For some reason, today was an unquestionably hectic, loud and messy day and it seemed to take an extra effort just to get out the door for a one-and-a-half-hour drive. We finally loaded into the car, two hours behind schedule, set up the boys’ lunches and then the Jeep didn’t start. Are you kidding me? It was beginning to feel like it wasn’t meant for us to get a tree today, but Brian was determined. He literally said, “We are getting a tree today no matter what”. So okay then! Our awesome neighbor, who just happened to be outside, gave us a jump and off we went to get our Christmas tree!
It was a beautiful drive through the Shenandoah to get to Valley Star Farm. This Christmas tree farm was much smaller than the farm we went to last year but, as my mother-in-law mentioned, Christmas tree farms in Northern Virginia are becoming a rarity. Despite its smaller size, we were warmly greeted and handed a map to help us navigate to our dream tree. One of my favorite things about cutting down our own tree is the provided snow sled to carry your tree back to the prepping station.
They are actually super handy for keeping your little ones corralled. Our sled was full of laughter and giggles as I pulled the boys up and down the hills and through the trees. Lincoln, especially, had a blast throwing his arms up in the air as I ran as fast as I could to create speed going downhill.
No way was he going to be afraid with his big brother next to him grabbing cattails along the way. Once we narrowed our selection down to the final three trees, Parker made the ultimate decision on which tree to get. A three-foot tree that wasn’t even in the running. Fortunately, Brian and I were able to sway his decision a bit and we decided on a 6-foot Concolor Fir. Ever heard of this type of tree? Neither had I. They are a bluish-green color with a silvery tint. They have long lush needles that fan out kind of like fireworks; they have a slight orange fragrance to them! It’s not the usual tree we get but it fits the theme of this year.
As with previous years, my in-laws accompanied us on our trip to the tree farm. Have we really been doing this with them for five years already?! At this point, I think we can call it a tradition and I love it. The extra sets of hands are nice but it’s the memories created by doing this with them year after year that make days like today worth the hustle and bustle.
While Brian was off strapping the tree to the Jeep, the boys and I hung out with G-ma and PaPa making more memories feeding the resident goats. At first, Parker was hesitant to get too close to the goats but after G-ma and PaPa bought goat snacks and showed him it was safe, he inched a bit closer and made some new goat friends. It was another cold yet successful outing and I’m glad we could keep with the tradition this year. We made it down the mountain and back home by dark with time to make a fire for the evening. Now, we trim the tree!
Click here for a few fun facts about Concolor Christmas trees
L. Bradley 