This year, Jason and I decided that we wanted to experience the way we did when we were kids and get ourselves a real Christmas tree. Rather than going to a tree lot, we thought it would be best to go to an actual tree farm for a fresh one. Well, little did we know just how fresh we were going to get it. When we ventured out to the tree farm, they informed us that they were all out of pre-cut trees as they handed us a saw and pointed to the forest behind the barn. So, we hopped in the Aztek and headed out in search of the perfect tree.
Being frugal (cheap!), we opted not to get a blue spruce or Douglas fur, but rather a nice Scotch pine. After a driving a few laps around, we finally spotted THE tree - not too tall, nice and full - perfect! So, for the first time ever, Jason got down on the ground and cut down our first real tree (not an easy thing to do, remember I said it was full, very full!).
After loading it into the back of the Aztek (mostly anyway), we finally got it up to the bander to compact it for the ride home. Maybe we should have been a little wary when the operator commented on the "messy" one, or when it would barely fit through their banding machine. Hmmm..... We thought full was good.
Fortunately, it did fit into the back of the Aztek, and after unloading and stomping it on the ground multiple times, we felt we had knocked enough of the dead needles off to bring it inside. After 2 hours, lots of sticky sap, and hundreds of dead needles later, the tree was finally standing on its own. How come we don't remember any of this growing up?!?
Now that we have it in the house, standing and decorated, I must admit that we really do like it. Yes, it's a little full (ok, takes up 1/3 of our living room), but it really is nice to smell the fresh pine. I think I have even mastered the art of vacuuming the needles up around the tree without touching it (or else twice as many more needles fall off!). We're not sure that we're going to go the real route again next year (as we were trying to get it to stand, we swore we were going to buy a pre-lit tree next year), but maybe it's like child birth amnesia - seeing the beautiful tree, you only remember the joy it brought, forgetting the misery it took to get there.
My favorite new ornament, a gift from my parents. They're not excited about a grandbaby, are they??
On a separate note - 23 weeks. Definitely growing! The baby is moving so much now! Sometimes, I just sit and watch my belly move. It's incredible. Sometimes Jason acts like I'm nuts, but I know he's really getting into it, too!
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