The Hunt

This year Dw and I will have celebrated 
35 Christmas’ married.
Every year {with only 2 exceptions – for medical reasons}
we have gone to cut down our Christmas trees.
The tradition is one that we can’t miss.
It’s just too stinkin’ fun.

This year we wandered up to Flagstaff…
we’d tried to get a permit to the National Forest, 
but that didn’t work…

My favorite thing to do is hike the entire place, 
searching, sizing up, pondering
and most of the time wandering back to 
one of the first trees we’d spotted earlier. 

If you’ve never gone to cut a tree down,
Truly, it is one of the most treasured memories we share.
All ya’ need is some chocolate wax donuts.
Coffee or hot chocolate {often in a thermos}.
Amy Grant’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”.
And laughter, stories and singing.
Loudly.
Cause only loud will really do. 

Loved, loved, loved having Autumn and Karl {and Polly} home 
for Thanksgiving….
Such precious memories…

“The hills are alive with the sound of music….”

My little boys clearing a path for Mommy and Ruby
{Gracious be.  I love my boys.  Always taking care of mommy.}
And digging in some woodsy dirt…

Our miracle son…Karl.
Ruby gets some special lovin’ from Charlie…

And finally – 
I found it!
The tree I wanted!!!!
But Dw said no. 
Ummm, yeah.
Sooo here’s the tree we actually got.
It’s *almost* the same.
And I told the boys, if I couldn’t have that other tree, 
 *they better not*
lose even one pine cone 
as we drove the 2 hours home,
so help me 
or else.
haha 
{Pine cones are a personal fav.}
And it appears that most survived the 70 mph ride.
Lucky for the boys.

Ruby’s first ever Christmas tree hunt.
She was lovin’ it.
Every itsy-bitsy part of it. 

My heart is still smiling. 
*sigh* 
A day filled with the sweetest memories.
{And pictures to prove it.}
Soooo abundantly grateful. 
Faithful God.

18 thoughts on “The Hunt

  1. What a fun afternoon. I went and "got" a tree once. Came home with a two topper tree…my parents weren't too happy with the great tree, but it is a lot harder to find the "perfect" tree out in woods than it is in a tree store! 🙂
    I cannot believe how big Ruby is getting…all that love is helping her grow.
    Keep up the God work.

    1. Our tree that we got yesterday is kind of funny looking – but sooooo us. It looks like it has a girlish figure…like if we cut it smack dab in the middle, it would be two small trees…I am sitting enjoying it as I type…we decorated it tonight. Ruby is doing AMaZING…I have to update soon!

  2. Love your pictures!! So cool that our families were doing the same fun family memory making tree cutting at the same time. Love you guys!!! Here's to an amazing Christmas season!!

  3. We got engaged at a Christmas tree farm 32 years ago this December. We've been back to same tree farm every year except two (sick kids those years). We will go next weekend. One of my favorite things every year! My son and his wife have been going the last two years. I love our tradition. We were even mentioned in a local magazine while they were interviewing the couple who own the tree farm Oh! I just remembered – the wife goes on mission trips to work with kids in Africa. Liberia, I think.

    1. Awww, engaged at a Christmas tree farm? How romantic – my favorite tree is a pine tree – so it would be right up my alley! So thankful you still are doing it as well…and your son and family are too!

  4. We hunted for a tree too! We found one online from our local yardsale site and it came pre-lit! 😉 but seriously, it looks like you all had a very good time….I wonder if there is such a place to hunt for a live tree in florida.

    1. You hunted for one too – you wise guy! You made me laugh…I wonder if there is one in Florida? I would doubt it, but maybe…we had to go north to Flagstaff…where it gets cold {compared to Phoenix}…

  5. You have much prettier trees where you live. They grow really see-through here, they don't come with pinecones either. However, they smell fabulous and once we decorate them with stringed popcorn and cranberries they are still beautiful. We cut down ours in the dark this year! We got a bit of a late start.

    1. Well the tree that I put as the "I want this one" if you look at it, it's gorgeous, but it was about 70' tall {at a minimum}….notice the cars in the background…so it was totally a joke…but the trees up in Flagstaff and the mountains surrounding Phoenix are gorgeous – and it is so fun to have such diversity not very far from the desert we live in….and cutting yours down in the dark? Nope. Haven't done that one…but glad you found one!

      Truly, pine trees are my favorite tree…and the smell? THE BEST!

    1. She is precious…and she loves to smile…actually all the kids do…although Elijah is completely camera shy, as is Graham…*sigh* and the poor guys have a mom who loves to take their pictures and blog about them…

  6. Awwww! How lovely that you guys have been able to pick your tree out every year! We have done similar (from tree lots) until the last couple years whereby my allergies are such that I can't be near the wonderfully smelling scent that makes the season smell like Christmas! So….artificial it is….Love the great family pics!

  7. Sounds like a grand adventure! Our daughter is allergic to Christmas trees and pointsettas, so no tree hunting for us! We do spend lots of time outdoors though and have many fun adventures, but not tree shopping!

  8. I can't get over how big Ruby is now! Did she just have a growth spurt? What a cute big girl is is growing into. Obviously being love love loved on is exactly what she needed!

    I love your tree. As I'm from FL, we never cut down trees. And now I have a fake, pre-lit one. If I ever have children I so want to try cutting down one as a family though. What a sweet tradition!

    KK

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