{Tree Hunting}

We were able to do something this month that was definitely not on the agenda. The day after Thanksgiving Ryan went to put up our Christmas tree and noticed that the lights on the entire middle section of the tree weren't working. We only had the tree for 3 years so we didn't feel like that was long enough for it to not be working and decided to take it back to Costco. This is why we love Costco. Three years later we can still return it! So...we did this with the intention of turning right back around and buying the same tree from them again because they had a very similar one this year. Well, we went to grab one and they were all gone! Go figure. After doing a little research we found out all the trees had been recalled for the exact problem our tree had and that they wouldn't be getting more. We also found out that there was a hot line we could have called and they would have just sent us a new section for the tree . . .grr. I wish they would have told us that sooner.

Anyway, this left is in a bit of a predicament. It's our first Christmas being by ourselves and we had to have a Christmas tree! After much contemplation, we decided to go the "real" tree route this year and next year we will buy a fake one again.



There is a tree farm not too far from where we live so we bundled up the kiddos and headed out to pick our first real Christmas tree. We went with too high of expectations of finding the "perfect" tree and two hours later, cold and grouchy, left with a very fat, large tree. Not exactly what we had imagined, but after two hours we said forget it, closed our eyes and pointed at one. Okay, not really, but that's how done we were. There were about ten different times when we thought that's it, that's our tree, only to be disappointed when we realized someone had already tagged it :(

When we got home I started doing the two things I do best...complain and stress. Thank goodness I have a husband who knows me and how I respond to "change" or something that isn't just how I want it. He just sits back and patiently waits for it to grow on me. I hated the tree, I thought it was awful, way too big, and it was completely taking over the living room. After repositioning it, getting the decorations on it, and sleeping on it, I woke up and sure enough...it had grown on me!








Adalee had a good time putting on a few decorations and Eli enjoyed watching us from his chair ;) I now look forward to staring at our imperfect, perfect Christmas tree :) We call it our Santa Clause tree because it's nice and plump around the mid section. You can come now Christmas, we are ready!