Oh Christmas Tree!

The idea...we walk down two blocks to the local neighborhood Christmas tree lot, carry the tree home, decorate and celebrate. It was close.

The boys, me and Buster bundled up and headed out into the cool crisp evening. Mays chattered the whole way about the merits of the lot we were going to - the cool red barn, the pumpkins they sell for Halloween, the strawberries they sell in the summer, the twinkling lights and the closeness to our home.

The first glitch...Big sign: no credit cards accepted but we do take personal checks (what?! who does this anymore?)

The owner says they are closing up for the night but he'll wait for us. So we run home as fast as Buster's legs could go, Buster now being the slowest in the pack at a ripe age of 69. I grab the checkbook, Dallas determines we should leave Buster and we are off. Again.

It's an easy choice, there are $239 trees (OMG! Who does that?!), there are the pricey and questionable looking Spiney stick looking trees and there's my favorite section (excuse me, where are the least expensive trees located?). There were 7 to choose from, three over 5 feet tall. We wanted/needed tall and skinny, Dallas spotted it and Mays agreed and it was swept up by the cutters and I was swept inside to pay.

With cheap watering tray and wood stand nailed on we were ready to head home. When it was discovered that me and the twins were planning to carry it home the two cutters were quickly assigned to the task. So there we went, walking down the street with our tree - so fun!! Not quite as fun as if we were carrying it but realistically much easier.

Home! let the decorations begin. Shoot! Not nearly enough lights - a mad dash to two stores before success.

Home again! Lights, snow, ornaments. My favorites - the stars we made out of toilet paper tubes. They look so pretty on the tree.

An evening of running around, making ornaments, decorating the tree, and cramming in some quickly made dinner comes to an exhausting end. The boys are well asleep, I'm cleaning up the hurricane that hit the house.

Second glitch. Cleaning up the needles I discover the water container the tree guy said I had to have leaks. Well, no duh right? They put a nail through it into the tree stump. Why in the world do they think this is a good idea? I carefully move the tree, pull out the towel (I was somewhat prepared), soak up the water, which thankfully I'd only put 2 cups in so far. New towel, dried carpet, tree back in place.

Oh but far from looking like it did originally. It's like the leaning tower of Pisa. I can hardly believe it hadn't toppled over on me. Towel wedging, careful nudging and jiggling and somehow success.

Love it!! It's going to be dry very soon but it smells and looks great now. If it starts to turn brown I figure I'll spray snow all over it and have a frosted tree. Now I just have to make the tree skirt.