a tree

Woah. The days just whizz on by this time of year, don't they? These pictures are from last weekend, going out to get our tree. Somehow I just downloaded them now, along with about a hundred others, of all the busy fun we've been having.

We found our tree in a little clump in a back field. We try to choose a tree that needs to be cut anyway- on a fence line or path, and this one we could feel good about cutting as it was growing too close to other trees for any of them to do well. It has a lovely front side and a scraggly thin back where it was up against the other trees, but that's okay, that side is against the wall and no one can see it anyway!

It has become tradition to bring a little picnic and sit with our chosen tree before we cut it, thanking it for growing so beautifully and for giving itself to us. We drank hot apple cider, but Dori was getting sleepy, so we didn't break out the whole picnic.
He didn't make it all the way home before he crashed. He has the rest of his nap in his snowsuit in the bed.

We had a party to get to in the afternoon, and so the tree decorating happened in several stages. Ari was so excited to get out the decorations and look over each one. Dorian was pretty thrilled to see the tree up when he woke up, proclaiming it "boo-ti-ful." The boys finished decorating the tree when we got home, still dressed in their party finest. I love this picture- they look so little and cute and I love how they are hanging all the tin tinsel in one place.
The next morning Ari set to work on a holiday scene. I moved their table close to the tree when I was shuffling things around to make room for the tree, and the table is now home the of an elaborate scene with gnome homes and farmyards and train stations and bear caves.
I'll try to keep posting amid the holiday bustle, I am sewing like mad today, trying to finish the Solstice gifts while I have a few quiet minutes. Must get back to it!

Happy Thursday!