Oh Christmas Tree

Evie was first into the trees to find one she liked!

She got cold and tired pretty quickly, and asked to snuggle with Auntie.  She always wants to snuggle with Auntie when she gets really tired.  :)

Meanwhile the big kids were tromping around looking for The Perfect Tree.

The Webbers were pretty sure they had found theirs!  (See that little black bundle in Alison's arms?  The aforementioned cold, tired Evie.)

More adventuring.  I'm pretty sure Rebecca (who had vowed to be Very Responsible with the saw) had decided to saw up the mud.  :)

Mom, I found it!  I found Our Tree!!

I was trying to get a picture of the gorgeous landscape, but it's Oregon in winter, so after about 9:30 a.m., the sun only comes out in 5-second intervals.

Look, a flock!  Flocking!!

The Webbers finally found their Really Perfect Tree.

At one point, Alison got poked in the eye with a pine needle and Caiden was fairly sure she was going to be blind.

We busted open an old stump and found a cricket inside!

After seeing the other kids do it, Evie tried her hand at Balancing On A Stump.

Can you tell that now they're both Balancing?  :)

Now he's balancing on TWO stumps!  One under each foot!

Caiden found this branch and really seemed hopeful that he might be able to Sword something with it.  :D

And naturally, Rebecca found a tiny tree right near the big ones we were cutting down.  She sat down to protect it from getting smushed, and she wouldn't leave it until it was out of danger.  :)

"Oh, look.  Rebecca's sitting on a stump.  I'll try that too!"  (Isn't she the prettiest thing you ever saw?)

The sun snuck out for another 20-second interlude and I was quick enough to catch it!

Since Alison and I were dragging the trees, the children kindly hauled everything else, like saws and empty latte cups.

They're quite the team, and they know it!

Afterward, at the farm stand, we all had hot chocolate to celebrate our success.

Yummy!!

Again, isn't she the prettiest thing you ever saw?  Especially when she's slightly over-exposed like this, so you can't see the dirt smears all over her cheeks.  ;)

This face made me laugh so hard.  She had just spit her candy cane remnants into her hand and something was obviously Quite Wrong with them!

Caiden is such a happy guy.  :)  He had just been doing this thousand-yard stare at the horizon which I was hoping to capture, but then he noticed I was noticing him, and gave me a greeting instead.  :)

Everybody enjoying their treats while the Momma/Aunties talked to the farmstand owners about the day.

SUCH a happy guy.  He's adorable!

Just to show you that Rebecca can be quite grown-up and composed.  Not always making squinchy faces at something she has spat into her hand.  I can laugh about this because I can so easily see Evie doing the Exact Same Thing a few years from now!

Just as we were getting ready to load everyone into our cars and head home, Evie told Alison the CUTEST monologue.  Honestly neither of us knows exactly what she was saying, but it was downright charming.  We were speculating that perhaps she was explaining to Auntie that this pretty stick in her hand (a candy cane) was actually CANDY!  And TASTY candy!!