The Great Christmas Tree Hunt 2012

Growing up, we always went to a Christmas tree farm and cut down a tree.  We've tried to continue that tradition with our kids every year...but after Christmas Tree Hunt 2009, the next year we just picked up an already cut tree from our local farm co-op.  And then last year, we were in the middle of moving and we didn't have a tree at all.

And so we arrive at 2012, a year in which I was determined for us to get back to our annual-tree-hunt-roots. 

We found a picturesque tree farm about 20 minutes from our house, loaded the kiddos in the van, turned on the 24/7 Christmas music radio station and headed off to find the perfect tree.

We headed into the field with quaint, idealistic, nostalgic, they-are-going-to-remember-this-forever feelings.

Only problem was there was drought this past summer and all the trees looked like they were already dead.  Or, they had been spray painted to look alive and the person manning the spray paint gun only painted one side. 

Lovely.

We almost got this one, until further inspection revealed two trunks that had been trimmed together to look like one tree. Nice.

 After walking all over 10 acres in search of the unicorn perfect tree...we decided to head back to the barn and check out the pre-cut trees.  T-Man and Fearless were sorely disappointed that they didn't get to use the saw.

And after a close inspection of the less-than-perfect pre-cut trees and their prices...we decided to skip the tree farm all together and head to Costco where they had Frasier firs for only $27.99.

The trees were all bundled, so we couldn't even inspect them for perfect-ness.

And they were being sold out of the back of a semi-trailer in the parking lot.



So much for quaintness and nostalgia!

But pretty sure it was a Christmas tree hunt they will never forget.