A Very Cottage Christmas Experience

Oh the things you get to experience when the whole family comes together for a one night sleepover at Christmas.
Like a chance to slide down a half-snow-half-dirt-half-weedy hillside.

plus partly sandy, and wet at the bottom, as one kid discovered after sliding 10 feet into the lake. 

You might even get to hold your cousin for the very first time!

This year we had a living Christmas tree, the little cutie had it's roots all dormant and packed in a pot.
We chose a 4 foot Fraser fir which was purchased a month before Christmas, we kept it outside and watered once a week. After transporting it in the pickup the guys brought it inside for one just night. 

When the tree trimming team got busy!

The carefully selected spot for our growing Christmas tree is on a rather flat portion of the hillside, with full southern exposure giving it lots of light.

We dug the hole around the first of December measuring it to the size of the pot. A tarp had been placed over the hole and held down with rocks to keep snow and leaves out. Our plant expert at the nursery said to keep the tree in the pot for now and just place it in the hole. Put straw or leaves around it then leave it until spring as the tree is dormant now. When the growing season begins next spring remove the pot and plant the tree into the sandy loam soil.
 

Then it will grow into the 30 foot tree it's destined to be and we will watch it. Perhaps we need a bench nearby. 

And you, Mister 2 year old, experienced finding an iPad laying around.
How quickly a child learns to move the screen with his fingers. There you go honey! 

Here's a great experience, having your uncle teach you to play euchre. Finishing up the lesson with some of the "how to win" tips he learned in college. Such lessons are extremely valuable to a middle school-er,  as you can tell by the look on his face. And his mother's.

Another great experience; 
realizing a remote control helicopter might have a mind of it's own.

And now to let you know this happened.. this..

yeah. please don't tell me you are all neat about the gift opening.. 
please.. don't... 
even if you are..
we,
are not. 

But they do clean up.. whewww...
Love and hugs..
Sideline..