Christmas tree hunting!!

Christmas Tree Hunting
We went Christmas tree hunting today!! 
Here is a bit of background on the Chermack style of acquiring a tree. In Colorado permits are sold that enable one to go to a specified section of the National Forest to cut down a Christmas tree. Every year since the boys were babies, we loaded our 4-wheel drive (most years it was required) vehicle with all the tree hunting necessities. A hand saw (no power is allowed), rope, sleds, thermos of hot chocolate and coffee, and sandwiches. Once in the area we would park and trek across the mountainside in search of the perfect tree. Now if you have never been, let me say it is a most awesome memory maker, as long as you remember three things…. These are not groomed perfect trees, the height of your ceiling is not nearly as tall as you might think, and most importantly, how far away from your vehicle you walked to find that perfect tree because you have to haul it that far back. Yes, we have learned all three from experience…more than once. However, each year after getting the tree home and decorated it became the most beautiful tree we have ever gotten!
With both boys being in the Army, the last few years have been challenging not having all of us together. It has been forever since we have gotten to go hunting with Roman. This year we got to hunt for our tree with Roman and Mikayla. In Germany they have Christmas tree farms that you can visit to either select a precut tree or walk through their forest to cut one of your own. You can easily get there with a 2-wheel drive. The forest you walk through is full of naturally growing trees and scrub of all kinds. The pines are not groomed. They provide the saw and a wagon to haul your tree back. It is a pretty flat area with pathways around the perimeter of each little lot. Once you arrive back to the starting point they will wrap your tree in netting for the trip home.