For the last three years DP and I have taken his nieces and nephews on holiday - a special holiday just for them as we don't have kids yet. Otherwise they wouldn't have one. We pay for the whole thing, and this is sometimes v. expensive, villas with pools abroad, etc. This year was a bit crap, because I'm nearly due, and we had them here at home, but still took them out and did stuff, beach, windsurfing, lots of treats, etc.
They all said thank you very nicely and both sets of parents thanked us.
We've never had a note. Are there no more thank you notes?
We always had to write thank you notes at Christmas and birthdays etc. I hated doing it, and my mum would have to harangue remind us day after day, making us get 2 or 3 done at a time, to thank distant aunts and uncles for their stationary/dolls in national dress/bath foam etc. But I have to say, it taught me to write letters properly and as it was expected, they were absolutely right to make me do it.
Perhaps I'm just old-fashioned but I thought notes were important.