Tree Chopping 2011

I am so behind the eight ball this year - it's not even funny.  There's something about getting older that makes the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas seem shorter and shorter.  When I was a kid, waiting for Christmas to come seemed like an eternity and a day.  But now? It's ridiculous how fast time flies. 
All the cookie posts I intended to post this week just aren't happening.  But I do have this post of our annual tree chopping adventures.  We do it every year, but typically I host a gathering back at my house afterwards.  This year I needed to simplify - so we tailgated at the tree farm.  It was the best and I think it may become our new tradition.  Everyone is always so busy this time of year and it just makes sense.  Everyone who came brought something.  I made a pot of chili, some biscuits and some vermontucky lemonade {maple lemonade with bourbon} - a friend brought hot cider and sugar cookies - and my brother-in-law went all Martha on us and brought a folding table with a tablecloth, a pot of hotdogs, hot cocoa and a basket full of condiments.  We all stuffed ourselves silly, then rode the hayride up to the trees and picked the perfect one.  Here are some pictures from the day...featuring friends and their kids, along with my nephews {one of whom really loves to ham it up for the camera - I love it!}
Do any of you cut your tree fresh?  I love how long they last and how amazing they smell!
{past year's tree chopping here + here}

Note: one or two of these photos could have possibly been snapped by the Dh. He makes a stink when I don't give him credit...so there you go :)
Another note: For those folks out there who happen to like photography and use a Dslr camera with a lens hood...I always sort of wondered how much I really needed to bother using mine, yet always did...until it broke recently.  You can see sun glare in many of these photos - so now I know that I actually did need it!