It's Christmas Time in NC

This weekend, we went on a quest to find a Christmas tree. Since this is our first Christmas in NC, it was quite a quest. We are used to HUGE trees and a large selection, not to mention the ambiance of snowy fields, a tractor ride to get to the trees, and hot chocolate provided complements of the Christmas tree farm. It's times like this that I miss good ole PA. Perhaps we will find that farm down here one day, but probably no snow! The first farm we found had all SHORT trees. Rhianwen like them, but we knew with almost 30 years of ornaments from both sides of the fam, there was no way we could have something under 6 feet.

"This one is too small!"

So we continued our search for that big tree. We were tempted out to a farm that claimed to have Colorado Blue Spruce (the tree we have chosen the past couple of years in PA). They did have a few, but none to tempt us. However, we found a gorgeous homey Carolina Saffire instead.

"Hm, this one is just right! But what is that black thing for?"

It was so fat, that no one could fit the tree through the plastic funnel to get the net around it. So first we had to tie it up with webbing then stick it through. It was quite a process! We also were gifted with a cute tree calendar and some mulling spices, and in the end it was quite an enjoyable process.

Nope, it ain't goin'.

Rhianwen was very worried about all the cutting, pulling, and tugging throughout this process, but once the tree was in place, she seemed thrilled. (Yes, I too feel her empathy for the poor tree. It takes YEARS to grow these to be so large, but since they are grown for one and only one purpose, I console myself by this fact knowing the tree has finally found its life's fulfillment in its own death...um, yeah, I do know it sounds morbidly funny).

"Wow! This is interesting!"

Rhianwen was a little confused about the whole decorating thing, but she went to work at it like a pro, and we managed to get her to understand that once she hung them, they needed to stay on the tree and not be yanked back off. A hard concept for an almost 14 month old!

Hanging her first ornament.

We took a break to eat a chocolate covered oreo and drink some cocoa. Rhianwen didn't seem to mind a bit.

"How delectable!"

Also during the break, Rhianwen managed to escape back to her room for a time of private reading and contemplation.

"So what if Horton Hears a Who is upside down? I can still enjoy it!"

While mommy finished decorating the tree with glass balls, Daddy and Rhianwen mixed up a simple meal of pancakes for dinner. Yes, this was Rhianwen's first foray at mixing real ingredients. What a big helper she is!

"I take my work seriously."

A bit dark, but I had to post me and my cutie.

We ended the night with the advent calendar. We did 2, one for last night and which was about Christ being the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. Tonight was about Christ as the Word who was in the beginning and was God.

The advent calendar.

And the finished effect.



What a joy to have a growing loving family this Christmas!