if you think it's too early for Christmas, you better turn your head

We slayed a tree this weekend, shook its loose needles with a rumbling tractor, pulled it through some netting, and strapped it to the back of our truck.

As we drove there, I was thinking about traditions and the fact that I've never really thought we had many. There are lots of things we usually do but not many that we always do. I think I was over-defining the term. Because even though we will probably move to artificial at some point in the future, and even though last year we waited too long and had to retrieve an already-slain tree from the ditch (i.e., the grocery store), Fouch's Christmas Tree Farm is definitely a family tradition.

In my later high school years, Mom always had a beautiful department-store kind of tree, everything matching. She put all our old homemade ornaments elsewhere and made the house look like Better Homes and Gardens. Felic and I loved those trees. We didn't have much love lost over the popsicle sticks from our elementary days.

Of course I intended to have a tree like that when I had my own home too. So, what was I to do with all the Hallmark cartoon-like figurines that Michael brought to the party from his childhood? I'm ashamed to say I put those ornaments on kind of reluctantly the first year. Then I tied raffia bows around the edges and red balls to tie it all together, and it was absolutely gorgeous. I remember feeling a little smug towards all those Caution Signs that marriage demands compromise. If this is compromise, I thought, I'm going to be happy for EVER.

Now I love the unveiling of our Hallmark ornaments every year. The kids get a new one each year from Grandma Bohon, and it's my favorite part of the tree. I took some pictures and plan to put a new one up every day or so on the blog. I know you won't really care, but I'm loving my tree - this year with a blue and silver theme - so much that I felt the blog needed some holiday spirit as well.

The first one up today? Two little chipmunks in an acorn swing.  It says "Our First Christmas Together". Can't you just see the happy compromise?