Finding a Christmas Tree in Near Dark

 Our family has several Christmas traditions.  One is that we write a brief Christmas letter to our friends updating them on what is going on in our lives.  Another is that we take a picture of the kids all together, and we also go to a tree farm and pick out our Christmas tree.

Today, we took the pictures and we  went and got the tree. By the time we got to going for the tree it was pushing towards dusk. We go to the same tree farm every year, but this year the trip was a lot shorter, as we now live a lot closer.  Good thing, as the roads were very snowy.

Our family tradition is to wander all over the 10 acres or so of trees and spend an hour or more picking out the tree.  However, this year, this was not an option as it was getting dark quickly.  The snow had stopped at least.  After a couple minute hike we saw this tree and as it was so late we decided it was a good option.  But we couldn't settle that quickly.  We took a quick 15 minute hike around and looked at a few other trees and then came back to our first choice.  It was a Mango record setting event.  We had found and hauled our tree out of the lot in less than 30 minutes.

Elizabeth, DH, T-Bob and Thomas.
Note: The camera makes it appear lighter than it was.

 One of the reasons we were able to accomplish it so quickly was because there were only five of us that needed to come to an agreement.  When you have eight people trying to come to an agreement on a tree, it takes a LOT longer!  Especially if one of them is Michelle!! The older three children were away at a christmas party.

While the tree was being cut down, Thomas posed on a nearby tree stump.

More poses...

My DH did the final cuts to harvest the tree.  We were expediting as much as possible as the light faded.

Meanwhile, Thomas was still trying different poses on his stump.

We stuffed the tree into the van,

and took our tree home to be thawed out.  Another successful trip to the tree farm.