Christmas Live

Yesterday, we started our Christmas Tree Adventure Tradition!! We took the kids to a local tree farm to chop down the perfect tree for the holidays!!! Growing up, my family always had a live tree. We would go with our cousins and spend hours searching for the perfect tree until we were frozen and then my Dad would chop down the biggest tree we could find. Then he and my brother would drag it miles through the woods and rig it up on top of the car and pray we made it home without the tree flying off. And most years we did, but one year it went flying down a main road!! It was so bad, but so funny!!!! Every year was the drama of dragging the tree into the house. It NEVER looks as big in the forest as it does in the house. But, after some negotiating my Dad would get the tree through the door and into a stand. Then it would take us days to decorate it. The tree would be so big that we couldn't reach the top so only the middle and bottom would get really decorated and then we would get so tired that my brother and I never wanted to finish. It was usually like a scene from "Christmas Vacation." But, those are the memories of Christmas that I treasure!! I loved those days of being bundled up in winter clothes and the thrill of finding that perfect tree and then celebrating with hot cocoa. And then the fun of watching my Dadgo crazy maneuvering the tree and rigging the lights - it was all part of the holiday magic!! LOL!!

This year, I am so happy that we helped our children make those wonderful memories too!!!

Since I married hubby we have had an artificial tree. He was used to that from growing up and he felt that living in an apartment as a bachelor it was easy to keep that tradition. When we got married he wanted to keep the artificial tree because it was easier, then when the kids were born he felt like it was safer. It seemed to make sense and our compromise was that I got live garland to put in the living room so the house would smell like Christmas. Every year when the tree would go up it didn't seem so bad and was sort of pretty. But, I still longed for that real tree!

Finally last year, we agreed it would be the last time for a dusty, fake plastic tree. And this year we would go LIVE for Christmas!!! I was thrilled to start the tradition with the kids now that the boys are old enough to help and have so much fun with the experience.

The kids and I did a practice run with my parents last week when we helped them get their tree. The boys got to help Papa pick out the tree and hold it while he sawed it down. Then they helped drag it through the woods. The boys and I sat in the back of the pick up truck holding the tree as we drove through the parking lot to get it baled, which was the highlight of their day!!! We had hot cocoa in the back of the truck too! Everyone slept great that night!!!

When we went for our tree adventure yesterday the boys were like pros!! They were bundled up and ready to go. They helped Hubby pull the cart, measure the trees, hold it while he sawed and carry it out! They were like little men traipsing through the forest with their Dad!! And our baby Princess loved it too!! She was having a fit to be left on the sidelines so I trekked through the forest with her in the stroller, not easy with tree stumps and rocks, but we made it!

We enjoyed cocoa and gingerbread cookies in the back of the Mom Mobile and then brought home our Christmas Tree to decorate it!! I was proud of how well Hubby did on his first run of Man vs Tree!! He was impressive with the saw andthat tree made it home on top of the minivan without moving an inch!! There wasn't too much chaos getting the tree in the house because Hubby outwitted that tree by using a tape measurer to be sure it fit. The tree stand put up a fight, but Hubby won!!

Luccio was really a stand out Elf this year, decorating the tree with a real sense of purpose!! I supervised all the activity and Hubby strung the lights. The lights were surprisingly easy to untangle which in itself is a miracle of the season! Cenzo was interested in unpacking the decorations, but didn't really feel like hanging ornaments on the tree, so Luccio pretty much did it all!! Isabella scooted around and found just about every chocking hazard she could get her hands on.

It was a great day! After the decorating was done, we sat and enjoyed pizza and looked at the sparkly lights while we watched the Rudolph movie. The smell of pine is filling the house and the green is so vibrant!!

There is nothing that can compare to the feeling of a Live Christmas!!

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