On the whole, I'd say that digital cameras are a great thing.

But if you'll indulge me, let me suggest that you ask a friend who is a photographer (or hire a professional) to take some posed and un-posed pictures (using good old fashioned high-end photography equipment) of you and your family in whatever setting you like...house, beach, mountains, etc. The casual kind, not the holiday card kind. My intention here is not to start a debate about the relative merits of digital vs. other cameras...I don't know enough to debate, and I like my digital well enough anyway.

Here's why I make the suggestion: My father was pals with a photographer in the 1960's who did many of the Grateful Dead's album covers. His name was Thomas Weir, and I think he is the brother of Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead.

Anyway, one afternoon in the mid-1960's, Tom and Peter were hanging out in Peter's basement in the Haight, and they decided to take a bunch of black and white pictures of Peter. Later, Tom took a bunch of un-posed pictures at Peter's wedding to my mother, Marcy. More than any other pictures I have seen, these pictures captured my parents' personalities.

Tom mounted the pictures on thick card stock, and they have survived very well for about four decades. A couple are framed now, and at some point, I will frame the rest. It is incredibly fortunate that these pictures survived the fire that was set in the house. These pictures collectively are my prized possessions...besides my memories, they are basically all I have left of my father.

It seems that even the best quality digital cameras just don't capture personalities the same way a good photographer using good equipment can do it in black and white.

If you have children, I can just about guarantee that they will appreciate it in the future.