Christmastime is Near

We've never had a real tree. It's sort of a long story, but it started with the fact that Travis had a fake one he bought before we got married on a clearance deal. Anyway, we always said we'd go cut down our tree when we had kids. Then, we had kids. Carting a baby out to cut a tree didn't sound so exciting. She won't remember anyway, right? Then, the next Christmas we went and got a tree for my parents and the kids came along. So, that worked. We don't need to go spend money on a tree and the kids got to go to a tree farm. Year after year, there was either a baby or an excuse. It wasn't that we didn't want that experience, but our frugality and traveling usually got the best of us. This year, though, Travis and I put our foot down and squashed those excuses. Here we live in the Pacific Northwest... and we don't cut our own tree down for Christmas? The shame... So we embarked on the adventure.

Zane found a tree and announced, "This is the perfect tree!" To hear his three year old voice announce so confidently, Travis and I just cracked up. Of course, then I had to take a picture. Because of that, the other two older children decided they'd pick "the perfect tree."

Katiree took my picture with Kezia to document the fact that she was, indeed, a part of this adventure!

Tate proceeded to get filthy. This picture does not do him justice. We aren't really sure how he got so dirty, other than he was taking sticks and digging in the dirt, dragging sticks behind himself and basically being all boy. Good thing his coat is brown and washable!

After picking the perfect tree, Travis had the honor of cutting down the first Armstrong Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas!