Tree Trip the 13th

I guess it's really only the 12th. This year marked 13 years since we started going Christmas tree hunting with the Burnetts. But...since I didn't want to go the year that Emma was only 6 months old, I'm not sure if I should say that it's the 12th year or the 13th year. And besides, last year we went late enough in the month that we picked up a tree over Thanksgiving weekend and just hung out with our friends at the cabin and didn't actually capture a tree. But I'm going with lucky number 13.

Most other years we have left town on Friday evening, making for a long night of driving in the dark, arriving in the dark, opening the cabin in the dark and well, you get the idea. But a couple of times now we have left the day after Thanksgiving in the morning and what a difference it makes! Not only do we get almost a full day longer at the cabin, it is just such a treat driving in the daylight, especially up Logan Canyon. 

This year was remarkable in that it was the driest year we have ever seen. There was not a flake of snow anywhere around the cabin, and barely any up the canyon either. No evidence of recent rain or moisture at all. Although that was a little sad in the holiday spirit department and a little sobering in the drought department, it sure made the trip easier! No stress about cars getting stuck, or us freezing to death somewhere. It was actually kind of nice. 

It was cold enough to freeze a little pond by the cabin - where Chase entertained himself for quite some time by heaving large rocks onto the surface:

Also of note was again how crowded the canyon was. We have noticed the increase in traffic of fellow tree-hunters the past couple of years and this time was even more apparent. That may have been due to the dry roads, but still, it was anything but quiet and peaceful in the canyon! We did find an absolutely lovely tree, but it took some extra hunting.

 

Besides getting our tree, which we did on Friday this time instead of Saturday, we didn't do much but our usual - watching Christmas movies, eating a lot, playing games, and going for a couple of walks. Also I generally seem to have to do a lot of knitting while I'm there to get the neighbor gift ornaments finished up. 

Our family mostly enjoys watching the Burnett kids interact with each other. We watch from a safe distance. It's totally foreign to us - they seem to like to be in constant contact with each other. Someone is always wrestling with someone else, sitting on someone else, grabbing, pushing pulling - almost always in a good natured way. They pile up on top of each other on the couch. We sit far away and laugh and don't participate at all unless Mary grabs one of the kids and throws them into the melee. It's awesome and alarming and hilarious all at the same time.

Oh how we love this tradition, and how we love our friends.