Finding Just the Right Christmas Tree

The Saturday following Thanksgiving we bundle up in our cold weather gear and head to the mountains with a large group of our friends to find our Christmas tree.

We always drive up into the mountains until we can drive no more.  Then we park our van along side the road and pile into the four wheel drive vehicles. When those are stopped by road blocks or too much snow we pile out and begin the hunt.

There are always winter treasures to find.  This year we found some giant icicles.  We also got into a giant snowball fight that ended up in a game of who could tackle who and our family's largest dog pile yet.

Eventually we find our tree, cut it down and haul it back to the vehicles.  I am always amazed that no matter where we stop to look for a tree we always end up downhill and have to haul the tree uphill to get it back to the vehicles. We think we have found the perfect tree and can't wait to get it home and decorated the following Monday for Family Home Evening.

"OW! That's still hot!"

After all that hard work it is nice to know that we have a hot meal waiting for us when we get back to our van.  Chili cheese dogs, chips, apples and hot chocolate with marshmallows.

The days don't get much better than this:  surrounded by people you love, Christmas music playing in the background, the scent of fresh pine all around you, and big welts from your snowball fight with your teenage boys - it doesn't get much better than this. It is great to live in the Northwest.