Not only did we decide that we were going to get a Christmas tree, we decided that we were going to cut our own. You know - bring back memories of childhood (at least for me) and let the kids help pick it out. Tromp around in the cold. 'Cause that sounds like tons of fun, right? So we bundled up the kids and drove out to the middle of nowhere. Not realizing that there was a cut-your-own place just down the road. But, whatever. Get there, park the truck, and get out. The wind is rippin', especially since we were up on a mountain. But, we started our search. We looked for quite a while. Ceana was a complete trooper, and Liam was totally fascinated that the ground was completely frozen and crunchy with tons of little ice crystals. I did say that it was really cold, right?
Anyway, after tromping around for what felt like days (but was probably about an hour or so), we finally found it. Our tree. I took a picture of the kids standing in front of it before Phil got on the ground to start cutting it down. Mr. Man. He sawed for a bit, then decided that his hands were so cold, he couldn't go any further. I took Ceana towards the front to get assistance (and try to thaw the block of walking, talking ice that was our daughter), while Liam and Phil stayed by the tree. Ceana and I got back by the truck, spoke to the guy working there and sent him off in Phil's direction, then huddled in their tent by a heater and ate cookies. I never knew how good cookies could taste when you're frozen.
Next thing I knew, the guy was back and talking to the lady that was there about needing a chainsaw. Hm? I peek my head out of the tent, and that's when they tell us that the tree we picked out is so big, that we won't even be able to take it home until Wednesday. That's right. The cold had affected our ability to think rationally, and Phil had started cutting down a 12' tree. Of course, once you start to cut, then it's all yours. But she didn't have the three hulking guys she was going to need to drag the tree out of the lot. Which of course begs the question (that we still haven't answered) - once we get the tree home, how the hell are we going to get it in the house?!? So, we paid for the tree and made arrangements to come and get it later. Funny little aside - I stopped at an ATM on the way to the tree farm that only allowed withdrawals of $100. Liam got worried and wondered if we were going to have enough money for a tree...My answer? "If we can't find a tree for less that $100, then we've got problems."...Any guesses on how much our tree cost? Hint - slightly more than what I had on me...
Of course, a tree that big presents it's own set of issues. Like finding a tree stand. Ever tried it? Not easy. Most tree stands are for 8' trees - 10' if you're lucky. I went to several stores (and called even more) before finding ONE at a local Ace Hardware. And let me tell you - this thing could hold an elephant in place. It is Heavy-Duty. With a capital HD. Ok, one problem down (not even thinking about getting the tree in the house and in the stand yet). Next one? The amount of tree lights we have probably wouldn't cover more than 2 feet of the tree. And let's not even get into ornaments. As in - we don't really have very many. Never really invested because of all the moving (and breaking) that got done every two years. So, we need ornaments. And lights. And three strong men to help get the tree into the house in up in the stand. Any volunteers? Be here Wednesday around 6PM. Beer and pizza on us! ;0)
There was more to the day, but I'll cover that in another post. Enjoy reading about our lunacy, and enjoy the photos too! Hope you're all managing to stay warm and enjoy the holidays!
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