What I love the most about the Holidays: Traditions

Happy Holidays #strongbabes !

I’ve been wanting this week to come up with a holiday post, but I didn’t want to bore you with my wish list. All I asked for this year was stuff for the kitchen (future holistic nutritionist much??). 

Since I love sharing bits and pieces of my personal life so much, I thought I would share with you today my favorite part of the Holidays, which is this:

Traditions, old and new

This is ours, and I’m excited to share it with you.

Matthew and I had out first Christmas together last year. It made me realize that the first Christmas with someone is always a bit strange – everybody has their own holiday peculiarities, and you work to blend them together. And sometimes you create your own.

One thing we both agreed on was how much we wanted a tree. We had the genius idea of driving out into the mountains and finding one for free – it’s scandalous I know! The thought of stealing a tree off the mountainside. Some rules were meant for breaking – but luckily we didn’t have to.

As we headed out onto the highway, we soon noticed a sign: “Free Christmas Trees”. We followed the winding, snowy road deeper into the mountains. Eventually we found the spot, somehow intended for just what we had hoped for: free Christmas trees for those willing to chop and haul them.

So we did. And that is how we got our first Christmas tree. We ventured out once again to the same spot this year, officially making this our new tradition.

Of course, the dogs just love it. Bella was with us last year, Athena – the excited one in the pink collar – joined our family last Christmas, so this was her first year to the spot. I love how much the dogs enjoy being free in the outdoors.

What was so magical about this year is that we went in the middle of a weekday, so the area was virtually empty. That meant we got to let the dogs off leash and had the freedom to pick from any of the hundreds of trees. It was quiet, and mostly serene, aside from the buzzing excitement of the pups.

They say “when you know, you just know”. And there we saw it: our tree. Snowy, frail. Calling to us – “pick me! pick me!”. That tree in the middle is the one we brought home. Matthew brought it down in one fell swoop, and dragged it out of the forest.

I thank mother nature for being able to provide us with such an amazing experience, and for providing us with a tree that means so much more than just a decoration. For us it’s about family time, getting back to nature, and continuing on with our tradition.

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It was also a good excuse to bring out my camera and take some pictures – what can I say, I’m a sucker for memories like these. And over the years we often forget the gifts we gave and received, but memories like this as cherished forever.

Thank you guys so much for dropping by and peeking in on what I love the most about the Holidays!

I would love to hear about your favorite traditions in the comments below!

Wishing Heartwarming Happy Holidays to you all!