Finding and decorating the perfect tree is a annual experience that is near and dear to my heart. In 2006, my husband asked me to marry him the day after Thanksgiving while we were scouting out our perfect "first" tree at his best friend's family owned tree farm - a home away from home for my husband throughout his childhood and adolescence years.
Looking back, all the signs that an engagement was going to take place that day were there - I was just completely, and I am being sincere here, oblivious to all of them. To start, he mentioned something...don't really recall his specific verbiage - that led me to put a fresh coat of paint on my nails. I went with the color red. Secondly, he bought me a really pretty red sweater to wear that day - buying me clothes was definitely an action that was out of the ordinary. Then to top it off, as I was getting ready that morning, not once did he ask me, "How much longer?" It was so refreshing to take my sweet time getting ready. I was convinced the man grew patience of a seasoned kindergarten teacher overnight.
When finally ready, I remember feeling really pretty that day. Knock-out pretty. Little to my knowledge then, that was God's little icing on the cake, as it was the exact feeling that I always imagined having when I visioned my engagement day.
When we finally arrived to the tree farm, I was soooo excited to not only find our first tree together, but to decorate it while watching our favorite Christmas movies, and enjoying a glass of eggnog, or two. It was a date fantasy to me...just seemed like it had all ideal elements that make up the perfect day! In other words, I pictured it being so darn special, I would remember it forever. I had no idea just how right about that I was.
I leaped out of the truck and started to weave my way through the trees. I had one task on my mind, and one task only...find the perfect tree. At the time, we were living in a small apartment that lacked, among many other things, luster. In my mind, I could just vision this perfect tree bringing to our living space a sense of warmth...a sense of home.
Mr. and I quickly stumbled on one that I could tell even from a short distance was rather nice, perfect really; however, I quickly noted that it was already tagged with a ribbon of sorts, thus to me meant that it was already spoken for. No big deal I thought, as I was indeed surrounded by what felt like endless rows of options. So, not skipping a beat, I quickly turned my attention to remaining trees.
Mr. did not dismiss it as an option though, and was adamant that we check out the tree with the ribbon..."Come this way...let's check this one out," he said.
"But, someone already picked out that tree...why don't we just find our own?" I quickly responded.
As I continued down my own path, he eventually caught up and slowly guided me back to that tree. On the walk back, my eyes continued to scope out the other options - not really paying attention to anything else. It wasn't until we got close that I noted that there was also a bottle of champagne and two flutes under that seemingly perfect tree with what I could now tell was a large bow, two pine cones, and a sparkly ornament hanging from it. I kid you not, I said out loud (and truly believed), "Awww, someone had a little romantic party out here!" SO INNOCENT!
Imagine my surprise when he got down on one knee....a million thoughts fluttered through my mind and a I slowly came to the realization that the sparkly ornament was my ring! Before saying yes, I asked through tears if he received permission from my dad, and being the gem of a guy that he is, he of course did. At which point, I said the words "Yes" at least a dozen times - ranging from a shout to a whisper. It was perfect. And that perfect tree that I had noted, was indeed perfect on so many levels, and was ours to take home.
Looking back, all the signs that an engagement was going to take place that day were there - I was just completely, and I am being sincere here, oblivious to all of them. To start, he mentioned something...don't really recall his specific verbiage - that led me to put a fresh coat of paint on my nails. I went with the color red. Secondly, he bought me a really pretty red sweater to wear that day - buying me clothes was definitely an action that was out of the ordinary. Then to top it off, as I was getting ready that morning, not once did he ask me, "How much longer?" It was so refreshing to take my sweet time getting ready. I was convinced the man grew patience of a seasoned kindergarten teacher overnight.
When finally ready, I remember feeling really pretty that day. Knock-out pretty. Little to my knowledge then, that was God's little icing on the cake, as it was the exact feeling that I always imagined having when I visioned my engagement day.
When we finally arrived to the tree farm, I was soooo excited to not only find our first tree together, but to decorate it while watching our favorite Christmas movies, and enjoying a glass of eggnog, or two. It was a date fantasy to me...just seemed like it had all ideal elements that make up the perfect day! In other words, I pictured it being so darn special, I would remember it forever. I had no idea just how right about that I was.
I leaped out of the truck and started to weave my way through the trees. I had one task on my mind, and one task only...find the perfect tree. At the time, we were living in a small apartment that lacked, among many other things, luster. In my mind, I could just vision this perfect tree bringing to our living space a sense of warmth...a sense of home.
Mr. and I quickly stumbled on one that I could tell even from a short distance was rather nice, perfect really; however, I quickly noted that it was already tagged with a ribbon of sorts, thus to me meant that it was already spoken for. No big deal I thought, as I was indeed surrounded by what felt like endless rows of options. So, not skipping a beat, I quickly turned my attention to remaining trees.
Mr. did not dismiss it as an option though, and was adamant that we check out the tree with the ribbon..."Come this way...let's check this one out," he said.
"But, someone already picked out that tree...why don't we just find our own?" I quickly responded.
As I continued down my own path, he eventually caught up and slowly guided me back to that tree. On the walk back, my eyes continued to scope out the other options - not really paying attention to anything else. It wasn't until we got close that I noted that there was also a bottle of champagne and two flutes under that seemingly perfect tree with what I could now tell was a large bow, two pine cones, and a sparkly ornament hanging from it. I kid you not, I said out loud (and truly believed), "Awww, someone had a little romantic party out here!" SO INNOCENT!
Imagine my surprise when he got down on one knee....a million thoughts fluttered through my mind and a I slowly came to the realization that the sparkly ornament was my ring! Before saying yes, I asked through tears if he received permission from my dad, and being the gem of a guy that he is, he of course did. At which point, I said the words "Yes" at least a dozen times - ranging from a shout to a whisper. It was perfect. And that perfect tree that I had noted, was indeed perfect on so many levels, and was ours to take home.
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| The ornament that was hanging from the tree with my sparkly diamond. |
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| Two of our special friends gifted us with this ornament showing the memorable day and date. |
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| One of the two pine cones from the first tree; both I still hang on our tree every year. |
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| Mr. & I the morning of the engagement. I am completely out of the know in this pic.
Since
then, we have always enjoyed the tree decorating experience. This year
was no different. We ventured out on this past Sunday afternoon, taking with us
our two pups, Wyatt and Miles, and went on that search for the "perfect"
tree. We simultaneously noted a tree that reminded us of our first tree,
and needed no words to confirm that it was the one. We ended the
evening stringing on the lights on the tree, adding the ornaments, and
placing the angel (made my brother-in-law) all while enjoying a movie
playing in the background and a glass of clean eggnog (recipe to follow) dirtied up with a splash of
rum. While hard to top that first year, I'd say it was still rather a perfect, memorable day.
Keep it Clean & Enjoy the Ride,
Mrs. Skinny Fat
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