12/9/07

For the second year in a row, Stephen and I went to Gamble Christmas Tree Farm, where you take a hayride to the top of the hill, choose a tree for the boy with the chainsaw to cut down and pay for it in the barn at the bottom of the hill. As we were traipsing through the snow, mud and puddles, our eyes were on the lookout for that "perfect tree" from a storybook. We picked one out only to find that the backside, which had been nestled against another tree, was completely dead. The front had looked nicely filled out. Smooth move. The kind workers let us choose another.

Who would have thought it was possible to over-think picking out a Christmas tree. It started to seem as though every tree was "too tall, too wide or too bare." Finally we picked it out. It is a beauty, perfect for our home. If I could use one word to describe the evergreen, it would be "wide." It is certainly tall, but its width makes it look short and stubby. Let's just say I have to think before I run down the stairs and turn the corner, because it protrudes far from the wall. I have a bad feeling about this.
After Stephen and I had our fun, we went to pick-up our baby girl, who is too little to go out in the cold (but we are excited for the day when she will join us). The fun was just starting. She was wide awake and cooing during the decorating and singing of carols with Bing Crosby. Poor Stephen was subjected to my insisting that Christmas music be playing all day long. Is not that what you do on Christmas-tree-decorating-day?
He makes life fun for me. Whenever I sing along, in all seriousness, with Amy Grant, he chimes in making up words and singing off-tune. I act as though I do not like it, but as with all his jokes, it does not take me long to cave and crack-up.
We ended the evening by watching a Christmas movie together. I am pleased to say, that this morning when I woke up, the tree was still standing.


6 comments:

janelle said...

haha love the Christmas tree shopping and decorating story! And of course I agree with you on the listening to Christmas music on Christmas-tree-decorating-day!

Jen said...

I am glad we are on the same page, Janelle. Haha. You're gonna have to marry someone very patient, like Stephen:)

Anonymous said...

haha! love the picture of you almost crashing into the tree, and Stephen singing the wrong lyrics :) sounds a lot like our household (minus the near- evergreeen-crashes) this year we laughed because justin thought the lights should go as F-A-R out on the tree limbs as possible, whereas i think they should go closer in, "nestled nicely" between the boughs. I had to employ the word "tacky" serveral times, and he made fun of me, and we laughed about our differences. :) it's always fun.
sara

Jen said...

Haha. That's a good story. When it comes to light placement on a tree, it is hard to be convinced to join the "other side." See, I did not ever pay much attention to what portion of the limbs the lights fell on, but Stephen (along with you) insisted that they be "nestled nicely." After I thought about it though, I can see that is where they belong. Aren't the peculiar differences in marriage funny? I guess my question would be, what did you guys decide???

Anonymous said...

we nestled :) the keeper of the home and its appearance won out. hee hee
~S

Jen said...

Haha...1 Sara, 0 Justin.