No, Charlie Brown does not live here.

We had plans to chop down our real Christmas tree the weekend we got back from Florida.  One mammoth snow storm later and we had to wait it out an extra day.  Brent and I have known for a few months that our tree would be coming down from our pine tree farm in the backyard.  There are a few smaller trees that are crowding the big trees and they stand not a chance to survive.  We kept the secret from the kids until the day we cut the tree down.

We bundled the kids up, grabbed the sled and a saw, and headed out. Mallory was all set to climb in the car to drive to the tree farm… Brent quickly corrected her and said we had a 25 minute hike to get there. Through 12 inches of newly fallen fluffy snow she was not super thrilled. Little did she know she only had a trek through the backyard and we would be there.

Mallory marched and Brent carried Mikayla through the snow to our tree.





Brent knocked the 12 inches of snow off the tree and our tree was exposed.
” From our backyard!!” Was squealed.
So was “This snow is cold!!” Oh well, it can’t be a perfect afternoon…



Just a few quick glides of the saw and the tree came down. 
It has a tiny trunk and definitely has some spots that are thin…



Pulling the tree was lighter than the kids.  Snowsuit was my moms. I am the same size as she is to a T.  The red knit hat is courtesy of Grandma Crandall, she would be proud.



When it was all cleaned up, dried off and trimmed to the right size, we brought it inside.  It stands proudly in our front window.  It may be a bit bare and some may have used the term “Charlie Brown” to describe it, but once again, it is ours and we love it.  It is strong enough to hold up our favorite ornaments. Unpacking the box of ornaments is quickly turning into one of my favorite things about the holiday season. Mallory is old enough to remember years past and ornaments that were given to her.  She knows her very first ornament and it’s the first one she hangs on the tree.  Fun memories!