Oh, Christmas Tree

 I realize I completely skipped over Thanksgiving, but those pictures must be on my other card.  These are my last pictures on this card, so I'll have to see what's on the other card next.   A few weeks ago we went to Foresthill (about 45 minutes north) to find our Christmas tree.  

Growing up we had real trees for a few years, and then because of my allergies and a near fire from a real tree, we had an artificial tree after that.  

I'll admit those trees you pick up at the tree lot scare me a little, because who knows when they were cut down.  Cutting your own tree is the only way to go, IMO.  Obviously I don't have allergies to Christmas trees anymore, because I've been fine the last few years with a real on in the house.  Our weekends were packed this year, so we decided to go to a tree farm instead of searching through the forest.  

 We found an awesome place with over 50 acres of trees to pick from.  Since it was raining, we only searched through the first 1/2 acre of it. :)

 Our tree.  

Adam made Gavin do the cutting. Breaking him in, I guess - I think he volunteered.  The fog looks cool behind all the trees.

 Gavin and Aubrey's tree (they live in an apartment, so it needed to be small)

 Warming up with some hot chocolate.

Gavin and Aubrey are our friends that Adam persuaded to move to California.  Gavin works with Adam in Sacramento.  They are expecting their first baby in a few months, so we are breaking them in by letting our kids pounce on them a lot.

 Trying to dry off by the fire, and waiting for our tree to get picked up from where we chopped it down.

 Decorating the tree. 

Adam hands out the ornaments, and the kids put them on the tree.

 Our tree is narrow and tall this year, so we were able to put it in the corner near the entryway.  Notice the two strands of popcorn?  Adam wanted to relive his childhood days, so he and Noah strung popcorn for a few hours.  We got lazy and didn't finish, so only half the tree got popcorn garland.

 I love to see where the kids think the ornaments should go.  Noah is getting better at seeing an empty spot and putting an ornament there, or putting the breakables up high.

 Grant found a little spot at the back of the tree where he has a collection of ornaments that he likes.

 Ava liked all hers at the very bottom.

 Getting crazy.  

Somehow Ava is now undressed.  Why, we don't know.

 Whenever I say put your arms around each other, or hug each other, it turns into a wrestling match.

And usually the babies gang up on Noah, and 'take him down' as the babies say. 

 We are loving this holiday season, and the kids are getting SOOOOOO excited for Christmas day. I think Santa is going to spoil them again this year with an awesome present. They are going to love it (if you know what it is, Shhhh Noah can read now)!!!