Freshest Christmas Tree Ever

One night early in December my husband went outside before dinner. The kids all wanted to know what he was doing, as it was already too dark to see him out there. As we were just sitting up to the table, he came back inside dragging the freshest Christmas tree we have ever had--right from our very own backyard!

He had hacked off the top 8 feet of a 16-foot Colorado spruce that has grown so big it is starting to crowd our postage-sized backyard. We will have to finish the job of taking it out in the Spring, but for now we have a beautiful, home-grown Christmas tree in our living room.

It is also the most painful tree we have ever had the privilege of decorating. The benefit is that none of the kids mess with it. :)