The Christmas Tree Hunt

This year we decided to try something a little more adventurous than picking out our tree at our neighborhood Fred Meyer.  The Van Sickles were picking out their tree at Dietz Tree Farm on Greenbluff, so we made it a group outing, thinking that our kids were a little bit older and could have fun with this venture...

The signs gave us direction...

...and the Lorax boys were ready with their blades...

...and we were off (like a herd of turtles)!  Row after row of trees we did hike, looking for the evergreen that would adorn the Lochhead living room for the next month.  Is it this one?  Nope.  Hole on one side.  This one?  Nope.  Too scraggly.  These were followed by trees too tall, too short, not smelly enough, wrong kind of branches, not enough room to hang ornaments, too fat...sigh.  Finally, the troops said...

...just PICK ONE, already!

This girl could not walk another step.

At this point, I began remembering the Fred Meyer garden center with fond memories.  What were we thinking?!?  At Freddy's we only had to decide between four or five trees and it STILL took us thirty minutes!  Unlimited choices...not such a good thing for us Lochheads.  We always think the better tree is just one more row down...

The kids and I--at halftime--taking a photo op with inflatable Santa (Gracie informed Joshy he wasn't the "real thing" so he didn't have to be scared).  Look at us HAVING FUN, darn it!  :)

At last, either out of inspiration or exhaustion, we found OUR TREE.

"Ain't she a beauty, Clark?"  (Those tired boys are pretty handsome, too!)

Jeff cursing, er, CUTTING down the tree...

And this, people, is the best part of the deal.  This tractor runs a "shaker" that bounces your tree until all the dead needles fall off.  It cracked me up!  I am laughing, just looking at this still picture.  I had visions of Jeff getting to hold onto the shaking tree while trying to sing "O Christmas Tree," but Dietz Farms frowns on newbies getting this privilege.  (Maybe next year?)

And then they wrap the tree up for us to strap to the roof of our car!

So here they are, kids.  Pictures showing that we cut down a tree as a family.  Will it be the ONLY year?  Who knows...maybe in eleven months we'll be hopped up on eggnog on December 1 and will have forgotten the tree farm STRESS and will somehow remember family BLISS.  (The complimentary candy cane hot chocolate was pretty delicious...)

Thanks for some great memories, Van Sickles!  Stress or bliss, we always have fun with you!