Let it snow.....Let it snow.....

You may be wondering where I've been, what rock I've been hiding under or what planet I zoomed off to.  I swear I try so hard to update my blog and keep it current but I find myself scrambling for some free time to do it in.

It's been busy around here folks, super busy.  I've been running around enrolling my kids in Connections Academy and when I'm not doing that, I'm doing housework and paying bills and doing groceries and preparing for Christmas.

Yesterday we got to head up to Flagstaff to get our own Christmas tree.

Plans never go as you imagine, matter of fact I think I can count on my hands the times that we've planned something and actually had it happen exactly as we envisioned.  But, we've long learned that when they don't, it's for a reason and usually something much better than we anticipated.

So it happened this weekend.  Our plan was to drive up to Flagstaff, go to the Arizona Cut your Own Tree Farm, find the most beautiful tree and then enjoy some fun in the snow.

We LOVE snow, having come from Idaho, we MISS snow, so this was something we were all dying to do.

We were also going to spend the night at a hotel and then explore Flagstaff a little more and head back home.

Didn't happen.  Why?   Because for starters, there was hardly any snow in Flagstaff, you could find some here or there but it was just disappointing.  Then we find the place to cut your own tree and we're envisioning it to be sort of a farm or something with acres of trees and yadda yadda.  Nope......it's a little tree lot with the saddest looking trees we had ever seen.

So no snow, no tree and very sad, disappointed kids and parents.  We decided right then and there that it was pointless to stay overnight, we should just head back home and find a tree somewhere else.

Then we remembered, on the way in, we drove by a Tree Lot and it seemed to have some pretty decent trees for sale, what would it hurt?

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  The minute we drove up, Curt and I focused in on the most stunning tree, just standing there against the truck.  My thought was "this is going to be expensive and I really don't want to spend too much money".

WRONG!  Not only was the tree way cheaper than it would have been at the other place, but the one we fell in love with was not yet sold.

And right next to the tree lot?  A small accumulation of snow that kept the kids entertained for quite a while.

Nothing says snow like a good snowball to the head HA!

And the favor is always returned.

Right as we were leaving Flagstaff, we made a quick stop at Fort Tuthill's Luke AFB Recreational Area.  We saw the most stunning sunset, surrounded by pine trees and the scent of pine cones and quite a bit of snow for the kids to play in.

And here she is, our beautiful Christmas tree.  I don't think these pictures will do it justice, it absolutely leaves us breathless everytime we see it. 

Can you see that the angel is right up against the ceiling?  It's ONE tall gorgeous tree.

So yes, our plans may not have gone as wished, but it couldn't have worked out any better, we came home content, tired and thankful.