Our first REAL tree!

This is big for us.  We haven't smelled pine from anything other than Mrs. Meyers Iowa Pine Dish Soap in...well...ever.  That's why we didn't take the decision to pluck a tree from the forest lightly.

When we moved into our short little rambler it became apparent (as we moved the 4 enormous garbage bags that held our Christmas tree) that our 10ft plastic gem would no longer fit underneath our roof.

We loved that tree like others before it – the 7ft sparse tree (that was lost in a previous move...still no idea where it ended up) the tinfoil tree (which we erected in our apartment) and the non-existant tree which we imagined for several years (saving a buck).  Yes, the 10 footer had to go.

We bought our last fake tree at a thrift store for a total of $20.  Total revenue from the sale of it on Craigslist last month – $40.  Profit – $20.  Budget to buy this years tree – $20.

Spending only $20 on a REAL tree proved to be a task.  Those suckers are expensive!  Upon recommendation from the neighborhood we decided to take our chances at ACE hardware right here in Arden Hills.  Not the "pick your own" experience I remember as a kid, but within 2 miles of home, within our budget, and the result...exactly the same.

Ok, so we ended up spending $25 on a 7.5ft Balsam Fir.  Not too shabby.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

And because I GREW HIM...I made him pose like this: