Christmas Treein'

Yesterday, we drove up to the mountains to chop down a Christmas tree. Or more accurately, saw down a Christmas tree, as evidenced by the saw casually slung through #1's belt. This is the same mountain road I told you about the other day. Only now it's icier. Much icier. It was pretty slow going, and I thought #1 was perhaps pushing our luck just a little bit, but he kept driving and driving. Until finally, I looked out and said, "How about that one down there?" And we stopped.


...Now, I realize, being from where I am, the Land Of Winter Snow, the place where one January we only went to school for about six days total because we got snowed in every single weekend (awesome!!), that this snow does NOT look like much. And indeed, it really isn't much. It isn't even much that the little bit of snow is covering a sheet of ice--that's what winter driving is all about. However, combine that with the slope of the roads, the curves and the steep mountain grades and the no guardrails, that is what makes it treacherous...


We walked down the road to the tree, decided it was the one, or at least it would do for this year, and #1 sawed it down. With some help from the boys. Sawed-Off held the finely crafted cardboard saw sheath, and proceeded to hit #1 with it, as if to say, "Faster, faster." He thought that was hilarious.


Last year, we traveled for Christmas. Until I decide what kinds of geographical locations I want to reveal to you, let's just say, we drove over 1600 miles for Christmas with my parents. My dad (and I and my brother when we were younger and our mom) has planted thousands of pine trees on his 10-acre property over the years. That's a lot of Christmas trees. And a fine wind break. Anyway, when we were there last year, my dad let H-Bomb pick out his very own tree and put it in his room. The room that used to be my brother's, complete with-I kid you not-semi-truck wallpaper. It is a sight to behold. But the little boys LOVE it.

My point is, we've kind of started a tradition--the little Christmas tree all H-Bomb's very own, that he gets to decorate all by himself and keep in his room. So, here he is, dragging "his" tree up to the road.


And here is #1 and Sawed-Off, with the main Christmas tree. We meant to take a cute family photo for our Christmas cards, but by the time we got around to it, the camera battery was dead.


So we just ate more cookies, spilled drank some fruit punch all over the truck and drove home. Slowly. Sawed-Off fell asleep in the truck on the way.

Then we decorated our trees, listened to Christmas songs and searched for extension cords. That's about as eventful as it was. But it was fun. H-Bomb has been excited for this Christmas ever since last Christmas. Sawed-Off could care less, although, like his brother before him, he LOVES yanking the lower ornaments off the tree, announcing "Ball!" and throwing them around--they are shaped like balls you know, isn't that what they're for??

Here is H-Bomb's miniature tree, in all it's weighted down, ornamented and lighted and draped glory.

Happy Christmas!