Christmas Tree Shopping

   Yesterday my parents came down to visit and came with us to pick out this year's Christmas tree. My mom said this is the very first time she had ever been Christmas tree "picking" because the only time her parents got a real tree was when she was two years old, so she doesn't count that. My family always had a fake tree that we kept in the attic, but growing up Michael's family always got a real tree, and so far I have enjoyed that family tradition between us. However, yesterday Michael asked me if I don't enjoy it since I was caring more about taking the pictures while he and my mom narrowed down which would be the best tree for us. In the past, I have noticed that we don't usually agree on the same tree, so it seemed easier to just let him pick it out since he always picks a nice one anyway!
    Before going to the tree tent, we had lunch, received a raffle ticket for spending over $20 (apparently it was Small Business Saturday), walked around a few stores, tried a few Amish jam samples as "dessert", and bought a few squares of the peppermint soap that I had been wanting more of since I got some from a vendor at Cracker Christmas last year. It's like toothpaste for your skin!
   When we got home, my dad helped Michael get the tree off the roof of our car (no longer "his car" since we only have one car now), and then my parents left shortly after that. Michael suggested that I turn on my Glee Christmas music - alright!! I helped him get the decorations down from the attic, then ate some Thanksgiving left overs while he put all of the lights and most of the ornaments on the tree. Emma finally took a nap around 7pm. I was glad she wasn't sleeping while we were looking at the trees like she was last year.

 Emma says, "This really is a head scratcher. There are so many good ones!"

 The trees come with festive hats (last year was red Santa hats, this year was elf hats- to match the elf shirts that the employees were wearing!) and are kept in water until they are purchased. Michael says this makes the trees so much better than the dry, flaky ones that we used to always get from Lowes.

 They give everyone a piece of the trunk so you can see your tree's age. This one is only 6 years old!

 One of Michael's favorite things to do is making fun of me, so this was him exaggerating how I would have shown off the tree. He also did my signature pose of the right hand on the hip, shoulder forward, and leaning as if I'm in the middle of laughing.

 One of the first decorations I put up are those five big paper snow flakes. Those are very special to me, because one of Emma's nurses from Michigan (Bridget) made those for her PICU room.
  This is the time of year where "the baby" gets moved to the middle of the kitchen/ living room space since the tree goes in "Emma's Corner".