Every year, we venture to Hampton Hills to find that (attempted) perfect tree.  This year, the girls had so much fun.  We went with Yellow Papa and Gramma AND Auntie Amy and Uncle Nick.  This was the first year they got their real tree.  It's a whole other adventure carrying tank-biggins through the tree farm with slippery winter coats on...we needed to get a tree and get back in the car. :)  Success!

The ladies love decorating the tree.  I like watching their excitement and try to remember that it's way more awesome for them than it is for me, putting up the darn thing. 

If you procrastinate on getting a Christmas tree...you must suffer!

So, we procrastinated this year.  Not without good reason.  One weekend, I was out of town.  The next weekend, my parents wanted the girls...I took advantage of a full day to steam clean the carpets - shout out to the Rug Doctor - 4x over the floors, the carpet looked and felt like it was brand new!  I got stains out from 4 years ago.  It was awful to do it, but awesome to have it done.  Anyways, so that's why it waited until this weekend.  Wow...this was the worst weekend in my "real tree" life to go get one.  We planned to do it first thing on Saturday, but due to winds, snow, and Hampton Hills being closed...we clearly had to put it off until today.  It was fairly entertaining.  First, I had gotten the girls these little hoodie things that will keep their necks and faces warm...I think they are awesome...Macy agreed.  Jorey --not so much...

she told me she's NOT smiling because she doesn't want to wear that hat/scarf thing! 

Once we got to the tree farm, she was all smiles for the ride through the trees and the pending excitement of the joyous adventure waiting for us. 

Don't go Tree Hunting after a Blizzard, nerds! 

Dad got out when we stopped so he could go find the perfect tree.  We got our jackets on and were going to come find him after he located our "beauty".  Well, when the girls and I got out of the truck, we sunk into snow up to my shins.  Then, we took another step, and the snow was up to my knees.  The next step was up to my thighs and Jorey said "No Way".  So, I threw her on my back and Macy and I kept going...the snow got deeper and deeper until I could barely get my feet up high enough.  We aborted our mission and headed back to the truck.  Dad had to be brave and get the tree, and then haul it back through the snow that was up to his waist.  It was funny and awful all at the same time because Ken refused to get a pre-cut tree and then hauled the scraggliest tree we've ever bought back to the truck.  Oh, well.  The memories are going to be great!  When he finally got back to the car, he had some frozen facial hair that the girls thought was soooo funny.

When we got home, we decorated the Charlie Brown tree all up.  In the dark, with the lights on, it's quite pretty. My little tree decorators did such a great job and they finally grasped the concept of decorating the whole tree this year - not just the bottom branches.  Though, we did have to have a few reminders that there is only one decoration per twiggy branch, they really did a fine job and it's fun to see how excited they get about a task I could really take or leave.  I have to try to remember to look at Christmas through my daughters' eyes because they seem to enjoy it much more than me.