The Epic Tree Hunt

Hello friends.  I have not been on here lately.  You may or may not have noticed.   A few home-improvement projects, photo editing, a late Thanksgiving, being super under-prepared for Christmas and LIFE have kept me busy.  I got a little overwhelmed and had to take a break.  Phew.  So I've been spending my time cleaning and hanging out with the four kiddies and stuff like that.  I missed it.  I don't like it when stress starts taking over.  

So I shall now tell you about our Christmas Tree Hunt for this year.  It was so fun.  And cold.  And snowy.  Every year we have such different weather.  This year we were joined by both my family and my hubby's family for a fun snow day on the mountain.  We ate Thanksgiving leftovers in the parking lot, bundled up nice and toasty (I wore two pairs of wool socks just to be safe) and some of us tree hunted and while others stayed to play in the snow.

I headed out a little later than the main group of tree hunters and finally caught up to the hubby and Q for what would become an epic hunt.  We searched and searched for the perfect beauty.  The snow was deep and the sun glinted off the beautiful snow and through the trees and we finally found the masterpiece and cut it down.  That's when we realized we were far, far away from the road and we couldn't find any of our group.  So we did what we had to do.  I hefted my camera bag over my shoulder and we carried that most heavy tree straight up a hill in knee deep snow.  I think my camera bag weighs 100 lbs give or take.  Or it felt like it.  At one point we decided the tree was probably too tall for the house and hacked off a good foot or two off the bottom and you would not believe how much lighter it was.  Like half!  So feeling confident and rested, we headed straight up a snowy hill again, coaxing a very tired and cold Q to keep trudging along in the snow (thigh-high for him).  My toes were numb, even with the double socks, but I had to take off my parka since I was sweating.  What a strange phenomenon.  Finally after wondering if we would ever make it back, we saw the road and left that heavy tree so we could come back and pick it up with a vehicle.  And I sighed the biggest sigh of relief when we found our family.  Sheesh.  They were just sending out a search party.  :)  

*Notice Q's blue glove-socks.  He had very cold, wet feet and that apparently was the closest and best thing available.  And yes, Dennis is barefoot.  He survived.

Next I shall hopefully get pictures of the pretty tree.  Before Christmas is over.  Plus the stairs are 99% finished.  Wooooohoooooo!  That too shall be documented soon.  Very soon.  I hope.  I just need to finish wrapping and making sure my list has been checked twice.