Fun Traditions

Jer and I started a tradition last Christmas...we went and got our first real tree and brought it home to our house. This tradition wasn't new to me! It was something my family did for years when I was growing up. But for Jer it was a brand new experience! It has to be one of my favorite holiday traditions hands down. There is just something about going out and picking that perfect tree. As kids Mom and Dad took us to Bartel's Tree Farm. They served all their customers free hot chocolate and Christmas cookies. Every memory I have of doing this, it was absolutely freezing. We'd bundle up in our coats and hats and gloves and off we'd go through the tree farm. I always wanted a tree bigger than what our house could hold. I always thought for sure they'd fit. Dad had to reassure me there wasn't room! We always ended up with awesome trees - even if I wanted the 9 foot tree as big as our living room and we ended up with a 6 foot smaller version! After we cut it down, we'd take it home. Dad would get the stand set up and we'd help Mom put water in the bottom. Then we'd get in our PJ's and play Christmas records (yes I said records) while we decorated the tree. It might be this very tradition that makes me love the holidays so much! As we got older and the holidays got busier we didn't get real trees anymore. But we still decorated the tree in the same way we always did. The four of us together.

I promised myself I would carry that tradition into my own family. So last year I convinced Jer to go on an adventure. As per usual, I picked a tree far too tall for our house. Jer warned me, but didn't say too much more. We strapped it to the Exterra and home we went. When we got home we had to cut nearly 12 inches off the bottom of the tree. Once we got the tree standing, we couldn't keep the cat out of it (she is afraid of nothing) and so the ribbon and pinecone decorations didn't survive the first week. However, the lights were pretty and it smelled amazing!
I was happy!

This year...our adventure truly became an just that...an adventure. A Linoski adventure to be exact! For those of you who are unaware, our best friends are Bryan and Steff Cincoski. They are two people we can get into the most trouble with, survive 9 hour car rides with (broken rum bottles and all), and make the greatest memories with! So the Linoski's set out after lunch last Sunday in search of the perfect tree. Jer and I had the perfect spot picked out for our tree with plans to hang icicle lights and the whole nine yards. 2 hours and 4 burn-outs later, we were cruising home treeless. We scoured two of our areas most well known, but off the beaten path tree lots for trees to no avail. Tree farm number 1, had a sign that said OPEN...right next to a sign that said CLOSED. Which is it people?? Orange fencing around the entire tree lot seemed to signify that CLOSED was the ultimate answer. Enter burn-out #1 as we backed out of the parking lot. Tree farm number 2 boasted 2 giant signs. This seemed promising. Come to us. We have trees fresh for cutting! Well 2 miles past the sign they had a much smaller sign attached to a concrete filled bucket that said...CLOSED. Sold Out. What? It's December 7th. Enter burn-out #2. After leaving and then laughing so hard we were crying, Bryan drove us back to get a picture. Check out Steff's post on her blog for a picture and a hilarious version of this same story! This picture came with a price. Bryan held up 7 cars of fellow tree cutters for us to get this. Enter burn-out's #3 and #4. It's priceless!! We were tempted to cut down the tree we were standing in front of...but something tells me it wouldn't fit where we had in mind! No real tree for the Linley's this year!

At any rate, what does this have to do with a baby blog anyway? The point of this is...these traditions are the ones I want to carry on to our children. The things that make life fun and interesting! I want our kids to appreciate our family as much as I appreciate mine. And help them have wonderful memories to carry on all through their lives and hopefully one day to their children and grandchildren. What's a family tradition you love during the holidays? Respond on our blog and let us know!