O' Christmas Tree

Like most people, my favorite Christmas decoration and tradition is our Christmas tree.  Ever since I was a kid, we put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving.  And, so it continues with my family now.  Abby wouldn't have it any other way.  As soon as she wakes up the day after Thanksgiving, it is all about "when are we going to put up the decorations?"  She is in love with the holidays.  All holidays, actually!

But I'm getting off track.

When I was a kid, it was all about cutting down our Christmas tree.  We would go to the forest service and get a permit and so would begin the hunt for the perfect tree.  Where I grew up, there was almost always snow on the ground, so it was usually pretty cold.  We had to go out into the forest, wherever the forest service was letting people cut that year, and it was almost always at least an hour just to get there.

Now, we couldn't just find our tree on the side of the dirt road, because really that would be too easy.  So, we would meander off the road as far as we could drive, until we could drive no further.  If we still hadn't found "the one", we would start hiking.  Sometimes forever it would seem.  Don't forget, when we do find that tree, we still have to carry it back as far as we came.  We always found the tree, and luckily for us, my lumberjack daddy would cut it down and haul it back to the car.  We would strap it on the top of our Subaru, and head home for the decorating.

Sometimes, that perfect tree, was just a 'tad' to big.  You probably know what I mean!  I think one year, we had an 18' tree.  That's okay, but we only had 12 - 15' high ceilings.  There was always a bit of trimming required when we got home.  And, do you know how many lights and decorations it took to dress up a tree that big.  To say the least it was a process.

Anyway, I know this sounds like one of those good 'ole days stories, like walking to school barefoot in 2 feet of snow, uphills both ways, but that is truly the way I remember it.  And it was always for me the best part of the holidays.  These are the memories I cherish the most.  Not, what I got from Santa, in fact I only remember one or two things I ever received.  It was these moments that I cherish the most.

Fast forward a couple decades, and we have our own family traditions.  We know longer hunt for our own tree in the forest, in fact we don't even have a live tree.  I guess that is kind of sad in a way, that my children have never found their own Christmas tree in the woods somewhere and had to ride for hours and hours before finding the perfect one.  But we do have our tree.

Oh, how I love the department store trees, with their monochromatic color schemes and perfectly themed decorations.  But, those trees belong in the stores, because my tree is covered in love.  Okay, total cheese, but I am serious.

 This little stocking was a gift from my first grade teacher, Mrs. Brown, a long time ago...

 Abby's decorated snowman.

 Our new ornament from last years "Tacky Christmas Ornament Party"  Thanks Bac and Tina!

 Another kid decoration.

 And another...

 And more...

 And the decoration from Amy's first Christmas.

There is a sampling of what you will find on our tree.  No, it will never grace the cover of Martha Stewart Living or Better Homes and Gardens, but it is all about our family and I love our tree.