Our 15 foot, Charlie Brown tree

 

We decided since we can, we were going out to chop down our own tree this year. Armed with an 8$ permit from the forest service we drove an hour up the mesa to find one. (I dropped the babies off with my friend Katie, since I knew I couldn't haul them and a tree.)

There was no snow in the valley, but probably a couple of feet up where we went. We parked in a snow mobile parking lot and hiked back along a snowmoblile trail. If we stayed on the trail, then the going was easy. If we went off the trail, then we were up to our hips, or knees in snow- depending on who you were talking about. Alex and Benson kept diving into the snow and eventually Benson decided he was cold and cried all the way back to the car. Alex stuck it out like a trooper and didn't complain once! The older kids were great too, they loved the whole experience.

We finally decided on one. We wanted a tall one, but without a tape measure the actual height just had to be estimated. Boy did we estimate! We thought it would be tall, but not THAT tall! We picked a handsome fir that is kind of sparse, but I liked it that way. It also has two trunks, a "twin" tree! I thought it gave it some character and originality. Who wants a perfect tree anyway?

We dragged it back to the suburban, tied it to the top and headed home. It sat in a bucket of water in our front yard all weekend, since our friend Julie was visiting and is allergic to them. We brought it in Sunday night and got out the super duty ladder to decorate it. I was afraid for my life a few times trying to put lights up at the top, but it was all worth it. I even had Chris anchor it to the wall in fear one of the kids would pull it down, but so far (knock on wood) it has been fine. Even the babies have little interest in it, besides the stand full of water it is just another thing in the living room.

Chris counted the rings on the trunk and estimated it to be around 60 years old. He says he feels bad for cutting it down, but I don't. What a way to end your life in glory than draped in lights and ornaments and admired for a month straight? The kids think it is pretty neat, and so do I.

We think it is the most handsome Charlie Brown tree around!