The Day We Went to the Tree Farm

This was our first time to cut down a tree. There was a long list of reasons why but at the top of that list was the fact that we just didn't want to do it with a cranky baby or toddler. So I figured this was the year to give it a go! We drove about 35 minutes out of town to Whispering Pines (with my sister and her fam) and we were soon traipsing through fields and fields of movie quality Christmas trees. It didn't take too long to find our favorite and Phil cut it down in about, oh I don't know, 5 minutes? No big deal. We left it at the side of the road (where Thomas the Train comes to pick you and your tree up) and we went off to find a tree for my sister's home.

This is when things started getting a little lengthy. The tears became crocodile and the crankiness escalated. But my brother-in-law is a perfectionist when it comes to his Christmas tree and we searched for THE ONE for a long ol' time. While we waited for Uncle Bob to make his final selection, we tried to entertain ourselves and the kids by hanging them (okay, just pretending) from the tippy top branches like a tree topper. They thought it was fantastic! But finally, that blessed tree was selected and the chopping began. This particular job required both men in the end, lots and lots of dirt plus a few bloody scratches for good measure. All in all, well worth it.

After the train escorted us and our trees back to civilization, we watched with fascination as a machine shook the daylights out of them and then squeezed them through a net, ready to hoist up onto our car. The kids and mamas enjoyed popcorn and hot cocoa while the dads readied our vehicles and we even snuck in a visit with Santa for a quick chat. It really was a lovely morning and we're very happy with our tree. I'm reluctant to think that we'll make it there again next year, what with a 6 month old and all, so I'm thrilled we've ticked this off of our holiday bucket list. :) The End.