Christmas Trees

I really like live Christmas trees. When I was in high school, our family started going to a local tree farm that made the Christmas tree experience seem magical. There were wagons pulled by horses that took us out into acres and acres of trees. As we were riding the driver would describe the kinds of trees available in each section and we would pick the field where we wanted dropped off. We would walk through what seemed like endless rows of trees trying to find the perfect one. I always felt we were on the hunt for the biggest tree we could find that would fit from floor to ceiling. Each year we alternated the person who made the final decision and, once that decision was made, one of the boys would crawl under the tree with the saw. We would drag it to the dirt trail where it would be bound and loaded on the wagon with us. The children who lived on the farm always put on a live nativity that the wagon passed on the way back to the barn where hot chocolate and cookies waited. Then dad paid for the tree and we headed home for Eggnog, Christmas music, and decorating. It made for some great family memories.

The first year Christmas in our house, we found that tree farm from my childhood only to discover that it had closed. Luckily we live way out in the country and on the way home we followed some signs to another tree farm. The owner was so kind and explained that he had lost a lot of his larger trees to disease. He was so nice that we couldn't leave without a tree so we found a small one and headed home. I have to admit that we were a little disappointed that it was so small and only held about half our ornaments, but it served its purpose.

The following year we found another tree farm nearby. Trent was two and he trudged through the snow with us. As we were walking he started giving me a funny look and when I looked down he was missing a boot. So, back we went in search of the missing boot. We eventually found both the boot and a tree. We paid the gentleman for the tree then started loading the truck when we realized that Trent had had a blowout of magnitude proportions. He was wearing a snow suit. You can use your imagination to fill in the blanks on that one. It wasn't until we got this tree home that we realized that the trunk was somehow twisted into a right angle. Even with our super duper deluxe tree stand, it never stood quite right.

The next year Brad was determined to set things straight. He went to Lowes and searched through the trees for one with a straight trunk and good shape. The tree he picked was perfect and stood tall from the stand to the ceiling. Trent was three and I was eight months pregnant with Ian. We decorated the tree and it was absolutely beautiful. And it never drank a drop of water. By the week before Christmas I was afraid to turn the lights on and by Christmas day the tree was brown. It is the first time in my life that I undecorated a tree the day after Christmas. Also on the day after Christmas, Brad returned to Lowes and bought a 7 foot, pre-lit Christmas tree.

Every year when we set up our tree we laugh about our quest for a live tree. To be honest, I was getting tired of the red prickly rash on my hands for a week after putting the lights on anyway. There are a lot of good air scents on the market today that make the house smell just as good!

Yesterday Brad brought the box up and put the tree together. I sat and unwrapped ornaments while the boys excitedly waited for familiar ones to appear. They were so excited to decorate the tree. They have even added a few army men so it looks like Andy's tree in Toy Story! Last year Santa brought Trent a Lego Train which surrounds the bottom along with the Fisher Price Manger. As I sit here looking at it I think we have finally achieved the perfect tree!