Starting a New Family Tradition...the Real experience

SO, I wanted to share about our experience to the Christmas Farm...our new "family tradition".  

Starting traditions aren't always the easiest to start, but once you do them, get going, you have it and it can be fun, life-changing or in this case, not so sure we need it.  

Stew and I decided we would start the tradition and pay the expense of going and cutting down our own Christmas tree and make it a "family experience".  Well, here is how our first try at it went:

Woke up early ready and excited to go.  Got directions, dressed kids, put shoes on 3 times, fed Karis, herded kids out the door only to find that it was much colder than we thought...forgot to check the weather.  So, back in to change clothes again...get hats, socks, shoes on again, and proper coats and gear.  Finally, 2 hours later, we are headed to the Tree Farm....only to realize none of us ate breakfast and Karis needed to eat again soon.  We decide we will just stomach McDonald's for time sake, but realized when we got there that they were no longer serving breakfast...so we all got yogurt parfaits and headed to the tree farm-again.  Sally breaks her spoon, wg decides he doesn't like yogurt and attempts to complain, karis is crying uncontrollably...so we stop...give new spoons, spankings and pacifiers...we are off again....We reach the tree farm...YEAH! We are doing okay....a little rough start, but no worries...here we go...family tradition!  

We get ready, and we are off...the fun lasts about 10 minutes...just enough time to get cute photos to put in our blog album....sally falls numerous times and gets stickers in her pants and shoes....wg insists on cutting the tree with a temper tantrum....but is distracted by his need to go to the bathroom....oh dear...do we pee on the Christmas trees? or wet our pants....we run back up and make it to a bathroom....BUT, we have found a tree! we cut it and head back to the gift shop and farm area for games and hot cocoa and cider...."here is some yummy hot chocolate/cider, kids!"...I was so excited about the hot drinks...it was so cold....until the kiddos burned their mouth and now were screaming from a scolded tongue....okay...now worries...we can do this!....Roast marshmallows!.....sure, until wg only wanted to eat the marshmallows out of the bag and cried when his caught on fire....has anyone ever taken these kids to the country?....."No, son...we can only have 3 marshmallows...I am sorry yours burned..."....our tree is ready, let's GO HOME!...then out of nowhere, it POURS DOWN RAINING!...yes....Stew and I get the kids buckled in, and attempt to tie the tree on top of our van as fast as we can in the pouring rain!....WG and Karis are screaming crying and sally is singing Jesus Loves me...Thank you Sally!....we did it...we are driving home finally until the tree starts to fall off...so we stop at a gas station for lunch! Water...an old breakfast taco and nuts...i mean, there  is not much at a gas station that fits the "maker's diet"....okay, we are almost home...SURELY!! 

We did make it home...only to find that the tree was larger than OUR LIVING ROOM!!!  So we trimmed it down and fit our furniture around it....got it decorated, had more warm cocoa, a Christmas movie and to bed....well, and a lot of pine needles that I am sweeping up everyday!

So, how was our family tradition?  I have to say, pretty funny in the end...We aren't sure if we will start that tradition again until the kids are older....but we are enjoying the beautiful tree and sense of Christmas in our home....and all before Dec. 1st!  That's the life in the Stewart household...just thought I would share it with all...Hope your experience is just as fun as ours! =)