Timber!
Here is an idea, How about dropping the trees for your families safety and your peace of mind. Leave about 8 to 10 feet standing, and have a chainsaw carver give you a quote to carve something onsite to honor the majestical pines.
You can take the rest of the tree and cut it into lengths for running through a sawmill and after that block up the smaller pieces for campfire wood.
By not using the bottom 8 to 10 feet you will avoid the usual hardware found in "yard" trees, which your sawmill operator will appreciate.
Depending on your chainsaw skills you could even carve out a cool looking chair or two, if you wanted something simple. If you do decide to leave the standing sections for a carving here are a few tips:
-peel the bark off of the tree as soon as it is cut. 1.) it will peel a lot easier while the sap is still flowing and 2.) you will lessen the chance of wood borers and other insects from infesting the standing log. Usually there is a discoloration in the underlying wood if there is metal in the tree, ie clothesline hooks, nails from hanging a plant, etc
-After the upper portion of the tree is cut off, recut the top surface on an angle so water will run off and not saturate the remaining tree and add to premature decay. You might even want to paint the top surface if the remaining tree will sit for a while so the tree dries out uniformly,and has less of a tendency to crack severely
- I don't know how bad woodborers are by you, but we either have to spray or peel our sawlogs to keep insects out of them
What ever you decide to do with your trees, I most assuredly would recommend cutting them for your families' safety, and plant some other trees in their stead. So many times you see such dangerous yard trees that have outgrown their usefulness as a windbreak or shade tree and are just a liability. Good luck and be safe. Do not be afraid to bring in outside help if the trees are too big to handle.-ken