The Perfect Christmas Tree

This year, my husband and I had vowed long ago, we would cut our own Christmas tree.

We'd planned on doing so since the year before. Unfortunately, our first year year in the mountains, in 2007, I missed the deadline for applying for a permit and we were forced to buy our tree from the measly selection at Wally World. Next year, we’d vowed right then, we would cut our own from the abundance of forest land surrounding our home and our town.

Because my husband absolutely loves Christmas, and, okay, I do, too, we didn't waste any time this year obtaining our tree. I was the first person in line to buy a permit from the forest service office in St. Johns when they went on sale in October.

We headed out to find our perfect Christmas Tree the morning following Thanksgiving. It had snowed all around us, although it was too warm at our house for it to stick on the ground. We headed toward the ski area just about 40 miles from our home, running into gentle snowfall along the way.

It didn’t take us too long to find the perfect Christmas tree. There it was – just off the road in the middle of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. I'll take credit for being the one who spotted it on one of our reconnaissance forays across the field from the road. It couldn’t be more perfect – a Blue Spruce shaped like a full vee with not a single bare spot. It reminded me of the green triangles I drew to represent a real Xmas tree as a kindergartner.

We cut its base, shook the excess ice from its branches, and secured it atop our SUV. (Okay, Dear Husband secured it atop the truck while I supervised - but hey, it was good for me.)

We had a lot of fun. The kids came along, and enjoyed romping about in the snow – sniffing and whizzing and chasing each other about. It was a perfect day – lightly snowing, several inches of snow on the ground, an expanse of national forest trees sprinkled with confectionary snow as far as the eye could see. We listened to Christmas tunes on the radio and enjoyed the trip thoroughly, all four of us.

May you all be as enthusiastic about the Christmas and holiday season as I am! Enjoy!