Portraits, and shopping and trees...oh my!

This was one of those packed in weekends of Christmastime for us...

Would you like to hear about it? It's not like most of you don't have your own busy weekends right now, also... ;)

I promise not to make it too long...and what if I throw in some pictures?
OK, good...


It was actually a nice weekend over all. Just very, very busy!

It started Friday night, we saw a beautiful Christmas program at a nearby church.

Then, while hubby had to work on Saturday, I threw some ingredients into the slow cooker... and hurried to help bathe and dress the girles to make it to the mall in time for their annual Christmas portraits. (And of course, I had the bright idea to not only pick a Saturday, but to pick the busiest Saturday of the year for this!)

The girls did an incredible job waiting and being patient, though. So I rewarded them with a trip to the golden arches inside the mall...
We sat by a flock of little princesses obviously there for a birthday party. They were adorable...and seemed to be having a grand time.
But not sure I would have picked the mall at Christmastime to host a birthday bash! But the only two moms present were probably not a day over 25, so their nerves were still young and unjangled.

I, on the other hand, was none too glad to escape the noisy fast-food land, especially when a worker began mopping under my feet as I took my last bite of yogurt parfait.

After all that, we did a bit of Christmas shopping and then finally came home to collapse.

And then there was Sunday!

After attending church, then help out in a class the next service, pose for some portraits being taken at church....we set off as a family to hunt down a Christmas tree.
Sweetiegirl spotted the perfect Charlie Brown tree...
No, let's keep looking...

I kept finding the "perfect" tree, I'll have you know...but every year it's the same thing. Hubby doesn't want to get one right away, he wants to get good and cold first or it just isn't the same. ;)

But even I was happy when it actually started snowing as wandered through the trees!

Finally, we all found one we loved.
Quick, hold onto the tree so Daddy doesn't change his mind!

Yes, this was it, alright.
It was true love.

Daddy cut it down, and then the girls helped to carry it back to the car.
Five year old cherub helped by touching the tip of a branch while walking...

But my eight year old actually was carrying the top! It's the first year I didn't even need to help hubby lug it! I guess having your child get a little bigger isn't all bad!

As the tree was being carried off, some very noisy geese flew overhead...I don't know why, but I always get excited at the sight and sound of them flying south with such determination.

So with that, and the little flakes of snow falling gently on us, I have to say, it was a magical time.

Not all of our tree hunts have been H*llmark moments, mind you...there's been rain, cranky babies, or even strong disagreements about trees...but the last couple years it's been fun tromping through the hills together.

So we brought it home and even managed to decorate- well- most of it!

But I'll save those pictures for another time.

And what about you? If you get a real tree, how do you go about it? I'd love to hear!

In the meantime, have a wonderful week as we go about our traditions in celebration of His birth!