The Search For The Perfect Tree!

Over the weekend besides going to the temple, attending a birthday party, and going to the theatre to watch Instant Family (which is hilarious and beautiful) we went tree hunting in search for the perfect tree. A friend of mine told me about a tree farm they recently visited, and because the trees in their photos looked appealing in the background decided to go there in hopes of picking one, but to no avail. When we arrived it wasn't what we were expecting. All the trees looked picked over, and they were not from Canada. 

Hunting for An Evergreen!

I love these pictures for what they are, and for the sake of memory going to post a bunch of photos of us surrounded by trees because...evergreen and Christmas! Tree picking has been a tradition for us for four years now, and for awhile was debating on buying an articifical pre-lit tree this year. I did, but as soon as we put it up it looked so fake. Even when we puffed out those douglas fir faux branches it still didn't feel...homey. So we stuck with tradition and bought ourselves a real tree!

The Day We Picked & Decorated Lolly.

I can't believe that a year ago around this time we went out to go tree picking, and it seems as if it was yesterday. And is it only nine days until Christmas?? What the heck! I'm in denial with the fact that this month is going by way tooooooo fast for me! We went out to pick our tree a couple of weeks ago right before the rain came down & we were picky in picking. This is the second real tree we've had in our 20 years of marriage, and so far we've picked some that have a girly look to them so this year we decided to name "her" Lolly. 

As usual I snap pics of the family in random mode without them knowing & caught these two in a laughable conversation. I have no idea what these two were in cahoots or lauging about, but I assume it was the trees I was scoping out. 

Here is Noah pouting because he didn't  get his way. I think he had an eye on a different tree, but because we told him it would be too tall for our ceiling, and said no he began to pout.

Mandatory pics of the kids are a must & just as Jon got Noah to smile we all looked down! Then he managed to capture one with all of us smiling! 

Once we got her home we let Lolly sit outside with a tarp covering her so she wouldn't get soaked from the rain. As soon as she dried up we put her inside on Sunday right after church. We were a little slow in covering her up with decorations, and the fact that we had to wait until the branches unfolded took longer for us to decorate her & string those lights on. In all honesty I was in no rush & after she unfolded we strung her up with white lights & that's all she had on for a couple of days. 

It was so nice not having to rush about with decorating Lolly, and the day Jon & I went to the city for our anniversary the kids dolled her up. Lexie being the nice big sister that she is captured a few shots from her iPhone of them decorating her. 

She said they all had fun decorating her, and taking picures! 

I love this time of year & am so sad that it's flying by, but am making the best of each day until the new year begins. 

And having Sierra home for awhile will complete it!! 

our first real tree.

In all the years I've been married I have never thought about buying a real tree. Ever! We have always bought them. The first year we were married we were so poor that my in laws gave us one of their old   artificial trees which we used for the first five years of our married life, and then we decided to buy one of our own at Garden Ridge when we moved to San Antonio. I had also purchased three trees which varied in height to represent the storybook The Three Trees and have always put those up as a tradition. We have had the same trees for years, and you know what? I'm kind of tired of them. The fact that they are artificial, and almost 14 years old is no good. They are falling apart, and so this year we bid farewell to all of them except one (we kept the smaller one for Noah.) Glad to have fond memories of our three trees from past Christmases.

While we'll still read the book about the three trees, and keep our mini artificial tree we have started a new tradition in buying a real tree! Sad that I'm starting this late in my married years while having an 18 year old, but I have always learned that it's never to late to start traditions. 

So this past weekend we went out to go tree hunting, and the kids were excited! 

I can't even begin to tell you how emotional I was while being out with my family while choosing it. I had no memories of my own ever picking out a tree with my mother because she mostly owned an artificial one. Then again there were times when we had no Christmas. Seriously...none. No cookies for Santa, no christmas stories to tell, and no gifts under the tree. The fact that I'm doing this with my kids now is my memory telling me that I was okay with hardly having any Christmases. Truly okay, because I'm making Christmas happen with my family. 

But I'm so thrilled that we got a real tree y'all! I mean super duper thrilled! I had to convince Jon into buying a real one though. I think he was a little nervous about the whole keeping it watered, fire hazard thing. I'm sure it's not that hard to maintain a live Christmas tree for a few weeks. 

^^ little red moccasins ^^

One memory I do recall my mother having a real tree was when i was in my teens (can't remember what age.) I was really impressed at how green, and alive she kept it. She probably could have planted it in our backyard clear after Christmas and into the new year if she wanted to. One great thing about my mother is she had a green thumb like no other! That woman could plant, and keep anything alive! 

I am just so happy that we finally have a real tree, and that she's up and ready to show herself off. She smells so good, and I am so pleased that I have started this tradition with the family. Why, oh why I never started this earlier is beyond me. Wish I started this tradition when we first got married instead of now while having two teenagers, but I've learned that it's never to late to start traditions. 

And on this day we did! 

My kids have now told me that once they are on their own with families that they too will also start a tradition of going tree hunting as a family.