Fun Times with the Silvas: Happiness and Cheer

It was not my intention to have another modified Christmas season this year. Last year, we were awaiting the joyful arrival of Elisa. While excited beyond belief, anyone who has witnessed (either first or secondhand) a woman in her final hours of pregnancy can understand my limited enthusiasm for going full throttle on Christmas. Well, this year we are slightly limited yet again. I am dealing with a ruptured plantar fascia in my foot and Diego is dealing with a one year old and an injured wife. My dear husband tried to make a family outing of cutting down a tree on the very day I was injured (prior to the offending tennis tournament that got us into this pickle in the first place).

"It's too early! We'll have time next weekend..."

Famous last words... So instead of reminding him of the "I told you so" moment, I tried a different approach. I was trying to be sensitive to the fact that I would be absolutely no help cutting/getting/decorating a tree this year, despite the fact that I absolutely love a large, fragrant conifer spending the better part of December in my living room. I thought it just might be too much for Diego to take on (in addition to acting as my nurse/waiter/chef/dishwasher/babysitter/husband). As such, I first suggested we get a Norfolk Island Pine to make it all a bit more manageable. I liked that we could keep this potted tree around past the holidays and I would be able to sneak in yet another houseplant! I showed Diego some Google image search results and he commented that it looked like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree, so that was a big no. I then suggested putting up the small artificial tree we usually put up downstairs (a relic of our first apartment in Buffalo). Diego agreed, but stalled quite a few days, despite continuing to comment that we needed to get a tree up. He finally confessed that he wanted a live cut tree and that we would just have to figure it out. So, the three of us and crutches piled into the car last weekend and ventured out to find some already cut trees (Diego's request so I wouldn't have to hobble through rows of trees on a farm), preferably locally grown (my request). It wasn't long before we found just what we were seeking. And these trees did not get shipped in from North Carolina or Washington (gasp!). They were in fact New York and Pennsylvania trees.

And so I had to get this adventure documented despite it not being the typical idyllic wintry outing to which we are usually accustomed. And normally I might gripe that Mother Nature did not give us snow as a photo prop, but my less-than-able body is thankful it was a balmy 45 instead.

Merry Christmas to all!

Had to get the darn crutch in the photo despite my obvious effort to move it out of the frame...

"Look Elisa, we pick the tree and this guy does all the work!"

This man might not have understood my holiday photo preferences, but he sure knows how to ensure a tree stands nice and straight. He carved the trunk like he was in an ice sculpture competition!