Michelle Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha and the family's two dogs have accepted an 18-and-a-half-foot Douglas fir as the official White House Christmas tree.
The tree was presented to the first lady by Christopher Botek, a second-generation Christmas tree farmer from Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton, Pa.
The tree was hauled up the driveway by horse-drawn wagon and is destined for the Blue Room. There it will stand tall as the main attraction of White House Christmas decorations.
An army of volunteer decorators and White House staffers will participate in a weekend marathon of tree trimming, wreath hanging and other holiday decorating to transform the building in time for a preview of the decorations that's set for Wednesday afternoon.
