I will confess - I am a sucker for family traditions. Candles in your pancakes on the morning of your birthday, chili for dinner on Halloween, eating all of your fortune cookie BEFORE reading your fortune. I love them all.
My favorite tradition, the tradition held higher than all others, is the selecting of the Thrailkill family Christmas tree.
Much like the Griswald family in our favorite Christmas movie, each year selecting our Christmas tree is a grand adventure.
Last year, I neglected our special tradition. I, chose time and convenience over tradition. And, yes,I bought our tree at the Lowes. I know. What was I thinking?
It was the tree of all bad karma. It died not once, not twice, but three times - and had to be returned all the way to Lowes all three times. It never smelled as good, or looked as pretty.
So, this year all the wiser - tradition trumps all.
Today was the designated "get the tree" day.
Today - it rained.
All day.
It rained.
So, remembering that tradition trumps all. We loaded up in the Thrailkill family mini van, with rain coats, hats and gloves in tow and headed out!
It was just as much fun as I knew it would be!
Xman got to choose our tree this year. Mikaela and daddy decided that Dr. Seuss must have used our tree as a model when he drew the Grinch's head.....it has quite an unusual shape!
We brought our tree home......had hot vegetable soup and cornbread...........and then got right to decorating.
My second favorite part is always sharing the stories behind our ornaments with the children. "This is the ornament from mommy and daddy's first Christmas"....."This is from our first family vacation".........."this is the ornament you made your first year in preschool"..........."this is the ten thousandth "best teacher" ornament that mommy and daddy got!"
And now, the tree is up - my living room has that amazing Christmas smell and all is good.
Xman at the petting zoo - the cow LOVED him!
Daddy carrying OUR tree
The kids trying to carry OUR tree
My boys cutting down our tree
Xman - picking our tree (his frugal mother limited him to red tagged tree - gotta love that they color coordinate their prices!)
Xman sorting lights
Mikaela's year to put the angel on the tree - we alternate - this year Xman picked the tree, she puts the angel on top
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