Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Oh Christmas Tree, sob, sob, Oh Christmas Tree

This was our Christmas tree last year. Wasn't it beautiful?

We ALWAYS get our tree from the local high school band fundraiser, they sell beautiful trees. We have been very happy EVERY YEAR.



This year, we should have preordered, but weren't able to. They didn't order extra trees this year, even though for the last 9 years, we have preordered and they have had extra trees. This year NO EXTRA TREES.

I left crying. What were we going to do now? Where else can you get a tree?

Too keep this in perspective, this is our 10th Christmas in this house, and every tree has come from that lot.

I dried my tears, put on my big girl panties, and did a search for Christmas Tree Lots.

I found the Merry Christmas Tree Farm, you can cut your own tree.

Many people cut their own trees here; you get a permit, bundle up your kids, lug in your saw, go hiking through the woods, stop the kids from fighting, find a tree, pause to warm up their little bodies, cut down tree, lug it out of the forest, stop because their feet are tired, continue hiking out of forest, tie tree to your car, and drive it home.

Not my idea of a great day.

The Merry Christmas Tree Farm seemed like a perfect answer.

No permit required, they provide saws, tree farm is not national forest, we shouldn't get lost, short hike back to car lugging tree and tired kids.

We still had the Griswold experience, I was waiting for the light to shine down on the perfect tree.

On our third time around the tree farm, Ben mentions, "um, Honey, you know you are not going to find a perfect tree like we get from the lot. Those are grown and groomed to be perfect. These aren't."

Me, "I am sure we can find one, maybe over here."



"Or maybe, back over this way."



Ok, so there wasn't the big light shining down on the perfect tree, maybe the reflection from the snow made me think this was the one.








And now it looks like this:




Let's see them side by side:


On the bright side, decorating the tree took no time at all, I even packed up a bunch of ornaments we didn't use. It could have something to do with the lack of branches....

23 comments:

Stephanie said...

Love your tree post. I am new here. I have a fake tree until my son gets older. His is a destruction unit.

Karen @Snakes-Snails-Puppydogtails said...

I love it... I reminds me of the ones we cut down on our property when I was little.. Only they were TOO big for the house and we had to cut the top off them. They still had the quirky funny shape though!

Jennifer said...

I LOVE that tree! You definitely got ours this year and we got yours.

Hillary said...

HA! I'm laughing out loud at the photo of your current tree. HA HA! I'm still laughing. And smiling. HA! Shoot, I can't stop!

So sorry. Maybe it's time to get a fake.

Anonymous said...

Is it wrong to laugh? I don't feel like I should. Isn't considered Christmas tree bullying if I laugh.

*snort*

Sorry.

OK, I won't laugh at your tree anymore. It's like bad karma or something....I think. *snort* I'm sooooo going to bite into a rotten candy cane for this.

3boys247 said...

Stop laughing at my poor, pathetic tree. It is beginning to get a complex.

Unknown said...

Ok, so yes, the first one is nicer looking but look at it this way - You "rescued" this year's tree {not laughing, no, not me...I do as I'm told}

Anonymous said...

It's like the big brother of the Charilie Brown Tree. But at least you went out and got some exercise. I think it's cute!

Kristen said...

Okay I don't even know what to comment, I am just sitting here giggling!

Anonymous said...

Nice photos..! I love that Christmas tree.

Tammy said...

I really laughed at this one. I even had to have my friend here at work come see your tree. I bet you will not forget this tree for a very long time.

Oh by the way I had the same wrapping paper last year.

Kristen said...

Oh, I'm glad you didn't let that stop you! Everyone needs a Charlie Brown tree at least once! My kids still talk about ours....You did good!

SmilingSally said...

Oh you poor thing! lol All you need to do is to trim those top branches a bit, and it'll look fine. But, meanwhile, it makes a good post. Thanks for sharing. Here's mine.

http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-tradition-decorating-tree.html

A Mama's Blog (Heather) said...

The boy scout tree is beautiful- I think your tree this year would look great, if the boy scout tree wasn't so great. Hope you get one next year. :-)

Shannon said...

First let me say I LOVE LOVE LOVE the name of your blog. I have four boys. Even my 2 fat cats are boys. My house is also a testosterone zone!

Second I have been complaining about not having a "real" Christmas tree. Maybe I need to go back and look at the pictures of all those trees we cut down at the tree farm. Thank you making me appreciate my fake tree, oh and I promise to stopping giggling soon!

Catherine said...

I love this year's tree! And, you have a story to go with it. That's gotta be worth something!

I Am Boymom said...

Wow. This year's tree is really, ummm...unique! I am cracking up because I remember our Charlie Brown tree a few years ago. Every family's gotta do one once in their lives! Your tree has a lot of charm and character...hard to ignore! Enjoy it!

Anonymous said...

Haha! But it was a fun family outing, right? And it's a real tree, which is better than our fake one! I like it :) Charlie Brown would be impressed.

Tammy said...

Awww, I think your tree is lovely. Heck, the time it saved you in putting all those ornaments on would be awesome to me.

Laural Out Loud said...

Oh, I'm so sorry, but I couldn't help myself from laughing! Seeing the two trees side by side is just so so funny.

James & Andrea said...

But really, will you remember any distinct cookie-cutter tree that you've had over the years? Probably not. But you will ALWAYS remember this great, personality filled tree. Enjoy it! My favorite tree ever was when all of our Christmas decorations were packed in storage. Our sparce, bare Alaska spruce was decorated with lights, strung popcorn, cranberries, gingerbread cookies, stained glass cookies (the kind with the hard candy melted "window"), candycanes, and ribbon bows. It looked so "little house on the prarie" and was a beautiful, old fashioned work of art. I think you always remember the positive aspects of "making do" better than the "years of plenty." God bless.
-Andrea

Maggie said...

Ahahaha, now that is funny!! What a crazy tree, how on earth did it grow so... crazy-like?! LOL

MeKimka said...

We got our last tree in Colorado at that place. First year we didn't get lost!! But you should have went with the $10 one, it breaks your vaccum for extra fun!