Tree Cutting & Decorating Fun!

We are so excited to celebrate our first Christmas in our new house. Although we can't quite top the adventure we had two years ago hiking into the Natl. Forest in Northern California to find and cut the perfect tree, we did find the next best thing here in Iowa. Last Friday we hopped in the Jeep and took a short drive to a cute little tree farm in LeClaire, IA named Trees and Traditions. Their barn is set up to look like a cabin on the inside, complete with woodburning fireplace and an antique sleigh. They also have an antique tractor, which Judah loved "driving." We found the most beautiful tree we've ever had and the price was really great, considering all of the amazing customer service they provided. We would highly recommend this place to anyone in the Quad Cities area.

After finding the perfect tree, we headed to downtown LeClaire, which is an adorable little strip of shops along the Mississippi River. We stopped for a coffee and snack at a cute little coffee shop named Lydia's and had a really great visit with the owner, Ken Bailey. A nice Christian man doing a little soul searching for the direction God wants to take him next. We left feeling refreshed and encouraged knowing that our new friend, Ken, is in God's perfect hands. We'll be praying for you, Ken!

That evening, we put on some classic Christmas tunes, cooked up a junk food feast (pizza rolls, onion rings, chips & guac, chicken wings and shrimp w/cocktail sauce). We sang along while eating and decorating the tree. What a fun tradition! However, I must add that we decided that adding some healthy food to the mix would probably be a good idea in the future...we all had stomachaches!

Thanks, God, for a perfect day spent as a family enjoying your beautiful creation, encouraging our brother in Christ, feasting on your generous provision and preparing to celebrate the birth of your Son, Jesus. It just doesn't get any better than that!