Cutting a Fresh Tree

There are several things I would recommend you NOT do when you are out to chop down your own Christmas tree.

1. Make sure everyone has their snow gear, especially your 14-year-old daughter who somehow missed the memo and showed up in shiny boots and ripped jeans. (It's important to be fashionable, even if you are in the mountains.)

This daughter left her cute new snowpants home, but at least she double layered in jeans and leggings.

2. If that said daughter wants to borrow your brand new insulated overalls, DON'T LET HER!! It may work out that somewhere out in the slick area where the snow is nice and deep, you will trip on a tree branch and find yourself on your butt in the cold and snowy air.

Yeah, when she fell down SHE stayed warm!

3. Buy chains! (This is optional, but make sure your tie downs have the ratcheting mechanism or you will be making an extra quick trip to WalMart that you had not planned.

4.  Keep your own permit with you at all times! If you don't, you might just find that it is locked in your daughter's car, back at Grandpa's house in town. Thankfully, they weren't checking tags too closely on Saturday.

Recognize her from Utah's Adventure Family? That's my cute sister-in-law.

5. If you find a super cool tree with a double trunk, walk away!! It's impossible to cut them cleanly so they stay together and even if you do, odds are it will never make it that way to the truck, let alone on the long trip home tied to the top of your car. On the good side, you now have 2 somewhat scrawny trees to decorate.

But mostly, spend the time with your family and enjoy this beautiful season and all it brings. And have a lovely good old fashioned Griswold... uh I mean Christensen family Christmas!