Christmas Trees

Ever since Ian and I have been married we have gone to get live Christmas trees. We always went to Browns Christmas Tree farm down in Fayetteville with his parents, along with Walt and Barbara, his aunt and uncle and their son, Ians cousin, Matt. After Shelby was born it meant even more to go to a Christmas tree farm and get a tree. Ride the hayride, see the farm animals, have a cup of hot apple cider in the country store on site. After picking out our trees, cutting them and loading them up we would all go back to Walt and Barbaras and have home made chili and cornbread. Barbara made the best chili, and I make mine just like she did to this day.

Ians mom passed away and it seemed that she was the thread that held together many traditions. Ians dad no longer wanted to go, which was understandable at the time. Walt and Barbara had moved some time before out to west Georgia. Things just kind of fell apart.

Ian and I continued our tradition of getting a live tree every year. The three of us would go out and get a tree. After moving out to the country we had to start over and find a local Christmas tree farm, but none of them had the tractor pulled hayrides, the animals to see, the country store with jellies, jams, homemade ornaments and much more. We just never really recaptured that feeling. Maybe because his mom was all about Christmas. She loved Christmas so much. She had a collection of Santas, the ones that looked like dolls on a stand. They were all so beautiful. She always had a beautiful tree, the bannisters wrapped in trim. Good memories. Yep.

Shelby is a teenager now. She is sixteen years old, so going to get a tree is okay, but we have never been able to find a place like we went to back when she was little. The last time we got a tree we went to a local farm and they didnt have anything left to speak of, every tree, except ones that wouldn't fit in the house, was gone. We did find a very small local Christmas tree farm that we got a fine tree from last minute...in the rain, and the cold. No hayride, no animals, no nothing, just cut the tree and go home.

Thats the last time we got a live tree. Last year, if you have been around my blog long enough, you may remember our Christmas tree was our date palm because it was taking up a third of the living room, or so it seemed, and has to be inside for the winter, so I just dressed it up and made it our Christmas tree. I loved it, WE loved it, but this year, I am feeling more traditional.

I have talked about getting an artificial tree for a long time. Every year I bring it up and every year it gets pushed to the back burner. I have many reasons for wanting one. For one thing, live trees have gotten pretty darn expensive. Its nothing to go out and find a normal size tree and have to pay fifty dollars for it. I learned that pine trees are messy and firs dry up and become quite the fire hazard. Leland cypresses are perfect, but they are pricey. If you want a tree that is going to last all month, you need a leland cypress.

Everyone knows that the first half of the year is when everyone has money. Tax returns come in. The last half of the year, not so much left. Ians hours always get cut back this time of year, but this season it may last for quite a while...on into next year and who knows. Every dollar counts around this time of year. With his hours cut we have to cut our spending and be careful with our money.

With that in mind, who has the money to spend fifty bucks on a live Christmas tree?

We don't exchange gifts with family or friends. We do get Shelby presents, she is still our baby girl and we want her to have her gifts and surprises at Christmas. She is the only one I shop for though. Ian and I both agree that anything he or I wants, we usually get it over time. Who needs to spend money on little trinkets that will be forgotten over time? I am not a jewelry person, nor do I like fancy clothes. You all know what I like. Does that mean I will get a chicken with a bow on its head for Christmas? No, but if I wanted one, I would get it myself, because only I know what I really want. I don't want gifts for Christmas. I want the fellowship of my family together for Christmas, that is what its all really about. Lots of good food and good people getting together.

Now, back to the tree. I told Ian this. I told him it was perfectly fine to get an artificial tree at this time. I pointed out that his other aunt, Aunt Linda, had always had an artificial tree, and she was pretty darn Christmasy, as she is his mothers sister. She is also a big fan of Christmastime. If Linda can have one, so can we, and still be Christmasy. (Is that even a word? If not, it is now, lol)

So, armed with our Lowes plastic money, today after he gets out of fire brigade training up in Rome, we are going to go get our first and probably our last artificial Christmas tree, so I want to make it a good one. I looked online at the trees. I don't particularly care for the Holiday Living brand trees. I do however like the Spruce multicolor lights seven foot tree by GE.

Holiday Living:

98.00 tree... http://www.lowes.com/pd_13693-84523-W14F0115_0__?productId=1214465&Ntt=christmas+tree&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dchristmas%2Btree

GE: a hundred dollars more http://www.lowes.com/pd_14370-25734-13667LO_0__?productId=3092483&Ntt=christmas+tree&pl=1&currentURL=/pl__0__s%3FNtt%3Dchristmas%2Btree%26page%3D2

But, its like one of those things, your probably only going to buy this once, so why not get what you want to begin with. I mean, I am not unreasonable. I see there are trees that are 300 dollars, but I just don't want to spend that much, even if we will have it from now on. I am one of those in the middle kinda people. I don't want the least expensive piece of junk that will fall apart in no time, but I don't want the outrageously overpriced one either.

So, after we get this tree we will never have to worry about not having the money to get a tree, or finding a tree. We will have it, and I can breathe easy and just put up the tree. We have so many beautiful decorations we have collected for our family over the years, I think its going to be nice to hang them all on our tree this year. :)

I am even thinking about pulling out ALL the Christmas decorations this year. I haven't done that in a long time. Time to go into the attic Ian! :)