Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!

This past Sat, we made our annual trip to the Christmas Tree Farm to cut down our tree. (Actually, this is only the second year in a row, but I still like to think of it as an annual tradition.)

We had an artificial tree when we lived in Seattle and decided to to go back to a live tree last year, when the artificial tree bit the dust. Mike didn't have any memories of going to cut down a tree, so we decided he's gotta have those memories too, and went back to getting a live tree.

The search is on!

The Christmas Tree farm that we go to is really nice. They have hundreds, maybe thousands, (okay, probably not thousands) of trees. They also have stations where they shake the needles from your tree and wrap it up for you like a giant present. This particular farm also has a little building where you can get hot chocolate and snacks, so you can really make it a nice day.

The funny thing about searching for and then cutting down your own tree, is that it is actually really hard to make a decision. At first it is easy to weed out the "bad" trees. 

(Unless you're Charlie....he had a special talent for picking out the fattest, mis-shaped, worst looking trees. We decided that when he grows up, it'll be his wife's job to select their tree!)

After 20 minutes or so of looking at trees, it starts to get hard. They all start to look pretty good, but at the same time none of them look perfect.

Then it happens, you see a family up ahead that has started to cut down their tree. You think to yourself, "They got a good tree....shoot, we should've been looking where they are. We could've had that tree."

(As if the tree they picked out is somehow the only good tree in the field.)

Then, if you're with our family, you get to listen to Mike ask about 100 times in a row, if we can please go get hot chocolate and snacks now because he is starving to death. (Of course the fact that he's just had a snack at home 45 minutes ago makes no difference, the snack shack has great power over him!)

This is the picture I got after I had already taken two "goofy" pictures and had said to the kids,

"Okay, lets take a nice one this time, everybody try to look normal and smile." Thank goodness we weren't counting on this for our Christmas card!

(Charlie kind of looks like a mini Jeff Schnorr in this picture, don't you think? Sorry, you only get that if you go to our church.)

Then our family splits into two distinct teams, tribes, camps, or districts....whatever you want to call them.

The first team is made up of Charlie and I. We go from tree to tree and say, "What about this tree? It looks like a good one."

The second team is made up of Brian and Veruka. They poo-poo and turn down every tree that Charlie and I select. "Too tall, too short, not full enough...that looks terrible...that's the worst tree yet...are you kidding?"

Lastly, there is Mike, he isn't on a team. He could care less about the tree. He is still asking if we can get hot chocolate now.

Mike does have a good comment though. He says he is waiting for the "Hallelujah Moment." According to Mike, the "Hallelujah Moment" is when a ray of sunshine comes down from Heaven and shines right on the perfect tree for us. Then a bunch of angels sing, "Hallelujah!"

I am waiting for that moment too!

Finally, we all agree on a tree. Woo-hoo! Now the fun begins.

Charlie cuts down the tree.

Timber!

Me & Bri.........................picture taken by Veruka!

After getting our tree bundled up to look like a tree from a Dr. Suess book, Brian ties it to roof of the trusty minivan. We end our trip in the snack shack, where they cheerfully inform us that they have just run out of hot chocolate.

Now, here is the sad part.

We decorated our tree Sat night and Sunday we were heading out the door to go to Charlie's end of year Football party, when we heard a loud noise from the family room....the tree came crashing to the ground! It was so loud, it surprised us all. Poor Dakota came tearing out of the family room like a bat out of hell. (She still won't go near the tree!)

About 50 ornaments flew off the tree, but only a few were broken. We got it all back up and redecorated...so now it's as good as new.

We hope it stays put until Christmas is over. Last year my sister's tree fell over 3 times! (They switched to artificial this year.) We hope they can keep their record in tact for the highest number of times a tree can fall over in your house in one Christmas season....we don't want it!