Every Christmas since I was born, on the first weekend of December, my family has woken up at the crack of dawn in search of the perfect Christmas tree. At a invitation-only Christmas tree farm. In New England. It's like a Christmas card come to life. Now this this is not just a go-and-get-any-old-tree kind of production! No way! We scour the farm, looking up and down the rows of perfectly planted trees looking for, well, the perfect one. One that would be worthy of placement in our living room. The tree of course has to be certain height. Not to short and not to tall. It has to be full with strong branches for heavy ornaments. The tree must have a sturdy trunk. But most of all, this tree must have the certain kind of nostalgic Christmas-y feeling that we love.

When Dave and I were dating I told him that the annual getting of the Christmas Tree might be one of the most important family outings for our tiny family unit that we undertake all year. I don't think he fully believed me until we got married. Now he's been roped into the annual getting of the Christmas tree for not only the Hammond family, but now our little Parker family :)

So imagine my excitement this week, when I received our little notice and card announcing that it was that time of year again! Call us crazy, but this is one of the things, we all look forward to, every year.

So in celebration of our Christmas Tree obsessed family, here is one of my favorite scenes from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I don't really see the resemblance... do you? ;)