the news, and current trends. When we did The Elfie Visit, the Elf on the Shelf was at its peak in popularity. When we did Black Friday at Walmart, there were lots of crazy Black Friday stories in the news. We’ve obviously capitalized on the rising popularity of Christmas sweaters and now have several bins of them in our basement.
#4
The Tongue And The Frozen Flag Pole
#5
A Christmas Card Photoshoot In Bear Country (Part 1)
The reactions of our family and friends are why we do this. It’s a wonderful way to let them know we’re always thinking of them, and we take the opportunity to personalize each card with a short, handwritten note.
Many of our family and friends use our cards as Christmas decorations. We’ve seen them line fireplace hearths, stick them on refrigerators, and display them on work desks. But for me personally, it boils down to one of my best friends. He has the most contagious laugh, and getting that laugh has been a goal of mine for 47 years. These cards work every time.
The Elfie Visit seems to be the most popular card with our family and friends, though our two cards based on “A Christmas Story” are genuinely loved by everyone. The Photoshoot in Bear Country was a bit polarizing because of what happens to Santa. People either love it or don’t like it one bit. Either way, it’s definitely our favorite!
#6
A Christmas Card Photoshoot Gone Rated Pg. Who Are The Mature Ones? (Part 2)
#7
Dog vs. Gingerbread Cookie (Part 2)
One of our sons came up with the Gingerbread Cookie idea after noticing one of his gingerbread cookies was mysteriously missing an arm. He blamed our dog, who was standing nearby with cookie crumbs on his snout. Our son thought it would be funny to reenact the scene with me as the Gingerbread Cookie. By the way, I was the one who ate the cookie arm, and I have no idea where the dog’s crumbs came from!
#8
The Drinking Santa And A Very Pregnant Mrs. Claus (Our Very First Family Christmas Card)
#9
Bring Back The Real Tree
Some of these pictures have been difficult to create, especially the Christmas Photobomb on the beach. The winds were gusting up to 45 mph that day, and the temperature was well below freezing. The beach was a massive sandstorm, making it nearly impossible to keep our eyes open. The kids kept losing their oversized boots and hats in the sand, and I had to jump into the ocean to retrieve my surfboard after it blew into the water. It was the coldest any of us can remember being. Fortunately, we get to relive the mishaps and abundant colorful language every year because our photographer captured everything – including her uncontrollable laughter – on video!
#10
Black Friday At Walmart
#11
A Christmas Card Photoshoot Gone Rated Pg. Who Are The Mature Ones? (Part 1)
