A Family Tradition

Every year, a day or two after Thanksgiving, the Sheffer family goes to the Book Cliffs to hunt down the perfect Christmas tree. I have grown to LOVE this tradition! It involves driving around on the four wheelers looking for this year's tree. The 2008 year was interesting because I was 8 months pregnant. We sent Ellie with her daddy on the four wheeler to find a tree. About 10 minutes later Shawn comes bag with Ellie slumped over. She had fallen asleep. So I took her and put her in the car, at which point she says to me sleepily, "I not see deer." I just laughed. Anyone who knows Shawn, knows his extreme fascination with those four legged creatures. We had spent the previous 2 hour drive into the Book Cliffs with our eyes peeled for any lifeforms in the shape of deer. So I guess deer were on her mind. After a couple hours waiting in the car, Shawn returns on the four-wheeler with a beautiful tree. We were impressed with his find and happily took it home. Here we find Ellie and Shawn contemplating the criteria for the perfect tree...