With crazed shoppers everywhere we were glad to get out of town. 

We headed out for a few hours to spend the day in Ephraim.
Two weeks earlier, I discovered that there were no more Christmas tree tags in our area, and I had to call a million ranger stations to find a place that would have some left. I had to send in $20 for two tags, and just in the nick of time!

If I hadn’t send it when I did we wouldn’t have gotten a tree!

I went inside and spoke to a surly woman who had our tags and maps.
We studied the maps and figured out where we were going!

Then we waited. We found out at this point that Zac’s mom was coming out with us. 

Which was ok. We had been in the car for a while. 

Mirah was ready to run around! Dad was ready to help.

Some close ups of how happy Mirah was to play.

Karl walked on ice.

Then we found this meadow of snow!

Zac scouted ahead and found an area with some candidates. 

Karen was in love with the snow.

Ephraim down below!

After clabbering around the mountainside, the Whitmores found their tree.

We watched them…

Their tree!

Zac looking like a lumber jack!

Climbing higher through thicker trees we at last found this beauty for us! I think Zac found it.

Karl chopping it down.

Karen was with her grandma, so Krysta and Mirah hung out while we got the tree.

Like hunting, it is hard to drag things you find in the woods back to your car.

The girls.

After trudging through the mud and snow we made it back to the cars.

Our tag. 

We stopped at this hilarious diner called Ewer Satisfied Cafe.

Chef Salads, hot coco and scons. SO good. Karl had a chicken fired steak sandwich he said was to die for. We got into our cars and headed home. 

Mirah passed out HARD as soon as we got going.

Our view on the road.

Great day!
DRUM ROLL PLEASE…

Our first live Christmas tree.