The "Perfect" Tree

Yep. I wouldn't have even known it, but after Danielle and I spotted this tree on the side of the road on our way to Mullan, just calling out our names, she turned to me and asked..."Mommy, is this the "PERFECT" tree for you??". And I said "Yes, actually it is, Danielle".

So all of that talk got me thinking about years ago, when Joe and I were going to have a winter wedding, because I NEEDED a winter wedding, I couldn't be happy without tons of snow on my wedding day, tons of perfect Christmas trees with hundreds of sparkly white lights on them, beautiful evergreen centerpieces with candles, colorful holly with red berries on the wedding cake, and I could go on and on. So, lucky for me, the snow just piled up before our wedding on that December day. There was more snow that year than there had been for many years before in Mullan. And it was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Just what I had prayed for. Snow.

So a couple days before my big day, when my dad, my uncle buddy and I were out by the park hunting for five Christmas trees to decorate the church and the reception hall, I just couldn't find the "perfect" one. I had them up to their calves in snow, trying to maneuver around in their jeans and coats, searching high and low for the right one. "Is this one good?" They would say. "NO, it needs to be fluffier!!", I would say. And then to the next one.."It needs to be taller", and to the next one "It needs to be shorter", "It needs to be bigger...". And so on they would go, searching for the one that might meet my qualifications. And finally, after at least an hour of going from beautiful tree, to beautiful tree, we agreed on five. The search was over. We did it. Well, I guess I should say "they" did it. And the trees WERE perfect. They couldn't have been more beautiful. And when I think back now, I wish I wouldn't have been so picky, I wish I would have made it a little easier on them that day, but because of that day, and because of the way they happily searched on, even though I know they were tired and cold, I truly know how much they cared for me, and how much they wanted me to be happy on my special day. And I just hope they knew that because of them, I was.