First lady Michelle Obama has kicked off the holiday season at the White House by welcoming another Lehighton Christmas tree.

It's a Fraser fir grown at Bustard's Tree Farm in Towamensing Township that stands more than 18 feet tall.The tree is traditionally displayed in the Blue Room of the White House. The first lady says this year's tree will honor the military.Two days after President Barack Obama pardoned "Abe" and an alternate turkey named "Honest," the transition to Christmas was in full throttle Friday at the White House. Workers were busy putting up an array of Christmas trees inside the grounds, while the Blue Room centerpiece arrived via horse-drawn carriage.The White House Historical Association credits Lou Henry Hoover with establishing the custom of decorating an official tree in the White House.Bustard's earned the honor this July by winning the 2015 grand national championship at the National Christmas Tree Growers Convention.Bustard's may not be as familiar to local residents, because most of their trees are sold to customers in the Philadelphia area. But they have operated a farm in Towamensing Township since 1985.Bustard has about a dozen Fraser fir trees that met the specifications the White House is looking for.Jay Bustard, whose family has been selling trees since 1929, said that having a tree displayed in the White House is about the pinnacle of his business.Bustard's took the blue ribbon at the Pennsylvania Farm Show earlier this year, which gave the farm the opportunity to compete for the national crown.Jay recalled how the Myers Spruce tree that won in Harrisburg was much smaller than the average winner, which is usually just inches short of the 8-foot limit for the competition.Today, the farm has about 30,000 trees.About 1,500 of them will be sold this year.