we decided to go out a couple days before thanksgiving to tag our tree...it makes me incredibly anxious to have to focus on picking out the "perfect" tree for us...while trying to keep up with my kiddos during all the commotion! we were the only people at the tree farm...so it was perfectly peaceful and the girls had a ball running around! the air is so clean at a tree farm and we always seem to hang around as long as we can!
we found our beauty...after lots of second guessing (another part of the tradition!!!)...took one last look...and told it we would be back with bells on the day after thanksgiving!
sweet baby ava slept the entire time...so we had to snap her picture for posterity's sake!!!
we spent a fun thanksgiving with family...the tucker family even joined us for the big day! we knew the boys would also enjoy the experience of the tree farm, so we somehow turned our suburban into a clown car, piled all five children and three adults in, and headed out on friday morning. but not before we attempted to take our christmas card pictures. there are no words to describe that debacle...so i won't even try. *sigh*
much to our delight, the farm wasn't busy and the day was gorgeous...so the kids ran and played and had such a good time being together! they are quite the little "duos"...and nate kept saying "my sister ella" when talking to the farm owners. they all play so well together and it is so sweet to watch them pretend...rows and rows of christmas trees set up the perfect playland!!!!
daddy cut down the tree while all the kiddos took 4-wheeler rides with the owner...and we loaded up on the hay ride to head back to the shop. after our tree was tied to the top of our "clown car", ava was hungry...so we plopped down to nurse while the foursome continued playing! 
they were so sleepy on the way home...this is what they all looked like...
amy and i wanted to sneak in a few minutes of "black friday", so we somehow convinced daddy (aka uncle bubba) to keep all the kiddos while we snuck off! i suppose he let us go because he knew we couldn't be gone longer than two hours...since he can't nurse!!!!! we had fun taking part in the chaos...and it certainly got us in the christmas spirit!!!! 
we managed to get the christmas tree lit in a jiffy...and then it had to wait! we didn't get to decorate until sunday evening...but it was worth every second of my almost 33 year long wait. i will have to say that this year was everything i have ever hoped for and more. the girls were so excited to get all the ornaments out and genuinely interested in the story behind them all. ever since jeffrey and i got married, i always find us an ornament on our travels and purchase ornaments that are symbolic of things that happened to us that year. it really makes for a special tree.
maddie said just tonight "mommy, i love our tree"! ella was beaming the whole time and felt like such a big girl because she was hanging the "breakable" ornaments. i know i will never forget our "2009 christmas tree decorating". it was the first holiday that seemed to really resonate with the girls...and that is what memories are made of. their sweet little faces seemed even more precious and hearing them talk of which ones were their favorites was so adorable. i can't even explain how fun it was to do that with them! sweet little ava, once again, slept through the whole thing!!!!! 
i love these little munchkins more than they will ever know...and being able to watch the wonder in their eyes...and experience christmas as a child again...is such a gift. and they don't even know it.
but rest assured, i will hold it in my heart...
and never let it go.
1 comment:
Awww...fun memories.
Mere, you'd be ashamed of us. We haven't even ventured out to the tree farm yet! I'm sure there's nothing left worth having. Makes a gal feel a tad bit "scroogy."
Post a Comment