Memories of a Tree Lot

One of my favorite memories from my childhood is going to the tree lot to pick out a Christmas Tree. I don't know why this memory resonates so much more than others, but it just...does. There was something about picking out the right shape, the right height, the right smell and just knowing that soon after, there would be the decorating festivities. I even remember fondly tossing the tree (well, not me, I was just a child, for Pete's Sake) into the back of the car and then pulling it out once we got home, leaving behind a whole mess of needles. Then we'd leave the tree for a few hours "just to rest and let it fall." Yep. It's all part of the memory. 

I recall the teamwork it took to place the tree into its stand, with one person (my mom or dad) likely on his or her belly beneath the tree, ready to screw the bolts into the trunk while the other person (my dad or mom) held the tree while heeding the advice of my sister or me as to which direction to lean it..."A little more to the left, little more, little bit, --nope! Too far. Go back a little bit, almost, yep, yep. Right there!" 

 Fast forward to my grown up years and my marriage to an "artificial tree" kinda guy and here we are trying to recreate these memories for our own kids in a different kind of way. No, I haven't converted the hubster to having a real tree yet, so instead, we just go along with whomever happens to be getting a real tree that year. In this case, it was my Mom & Al and Mary. 

Not my mom and dad, but my mom and Al--another reminder that  part of growing up is accepting that though my "family" is no longer the same unit it once was, we are all still family. Traditions my parents created for us when we were little, continue. Each of them have independently worked hard to maintain all the little details of what we remember growing up. 

And we've woven some really great new people into our traditions and even started some new ones. 

Sometimes, what we thought would never be the same, is somehow better. 

And I'm just grateful for all my families.  :)

And it's all good. 

 I am grateful for the effort my parents put forth when I was young, because it has shaped the way Brian and I are raising our babies and our mutual agreement on the importance of creating THEIR memories. 

And going to the tree lot? Yeah, it'll be one of 'em. 

So we went to the same tree lot we've been going to since I can remember and were first greeted with a 'surprise in a can' which Al had brought for the kids....

A GRASSHOPPER! 

No surprise, Ethan the fearless took right to it. If we'd had a piece of string and a collar, he would've made it a leash and taken it home to raise. 

Hunter wasn't AS open to the idea of this critter crawling all over her, but she warmed up to it a heck of a lot quicker than Colton. 

But he got there in his own time. 

Even my little niece, Brinley got in on the action. 

Grasshopper away, let's get a tree! (Me and my trademark Chai Tea Latte in hand)

"Picking out a tree is hard work. Can someone please hold my purse?"

Look at these sweet little tree huggers of mine...

"Oh I hope, I hope, I hope, we get a BIG tree!"

Grammy carried Hunter in and out of the rows of trees. (Cuz you know, sometimes it's dark and scary in there)

Auntie Ami making raspberries at Brinley! (For the record, she was totally cracking up!) 

And then there's Al and Ethan.  :) 

Kisses for my little niece! 

Aunt Mary and Brinley

This little boy...THIS little boy. 

A little ball of sweet-huggable-Dennis-the-Menace-kinda-trouble-making-raspy-voice-wrap-you-round-his-little-finger-giggling-kissing-kinda boy. 

Seriously. When did they grow up?

I've often wondered how many times babies get kissed in their lifetimes. 

Too many to count. 

Me and my mini-me

This adventure found us at McDonald's afterward! Yahoo for happy meals!(don't know what happened to all the other pictures from our lunch...

Luckily, we DID catch the kids tasting the falling rain.

I wanna be (almost) 3 again! 

To borrow my blog friend and fellow triplet mama, Stacey's Christmas Card Quote, 

"Merry Everything, Happy Always!" to you and yours!