Break from Tradition

Thanksgiving Day at the Frazier fir tree farm.

We spent our Thanksgiving Day on an adventure. We postponed our holiday meal for a couple of days. Rather than cook and eat, our entire household piled into the minivan at 10 a.m. to make a trip to the nearby NC mountains. Our goal was to find a Christmas tree that would fill our home with holiday spirit and cheer.

Our boys are basically grown, so we knew we could not set a departure time earlier than 10. We're fortunate to see our boys before noon when school is closed and they don't have to work. However, we wanted time to get the tree up and lit once we returned home, so we were not going to wait until everyone was up and about. To motivate them to roll out of bed before noon, we promised the first stop, before leaving town, would be McDonald's. 

Thanksgiving Day Snowball Fight

I could have made homemade biscuits, pancakes, or any number of delicious breakfast foods to pack for the trip. And even though my boys do enjoy my cooking, there is something about stopping for greasy, fatty, fast food that makes getting out of bed worth their while. Plus, my kitchen stayed clean all day.

After a two-hour drive, we arrived at the tree farm. We secured our measuring pole and then hiked over the hill toward the big trees. Hubby measured, Grams pointed out potential trees, I evaluated each possibility for quality, and the boys had a snowball fight. 

No room for the angel.

The snowball fight worked out well, because I could suggest any tree on the farm and my children would have agreed it was the prettiest tree on Earth. They weren't wearing gloves. If agreeing on a tree got them inside next to a warm fire and some hot chocolate, they were all about voting yes. 

With a tree tied to the roof of the van, we ate our holiday meal at a local diner. This also worked out well. One child ordered the traditional turkey platter special. One ordered a sub and fries. One ordered breakfast. I had a nice salad. And my kitchen remained spotless.

The tree met every expectation we had and more. It filled our home with holiday spirit, cheer, piney fragrance, sap, and lots of little pine needles...everywhere. 

A little full, lots of sap...
But a beautiful Christmas tree!

By the time we gathered in the dining room two days later for a giant turkey, spiral sliced ham, and tons of autumn side dishes, our home was decorated for Christmas and our family had tons of wonderful memories to take into the New Year, when our lives will once again become busily disjointed.

Micki Bare, mother of three, wife, daughter & writer is the author of Thurston T. Turtle children's books. 

Email: mickibare (at) gmail.com

Connect with Micki on Google+

Like Thurston T. Turtle on Facebook

Follow Micki on Twitter: @TurtleAuthor
View Micki's pics on Instagram @mickibare

Copyright 2014 Michele Bare