It’s been 6 years since we’ve had a Christmas tree. Well, we have a little tiny one that we pull out every year, and the kids love decorating it, but that’s not a real tree, that all of our memory-ornaments fit on.

This is part of our 100 Things in 2017 challenge. Click on the photos for a closer look!

So this year we decided to do it right. We went to a local tree farm, borrowed a saw, and tromped around looking for the perfect one. We found one that was just the right height, and perfectly sparse, so we cut it down, took it to the shaker, strapped it to the top of the car, and drove it home.

Now, we couldn’t just park this tree in the corner. We have pugs, which are not the smartest breed, and who wear their eyes sticking out further than their noses. When your tree has spines, you can’t just let them wander around and smell it. Plus, Hank likes to mark things.

So we elevated our tree. Our new house has a cavernous living room, so we have plenty of vertical space. And if it takes a tall person standing on the very top of a ladder to install the star, well, that’s the price we pay.

Here’s the finished result. It’s really tall. And lovely, and cheerful, and full of memories.