Saturday, December 3, 2011

Christmas Trees

There are certain things you take for granted in the States that we don't here.  Simple things, like the availability of fresh Christmas trees.  Well, maybe I should not say fresh, but live trees.  And maybe I should qualify availability as to when you want them.

For the third year now, we've managed to be successful in scoring a tree, but it's never been easy, and this year was the same.  You see, there is one shipment of Christmas trees to Okinawa from the States and it's a crap shoot as to when they arrive, how many there are and whether they'll clear the Agricultural inspection.  I was really hoping this year that the trees would arrive the weekend after Thanksgiving so we could set it up when mom, dad and Stevie were here, but alas they came in the following weekend when everyone was gone and only the kids and I were left.

So the word on the street was the trees would be available at 8:00 am on Saturday morning and Krimp and baby Zach,(Dima was gone on an exercise with the Marines) the kids and I headed over to the corner of the Exchange parking lot for promptly 0800.  There was a small line already, to be expected, but I was a bit troubled when I saw the two ladies ahead of us in line setting up lawn chairs.  My fears were answered when they told us the trees weren't available until 9:00.  One whole hour to waste with 4 restless kids!  Of course, Cannon took care of himself...


The waiting is the hardest part...

Emmy helping Ms. Krimp hold Zach

Zach and Krimp

By 9:00 I was really glad we had come early as this was the line...



Well, the process went pretty orderly.  Ten people at a time were let onto the lot.  You hurriedly chose the first tree you could, then jumped in line to pay for it.  What a site we all were trying to manipulate 2 big trees with a baby and kids in tow.

Somewhere behind that big tree is little Krimp and  Baby  Zach




Emmy found this branch and said it would be the Christmas tree for her stuffed animals.


Nevertheless, we persevered and shoved both of them into the back of our van while Krimp drove all the kids in her car!





Boy will I be glad next year when I might have more than 7 minutes to choose a tree after waiting for an hour in line in the chilly rain just to get one!

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