Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

My Michael and I are what you might call "Real Tree" people. Yes, I vacuum needles through August. Yes, we have to check the water and keep the level up. But to us, that's just part of Christmas. We love the smell of pine and we love choosing a new tree each year. It's a whole family affair when we take the kids and pick out a tree. (In all actuality, I am very hands-off during the choosing process. Michael cares more than I about the proper height/shape/width proportion, so I just let him at it.) Some years, we go to a tree farm to cut our own fresh tree. This was one of those years. We were up in PA over Thanksgiving, so we stopped at a tree farm in my hometown and grabbed a tree before coming home to MD.


The kids were thrilled when the farmer handed Michael a saw and gave each of them a candy cane to munch on while we strolled through the trees, looking for the perfect one. With the cold air biting us, we made quick work of choosing a tree worthy of our Christmas celebrations. Michael had it sawed down in no time and carried it back to the car like a real He-Man!



Mason was very willing to help his dad tie the tree to the roof of the car. He was dashing around throwing and pulling ropes with a smile on his face until the job was done. What a big boy he is becoming!


I have to say, it's hard to get a perspective on how tall a tree is without the benefit of a ceiling as a reference point. After we got home, Michael actually had to cut two feet off the length of our tree so it would fit in our living room!

Of course, decorating it is our favorite part. We have a hodge-podge tree. I think it's perfect for our family. It would never pass in a department store but I think it's beautiful. While we are trimming, I love to hear the "I remember making this when I was three!" and the "Mom, who gave this to me?" I love to put my little Romanian people on it, one of my favorite mission souvenirs. I think of my aunt who made me an ornament every year growing up while we hang them on the tree. I love to see the lights twinkle in the window as I drive up the street. It's part of the magic of Christmas.