Christmas Tree Hunt 2012

This weekend after three years of Christmas tree bliss, we spurned the Home Depot and went into the great outdoors to select our tree.  By great outdoors, I mean the Hansen tree farm in Ramsey, Minnesota, no insignificant commute with an almost-11-month old. We wanted to start a Christmas family tradition of cutting down our own hand-picked tree.   

Anika had a hard time holding back her excitement.  Throwing up her arms in the air and giggling is one of her best new tricks! 

We (Alicia, Anika, our roommate Tracy, and I) walked up and down every single row of fir trees looking for the perfect tree.  This process took no less than an hour and a half.  Our true and embarrassing Christmas pickiness (too thin, too small, too big, wrong shape, too many holes . . .) was fully exposed and at its apex when Alicia suggested we just get our tree at Home Depot. 

Having heard stories of the 2008 Wilsford-Freeman debacle of a tree hunt, Anika demanded that we persevere, and we soldiered on.  Anika remained entertained and begged us to pick a tree so that she could get on with performing the cutting herself.  Maybe she'll be a lumberjack like her great grandpa John.

Anika liked standing next to the baby trees. 

They were just her size!

Eventually we settled on our tree, determined not to go crawling back to Home Depot.  Anika was more interested in the tree than posing for a Christmas card photo.  Clearly, we made a fatal mistake in waiting until the end of our tree hunt to snap the Christmas card photos.

Next, it was time for the hard work.  Alicia and Anika supervised and offered words of encouragement. 

Mission accomplished.  Only a half-mile walk back to the station for bundling the tree.  Luckily, I ate my Wheaties. 

And at least there was a horse drawn wagon ride awaiting us.  Anika's Aunt Lynn has been promising her a pony for Christmas, but she wasn't nearly as excited about the prospect after seeing the size of a grown up pony.

Anika had so much fun at the tree farm, she suggested we cut down a tree every month.  This is one of Anika's other new tricks--the one-hand wave.  She'll do it on command and even waves at strangers!

Anika posing in front of her first of many Christmas trees.