Farm Christmas

One of our favorite holiday traditions is taking a family trip to a local tree farm to find the perfect tree for our home.  I look forward to this adventure every year.  I love tromping through the fields with the kids, eyeing different trees, turning dozens down before finding the perfect one.  I love watching the kids run around trying to help, their cheeks rosey from the cold.  I love the sweet couple who run the farm who act like you're the only family who comes to their farm even though they sell hundreds of trees each season.  They welcome you into their warm little hut, give you free hot chocolate by the crackling fire, feed you donuts and other treats.  They always take a photo of your family and the walls are lined with photographs from years past.  We love to search the walls to find pictures of us from when Camden was our only child and we always go back on the special day when Santa visits the farm and they offer horse-drawn wagon rides through the fields.  It's not always so picturesque, obviously.  By the end of our adventure searching for the tree all of the boys, yes that includes Scott, had had quite enough of the cold and the walking, but once we hit the hut, the smiles quickly returned. 

This year, we bought our tree just a couple of days after Thanksgiving, as we always do, and then returned to the farm today to meet Santa and take a wagon ride.

Here we are searching for the perfect tree...

 Micah had had enough by this point...

 He's a good sport...

 Haha - Micah's grimace is his most recent smile...we're working on it.

And today we had fun meeting Santa (who had to run inside after he saw us because he forgot his glasses!).  Good thing the kids don't know the difference!

Sadie's first introduction...

 Santa handed out tootsie rolls...

 Love these two...

 Wagon ride!

Here is a recap of our adventures in 2012, 2011, 2010.

Colby Farm

We have had so much fun getting into the Christmas spirit around here this last week!  As you may have guessed based on the fact that I've been itching to do this since October, we didn't waste any time getting our tree.  We headed out to Colby Tree Farm (where we've been cutting our own tree down for the last few years - here we were in 2011 and 2010,  ) and had a blast tromping around through the beautiful fields to find the perfect tree.  Luckily, since it was freezing out, we found a great tree much quicker than usual and headed inside the little Christmas hut for some free hot chocolate and donuts by the fire.  The boys love this adventure (probably almost as much as I do!) and this year did not disappoint. 
We had a little less fun getting the tree actually set up in the house (why does it take SO much effort to get that thing straight in the stand?)  Scott actually muttered that this was probably his least favorite activity of the year at one point.  I guess someone has to balance out my over-zealousness!  Once the tree was actually up, we got back in the holiday spirit and had so much fun decorating it with the boys.  I have to say, having little children makes every holiday twice as fun! 

 Heading home!

 Let the decorating begin!

 "Christmas town"

This past weekend I brought my boys back to Colby Farm with my Mom to enjoy some extra special Christmas activities.  It was lightly snowing the entire time and we got to talk to Santa (which they are both still very hesitant about), go on a beautiful horse-drawn sleigh/wagon ride through the tree farm and listen to a local author read her new Children's book while bundled up with other families inside the little farmhouse kitchen.  I have to say, we could buy a tree at some random place that has had it shipped down from Canada for a little cheaper, but I love supporting this local family and love the entire experience (the Santa and sleigh ride day is completely free - so fun!).  Here are a few pics from our second weekend in a row at the farm...

 Santa asked what Camden wanted for Christmas and initially he was too shy to say anything.  Santa guessed, "I bet your a Lego guy..." and Camden finally told him, "No, I just want a Nutcracker." (this is the second year in a row that this is all he's asked for and I'm happy to report that we are finally fulfilling his greatest wish!).  Santa said that was the first time he's heard a little kid say that!  :)

 Love this one...

 We might just make it three weekends in a row when we bring my Mom and help her get her tree this coming weekend!  We should get a discount or something for being such frequent visitors! 

And finally, here is our tree all decorated.  As mentioned in a previous post, I have all of our Advent and Christmas books wrapped and under the tree.  Each night the boys take turns unwrapping one before bed and reading it together as a family.  I'm loving adding new little traditions to our family and seeing the boys excitement grow with each day that passes. 

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

We've had fun this week getting into the Christmas Spirit!  On Sunday we went to a local tree farm and cut down our own tree!  Camden enjoyed his first candy cane sitting in front of the roaring fire in the little Christmas house.  We pulled out all of our Christmas books and Camden LOVES reading them.  He keeps pointing at pictures of Jesus and saying "Look!!!  Jesus!!!" as if he's shocked that he's showing up so many places these days!  We've been talking to him a lot about the fact that it's Jesus' Birthday and he got pretty excited when I told him we could make Jesus a birthday cake!  He's also been talking about Santa a lot, and told us that Santa had been taking a nap all year until now.  It's so fun having a little kid to share the wonder of the season with!  We decorated our tree tonight and have been listening to lots of wonderful Christmas music.  (Alrighty, Micah is starting to fuss...time to upload a few pictures!)...