OUR CHRISTMAS TREE

WOW -- our search for the perfect Christmas tree was a bit harder this year than most....but it was still fun, or at least interesting. We started out at about 8:30 this morning headed to Pine Tree Acres in Ramona, CA (about 30 minutes from us) to find and cut down our perfect tree. We all loaded into the car, set the address in the new (early Christmas present) GPS and thought we'd be there in about 3o minutes. Unfortunately our new GPS doesn't have information about local holiday parades going on. We were almost to the tree farm when we came upon a "highway closed" sign and then a "street closed" sign and then a "no right turn" sign" and then a "no left turn" sign (you get it, right?!?!). If I heard that GPS voice say "recalculating" one more time I thought I was going to throw it out the window.

OK....so.....we finally made it to the tree farm. We all jumped out, applied sunscreen (yes, it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day) and headed out to find OUR tree! We grabbed a couple of measuring sticks (of course we had to carry two with us because how could 3 kids possibly share only 1??? Do you hear my sarcasm???) BUT WAIT -- there are only Montery Pine Trees out here -- the website said "Nobles, Douglas Firs, Grand Firs".....where are they??? Ohhhhh, they don't grow in California -- those ones are pre-cut, shipped from Washington and cost a fortune -- I guess they forgot to mention that on their website! So, what to do?.....cut down an ugly pine tree, pay a fortune for a pre-cut tree or go somewhere else?

Here we are headed out with our measuring stick poles....

We had to stop and take a break to explain why (after our big trip out) we weren't going to cut down a tree.....

We felt a bit guilty since we didn't end up getting a tree there, but the kids still played a throwing game, decorated a cookie and an ornament and played in a bounce house.....

FINALLY, 4 hours later -- our perfect Christmas tree.....from a pre-cut lot and 40 bucks cheaper than the u-cut lot.....

In the house and time to decorate.....

The finished tree (with a crooked angel).....

It was a crazy morning, but in the end all turned out good. I love our tree with our colored lights and all of our decorations. We have a wide assortment of ornaments that I just love to get out and look at each year. There are ones from mine and Jeff's childhood, a "first" ornament from Jeff & I being married and then one for each of the kids, ones from vacations that we have taken, ones that have been given to us and, of course, many that the kids have made.

I do love our tree!

This is our oldest ornament on the tree. Made by me in 1977 when I was only 5 years old.....