Oh Christmas Tree...

Saturday we drove to Payson {and my husband's sister's family} with our tree cutting permit and my hunky husband chopped us down a Christmas tree.

He used my great-grandfather's saw.  That part was particularly special to me.

We did lots of hiking and the kids had so much fun picking up pine cones, spotting spiders and tossing stones into the stream.  We didn't find the tree on our first attempt {sigh} and we'd gotten pretty tired.  We drove to a second location and let the boys run out and get it while Gretchen snoozed in the car.


Then today we decorated.

I love how the lights from the tree sparkle off the ornaments, and make the tree smell like our own personal forest.  We could have gotten a pinon or a juniper, we got a juniper, and let me tell you, it smells out-stand-ing.  

I love the holidays.