This year the annual trek to get our Yule tree occurred just after Thanksgiving and, thankfully, before any snow had fallen in the valley.
I love having a real tree for Yule. We cut our tree from a designated tree cutting area, following the specific standards outlined by the Forestry Service. Each year we select a tree that we can honor during our celebration and in doing so we also make the habitat better for the trees still there.
This year we found a beautiful pine, not too big, not too small. I searched for quite some time before I found just the right one. I always know when I’ve found our tree because when I see it, it’s like “Oh, there you are! Let’s go home”.
While we have had some stunning trees, occasionally, the tree that I know is ours is not quite the epitome of beauty. And on those occasions, my family has looked at me as though I have lost my mind, though they always cut down the tree I find and more often than not they have to carry it up a hill to the truck.
Once our tree comes home we take care of it, be sure it has plenty of water and then when we have as many of the kids home as possible we decorate it for the season. After the holiday we save part of the tree for firewood and recycle the rest. Our tree will end up being used as mulch in one of the local parks.
This year the kids are flying in on the 18th, so our tree is patiently waiting for its holiday clothes. I like to sit in that room, near the tree and read, it is so peaceful and smells like the forest; mysterious, clean and… magical!
Once she is all decked out in her holiday finery I'll share a picture of this year's tree
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