The day in which I got a free Christmas tree

Go ahead.  Read that again...yes, you read it right.  I got a free Christmas tree today.  Normally, the boys and I get a Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving, but we were in Houston this year.  Then,, I went back to Houston two weeks later, and didn't want to come home to a dried out tree, so I decided to wait.  It was a total gamble, because it was slim pickings, but it ended up working out just fine.

For the past couple of years, we've gotten our tree from a home improvement store, and always had really good luck.  First, I went to a Christmas tree lot, and while they had a ton of trees, they weren't really that pretty and they were ridiculously overpriced.  Sorry, but I don't know anyone who'd be willing to pay $115 for a 5-6' tree.  Stupid!  After that, I went back to the home improvement store and was extremely disappointed with their selection.

I went back to the car and googled other locations.  I headed to Lewisville where the same store had some decent(ish) trees until you turned them and saw the brown spots...but they were 50% off.  I headed across the street to a competitor and walked into a tent full of the smell of Christmas.  I wandered around for a while just breathing deep, until the tree guy was free.  I explained that the trees across the street were less, and asked if he would honor that.  He said they weren't supposed to, but he would because I asked.

I didn't even flirt.  Score one for Aubrey.

I went to go pay for it, and the woman gave me a little grief.  She said she'd do it, but she went over and griped at the guy first.  He got out the chainsaw to cut a little off the trunk for me, and the chainsaw stalled.  He asked if he could go clean it off a little first, and I said that was fine.  I mean...I was getting a 7.5' tree for $16.  I can be a little patient.  An hour later, and after talking to the woman who rang me up for 20 minutes, she told me to go inside to customer service, tell them I changed my mind, and request a refund.  When I looked at her with a puzzled look, she said she would give me the tree for free.

Um, don't tell me twice!  He (eventually) came back, hacked a piece of the trunk off, clipped some limbs for me, and tied it to my roof.  I went to pick the boys up from school, and they both walked out, then stopped and said, "WHOA!" when they saw the tree on top of the car.  We got it upstairs, and I proceeded to attempt to get the thing straight in the tree stand for at least 32 minutes while N looked up good ways to keep the tree fresh. 

After telling me we need horticultural iron (pass), we decided to make a corn syrup-type mixture and add it to some warm water.  I got the thing straight, and we went to grab our Christmas tree decorating meal.  Usually, we have Whataburger, but N suggested Chick-Fil-A, so that's what we chose.  As we watched "Mickey's Christmas Carol" and the boys ate, I started putting lights on the tree. 

Except, then I noticed that only half of one string of lights was actually working.  Super!  Off to Target!  I got three strings of lights, but I think it might need a little more.  What do you think?

 

Not bad for a free Christmas tree, huh?  It smells so Christmas-y in here, too.  I can't wait to put the ornaments on tomorrow.

Since we finally got a tree put up, I could move the tubs of Christmas stuff off to one side so I could reach the fireplace.

 

 Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care, on our engraved reindeer stocking hangers, and our basket of Christmas books and puzzles are next to the fireplace.  The gifts we have wrapped so far are stacked in another corner, waiting for the ornaments so they can go under the tree.

It's really beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here, and I'm so excited about it!  Now, I'm off to bed so I can spend the day with a bunch of over-excited puppies, I mean first graders, tomorrow!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Aubs