Picking our tree

One of our family traditions is cutting down our own Christmas tree. When we lived on Whidbey Island, the tree farm was just a few miles down the road from our house. Around here, you have to drive a while before finding one, 45 minutes of driving to be exact. It was a sunny morning, but still really chilly. Mikie really wanted to get a blue ice tree, but the branches were very weak so we ended up finding a scotch pine instead.

Ready to hunt for the perfect tree. I thought Zach would enjoy running through the field of trees, but he wouldn't let Michael put him down. Mikie and I had fun playing hide n seek behind the evergreens.

We found our tree!

Time to cut it down.

Mikie wanted to help, but the bottom of the tree was too full and he couldn't reach the saw.

Zachary was either sad about not being able to help cut down the tree or just upset that Daddy had to put him down for a while.

Down it falls! Here's the video:

Now that it's down we've got to get it to our car. The boys try to help in this video:

Time to decorate

Mikie was so cute this year pulling out each ornament and getting so excited about how pretty they were. He even did a better job and didn't place them all on one branch either.

Another family tradition is to read the Legend of the Christmas tree. When the story is done, we open the shiny silver box under the tree to reveal the star tree topper.

Both boys wanted a turn to put it at the top so Zach went first.

Then it was Mikie's turn.

He was really uncomfortable with Daddy holding him up that high.

Zachary hangs his stocking.

Mikie decorated his own Christmas tree in his room. (Michael tries not to look at it every time he enters the room)

Zachary got to hang his ornaments as well.

Some of my favorite Christmas decorations are the Snowbabies farm figurines that I found in Iowa. They look perfect in Mikie's room on his dresser. The first year I put them up, Mikie called the textured sheep a "sticky baa." I think of that every time I open the box. What a fond memory.