On The First [Year] of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...

A freshly-cut, Afghan Pine tree.

Brad and I cut down our first Holcomb Christmas tree together earlier this week. The farm closed at 6:30, so Brad and I drove out as quickly as we could after work. 

My family has cut down and had live trees in our home before, but this event was a first for Brad. The farm carries both locally grown Afghan Pines, a more traditional, long-needled tree, and imported Fraser Firs, a tree with short, thicker needles and a strong Christmas scent. While the Fraser Firs are lovely, Brad had a hankering to cut our own, and I had never had an Afghan Pine. The patient owner handed us a handsaw - complete with a brand new blade, a large red wagon, and giving us a good-natured chuckle, sent the #happyholcombs to find their perfect Christmas tree. 

The dusk made us run around like madmen all the while Jack Johnson sang "some night for Christmas" or something of the sort from my coat pocket. Brad, assured that we would "know" when we found "the one," traipsed through the trees, and, squinting to keep what little light was left in the sky for our eyes, we came upon it - there. A tall, slender, and slightly tilted, beautiful tree, complete with (an empty) bird's nest and all (which Brad carefully moved to a different tree). 

This tree was the one.

Brad deftly cut our little tree down and loaded it on the wagon while I held the phone light, so we would not perish on our way to get it bagged.

He looked pretty good chopping our find down, too...

We made a record-time trip to Walmart for a base and some lights before getting home to put the Pine up.

[insert story where Brad uses rusty saw to salvage a cross-section of the trunk for an ornament, only to bring about a little bleeding]

After a little more scavenging, puzzling, and laughing, we had our 4" diameter tree trunk held firmly in place between the screws meant for no smaller than a 5", and the lights all in place. No ornaments yet, but we'll get there! God is so good to give us this time together; loving this new and first season of marriage in our cozy little home.

Happy First, Married, Fun, Joy-filled, Holcomb Christmas!