O Christmas Tree

Oh mylanta.  Today was the day, according to my man.  The annual "Chop Down the DeVries Family Christmas Tree Day."

This day holds it's own unique adventure each year, therefore it is also deemed worthy of it's own post.  

My man feels it is important that we drive to the middle of nowhere to chop down a tree with the kids, for the sake of making memories.  So off we went to make memories.

We always start with the best intentions.  So early this morning we buckled 4 kiddos into our bus(or Expedition EL) and started out.  

Right before we left I realized I was out of Mt Dew.  This is a problem.  So I held my man's coffee captive until he agreed to stop and get a pop for me, and all the while our 7-year-old is in the back seat preaching to us about how we should both stop our nasty habits.  Zip it little one, you know not what you speak of.

So he stopped at Casey's, I released his coffee to him, and we were off for the tree farm, full of caffeine and a whole list of other products that I can't pronounce.  But at least I didn't have a headache. Yet.

After arriving at the farm we were escorted back to the section that held the big trees.  That should have been an indication of what we were getting ourselves into.  But it didn't, we were too busy dreaming about the tree that would make Christmas 2013 all that and a bag of chips.  

We started walking around, examining tree after tree.  Right out of the truck Boo found one that she was just sure was the one.  It was all of 3 feet tall.  We decided to keep looking.  

Sally(or Emerson) was insistent that we find a tree that "felt good."  So she was walking from tree to tree deciding if the needles on it felt good.  She found one.  It was, well, a bit crooked.  We decided to keep looking.  

Tait was busy telling us every 30 seconds that she was tired and hungry, and quickly forgot what the task at hand was.  After a few minutes she fell about 15 feet behind the rest of us and started telling the trees that she was tired and hungry.  I think they cared more than I did.

Holden was the keeper of the saw.  Not sure why we thought that was a good idea.  He was more interested in spinning the saw around in hopes of "accidentally" nicking one of his sisters than he was about the tree. 

All of the sudden it was as if the heaven's opened up, and there before us stood THE TREE.  

Before my man started sawing, he confirmed that this was indeed the one.  I said yes...then went looking for another tree.  Not a good idea, in case you were wondering.

After I checked out a few more trees I returned to ours, and I am not kidding that it had grown in the 30 seconds I had been gone.  

I mentioned to my man that maybe it really wasn't the one after all.  He was well into it with his dull saw, and politely told me that I couldn't change my mind, we were committed this one already.

The nice workers came with their little ATV to take our tree and shake it for us.  It took both of them to keep it in the back of the ATV.

After we drove back to the main area and saw our tree again, I was sure that it had grown...again.  It was a bit fuller than what I had remembered it being in the field.  

It took exactly 5 men, a stepstool, and a few ropes to get the beast(our tree) strapped to the top of our truck.  The Griswold's don't have anything on us.  

And all the while everyone that went past was looking at our truck with a ginormous tree strapped to the top with a grin on their face...pretty sure we were the laughing stock of the tree farm.

We made it nearly a mile before we had to stop and tighten the straps.  For fear that our tree might actually fly off the top of the truck, my husband drove below the speed limit the whole way home.  That was the first time that has ever happened.  First. Time. Ever.

Upon arriving home we trimmed the bottom, and set it in a stand that is intended for a tree about half it's size.  I had to do a little extra trimming on the bottom, since my man indicated that presents wouldn't fit under it.  And I'm fasting from buying clothes, not Christmas presents, so we need space for gifts...more on that in a later post.

And our tree is now standing in our living room, taking up a substantial amount of the space in there.  I swear it grew again.  Thinking we may need to remove a few pieces of furniture for a season.

But when I look at our tree in all it's big fat glory, I am reminded of the memories made this morning with little ones that I am told will all to quickly be making memories with families of their own.  

So thanks, Lumber Jack, for making sure our family is making memories...


Please note that again, this post had nothing to do with my fast...sometimes I think it's good to give you all a glimpse of what our family is really like...and I was going to post a picture, but it just didn't do the beast justice.  If you want to see it first-hand, you are always welcome to stop by for a cup of hot chocolate.