President Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet 2018 White House Christmas tree

Maria Puente | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trumps welcome White House Christmas tree President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, have received the official White House Christmas tree. Trump and the first lady accepted a 19-and-a-half-foot Fraser fir that was grown on a North Carolina farm owned by Larry Smith. (Nov. 19)

First lady Melania Trump, wearing yet another plaid coat but in holiday red, greeted the official White House Christmas Tree delivered to the North Portico on Monday.

Oh, and President Donald Trump was there, too, for the annual FLOTUS duty of inspecting the humongous Fraser fir.

But not their son, Barron, 12, who accompanied his mother to the tree-arrival festivities last year for the Trumps' first Christmas in the White House. This year, he was still at school, according to the first lady's office.

The White House pool report on the event said the Trumps emerged from the White House door at 1:12 p.m., as the horse-drawn cart with the tree pulled up.

Holding hands, the two circled the tree and posed for pictures as the Marine Band played holiday music and guests and reporters looked on.

At one point, POTUS could be seen patting the enormous behind of one of the enormous horses pulling the tree cart.

By 1:16 p.m., the Trumps were back inside the White House, the pool report said.

The first lady, 48, was dressed in a red tartan plaid cape coat (possibly by Michael Kors) over black suede knee-high boots with surprisingly (for her) sensible heels.

It was the fourth plaid or checked coat she's worn in public in the last few weeks, including couture coats by Bottega Veneta and Burberry. Capes and coats flung over her shoulders are a signature look for the former fashion model-turned-first lady.

The tree, which came from North Carolina, looked like it always looks during these White House ritual arrivals, trussed up on the back of a cart, not yet adorned with the holiday glam decor that only the White House curators and decorators can bestow.

The tree, at 19.5 feet, is a Mountain Top Fraser Fir from Newland, N.C., and was nurtured by Larry Smith, dubbed a "Grand Champion Grower" by the National Christmas Tree Association.

The tree will be on display in the Blue Room of the White House through the holiday season.

On Tuesday, Trump posted a video on her Twitter account capturing the tree delivery and the work later by White House staff to move the tree indoors and upright.

We received the @WhiteHouse Christmas tree yesterday! It will grace the Blue Room throughout the season – hope you will come to the People’s house to see it! pic.twitter.com/nP8J7vJNv9 — Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) November 20, 2018

Also on Tuesday, the Trumps participated in the annual turkey-pardoning ceremony: A big juicy bird named "Peas" was spared with a presidential pardon. The first lady wore another striking coat featuring a striking pattern of lines and colors that looked like a modern-art painting.

Barron was absent from the brief ceremony. Like his teen predecessors in the White House, Malia and Sasha Obama, he may not be a fan of turkeys – or at least not the goofy pardoning ritual.

Later Tuesday, the Trumps left the White House to jet off to Florida to consume the annual Thanksgiving feast at their Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.