Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree- part 1, THE HUNT

We went a huntin' and came back successful. 

Every year my family drives almost 45 minutes to go to a tiny little tree farm ( that my mom used to go to when she was a little girl) to get our Christmas tree. It is tradition. Our family of ten packs up, with hats, coats and gloves, the weekend after Thanksgiving and goes to find a tree. And we take as long as we need to find it. We walk up the hill to where the trees go and wander around in circles a lot, but finding the correct tree is important. We take our time. Then we saw that baby down, get it stringed up, and tie it to our Suburban's roof. Then we go into the itty bitty gift shop of all sorts of Christmas magic. It is always the same, but we go in anyway, oohing and ahhing at the glittering garland and ornaments all around. After a long while of wided-eyed child-like gazing we go home. But first we play THE CHRISTMAS TREE GAME. This is something I invented like 9 years ago, and I've won 8 of the years... (basically we drive for a mile-to be sure we are away from the tree farm- and then we all go crazy with our eyes fixed out the window looking for another car with a tree on top. If you miss call and shout out "CHRISTMAS TREE, I WIN" and it is say, a roof rack, you are disqualified. And I seem to be the most fixated and competitive, so I win. Every time almost. But my family humors me and plays anyway. You other competitive people out there can play too!) We drive our tree home, plop it in some water over night and typically get it all decorated the next day. Is it all pointless? Why yes, it is. Do we need a tree to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ? No we don't But it isn't Christmas without the ongoing family traditions. And I like it that way.

Many pictures! Check out my flickr (on the side bar) for the full 70 photos I shot!

 My favorite kind of tree. I don't know what it is called in reality, but I call it a Gherkin Tree, because it reminds me of pickles. I love pickles...

 *this, my friends, is what Winston Churchill meant when he said "Never, never, never, never give up."

 This is the kind we always end up getting. I forget what it is called but they seem to last forever. We kept last years up until almost March! Also, my father claims he likes this kind because it reminds him of some Muppet character's mustache? If you're a Muppet's fan, he means the guitarist from Electric Mayhem. Hmmmm...??

  Lumber jacks & jills

 Showing off the "lumberjill muscles"

Pictures yet to come of the decorating!!!