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A Christmas tree already? Why some in the DC area have theirs up

Molly leads the way with her husband Andrew pulling their Christmas tree behind at Butler’s Orchard. (百花视频/Jimmy Alexander)
Molly serves in the U.S. Navy while her husband Andrew is in the U.S. Army. The two were recently stationed in D.C. (百花视频/Jimmy Alexander)
Michael McCabe and Ally Wagner brought their kids to Butler’s Orchard to pick out a Christmas tree. (百花视频/Jimmy Alexander)
Ally Wagner and Michael McCabe, along with daughter Guinevere. They have made Butler’s Orchard one of their Christmas traditions. (百花视频/Jimmy Alexander)
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A Christmas tree already? Why some in the DC area have theirs up

Is it too early for a Christmas tree?

Thanksgiving is still days away, but that didn鈥檛 stop some from loading their families in the car and heading out to get this year鈥檚 Christmas tree.

鈥淐onsidering Thanksgiving is early, we decided to get ours early,鈥 Ally Wagner said. 鈥淪o, ever since we moved to D.C., we鈥檝e been coming every year to get a real beautiful Christmas tree.鈥

For the last five years, Wagner and her husband Michael McCabe have made in Germantown, Maryland, part of their holiday tradition.

This year, their young children ran up and down the rows of trees until they found the perfect one.

鈥淲e always try to get an 8-foot Fraser fir,鈥 said McCabe.

While Wagner held her daughter Guinevere in her arms, she laughed as she remembered the special surprise they found in their tree two years ago.

鈥淲e got a Christmas tree that had an old bird’s nest still in it. Luckily no bird was still living in the tree. We considered it a good-luck charm and we kept it in the tree,鈥 explained Wagner.

While Wagner and McCabe鈥檚 yearly visits to Butler鈥檚 Orchard is a well established tradition, another couple making their first trip to the farm are both members of the military.

Andrew was dragging a tree as he followed his wife Molly, who was pushing their daughter in a stroller.

鈥淲e just cut down our first Christmas tree with our baby girl,鈥 said Andrew, who serves in the Army. Andrew鈥檚 wife Molly is a member of the Navy, and this is their first Christmas living in Maryland.

Andrew grew up in Washington State, while Massachusetts is Molly鈥檚 home state.

Andrew told 百花视频 that both he and his wife grew up cutting down their own Christmas trees.

鈥淲e are both continuing the tradition in our family now,鈥 said Andrew. 鈥淚t was awesome. It was a little bit harder than we thought. We brought our old saw which was a little duller than the ones they have here.鈥

As Molly and Andrew headed to the crew at Butler鈥檚 to prepare their tree for the ride home, Molly mentioned that her experience today was less stressful than Andrew鈥檚.

鈥淚t was great, I didn鈥檛 do any of the heavy lifting,鈥 said Molly. 鈥淢e and baby girl just watched dad do all the hard work.

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Jimmy Alexander

Jimmy Alexander has been a part of the D.C. media scene as a reporter for DC News Now and a long-standing voice on the Jack Diamond Morning Show. Now, Alexander brings those years spent interviewing newsmakers like President Bill Clinton, Paul McCartney and Sean Connery, to the 百花视频 Newsroom.

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