I have been married to Bari for 6 Christmas's. And for 6 Christmas's there has been drama over the Christmas Tree.
When we got married, we each had our own tree. Each of us loved our own tree (and did not particularly like the others' tree). My tree was narrow and tall, kind of sparse so there could be lots of ornaments. We made new ornaments each year to put up. I had gotten it the first or second Christmas after the divorce, and we were living in a townhouse. I didn't want to bother with a real tree (had done that most of my life), and knew the benefits of an artificial tree would outweigh the strengths of a real tree.
Bari had a short(er) W-I-D-E tree. The kind you have to put the yellow branches in the yellow holes. Only most of the color codes were worn off and you just had to guess what went where. Each branch had to be carefully pulled apart and the ends tipped up a little bit so it not only held the ornaments, but looked Real. (Oh, my tree came in sections that fit together, and folded like an umbrella). Bari's big thing was that it 'looked real'. Ok. Maybe. But it was a Royal Pain to put up.
Now, I work Retail. RETAIL. I need Christmas to be fun and EASY. I don't want to miss the holiday because I work (all the time). So, I have (in the last 6 years since we have had the cable network with BYU channel), put up the tree on the first Sunday in December when the church Christmas Devotional is on. It is just long enough after Thanksgiving that I don't feel like it is Too early, but early enough that I don't feel like it is at the last minute. Yes. Lots of thought and experience has gone into this. And thus the problem.
A couple of years ago my tree finally bit the dust. It couldn't be stored well- parts of it wouldn't come apart, and that was a problem. So. We started using Bari's tree. . . . . Everyone was frustrated. The kids couldn't figure out where the branches went. When I wanted the tree put op (on the required Sunday), Bari was busy/taking a nap/not interested. Last year they actually put it up when I was at work, which was ok, but part of the problem is how hard it is to put lights on it.
Last year in January, Bari and I had a bridal show at the Convention Center downtown for 2 days. The night of the first day, we all got the flu. The second day we spent at the show running back and forth to the Restrooms. When we got home, we found all the kids sick, the tree knocked over, and the house a mess. I walked in, surveyed the living room and went to bed.
So, our cats think the tree is a giant cat toy. When they get into the tree (which they do) they knock off branches to make a place to sit. Cute? Sure, you should see the pictures.
Now . . . . all that leads me to this year. I want a Pre-lit tree. I don't want to mess with putting lights all over branches anymore. Saturday night I bought a tree. Today I returned the tree.
