Oh Christmas Tree

This is one very special tradition to us! 

And here are some photos of this year: 

Cookies in the car - Christmas music playing 

Cold air, getting dark, lights, and that Christmas pine smell

Walking around and finding just that right one

Picking out an ornament for their little bedroom trees

Magic, joy,

Other posts you might like

2023

The meaning behind our Christmas tree

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

 

The Story of Our Christmas Tree

I wrote the story way back on an older post. Click HERE to read that post. It tells the background, the whole story that began twenty-six years ago.  

And there are oh so many years on this blog of mine documenting the 'getting of our trees' because to me it is oh so magical and oh so important as that symbol of Christmas. 

2013

2014

2015 (this post tells the meaning of a Christmas tree to us)

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

So here is the story of our Christmas tree this year. ❤

We headed out to the same place we go to year after year. Right there (on the left) is a picture this year of us there. But guess what? We didn't end up picking our Christmas tree from Wades this year. They just weren't big enough, magical enough, just enough. I know you you're thinking looking at that little picture above, "they look big enough to me". Maybe they do but the kind of tree that we love is 

❤too big for the room 

❤it has bottom branches that sweep the hardwood floors

❤it smells like Christmas so much that it makes your heart fill with joy

and it just wasn't there although we walked around and walked around forever. 

We chose a 'maybe tree' the girls standing near it. And then Scott suggested we head to another nursery in a nearby town. 

I'm so glad we did. 

One step out of the car and we all had a great big happy, filled with Christmas sigh. It was like being in a Hallmark movie, if only I took more photos. Even the homes around it were charming, charming, charming. 

Every tree was a 'winner' and we couldn't decide because we loved them all so much. 

This part when on and on and there was even a very enthusiastic worker who stood every tree we thought might work up for us. He spun them around s l o w l y  so that we could see all of the sides. It was wonderful, and the girls were so excited. 

We chose quite quickly (although I wish I could go back and "choose" again it was so much fun!) 

And then we took a few pictures outside and inside the shoppe. 

This is what we pulled up to H O M E. Bringing our tree home ❤

We went out to eat at the Little Oak Cafe (love it there so much) ... 

... and watched a Christmas movie at home before all crawling into cozy Christmas flannel sheets for a cozy slumber. (the tree in the below photo is not "the tree") 

Magical, wonderful, Christmasy day ❤

Magical Christmas Tree Day

Today was the most fun. 

We went to a tree farm called Maple Hallow Tree Farm. Don't you just love the name of it? 

It was delightful and fun,

windy and freezing, 

just the way I like it. 

We cut down just the perfect tree for our living room. 

Best of all it was all four of us - there is nothing better than the feeling of the four of us together. 

I love their crazy singing in the car, their silliness running around the farm, just sisters! 

There was a tiny little shop in a barn - the girls picked out a little stuffed animal ornament for their bedroom trees. 

We went out to lunch to a really lovely little place we'd never been to, 

went home,

I made a pot of tea. 

We warmed up and headed to 4:00 Mass. 

Vegetable soup was dinner tonight and a Hallmark movie. 

Pure happy day!

Magic, and small town, and country, and yummy, and fill my heart for a long time kind of a day. 

I am so grateful. 

(here is a link to my insta - if you click on Christmas the stories from today are saved there) 

Here are some other years:

2013

2014

2015 (this post tells the meaning of a Christmas tree to us)

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Moments Like These

 I am so grateful to have moments like these... 

Putting up our Christmas tree felt so so wonderful this year. 

It felt like a celebration with this little family of mine. 

Fill Your Soul With Wintery Night

There is nothing more wonderful then snow on the day our tree comes into our living room. 

We had planned on putting it up on Sunday but when on Saturday morning I looked out and saw the magic of snow... I called Scott, "plans are changed... quick... before the snow stops!" 

He smiled and stopped everything - because he knows me - and really, he's just the same. 💖

This view from my bedroom window. I've always, always loved this view. Especially in the winter. Well, everything is better in the winter. 

Just look at that... it's magical. The brick chimney, the wreaths. all of it. 

So in the tree went and I clicked away to "Tara, you know this is really heavy..." 

"Freshly cut Christmas trees, smelling of stars and snow and pine. Inhale deeply and fill your soul with wintery night." John J. Geddes