Mission: Christmas Tree

Last Christmas was so special to Josh and I. We had a lot of firsts since it was our first Christmas in our first home. The Sunday after Thanksgiving last year we headed out to cut down our first Christmas tree. Not just any Christmas tree, but the perfect Christmas tree. We decorated our house with lights, stockings and garland. We hosted Christmas for the first time in our home. With all the first you would think that would make last years Christmas so special, but it wasn't. Surprising our family with news that they would be grandparents and a uncle was what made last years Christmas so special to us. I can remember it like it was yesterday... We handed out our homemade cards with our 8 week sonogram picture and our due date. My dad thought we were going on a trip to some cave because he was looking at Chris' (Josh's step-mom) card instead of opening his own and Chris was the first one to open hers and realize what was going on. All she could get out was Oh, my God. My Mom could only say :Oh, Melissa!" over and over. Tears started streaming down my face and my Dad smiled and gave me the tightest, biggest most loving hug ever. Josh's Dad said "Well I am done with Christmas. This is the best present ever!" My brother just smiled at me and gave me a hug! Last year's Christmas was such a magical one, but this year's Christmas will be just as special. We once again we are doing a lot of firsts!

This past weekend we took Easton to cut down her first Christmas tree. We headed to Bishop Farms. With Eaton in her Eskimo Coat (this is what Josh calls it) and "My First Christmas" Santa hat we headed out in search of the perfect tree. Only to NOT find any kind of tree much less the perfect tree. We walked all over that dang farm. Me toting Easton and Josh toting the saw and measuring pipe. We eventually got so frustrated with the tree selection we called it quits and headed to lunch. After lunch we decided we would check out the tree farm down the street from us just off parallel. We got there made one lap around the farm and fount it! The perfect Christmas tree. Well we thought until we got home. It was so large they couldn't shake it. So they attempted to remove all the dead pine needles by hand. Then they were not able to net it since, once again, it was too large. So thank God we only lived a mile down the road, because we were those people in the big red truck with a Christmas tree hanging out the back and pine needles falling out as we went 2o miles down the road. We get home and Josh tried to shake some of the needles out himself, but the tree is too big and heavy. Next... Mission: get HUGE UN-NETTED tree through the front door! Josh disconnects our storm door, grabs the massive tree by the trunk and tugs away. The tree eventually does make it through the the front door. Leaving behind a ridiculously amount of pine needles! Josh gets the tree up and shop vacs all the needles up. Then we can finally decorate it! By this time Easton is down for the count! She slept through the entire decorating process. Maybe next year she can help us out. As we are decorating it we realized this wasn't a soft needle tree. Crap!!! Poky, Poky, Poky... the entire time we put ornaments on it! It wasn't until we had the tree all decorated that we really noticed how many flippin' loose pine needles there really are hanging out in this tree. Needless to say come December 26 this tree is headed to the Tongie farm to RIP.

Like I said earlier, this year will be just as special, because we are able to share all our current family Christmas traditions and new ones with our daughter. We are hosting Christmas for our family at our house again this year and I can't wait for Easton's first Christmas!!!

Daddy and Easton on the hunt for the perfect tree in her Eskimo Coat!




Family picture in front of our Christmas Tree.


Daddy putting the tree up.

Decorated, but no gifts are wrapped yet!

Can you see all the dead needles in this tree!


Garland on banister.

Mantle decorations. All our stockings hung with care!

Nook above the fire place decorated with Christmas boxes!

This is my Christmas tree when I was growing up. My Aunt Rita bought them for us and every year we would get a new Christmas ornament. The ornament would have to do with something that went on that year. Needless to say I received a lot of basketball ornaments.

Santa we are ready for you!