Our Christmas tree

It was time for our annual Christmas tree hunt! Where we go out to a tree farm and cut down our Christmas tree. This year it was Katheryn's turn to find a tree.

 

I thought that this year Nick would go in the wheelchair. There wasn't any snow on the ground so I thought we would be able to manage it. Last year Nick went in the wagon and he didn't like it.

But this year he wanted to go in the wagon.



 

Katheryn found the tree she wanted and stuck to it!
It was just as wide as it was tall!

After some renovations in our family room we had changed the corner that the tree goes in to.
The kids were very excited to start decorating and were off to a great start.
They fizzled out after about 30 minutes and then I go to finish it all off

They were really excited finding any of the decorations that they had made or that had their name on it from other years.
Rory wasn't really sure what to make of a tree in the house

I think that our tree with year is Perfect!

Chopping down our tree

Another year of our family tradition. Cutting down our Christmas tree.

This year we visited the same farm we went to last year. Spademan Tree Farm.It has nice trees, close to the parking lot, without a lot of hills. They also have wagon rides and hot chocolate.

We have the wagon for Nick to go into the fields with. It has big wheels so go over rough terrain.
Nick seemed happy to be in the wagon at first.

He even got to meet the newest member of our dog-family (Macklyn)

And this year was Nick's year to pick out the tree

Kyle and Katheryn cut it down

 And counted how old the tree was

The tree is beautiful and has a huge and full bottom.

But Nick wasn't very happy. Yes he smiled for the pictures, but the rest of the time he just looked sad. Nothing hurt, he wasn't cold, he said that nothing was wrong.
When we got back to the fire he cheered up

I think he was upset being in the wagon. Not being able to move around on his own. So we are going to have to think about how we will be able to make this happen next year. We'll have a whole year to think it over. And it will depend on if there is snow or not.

It can't be a family tradition if it doesn't work for the whole family.

Christmas Tree Hunters!

We went Christmas tree hunting!

There was snow, and it was cold and so we were all bundled up!

The wagon has been meeting Nick's needs to be able to go trudging through the snow to cut down a tree.

I've been looking at different tree farms to try to figure out how we can continue this tradition over the next couple of years. When Nick has outgrown the wagon

Katheryn was very excited to find the right tree!\

We tried to get her to look at some different trees, but she stayed firm

All packed up and ready to go!

Nick and snug

Through the whole day I was thinking how accessible the tree farm would be, with a walker or crutches or canes or something. The tree farm, Spademan Tree Farm, we found has a wagon ride. I think that it can work over the next couple of years.

Trimming the tree

We got our Christmas tree super-early. But that meant that we could take our time getting it all trimmed!

 

Katheryn, as the electrician daughter (and grand-daughter) wanted to help with the lights!

And Katheryn was fascinated when we found our reindeer light glasses!

OK, maybe mommy was fascinated too!

 

Of the good things about having the tree up early is to get those pictures done!
I was very excited!

The kids, not so much!

But they eventually got into it (it's blurry because Nick is trying to push Katheryn in the chair)

Someone might be getting a little loud in his excitement!

After a bit of begging (please! just look at the camera and smile and I won't take any more pictures!)

I got 2 that I was happy with (the above one didn't really count because it was on my phone.)

OK Christmas season can officially start now!

Chrismas Tree Hunters

We continued our family tradition today.

The Christmas Tree Hunt!

 

We had to start the season early this year, this is my only weekend off before Christmas!

We woke  up to some snow on the ground, Katheryn was very excited and wanted to make snowmen!

 

 

We had decided hat the best way for Nickolas to move around was in the wagon, that worked really well for this year; I'm not sure what we'll be able to do next year.

It was cold and windy, but we had lots of layers on.
And we got our tree!
The kids had reached their limit by the time we got it into the van.

But pretty soon we were defrosted and ready to get started.
We might have a little girl with some electricity in her blood

She was very excited to help with the lights!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! (for the next month)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

We are getting excited for Christmas we pulled out all of our decorations and toys a couple of weeks ago. We decorated the house outside – Katheryn says it is beautiful! We pulled out all of our Christmas movies.

We had our annual family Christmas parties. I think there was 40 members of the Ridding family there, all of the kids (all 2nd cousins) loved playing together and running around.

The dancing Santa is always a hit with the kids – I did have Nick out, but for these pictures he was too busy eating. I actually had the chair and Nick's walker out - but he didn't want anything to do with walking.

 (This was before the CE party where he was much more comfortable walking in his walker with a group of people.)

Getting ready for Christmas also means getting our Christmas tree. Every year we go and chop one down. This year is was too wet and rainy and warm to go out and cut one down on the weekend we had available.

But we still got a pretty good one.

And Nick thought it was great riding in the cart above his head!

Yes I'm aware that I look a little crazy taking pictures in Home Depot. But I don't care. Look at that look! It's just asking to snapped in a photograph!

It took us about a week to decorate the tree.

Katheryn really liked these snowmen and kept bunching them together.

Nick liked playing peek-a-boo with his! He’ll pull the hat down over the eyes, then back up and say ‘boo’.

 

When daddy came home from work it was time to put the star up. Katheryn tried to help but got scared.

But it was up!

Now that the tree is up, and we are feeling suitably Christmassy, it was time to bring on Santa.
We talked about Santa and that we were going to go and visit Santa. We had it all planned with my in laws to have the 4 cousins all go to the mall and visit Santa. Both kids were excited. Santa is one of Nick's new words. (As well as tree)

Katheryn was very excited, waiting in line and waiting because she’s going to see Santa.

Nick kept saying ‘Santa, Santa!’ He might not look very excited - but he was.

We got up to him. Nothing.
Katheryn would have nothing to do with him.
We did get a family picture of the cousins – with my leg in the picture. I kept trying to move farther out of the frame and move Katheryn closer and she stops and looks at me “Mommy! Stop pushing me”

She has her model pose!

Katheryn and Nick are actually supposed to be matchingish, with their sweaters - but do you know how hard it is to find cute boy sweaters?!!!

When it was time for Nick and Katheryn and Santa, she just ran.

But I was getting a Santa picture for 2011 – and if Katheryn doesn’t want to be in it, that is fine. So my picture is just with Nick.

Both of them still get excited to see pictures of Santa – just not ready for the real version yet.
Katheryn has told me that she wants a hippopotamus for Christmas, so maybe next year she can ask Santa for one.

The next couple of weeks are going to be a little less busy. So we'll finish up our shopping and spend more time a home as a family, instead of on-the-run as a family. Maybe get some cookies baking or some of the fun homemade things I've been reading about. Have Christmas music on

And some snow wouldn't hurt either!