Tree Cutting and Trimming...

The Finished Tree

Abbie decided she wanted to cut down the tree all by herself this year. Mark handed her the saw and told her to have at it. We cut our tree from the small wooded area behind our house and after six years we are running out of small fir/cedar trees. I am not sure what we will do next year. It goes against everything I so cheaply believe in to spend money on something that will die in three weeks. Plus, the memories these kids are going to have is worth far more than having a "perfect" tree lot tree. That's what I'm saying anyway...

Abbie got the tree to the house, measured, cut some more, and loaded the tree into our 5 gallon bucket tree stand. When James was drawing a Christmas tree the other day I asked him what was at the bottom. He promptly replied, "That's the 5-gallon bucket." Bless his heart, he thinks all trees sit in a bucket for Christmas. His poor wife. I do cover the bucket up with a pretty tree skirt thingy though.

And then the Clark Chaos of tree decorating began. Below, MamaHen trying to figure out the lights. I tried to convince Mark it was the man's job to do the lights, just as is killing the bugs and turning off the lights after we are both in bed and realize the light is still on. I need to have another baby because the "I gave birth four times, and the last time without an epidural" argument is wearing thin with him. I think giving birth four times and the last time without and epidural, covers a multitude of having to turn the lights off. Or put the lights on the Christmas tree. Don't you? Mark eventually got fed up with the way I was doing it and took over anyway. I just don't know why he won't do it to start with. :)

And just like the shepherds, James was "sore afraid." (I wish I knew what the child was thinking in this picture. And can I just say, this is one of my favorite pictures ever of James. And yes, his face is just as dirty as it looks. He is just like PigPen from Charlie Brown. I don't even notice it anymore. And yes, Nana, I just noticed the sweatshirt. Sorry, it was warm on this cold day."