One crisp and bright day about two weeks before Christmas 2012, our family bundled up and set off for a local tree farm where Alec had enjoyed the memorable and fulfilling experience of selecting and cutting down a tree the Christmas before. When we reached the farm, a young worker met us at the gate - I expected to hear a brief welcome along the lines of "hot chocolate to the right, field of trees to the left" but was instead alarmed to hear him say that while the farm did have trees for sale, cut-your-own service was not available due to less than ideal tree growth in the season. Alan pulled in and parked while I held my breath and listened for protest from the backseat. Hearing none, I jumped out and opened Alec's car door to find him unsuccessfully trying to hold back tears - heart broken. I closed the door and Alan and I had a quick and quiet conversation along the lines of setting off again to try to find ANY cut-your-own experience that could satisfy the boy's primal need. Luckily, Alan was able to navigate us to just such an experience right up the road (minus the hot chocolate and children's amusements of the last place), and we came home with a beauty.
Here are a few of the photos from the joyful day in December 2011:
