The Tree Hunt

 

What a magical day to get a Christmas tree-

it snowed! 

In case you don’t know, snow is quite the event in the Pacific Northwest- I think that this was probably the first time I have EVER picked out a tree in the snow!

Unfortunately, this also meant that the roads were slippery, and that our van slid and came inches- LITERALLY INCHES- from going off a 10-15 foot slope into a ditch.  Seriously, guys, I was braced for the fall and yelling.  Made for a bit of a shaky/sweaty start to our adventure!

We bundled up the boys, but Samuel refused to wear his gloves.

So, despite Brian’s warnings, I let him go without! 

This is the moment that Samuel falls (5 seconds after Brian puts him down)

and this is when he started his hysterical-hands-are-hurting-why-are-we-out-here screaming fest.

( I think in this one Brian was saying something like, “Poor guy! I knew he was going to cry if he touched the snow!”  Sometimes I should listen to him, folks.  Sometimes.)

 

His crying  lasted until we chose a tree

(conveniently placed DIRECTLY across from our van!)

took some family pictures around said tree,

and I took him to the van to nurse him.

(eye injury is from another fall- not the one in the snow!  Its rough being a toddler.)

The rest of the pictures are taken through the windshield.

I felt a momentary stab of disappointment (choosing a Christmas tree is in my top 3 favorite annual events), but then I was genuinely okay with it, and happy to be able to soothe my baby.  There will be plenty of years to be there for the tree-chopping when my babies are a bit older! (as long as I stop having new babies!)

This may or may not have been right before Isaac wandered into the road that we repeatedly told him to stay out of just as a giant truck was barreling down the hill towards him.  Luckily it stopped, and waited patiently while Isaac stood in the road waving at me.    Sheesh!

 

 

Brian and his tree-cutting “helpers”

TIMBER!

The boys thought that it was hilarious to throw snowballs at the windows- and Samuel agreed.  He was perfectly fine after his milk!

That night, when Brian and I were lying in bed, we talked about how- even though it was freezing, and we almost flipped the van, and Isaac went in the road, and they were disobedient and had to be disciplined while at the tree farm, and how we drove so slow and white-knuckled the whole way home- it still seemed like a pretty great day!  And a pretty fun adventure!

Also our house smells fabulous.