The Perfect Tree

It is our new family tradition, the last three years, to cut down our own Christmas tree. We usually make a day of it. Go out to breakfast, make the long drive to Woodland Park and then search high and low for the best looking tree we can find. We work up an appetite trudging through the snowy woods and once we find the tree, we cut it down and head off to grab some lunch. Fun stuff, right? We think so!
Now, finding a tree can be tricky. My husband likes to think I am being difficult, but I can't help it if all the good looking trees grow on 45 degree sloped mountains!

Can you tell how steep it was from the picture...that small looking tree in front of me a ways was really just about as tall as me and the white part beyond the trees was the snow packed road. After about ten minutes of crawling up the hill and then after about 5 more minutes of catching our breath and waiting for our pounding hearts to calm a bit (note to self--time to hit the workout tapes again!), we found just the right tree and ceremoniously captured the "timber" on film.

After we brought it home, it was looking a little Charlie Brown-ish. I think my eyes started to blur after 2 hours of looking at trees. There were a few holes--the kind of holes that won't go away no matter which way you turn the tree. Grrr! But, as my sweet husband reminded me, it is not how the tree looks, but the memories of the day and the experience we had together as a family. Ahhh! (Yea--he really did say that. I know...I'm shocked too!) So, after three strands of lights, a bit of garland, three boxes of candy canes (Analise's idea) and 8 gagillion ornaments later, the holes seemed less gaping and it was, in the memorable words of Adam Sandler, "not too shabby"!