A Christmas Adventure, Griswold's Style

Over the last couple of years, our family has found some delight in "hunting" for our family Christmas tree. We hop in the car, drive up toward Mt. Hood, and spend the day frolicking in the snow and searching for the perfect tree to cut down and bring home. After a fun filled day, we drink hot cocoa and drive home with a beautiful tree attached to the top of our car, tired and happy and looking forward to our next family adventure....  
Hmmm. At least, that's what it looks like in my head. In reality, it looks more like this....


Everything starts out as expected. Tim declares himself the "Christmas Tree Whisperer" and moseys off into the woods to find The Tree with Sydney in hot pursuit. After climbing hills and crossing streams, the Tree Whisperer subdues this beauty:

 

Being raised in the Northwest, Sydney and Alex are fascinated with the idea of snow. They find it mystical and magical and, well, simple. Snow is snow. They have no idea that there are actually types of snow; say, hard snow and soft snow. Snow that is fun to have snowball fights with and snow that you would hope wouldn't connect with your face. Here's Alex learning a lesson about snow as taught by his loving sister.

"Hey, Syd! Take that!!"                                                                    "Yeah?! Missed me! Take that!!"

 

         A black eye later, the types-of-snow lesson proves to be a hard lesson to learn for Alex. But, Tim does his best to avenge his small son...

So, with a black eye and a bruised ego later, we leave the scene of the crime and drink our hot cocoa, heading to the highway for home.  What else could possibly go wrong....?

Ah, hell.

"Hey, Tim? Just out of curiosity, did you attach the tree really well onto the car? Because, it seems to be bouncing behind us on the highway...."

We gathered that run away tree up off the highway and put it up in our living room, missing limbs, road rash and all.  I can't help but think that the Griswolds would be proud.