Monday, December 7, 2009

three strikes...

...and live Christmas trees are out for us. Let me explain.

I love having a real tree in our home. Everything about it is festive and fun. I love picking it out, I love bringing it home, I love the sound of Jonny sawing off low branches, I love hanging garlands and ornaments, I love the way it makes my home smell - and I don't even mind watering it and vacuuming up the fallen needles.

But the last two years we have not been able to keep our tree alive for more than a few days. (In contrast, however, our first two Christmas trees as a married couple lasted well into January. One even sprouted new boughs and a pine cone!) Anyway, we decided we would try our very best to keep this one fresh and perky. Right now, this means watering it every few hours! But we'll do what it takes and give this live tree thing one last try. I really hope it works out. Wish us luck.

8 comments:

Hannah said...

you picked a beauty!! I love live trees as well...but am not dedicated enough to keep them alive. Good luck!!

Marianne said...

I swore those off after the first year we got married. My family had ALWAYS had a real tree. I thought it was blasphemous to get a fake one. And ours even stayed alive... until February. It was just such a hassle to take it down and throw it out. I even cried the day I took the tree down :) Ever since then, its been fake all the way. Good luck!

Drew said...

Don't give up! Whenever I go to Mom's house I die a little bit inside to see the fake tree. They just always look fake. (On most you can actually see the bar-trunk, for heaven's sake!) I've never seen a fake one that looks real, and they are so much more common now, and then you have to store it all year. It might depend on what kind you get too, and how big. We have a little five-footer and hardly water it at all, every two or three days.

Cami said...

It's a beauty! We've had this dilemma, and when it dies, it grows mold and makes me extremely sick. Horrible. BUT, if you just keep watering it while it's sucking it up, it will eventually slow down, and it will stay alive for you. I STILL don't have mine!

Chad and Bree Fowles said...

I have to have real trees too! I hear ya on the difficulties of keeping one alive. I decided I'd go with flocked trees from now on. Then if it does die, I feel like that snowy stuff holds it together. Your trees looks awesome. Good size!

Matt said...

I love your tree, and the photos are cute. Every time we see a photo of your boy we say "Oh Hiiiii daaaaaaayyy".

I lost this tree battle pretty quickly and now we use a fake tree. I like it though. It looks nice, is predictable, and somewhat hassle free (aside from the storage.) And I can see my siblings real trees!

Emily said...

What a PERFECT tree. I hope you can keep the tradition (and the tree) alive!

Summer said...

Love, love, love the close up picture of your ornaments. I think I need a new camera.