I am finally getting around to posting about christmas. Hopefully I will be a little better at getting things down- after all, this is the only journal I keep and it sure would be nice to have a FEW memories of this time of year! And for those (OK, ALL) of you that didn't get a christmas card, we are hoping to get to valentines this year...
Anyway, we continued our tradition yet again this year to go up and cut our tree. We feel so lucky to be able to do this every year. Had we moved may other places we wouldn't be able to do this in such a "rustic" way. I have heard of a lot of tree farms where you can go cut your tree, but there is nothing like tromping through the snow with no one else around, looking at all these mother nature grown trees that are as beautiful as they are imperfect. We have had some interesting years, of which some of you have been a part- pulling our tree down the mountain and through the stream, sitting in the car and sending the husbands on the long hike to the nearest accessible canyon while keeping the kids busy in the car, trying to haul a tree out of canyon while 6 months pregnant and on bed rest, etc. BUT THIS YEAR WAS THE YEAR OF YEARS!!! I can't imagine a more perfect day or setting for a tree cutting.
First of all, we were able to have company for the first time in a few years! Kent's brother Nick and his family moved here last fall and decided to gove cutting a go. So we were able to have company!
Next, I swear it had to have been almost 50 degrees that day. OK, maybe not quite, but we didn't even need sweatshirts or our warm jacket liners- just a long sleeved shirt and a shell was plenty warm. Didn't wear a hat, even! Not once did the boys complain of being cold. NOT ONCE. It was wondeful after all the prep it takes to get everyone ready to not have to rush our day because of cold. We tromped around the canyon for part of the morning and almost the whole afternoon and it wasn't just because I was being picky!
Our neighbor let us borrow a trailer to take up so that we could get both trees home. It was such a great thing for many reasons. First, we had a "sleigh ride" up the canyon.
We also used it as a picnic area and containment hutch for the little boys during our lunch, and then lastly, it of course brought home our trees.
We finally picked a PERFECT tree- and you know how trees are always taller in the forest than you think they are... well, here is our tree before we cut it. You can see a taller tree in the background, but look down the point of that tall tree and a little ways down you can see the tip of our tree...
My guess- 20 feet
Kent's guess-16 feet
What is yours?
Well, the thing ended up being 25 feet tall. Now remember, we only have 9 foot ceilings in our house. So what in the world would we do with the other 16 feet of tree? Well, we kept the middle 8 1/2 feet for us, we used the bottom 10 feet for boughs and garland inside and out at the house, while Kent makes the trunk into these cool tealight candle sticks, and then we lit and decorated the top 6 feet and took it to my grandma's house so she could have a little tree at her place. It was skinny and thin, but she did a great job decorating it and it was a cute LITTLE addition to her christmas decor. Kent decided that Tyse was old enough to help with the actual cutting, and he thought it was the best thing in the world!
Emitt had a great time in the snow!
I can't wait to see what next year's adventure brings!
Anyway, last week Tyse's preschool class went up to the firestation by the airport for a field trip. It was really great- and it was a double bonus to be able to be right there by the runways and watch the planes come and go. We got the standard tour complete with trying on the gear, spraying the water, hanging out in the truck, and ended with the firemen getting called out, which the kids thought was the greatest... watching newfound heroes drive away on a gigantic loud truck with sirens and lights and everything- even better than a superhero!
Emitt and his ADORABLE ooohhhh!