Our 2012 Christmas Tree.....

Two days after Thanksgiving (you know, the very important and wonderful holiday we celebrated last month when I took a whopping ZERO pics), our little family of 4 took a trip to Pine Creek Farm (near Goessel, KS) to pick out and cut down our 2012 Christmas Tree! This annual family event happens to be one of my favorite of the year! And, since Luke is now 4, he "gets it" a bit more. PLUS, this year, we had little Kate with us -- though, at only 5 months, she was pretty much simply "along for the ride." This particular day, it was C.O.L.D. for Kansas. The north wind was chilly, and you'll see in these pics that three of us weren't necessarily dressed quite warm enough (we really should know by now that at our home, in town, surrounded by trees, is NOT representative of how it will feel out in the country with fewer wind breaks). First, we had to pick out the best tree for our family (we've purchased from this tree farm twice now, and they've both been EXCELLENT trees -- despite the drought). Then, and this was probably my favorite part, Marc and Luke posed for SEVERAL pics in front of the tree. YES, Luke even took along his toy saw -- VERY CUTE -- a memory I hope to keep etched in my mind!

During this time, Kate hung out (and remained happy), all bundled up, in the jogging stroller (VERY worth it to take that stroller along)....

Then, we flagged down another "tree shopper" and had him take our family pic....one we have from each year! (I had to un-bundle Kate from her warmth for this quick pic)....

After posing, my two favorite guys cut down the tree...Luke imitating EVERYTHING his dad does....

Then, Marc & Luke dragged the tree to our car (trust me -- even if you can't see him, Luke's in there EVERY step of the way)....

Lastly, after paying for the tree and getting the dead needles shaken off, Marc (and Luke, of course) tied it to the top of our vehicle.

As promised....Keepin' It Real....We had originally planned on going to Pine Creek Farm the day before we actually did. BUT, there was a behavior problem in our home -- from Luke. To not embarrass Luke, but rather protect him, I won't repeat publically what he said, but his poor choice in behavior was ALL because of his mouth. Having children has taught me one thing -- there's a reason so much about "guarding one's tongue" is in the Bible. God clearly knew we'd have problem with what we say. Luke's consequence for saying some very wrong things the day after Thanksgiving was that we didn't get to go and get the tree until the next day -- something he was very much looking forward to. To say Luke was sad about that consequence would be an understatement. Sometimes, it simply amazes me how much a 4 year-old can say to get himself into trouble. AND, I fully know we have the teenage years way ahead of us yet****One more pic before I talk about what I was thankful for....Very soon after our family pic was taken, Kate fell asleep in the stroller, all bundled up, and she proceeded to sleep through most of the process. It was very sweet, and I was envious of her warmth (all bundled up)....It was a cold one that day.

What I'm thankful for....1) Thankful that we, as a family, can create memories while getting a Christmas tree....2) Thankful for Luke's growth this past year -- watching him REALLY get into the tree this year has been wonderful....3) Thankful for strollers....made it much easier with Kate....4) Thankful for the Bible, God's Word, which offers guidance daily....In this particular post, I'm thankful for Proverbs 21:23 -- "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity." This is the verse we've memorized as a family. We're all guilty of what Luke got into trouble for the day before this event. It's an important verse, and I LOVE the fact that we're able to teach Luke (and eventually Kate) about God's Word.