The 20-year-old Science of Putting Up the Tree

This Christmas marks me and the wife's 20th Christmas together. When you are first married, Christmas is a funny time. Her family's traditions collide with your family traditions (not to mention those wierd short-lived traditions you started during your single years).

Well, the wife and I have now spent more Christmases together than we have our birth families and we have gotten the whole tree-thing down to a science (if I do say so myself).

First, we head to the same tree lot every year - 5 minutes from our house. We gaze in mystification at the flocked trees . . .

Then it's once around the lot, pick a tree and we are otta there. We don't rush it but it never seems to take us more than 15 minutes or so. This year we had a scare - we didn't find a tree to our liking and the dreaded specter of going to a second lot threatened to unravel a tradition - but lo, there she was - in the way back corner. We left Annie to watch it while daddy ponied up the cash.

The obligatory family photo in front of our catch:

Then heave-ho and tie-er-down:

Doing what dad's do to trees in their backyard before they are allowed in the house: (and no-that doesn't involve peeing on it):

Stand 'er up, run the power cord up the trunk and dad's job is done:

Mommy does the lights:

And makes it beautiful:

It's a good one this year - just like the 19 years before it . . . Merry Merry