O Christmas Tree!!

Every year we tag our Christmas tree, then several weeks later we head back to saw it down, bundle it up, and bring it home. This year was no different. In October we searched high and low for the perfect tree and we found it, tagging it for safe keeping until our return. 

On Saturday morning, we headed back to the tree farm to collect our perfect pine. But, this is a tradition, which means there are special things involved in this process. First, you must have special drinks to go along with you on the ride to and from the Christmas tree farm. Next, there must be Christmas music playing. You must saw your own tree down. And lastly, you must buy their homemade Cherry Butter while at the farm (this is a new one I added because I love it and I can only get it once a year!).

So we did all of those requirements, and I even helped saw the tree down, a first for me. Typically we carry our tree out and down to the main gift shop, but we found a tree way back in the farm this year, so a nice man came and collected it with his truck. Thank goodness for him, because I was not excited to carry an eight foot tree uphill from where we cut it down!

This year, we had a special place to be for dinner so we threw our favorite apple-stuffed pork in the crock-pot before we left. Our house smelt incredible when we returned; it was a lovely mix of apple cider, pork, and balsam. Oh my word, was the aroma perfection!

And here is the special drink. Because what other than Starbucks would it be?! And this year, my dad let us borrow his truck to bring the tree home. Last year we shoved it in my Jeep and it barely fit, so we didn't want to chance it again this year. 

There she is, all ready to come home with us and be spruced for Christmas!

Husband took the first part of the sawing, then I followed for a bit. He finished it off though, because sawing is hard work. Hello, arm workout! But, I totally loved it!

The tree fit much nicer in the back of my dad's truck instead of inside my jeep. The only perk of having it in the jeep was being enclosed in the small space, which was filled with the scent of pine!

We got our tree home, brought it into the living room and began prepping it to be put in its stand.

First we put the tree in the stand to determine if its height worked. And it did! Then we unbound just the bottom of it to figure out which branches needed to be cut to make it fit all the way in the stand. You don't want a wobbly Christmas tree!

Then you want to cut the very bottom of the tree off because you want to make sure that it will soak up water the entire time it's in your home. You don't want dried up tree come Christmas morning, no thanks! You may be wondering why you need to cut off the bottom after having just cut it down. That's because it starts to bleed sap in the short time after you have cut it down and traveled home with it, creating a 'scab', which will keep it from drinking water. So it needs to be 'freshened up' or cut off when you are ready to put it in the stand. Of course, after it's secured you want to fill the the stand up with water!

Plus, we use this inch-thick piece to make a yearly Christmas ornament! I'll be sharing the one we make from last year's tree in a post in December!

Lastly, after you have the tree tightly secured in its stand, you begin cutting the string it was bound in. The tree comes to life right in front of your eyes, every branch springing loose! Besides the mess of pine needles it makes, this might be my favorite part!

Then we decorate it! But, I'll be sharing that and all of my other Christmas décor on December 2nd, next Tuesday! 

Do you have any fun Christmas tree traditions?? What about holiday traditions in general? I'll be sharing all of our favorite holiday traditions tomorrow! I can't wait to hear yours!!