O Christmas Tree!

I found the tree this year. I wandered away from the pack and found the perfect tree. I yelled at everyone to come see it. As they came out from behind a bunch of trees and saw the one I was standing by, this was Mason's reaction. So glad I caught it. So completely his personality.

Ben helping Dad.



I actually remembered to get in the shot this time...trying to do that more so my kids know that I was really at all these events that I document.

Headed back to the car.

Our decorated tree. Some may think it looks a little "Charlie Brownish". Especially when compared to all the perfect, artificial trees out there. But, it's tradition. We love it, and we hope to keep up this tradition until the boys are grown. Even though it's a lot of extra work to get the permit (especially driving to Heber at 5am to stand in line), go back to Heber a week or two later to actually cut the tree, then string those darn lights. I hate the stringing the lights part. But I always love it when it's done.

A few weeks before we put the tree up, I was telling the boys how much I loved trees with little trains running under them. I never mentioned it again. After we were all done decorating the tree, Mason kept insisting it wasn't ready yet. He then got out his train track, and started setting it up under the tree. We have never done this before, and I love how Mason just took charge and decided we were having a train under the tree. Made me realize how big he is getting.

Also wanted to mention "Charlie" our elf. He is hanging from the ceiling fan in the last picture. Best. Thing. Ever. Wish he would of found our house a few years ago. The boys are obsessed with him and check on him every morning. We have found him in a different place every morning. He keeps an eye on the boys and reports back to Santa if they are behaving. He also gets into lots of mischief while we are sleeping. He got into our flour one night (we think he must be missing the North Pole and thought it was snow) and made an Elf Angel on our kitchen counter. He also got into the cookie jar and snicked a cookie. He has left little flour footprints on our kitchen counter. He is quite the attraction at our house right now.