Piper Mountain 2011

It is that time of year again!

Time for the annual trek to Piper Mountain Christmas Tree Farm to hunt down the perfect tree, chop it was an ax (okay, a buck saw), enjoy some hot apple cider and donuts and do some ornament shopping.

We have been making this trip since before the girls were born and we have never missed a year.  Rain, snow, mud we always show up there to personally select our tree.  The girls adore it.

Instead of the usual horse drawn hay ride, this year we got on a 2 horse open sleigh (with wheels).

The girls had to do some tromping. Maya had on two different boots for the lumberjacking occasion.

Their favorite part besides the donuts?  Yelling "TIMBER!"

It took a lot of cajoling last year to get Ella to put her head through the tree.  This year she flat out refused which meant I had to do it with Maya.






















I would imagine Ella is a fair amount colder with the cold air flooding into that gap in her mouth.




Better than cutting the tree, though, is decorating it.  Ever since the girls were babies we have been saving ornaments for them.  They were each given a bunch their first Christmas and ever since we let them each pick out one every year at Piper Mountain.  Each girl has a box with her ornaments in it (Ella having 3 more years worth than Maya).  We label the ones we can  with the year and keep them in their designated boxes.

The tree is decorated in a haphazard, bunched up sort of way with a heavy ornament concentration on the bottom. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I asked Ella if she knew why we did this. She said, "because you love us?" I said, "Well, yes. But also so that when you grow up and have a tree of your own you will have all kinds of ornaments to put on it."

And then I went and cried my head off.

Christmas tree up! Holiday baking and freezing begun!  Christmas parties to attend!  Music filling the house and lights strung all over our kitchen and living room you don't even need the overheads!  Hello Christmas!