Team Real Tree's Viotory

We inadvertantly ended up with a feud in our house. It didn't start out that way, but it has become the norm every year at Christmas time. Should we get a real tree or put up our 18 year old fake tree?
Team Real Tree obviously wants to go hunt through the cold freakin' snow and cut down a big, stinky, needle-shedding and probably prickly as can be tree that will drip sap on my wood floors that will never come off.
Team Fake Tree wants to skip the freakin' cold, the outdoors, the tree smell, the stupid sap that won't come off the wood floor in 4 years, and sweeping up pine needles for 3 months, and put up the dusty fake tree that is FREE!

This year I let Team Real Tree win. It was so important to their leader, and I wanted to submit to him. I also want the kids to have memories of happy things in their childhood. So, not only did I cave in, I also WENT WITH THEM this year.

Found the perfect looking tree, but mom requires that it not be pokey because pokey ones fall down twice a day and HURT to put back up. So they are checking it out and it is soft, a great height, and filled out nicely.














Then comes the sawing of the tree. Donnie does that. And he wisely wears the warm clothing needed for laying on the ground sawing away while everyone else hangs around and talks.















And then there is Cody, who currently refuses to wear a coat. I mean, gees, mom, we only live in Minnesota, it isn't like we live in Canada or something.















"Who you takin' pics of?"















The little ones trudged around through the snow banks, while I sat in the van taking pictures through the window.















None of the kids were bothered by the cold that sent me back to the van.














This is one of the first years in a LONG time, if ever, that Donnie took part in decorating the tree. He likes to come in at the last minute and put the star on the top. That's it. The part everyone wants.



















Even the big kids helped decorate this year. Which was fun, since our decorations disappeared. Gone. I stole that garland from a box my mom left here. I also found about 10 ornaments from our Christmas banquet table from last year, so we have 10 ornaments, and 2 boxes of candy canes, along with the lights that normally go outside on our light pole.















But the tree looks nice and that is all that matters!