O Christmas Tree...O Christmas Tree.

 

So in the past my family has ALWAYS gone to a tree farm and cut the tree down, and to be honest I nearly ALWAYS come across the water from Seattle to go with them.  It has definitely become a tradition in our family, one that I truly look forward to each and every year.  We go to the same exact place, Huberts, and get the same exact tree, Douglas Fir, and at the end of cutting we take it up to the shaker and shake those needles off, while delighting in a warm cup of apple cider.  And then to top if all off...on our way out they give us candy canes, and I end up eating nearly all of them because no one enjoys them quite as much as ME!  Then upon our arrival home and only if my mom is up for it...we pull out the Christmas decorations and start decorating the house and the tree, all while listening to Christmas music.

To be completely honest, I missed tree hunting with my parents this year...but it wouldn't have mattered if i was there or not because they decided it was time to do things a little different this year, and they finally succumbed to BUYING a FAKE tree.  I couldn't quite believe my ears when they told me the sad news...but then again I thought well I won't be there for Christmas to help my mom decorate the house or the tree, and it is alot of work.  So maybe it's all for the best?  Right?  But there's something magnificent about a real tree...the way it feels in your hands and the smell of the needles.

So let's just say I was pretty pleased when the in-laws asked Peter and I to pick up a tree!  However, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would be SUCH a task.  Peter and I put off getting the tree until last Thursday I think and by then the selection had severely dwindled.  We went to a few different shops and decided that the trees were FAR too small - so we continued searching, and soon discovered that our tree options were few and far between and every last tree we were going to find was going to be a little itty bitty one.  So we very reluctantly chose the BEST tree from the bunch and the man put the tree in some netting and off we went through the shop.  The tree even fit INSIDE the car...so we had no problems whatsoever bringing it home to decorate!