Holiday Homeschool Open House

Here we go, off in the storm to get our tree!







Well, I am back after a rather busy and stormy weekend! Saturday involved a craft show, Sunday we got our tree and had an adventure on the way home, which I will post about later. But today, I am very happy to be participating in the Holiday Homeschool Open house, which is being hosted by (and here we go, yet another failing attempt at linking - trust me on this, I have checked with blogger support but I cannot figure out how to do this. But when I do, there will be a huge celebration to commemorate it) where was I?? Oh yes, hosted by Tiany at http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Tiany. Please visit her awesome website if you would like to participate.

Well, my post is going to be minus photos today as I can't get the camera set up and so on, perhaps later I will get dh to check this out for me. But, one of our very favourite things about Christmas is getting our tree. In fact, that may be my new favourite thing about Christmas!

Growing up, my dad just took us to a lot where we picked up a tree. The lights we had on that thing were huge and I used to like to try to touch them and not get burned. How we didn't have a fire, I do not know! When my dad died, my mom bought an artificial tree, and I hated it! It was the most hideous, scrawny, short, stumpy thing ever! But, we had some very cherished ornaments that went onto the tree. My mom was given an ornament of an old tin soldier when she was a little girl. It was given to her by her Uncle Bob. His face is made of celluloid, and is now very fragile. In fact, it is rather bashed in! But each and every Christmas, Uncle Bob goes on the tree. Once the decorations were up on that icky tree, it actually was quite beautiful!   

So, it is now a tradition that we all trek out to the forest somewhere and chop down our own tree. We go to a farm not far away called Wintersingers. My dh used to always get a spruce, and my dad used to get us a Scotch pine, but we prefer a Balsam fir. Their needles hang on a lot longer, and they smell heavenly! As I write this, I am just breathing in the most amazing scent, and this year, it really reminds me of my dad and I am getting a sense of what it used to be like for me when I was younger.

We drove out yesterday in a snow storm to get this years tree. For the first time in many years, there was so much snow we could barely walk. We had a tractor ride out to the field, and I nearly took a tumble as the snow started to switch to freezing rain, and I hit the tire marks the tractor made and my feet went right out from under me. But, being very graceful, I righted myself and all was well with the world again. ( I am sore today though!)

Here we are with our tree! Jeremy is doing his best James Bond impersonation.





I have to say, balsam firs also have a rather steep price tag... this one was $67.00!! It has taken some savings to be able to buy one of these babies! But they are so worth it! After searching and searching for the perfect tree ,we finally found it, and my dh chopped it down, like the lumberjack he is. Oh my, we would be in trouble if he decided he wanted to be a lumberjack.... At this place, they shake the tree and bail it for you, so it is much easier to get on the top of your car.

The gang taking time out from snowing each other and posing with our tree.





We always stop and have hot chocolate in the barn. It was so expensive for hot chocolate alone that I may just have to bring our own next time! Mike got the tree on top of the van and we were off. After our adventure on the way home, we let the tree sit as it was covered in ice from the freezing rain. Then began the process of Mike making sure it is 100% straight. I hold the top while he asks me if it is straight. Hello?? I am holding the tree. Somehow I bit my tongue this year and we skipped the traditional Christmas tree arguing ceremony.. I guess I will just take a raincheck on that!

Vanna White might be out of a job if she isn't careful! Just look at that pose!! Connie, I am wearing your scarf! I love it!!!





We have some special ornaments, which we have collected over the years. Our tree is topped with an angel, which we got in a very posh little village nearby, 18 years ago when we got married. It is so nice! Then we have Taffy, a dog ornament I painted for Mike which looks just like his dog he had while growing up. It really stirs up some memories for him! I have put a small figure of Charlie Brown in our tree, as I love Charlie Brown Christmas trees, and since no one in the house wants a scraggly little tree as I do, I guess I can at least put Charlie brown in my tree!

The boys exhausted from lugging the sled around. Jeremy with a snootful of snow!





We also ornaments for our children for the year they were born, as well as one for when we first got married. I love the ones my kids made with thier pictures in them! I don't have an Uncle Bob in my tree, but each one is treasured in its own way. This year, we don't have the majority of them on the bottom of the tree, as Devin is growing more and more and can reach a bit higher!

Yay! Our finished tree. The lighting is terrible, we had the flourescent light on. We keep our tree in the basement family room.




Well, this has gone on longer than I thought! But I just love getting our tree, and I think about it all year. In fact, when we drive by the road where the farm is,even in January, I will be asking when we can get our tree again!