Yesterday I went to the Elgin Christmas Tree Farm! What an adventure that was! I felt like I was in an episode of Little People, Big World. If Matt had coming screaming up in his Mule I would not have been one bit surprised!

I’ve never been to a tree farm and I was completely unprepared. I did have on a sweat shirt and my Converse but beyond that a pair of gloves, scarf and ear muffs, oh and a parka would have come in real handy! Nevertheless, I was not about to miss seeing a single tree! As I sat on the bale of hay in the trailer and instructed the driver to drop me in the back of the back-40 my teeth chattered, but excitement filled my body as I looked around at all the beautiful Christmas trees knowing MY tree was out there……some where!

I make no apologies for being a city girl! I slung my Louis Vuitton over my shoulder and off I went, with my hand saw, in search of the perfect tree! I walked and walked and walked. Sizing up plenty of trees along the way. Too short, too scrawny, too many “bad” sides, too this, too that.

Acre after acre, tree after tree, listening to people shout with joy as they found theirs. I was not discouraged. With my saw gripped firmly in my frozen hand I carried on. I stood back admiring a tree wondering if this could be it when something made me turn slightly to my right and there IT was, my tree! Perfect in every way, tall, full, and about to be mine!

Now I get to cut it down. Right? This must be a joke. I looked around for a knight in shining armor, but no one came to my rescue. That’s okay. I have girl power! I feared it was a calamity in the making! The sawing began. Not so bad at first, til I got about half way through and it got a little tough. Thankfully, determination and a little extra adrenaline kicked in and down that tree came!

I looked up to see where I was and where I needed to be to hitch a ride back to the front and guess what? I was 10-feet from the entrance! Not kidding. There’s a lesson in there some where, but I’m pretty confident I won’t learn it!

I drug my tree to the guy that would wrap it for me. But first he put it on the “shaker”. It vigorously shook all the dead needles off and hopefully all the tiny critters I was not interested in taking home for the holidays! When he finished he said “Mother nature gave you a gift from this tree, do you want it?” Big-eyed city girl says “Huh?” He said “It’s on the ground, over on the other side.” Not sure what I was about to find, I cautiously approached and this is what I saw……..

I smiled and said “I knew this was my tree!” Look closely, it has the hint of a heart shape!

The only task left was getting that tree in the back of Mighty! I can barely lift an eight-pound bowling ball, but what I found out yesterday is that I can lift an eight-foot Christmas tree! It’s a cold winter morning and I’m in my flannel jammies, Christmas tunes playing and I’m off to decorate my amazing tree!