Christmas Tree Quest

This was our ninth consecutive year of going to White Pass to cut down a mountain Christmas tree! We have gone to the same clearing off of the same forest service road for nine years and somehow we've found a good Christmas tree every single time. Jay drove the first 50 minutes to get some rare highway driving practice. We made a brief stop in Naches, WA at the Ace Hardware store to purchase our $5 (cash only!) National Forest Service Christmas tree cutting permit and to switch drivers. Jay would probably have been fine to drive all the way to our spot in the mountains, but I would not have been ok, since I get anxious even when Jeff drives in the mountains during cold winter weather. So Jay graciously stepped aside for Jeff to finish the last half hour of the drive.

Since Thanksgiving was so late this year, the mountains were extra snowy. The roads were actually clear and dry, and the sun was shining, but it was barely 20 degrees and there were lots of cold shadows on the road, so there was potential for ice. We had to park right down next to the highway instead driving up the bumpy forest service road a ways, because there was too much snow for even Jeff's adventurousness. I was relieved that he didn't attempt driving through the large shoveled heap of snow on the roadside. Our minivan does have its limits!

As I hiked uphill with squeaky snow spilling over my boot-tops, I thought wryly to myself, "would it even be a White Family Christmas tree if we didn't hike more than a mile in the mountains through a foot of snow to cut and haul our own tree?"  

Once we had hiked far enough up and into the forest, we found our tree quickly-- in part because hiking through the tight trees on the side of the steep hill in the deep snow was too hard to make us want to look around for another tree. At first sight, our chosen tree was hunched over, with sagging branches caked in snow. We knew that with a little love and some hard shaking to get the heavy snow off its branches, the tree would perk up... probably. With a unanimous vote, we took the risk! Jeff cut the tree down in less than five minutes, and soon we were on our way! Jay and Rose carried the tree  the whole way down the mountain together while Amber, Jeff, and I walked free. A first! I enjoyed the walk downhill and breathed in as much of that icy pine fresh air as I could.

Back at the van, Jeff ratchet strapped the tree to the roof and we hit the road homeward. We only had to stop once to tweak the straps on the way home. It's amazing what can be hauled atop a minivan without a roof rack! 

When we got home, we put the tree inside in the stand immediately...and heretofore invisible ice clumps in the branches all melted at once! A lake of water seeped across our family room, and I couldn't find our mop! After scrambling around for a few minutes, I found the mop right where it was supposed to be (it was hidden behind a bunch of coats in the coat closet), and Amber and I took turns mopping the melted ice and squeezing the water out into a bucket. We mopped up close to 5 inches of water into our bucket! Once the lake had stopped growing, I put a fan on the floor and we left our tree and floor to dry. 

A few hours later, it was all ready to decorate! Everyone was feeling lethargic, so I took control of the lights and laboriously wrapped them onto the tree. Jeff held my legs while I climbed up up up on a counter height stool to put the lights, star, and angel up top. This tree smells amazing. Christmas is here again!

Highway 12, heading into the Cascades.

My view during the first 50 minutes of our drive.

This was a rare combination for our Christmas tree quest: lots of snow, lots of sun, and 20 degree air.

We have sweated in snowsuits so many times while getting a Christmas tree--Jay was the only one who even bothered to wear snow pants this year. The rest of us got wet.

Hiking up the forest service road, with our parked van along highway 12 in the distance.

Snow and evergreens just GO together. I can almost smell that sharp fresh air through these pictures.

Jay hiked out front, making footprints for the rest of us to follow. We all still got quite a bit of snow down our boots, haha.

Jay, forging onward. The picture doesn't quite show how steep of a hill we hiked up.

Jeff carried a Jackery battery and our small electric saw to make cutting the tree down extra smooth and easy.

Amber kept stopping to scoop up snow. It was pure powder though, so she couldn't form snowballs. That didn't stop her from flinging the sparkling snow at Jay and Rose whenever she got close enough!

The trees blocked the sun, but we still got quite warm hiking through the deep snow uphill for nearly 3/4 of a mile to find our tree.

Jeff practically got buried in the snow while he cut down our tree. Doesn't the tree look so limp and sad?

Reverse course back down the steep hill--Jay walks fast, and Rose kept saying he was pulling her down the hill.

A pause at the clearing for our traditional family picture with our fresh Christmas tree--very useful for our Christmas card. Once we drove back into cell phone service, I uploaded this picture and had our Christmas cards ordered before we got home!

Jeff and Amber ran on ahead--Jeff to prep the van for the tree, and Amber because she had someone to chase.

Jay is so good-natured while also being a classic big brother. As he smiled and waved for this picture, he joked that it would be hilarious if Rose was frowning in the background because she had been griping at Jay for walking so fast and yanking her down the mountain. Also, her boots were full of snow and she couldn't feel her feet, poor girl. 

It was a glorious winter wonderland, and I paused to take a few sparkly pine portraits.

At last! We tried shoving the tree inside the van first, but it was too big. So Jeff strapped it to the roof, and it was grand!

Can you believe that this perfectly perky tree was that hunched huddled snow-caked stick that we cut down in the mountains?

After the melty mop-a-thon, with a fan blow drying the floor under the tree.

A few hours later, the tree was dry enough to decorate! I love it so much!

Other pictures:

Amber and I did a barn workout together on Saturday morning (Nov 30th). Amber loves plyometrics the most, but she is dangerously close to doing a full unassisted pull-up too. (much closer than me!)

My parents came to visit us on Saturday, November 30th! They spent Thanksgiving with my sister in Seattle, and drove the 3 hours to visit us for 6 hours on Saturday. It was so fun to have them. I love my parents so much. Rose and Amber immediately commandeered Grama Meri into a dozen or more games of dominoes.

Mother daughter art time!

A tall Grampa with his tall grandkids.

MY HAIR IS REALLY LONG AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO WITH IT.

Amber wrote this sweet Thanksgiving essay in her 4th grade class.

On the other side of Amber's Thanksgiving essay was this thankful turkey. Amber is thankful for: Geology, paper, technology, books, family, the world, holidays, nature, birthdays, God, video games, school, house, clothes, and freedom. 

I ate my entire chocolate-free, dairy-free raisin pecan pie by myself because my family hates raisins. It took me one week to eat the pie, and it was so good.

The kids have started wrapping presents for each other. I gave Amber one how-to-wrap tip and then told her to wrap it however she wanted to.

Laundry affects us all. Amber has been doing her own laundry for almost a year, but when I saw her switching it to the dryer this morning, she just seemed so extra grown up! Age ten is much older for the youngest child in the family.

Bring on the Christmas cheer!