The Tree Hunt

So, there are several (all but me) in my family who think we need to load the family up, drive to a farm, search in the rain and mud, then saw down the perfect Christmas tree. Then sell my fine china (not that I have any) in order to pay for said tree (it USE to be cheaper to cut your own). I have done this for many years and to be honest. The only part of it I like is seeing the smiles on the faces of my kids. But when I was a single mom, I had an artificial tree (aka FAKE) and guess what? The kids still smiled. When we would dig it out of storage, place the synthetic boughs appropriately, hang the lights and ornaments it still brought joy. But then I remarried and thus back to the trudging for a tree again. Yes there is an aspect I love about real trees. The smell...but pretty much...that's it! I have had my fill for a lifetime.

After last years hunt (because the cut your own trees are so expensive) I had actually talked my husband into letting me get an artificial so I was prepared to do my own hunting......and then it happened. We got new kids. Kids who had never been to a tree farm. Kids who had never walked through mud to find the perfect tree and then participate in cutting it down. So, I agreed. Yes....let's take out a small loan and go and buy a 'U-cut' tree. Grandma was so wonderful to offer to keep baby girl home where it is wind and rain free. So, here are some of the pics. We happened to choose a day that the wind blew the hardest and the most rain was falling for the month....but hey....we have a tree. A tree which is now sitting in the carport drying off! We also took my eldest daughter K so she too could get her first (living on her own) tree. One concession? We support local family businesses. So, today the tree comes in the house along with the dead needles and spiders...........<things that are right, pure, praiseworthy....ok ok I'm still working on it!> AND yes....we did have fun. It wasn't muddy, God held back the rain while we were picking out and cutting the tree. It was fun listening to the kids play Marco Polo in a Christmas Tree forest. To hear the littles ones laugh as the tree started to fall was great. LB was the one to do the final cut this year. Each year all the kids take a turn cutting and only one gets to do the final cut. So LB was the winner this year....with help from Papa L. We did yell timber during the whole second it took for the tree to fall. The kids were happy...they had a great time and once Papa L's wallet and keys and anything else he had in his pockets dries out he will say he had a great time too. I do have a BEAUTIFUL family.