We went Christmas tree shopping this last weekend. We were looking for a 12′ blue spruce. Anything shorter than that looks out of place in our great room.

Our first stop offered us a 9′ Frazier Fur for $85. We thought it a little too pricey. The next stop had 10′ trees for $50 but nothing in spruce. Our next and last stop was a very modest tree farm. They offered any size tree for just $25.

Since there was about 6″ of snow at the tree farm, and we were interested in a blue spruce, the owner suggested that he cut the top out of a blue spruce right next to the driveway. We looked over the tree and decided that it would work.

Now, this tree was tall enough that we had a hard time estimating it’s height. With Kathy standing next to the tree, I estimated it at about 20′. So, we had them cut it at about 5′ off the ground. Once it was down, they cut another 3′ off of it and then loaded it on the minivan for us.

Once we got it home and put it up, we determined that it was a 16′ tree; the largest that we have ever put up. Knowing that a tree that large would easily sell for $300 in Grand Rapids, I gave the man substantially more than his $25 asking price.

He and his sons were ecstatic. Kathy and I had a warm and happy feeling all of the way home; not just because we had purchased a beautiful tree but because we had made someone else Christmas a little happier.

Oh, we also got some really strange looks as we drove down the road.