Our Annual Family Photo and Holiday Card

I make a point of updating our family portrait at least once a year. The rhythm of the seasons and the tradition of sending a Christmas card usually provide the nudge I need to organize everyone for a photo—October is typically when the planning begins. Capturing a new image each year lets us preserve a visual record of change and growth, and it has become one of the small rituals that mark the holidays for us.

This year brought a change. Our oldest son moved to Alberta in July, and he wasn’t able to be here for the first photo shoot I arranged. I still needed a picture to create a card, so I sent our holiday greeting with his absence felt in the group photo. It was a practical decision, but seeing the card without him made me realize how much those yearly pictures mean to all of us.

I admit I felt a little sad about it. Family photos do more than fill a card; they reflect who we are at a moment in time—where we live, how we stand together, the small changes that add up year after year. When one person is missing from that frame it highlights, quietly, the distance that can grow between routines and the people we love.

Fortunately, he returned home for the holidays and we made the most of the brief reunion. Yesterday afternoon I rounded everyone up and we headed outside for another photo. It felt important to have everyone together again, to capture the laughter and the little differences that show up only when we’re all in the same place at the same time.

This time, we’re all here!

Although these greetings are arriving a little later than intended, they come with warm wishes nonetheless. Merry (belated) Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours. The holiday season is about connection—reunions, small rituals, and the photos that help us remember who we were and who we are becoming together.

If you’re planning an annual family portrait of your own, here are a few simple ideas that have helped us over the years: choose a time of day with soft, natural light to reduce harsh shadows; coordinate colors rather than matching outfits exactly; focus on candid moments as much as posed ones to capture genuine expressions; and give yourself plenty of time so smiles don’t feel rushed. Whether you print the photo for a card or share it digitally, the image becomes a keepsake that marks another year in your story.

Family photos are small, intentional acts of memory-making. They aren’t about perfection; they’re about presence. Having everyone in one frame—even when life pulls people to different places—reminds us that these connections still matter. We’ll keep taking one picture a year, keeping the tradition alive so someday we can look back and see the pattern of our lives laid out in snapshots.

Thank you for letting us share a piece of our holiday tradition. From our home to yours: warm wishes for a peaceful and joyful year ahead. May you find moments to gather, to photograph, and to treasure with the people who matter most.