Getting the Trees

Every year on the first Saturday in December we go to the forest near Boulder Lake to cut down our Christmas trees.  We stumbled on the Christmas Tree cut day the first year we moved here, and it’s become a terrific family tradition.  The day for cutting is always the same Saturday, and we go regardless of the weather.  A few years ago the temperature was -38.  This year the temperature was 42 degrees.  That’s an 80 degree difference.  It felt a bit bizarre to be so warm while cutting down the trees.  It did make the whole process a lot easier, though!

Strangely we came upon this little metal stool in the middle of the forest.  Random kids had fun jumping off it while some of the trees were getting chopped down.  

Unlike her brothers, who delight in the ax, YaYa is never too excited to chop.  She does make a terrific snowman, though, even if the eyes were really deer scat.  (Necessity is the mother of invention?  She was at least wearing mittens.)

Mr. Trouble on Feet has relished in Christmas tree cutting day since his birth.  He waits and waits for this day!  Axes!  A ride in the sled!  Chili!  Like last year, he was super duper excited to chop down the smallest tree himself.  He was happy down to the depths of his toes.

After we got the trees back to the parking area, the boys relished in consuming cups of chili.  Word has it that the environmental center serves some of the best chili known to humanity.  They were almost more excited about the prospect of chili consumption than actually chopping down the trees.  There were also cookies and cocoa.  And, thankfully, napkins were available as well.