Annual Christmas Tree Hunt

Our Christmas tradition always has been to go our for our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend, which usually the first weekend in December.  For the past couple of years we have driven up to Stanwood to a tree farm near Douglas and Lara, though we have never done our tree hunt with them until this year.  This year we went together.  We started with a really nice pancake breakfast that Douglas made for us.  Then headed to the tree farm.

This is Spencer with Kevin who is the youngest of the Chandler grandkids and a pretty awesome kid.

 Spencer is holding the saw, but he didn't actually assist in cutting down the tree or even helping with it.  Cooper is the one who did the sawing this year.

 The tree farm is just that an actual farm.  This is one of several horses that was in the field next to the place where we found our tree.

 Coop did help with the sawing and carrying.  He is frowning because he didn't like the tree we picked.  He thought it was too small.  We had to get a smaller tree because we currently have two sofas in the living room--a new one and our old one.  We haven't quite figured out what to do with the old one and won't until after Christmas.  So there is less room so we needed a skinnier tree.

 Here is the whole gang.  Oma came with us (Opa was not up to it).  Douglas and his boys and then us and Coop & Spencer.  Tucker won't be home until near Christmas.

 You can certainly tell that Douglas and Dennis are brothers.  They both look pretty good here I think.

 So this is the last year we will be able to go to Alan Acres.  They are no longer going to have their tree farm.  Technically they weren't even open this year.  There is a young boy in Stanwood with cancer and the owners of the place let a group of people raising money for his treatment sell off the trees.  So 100% of the money earned went towards the boy's medical treatment.  So here's the boys and Oma taking a last ride on the Alan Acres train--complete with Santa and an elf in the background.

So here is the finished product.  It is a little skinnier than trees we have had in the past, but it is still really nice.  Nothing like a fresh cut tree.  Love this part of Christmas!