Almost Done!

It seems like just a week ago we were pulling into the parking lot here at Safeway to begin this adventure of selling Christmas trees.  We have five days to go and we will be done.  We can't say we have been busy because we don't have anything to compare it to since we have never done this before.  But our sales this week of the Christmas trees was better than last week.  So far we have sold 221 trees with 66 trees left on the lot when we did our end of day report today.

We have met some wonderful people and have been able to share God's love and blessings with so many.  Tonight we sold a tree to a musician who plays in a Christian band.  He said he travels in a motor home over 200 days a year and just loves it.  I told him we have been living in our motor home just over four years.  It was fun to hear about some of his travels.  Who knows maybe we will meet up somewhere else down the road.


We have met many children.  They are so fun to watch.  They run up and hug the trees, yelling they have found the perfect one.  After making the tree for Kodie the other day Ron has made trees for two other kids.  They were both so excited to have their own special little trees.  Ron is so good with the children.  It warms my heart to watch him interact with them.

This is Bubby with his little tree and stand that Ron made for him.

Another happy little guy.  He was so excited to have his own Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

These two little guys got to pick out their tree.  They chose out tallest tree ~ a 10' Douglas Fir!

 And yes we have had a couple of grumpy customers.  Last night while Ron was tying a tree on a car for a customer another couple walked towards the lot.  I headed out to meet them and they did an abrupt turn around and left the lot.  I asked Ron and he said they were fighting from their car to the lot and just turned around and left.  We had a man who wanted us to sell him a $65 tree for $30.  Sorry we don't set the prices we only sell the trees.


Today we were blessed with a surprise visit from Jim & Mary Lang.  They had been in Seattle for the weekend celebrating their anniversary.  We share the same anniversary date, tomorrow, December 20th.  Tomorrow they will have been married for 37 years and we will be celebrating our 35th anniversary.  Sometimes it seems like just yesterday we were these young and dumb people madly in love and now look at us ~ we are old and quirky, doing some off the wall things and yet so still madly in love.  

Alice, Mary & Jim Lang

Ron, Mary & Jim Lang, Alice in shadow :)

We have been talking the last few days of the many things we have done over the years ~ we have moved 33 times in 35 years of marriage (that does not count all the moves in the motor home.  We count that as one move.)  We have had almost as many cars in that same amount of time.  We have traveled to Europe, have shared many laughs and tears, have had some major mountains to overcome and celebrated some wonderful joys...like having two wonderful sons who have blessed us with three tremendous grandchildren!  We are truly blessed and thank God for those blessings every day.  And we look forward to many more years together.

Tonight Chuck came by and wanted to talk to Ron about buying our flatbed trailer.  We have been wanting to sell the trailer so we can get a tow bar for the Jeep.  Also Chuck told us we can now sell the trees at a discount.  It would be nice if we could sell all the trees early in this next week so we have time to clean up the lot and then start our own Christmas celebrations.


I told you awhile back about the great birthday gift I got from my friend Dee and promised you a picture of the sign she found for us...so here it is:

Thanks Dee & Tim.  Anyone who enters our home on wheels sees this sign as it hangs right over my little kitchen window.  Thanks so much for something that fits just right!

 Out of 287 trees we had one that came with decorations already adorning the tree.  We thought this was so cool we wanted to share it with all of you.  Hope you enjoy these decorations provided by God's hands.  Isn't He wonderful to give us little gifts where we least expect them.

A Fraser Fir with its own decorations.

A close up of the cones adorning this tree.  That is Ron's hand behind them so you can see how small they are.

The other day I decided that I wanted some greenery in the motor home.  I love the smell of the different Christmas trees.  I took a heavy crystal vase that had been a gift from my mom when we got married outside to put some greenery in it.  While I was picking up a few branches the wind caught the vase and blew it to the ground shattering it into a zillion pieces.  I cried as I had had that vase for almost 35 years and now it was gone.  This afternoon Ron surprised me with my own little tree for in the motor home.  I sat it on the table and with the Christmas lights behind it, it looks very pretty.  Thanks Ron for putting an extra smile on my face tonight.

My gift from Ron.  I just love the smell of the trees in our motor home.  Thanks Honey for the special gift of love.

I guess that's all from The Wandering Workentin's tonight.  Wishing you all a great week as you put the final touches on your Christmas celebrations.  We are looking forward to finishing up here in Edmonds on Friday and then attending the Christmas Eve service at Edmonds Lutheran Church and then getting on the road next Saturday morning.  Talk to you all soon.