Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree...

We went to get our Christmas tree last night. Lowe's had the best prices for live trees and we do prefer live trees. They had the Noble fir, which we have had before, we just can't remember where ;-) They are full, strong, smell great, and are actually light weight.

I had told Tami at Pretty Perplexing that we always have a tree story and last night was no exception. We chose Lowes for their pricing, but what we didn't take into account was that extra cost usually meant someone straps the thing to our roof rack for us! This was the first year we had to do it ourselves. I still can't haul and lift anything with my left hand more than a mug of offer, which means hubby was doing by himself. The Lowes people loaned us a box of twine and a very dull box knife. Hubby and my oldest boy were strapping the tree to the roof rack in 23* with no gloves on. I mean, we live in Alaska and the whole crew forgot to grab gloves!! You can tell we are ignorant greenhorns!!



We rolled out onto the highway for our 7 min ride home. After a huge gust of this crazy windstorm hit and rocked the van, my son cried out "Dad, the tree is falling off the van!!"

Sure enough, the tree was trying to make its escape!! Hubby's first plan was to right it and have my son just hold it in place out the window. We have lived enough rural places and seen it done enough, we knew that would work ;-). But please refer to the earlier statement that no one had gloves, it was cold with gusting wind...

We ended up crawling home very slowly (when hubby reminded himself that slow was better than racing the issue home). We weren't the only ones having issues. The truck taking our home turn had a big wood piece of furniture topple over inside the bed right before our eyes. So tying stuff down is a common Valley failing, hahahaha.

Our pretty tree came home, got settled, and is relaxing. She gets all gussied up tonight :-) I can't wait!!

In Maryland last year, our tree stand was too short for the tree and the tree bolts didn't have any diffuser. We didn't realize that all mattered with a softer tree trunk, and we didn't catch a clue till after the lights, garland, and some ornaments were on it. My 7-yr old son was stepping up to place his ornament on the tree, and it slowly began to tilt...and feel on him. He didn't move an inch till we struggled the thing off him. He then reached out very calmly and placed the ornament on the tree. Cool as a cucumber, that boy is!!! We all laugh about that to this day!!

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