Christmas Tree

We debated just getting a fake tree this year.  It makes so much more sense in so many ways.  In fact, Dorothy brought one up for Andy and Emily over Tday, but they ended up not wanting it, so we have her old fake tree. 

But I couldn't do it.  We always cut down a tree with Dad growing up, and with Mom we always got a real one from a lot.  (Both Dad and Mom (when she was alive) moved on to fake ones once we were all gone). 

Last year the kids were sick and we had to go to a tree lot, but every other year since we have had kids we have cut down our own tree.  We went to a lot that we went to while I was pregnant with the boys.  We loved the tree we got and stayed beautiful the entire month.  So we chose Heritage Valley Tree Farms again.

It was a beautiful day, and the boys did great.  We got a huge tree...it didn't look nearly as big in the field as it does in the house!    

Wow, look at all the help Daddy got cutting down the tree :) 

We had a fun morning, and for the first time in 11 Christmases I had a willing and able helper to help me decorate the tree!!!!! We got home and put the little boys down (actually we all took about an hour nap), then Z helped me get the lights on. He was so excited to surprise his brothers.  He did a pretty good job hanging up the ornaments too.  What fun it was to have help! 

Here he tried to spell out Merry Christmas...and did pretty good until the the M...then he saw all the leftover letters and just kind of put them all up there at the end :) 

This is the very special red spider.  It was ours growing up, and Mom's growing up.  And I won it in the split of Mom's ornaments :) 

How can you go wrong wearing Santa hats?  The little boys spent about a minute out with the ornaments before I kicked them out because there were too many hands pulling out my pretties!  In a few years, though, they will be awesome, like Z was this year.