This past weekend (December 2), our family took a much needed break from Sunday responsibilities and went to the spa in Moose Jaw. It is one of the Jaw's tourist attractions, the other being our thriving casino. We soaked in the warm mineral water and even went outside, where your hair freezes but your body stays toasty and warm. The kids had a great time. They did less soaking and more splashing. We met a family there who had driven in from Regina to get their Christmas tree at the only place we have ever heard of in southern Saskatchewan where you can cut down your own: Come See Come Saw. You have to love the name.
So because we are crazy, we decided to go and get our tree. Keep in mind, we had just planned on a morning at the spa which does not require warm winter clothing so none of us had anything warm. And it was pretty brisk. But the tree was calling our name so we quickly stopped in at the Superstore to grab some mitts and hats for the girls and we were on the road.
This tree place was way out of town and in the middle of nowhere (as most places are around here) so that prairie wind was just blowing right through us. We managed to get the girls out of the car and over to the bonfire, where we warmed up a bit. Then it was time to set off to pick out a tree. Well, it was quite a walk for me to the first row of trees, let alone Brookie. Rosie was up on Sean's shoulders which was good for the long walk but bad for the wind. She didn't actually cry but that may have been physically impossible. By the time we reached the first tree, we were all FREEZING so badly that I was afraid someone's fingers would fall off. A great parenting moment.
Sean says in his oh so optimistic "let's have fun, despite the fact that I can't feel my face" voice, "So, which one looks good?". I point to the tree directly in front of us. "Are you sure?" Sean asks. I explain that in a few moments we would be dead from exposure so whether the tree was perfect or not would be beside the point. Then we decided that maybe I should return to the relative warmth of the fire with the girls while Sean trudged further in search of a perfect Christmas tree.
So the girls and I went indoors for hot chocolate and sugar cookies. This was much more our speed. In fact, this whole experience was actually fun. Brooklyn, Rosie and I entertained the other frozen customers with a lovely rendition of Jingle Bells and Frosty. We were really in the spirit now that we had feeling in our limbs again. Time passed and finally Sean appeared in the doorway. He was cold. Really cold. But he had found a beautiful tree for our first prairie Christmas. Sean defrosted by the time we got home and when he put the tree up in the living room, Brooklyn said, "Daddy, you picked a very nice tree." I think that made every frigid moment worthwhile.
The next night we decorated our little hearts out.
The girls sorted the decorations for Sean and I after they realized how prickly the job of decorating can be.
Brooklyn is a budding photographer. Here is one of her portraits. You can kinda see the tree.
And here it is - the tree. We like it.
~Mandy
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