O Tannenbaum

We were planning to get our Christmas tree sometime this coming week, but we had the most wonderful surprise yesterday: snow! In the nine years we've lived here, we've never had snow this early in the season—which means our kids have never actually hunted for a Christmas tree in the snow. And as I always tell my kids, each year when we get our tree, "When I was a girl, we had to tromp through a few feet of snow to get our tree each year…" (Tromping through snow most certainly builds character.)

So we headed to our favorite Christmas tree farm. Dr. H. said it would be packed because everyone would be wanting to get a tree on a snowy Saturday; I countered that we live in Tennessee, where people hear the word "snow" and, after buying the requisite milk and bread at Walmart, stay put in their homes.

(I was right. I'm just saying.)


What a beautiful sight—the Christmas tree farm covered in snow! Now the fun part comes: which tree? But first, snow ball fights are mandatory…






Okay, enough frivolity; it's time to get down to business before the snow all melts. Is this the right tree?
It doesn't take us long to agree on one. Dr. H. signals the tree-cutting guy, who efficiently saws down the tree with his chainsaw, loads it on his wagon, and ties it to our van. A few more snowballs later and we are home, unloading and positioning the tree in just the right spot.

We waited until after church today to decorate.

First, there was a fight about who gets to wear the Santa hat. I believe Laurel gave in to Duncan.

But when he got tired of decorating—which means he put up all the ornaments that mean something to him, like the Energizer Bunny one—Laurel got the hat. It all looks so peaceful, doesn't it? But of course I had to come behind and more evenly distribute some of the ornaments so that the tree didn't topple over from the weight of all the ones on front. And then they all had to make fun of one of my favorite ornaments, lovingly known as the Pomegranate.

Just for that, I hung it from the chandelier over the dining room table. I love it. But I do have other ornaments that are much more my favorites.

There are all the "first Christmas" ornaments and the ones that signify something special about that year (like the year we got our dog or the one when Jesse started playing guitar). And there are all the ornaments that the kids made. of course, like these above. I especially love the one of Duncan with Great-Grandpa, who died two years ago. They had a special bond with their blue eyes and big hands. We miss him.



I am pretty sure I love all the picture ornaments the best. I love that one of Jesse and Laurel when she was first born, with her big pink pacifier. So sweet.

And I can't fail to mention all the wonderful Santa ornaments that the kids have gotten for Dr. H. over the years. U.T. Santa is just about the King of all Santas.

I love the whole Christmas tree process, from finding the perfect one, to exclaiming over each ornament as we decorate, to sitting back after it is all over. And then the tree takes up residence in the living room, becoming a part of our home for the next few weeks. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Is your tree up yet? Check out Kelly's Korner , Thrifty Decor Chick and A Baby Changes Everything for trees of all shapes and sizes!