Bringing home the tree...

My family has been going to Briar Hill Christmas tree farm since the early 80's. Friends own it and even though there have been changes in the family structure over the years, it is still owned and maintained by the same family. This year was the first year we have not seen Mr. Ray. He has the early symptoms of alzheimers and his daughter Maralee has taken over.

The trip to the tree farm is a big deal. I have criteria for what makes the "perfect" tree - so do each of the girls - daddy is in charge of the technical parts.


The first thing you see as you turn in is the chimney from the old homeplace. For some reason I am drawn to these old chimneys.

Thousands of trees over many acres. Some are "cookie cutter" trimmed. We do not even look at those. We are in search of "shaggy" ones. (my important factor) The "perfect" pretty green (College Girl's) and "no big holes" (Softball Princess).

We walked ALL OVER the tree farm. (at least this year we didn't come back and cut the very first one)

College Girl thinks this might be "Just right"

There was clowning around.

And a freezing Princess - she forgot her coat so she wound up with a dirty shirt she found in her daddy's truck as her jacket.

This would up being "the one" - check out those huge briars coming out of the top. Dad and I took pliers to hold those and pull them out of the tree. It was awful.

The only pictures of daddy were of this view or even better of his behind sticking out from under the tree.

Princess wanted snuggle time - This was the tree I wanted, but it didn't pass the "perfect green" test.

College Girl got us all to giggling with her comment on this one. She said it looks like abby is rubbing her stomach like she would a pregnant woman.

I was tickled to catch this of the two of them loving on each other.

The truck is a long bed full sized pickup - this tree is huge.

It now is in the house - tied off to the ceiling.

The decorating will take most of the week. We do it in little bits. No pressure. One reason it takes so long is that we have to tell all of the ornament stories. "we got this ______" - " So and so gave us this" "this was my favorite when I was __" "i made this _____"

I love that part of Christmas.

Have a wonderful day.