Do you hear me squealing with excitment through the screen?

Friday

Hi: 35 Lo: 28

Mostly cloudy; Blustery; Snow flurries (snow showers at higher elev's near the TN/NC line); Cold
Courtesy of Rays Weather Center


Yippeee!!!!!!!
We always go to the mountains the day after Thanksgiving to cut down our Christmas tree. There are always lively discussions on finding the perfect tree. A couple of times, I'll admit fights between Darryl and I(we always laugh about it afterwards) Darryl usually goes for the huge ones while frugal, mackdoogal me is always checking the price and tending to be more conservative...but we do always agree that we like fat, jolly trees...no skinny trees for us!!
We LOVE LOVE LOVE to go up to the mountains to do this and some years we've had snow and others not. One year is was warm enough for jeans and a t-shirt..yuck..I want it super-duper cold. Well, this year it will be!!! And it will snow!!! I love the ride up and the anticipation on whether it will snow or not. Christmas music on the radio, usually some knitting in my hands, and everyones bellys still full from the night before. I can't wait to get to the Christmas tree farm and load everyone into the hay ride pulled by a big tractor up to find the perfect tree. Hot cocoa in hand and bundled in coats, hats, scarves and mittens. The boys usually running around like mad trying to find a good one to show mommy and daddy. Then when we find the perfect one everyone can agree on, daddy gets on his hands and knees and saws it down. They usually come running to chain saw it down for us, but we usually do it ourselves.
Then it gets baled and loaded ontop of the car. I love afterwards riding into Blowing Rock, which is the most picturesqe town, afterwards to see snow on the ground and all the cars with Christmas trees ontop of them. Shoppers are bustling around and fireplaces are billowing wonderful smelling smoke into the air. We usually stop for dinner and a quick peek in the cute shops in town to savor all the perfect decorations. Then it's time to head down the mountain to our home to decorate the tree. I love it and look foward to it every year.
I truely believe the boys will remember these times more than the gifts they recieve under the tree. Traditions they can look foward too and memories that will hopefully last a lifetime.
I have much to be thankful for!