Deck the Halls......

Even though there are only 10 days until Christmas, our decor is all up.

Here is the reality of it all...

Last year, after Christmas, we boxed up our FOUR YEAR OLD tree and took it back to Costco.  75% of the lights had burned out (as they most certainly should have).  But, Raleigh was disgusted and felt that Costco should take it back.  I waited in the eating area, far, far away pretending not to be associated with him as he talked to the Returns Girl.  She called the manager over, who immediately pulled up our "executive account" and after seeing the MASSIVE amounts of money we spend in that freaking store.....

promptly returned our money and apologized profusely.  

I ran over to Raleigh, threw my arms around his neck....so proud to be his wife.

I made him promise that he would put that money in a jar and save it for next Christmas.

And he did.

We were at Costco the day they put the new Christmas Tree Line up with our saved money in our hot little hands... but they weren't the same trees as in years past.  

They were skinny and unimpressive. 

And we put off buying it, and put it off and put it off.

Until December 10th.  When we couldn't wait any longer or Peyton was going to "pack up her stuff and go live with another family.... with a tree."

We set out to buy a REAL tree.  And got as far as the gas station where OUR STUPID CAR JUST DIED.  And we have nearly the biggest car there is and poor Raleigh had to push me into a parking space while I tried to turn the steering wheel with no power steering... and I'm pretty buff, but I could hardly budge it.  And I considered letting tears come out because I was so exhausted and frustrated.  Not to mention, it was the coldest I have ever been and for crying out loud I went to Ricks for two years and we sat, huddled together waiting for Dad to come rescue us.  I think it was only 12 minutes, but it felt like we had been stranded victims for days.  I leapt out of our car and ran to Daddy's super warm and clean truck while they tried to jump our car... with no success.  

Dad then came up with the brilliant idea that we just needed to take him home and then take his car to finish our errands.  We were beat and defeated and were depressed with the thought of... on top of everything else.... we were now going to have to come up with the money to fix our humongous car, where no repair is cheap.

We ran to Lowes.  We were two Popsicles.  I was violently shaking.  Raleigh was, of course Mr. Positive, happy, laughing about our situation, saying "this is so typical of us, why should this have gone smoothly?  I freakin' love you" he said as he looked over at me and I was holding my face in my hands on the verge of a total nervous breakdown.

We grabbed the first 9 foot tree that we saw and threw it in the back of Dad's truck.  We didn't even care what it looked like and we went home. 

Luckily for our sorry butts, it ended up being a beautiful tree

Christmas Miracle #1

And our car repair...  ended up being a dead battery.  Easy and cheap fix, relatively speaking

Christmas Miracle #2

And we were able to purchase the LAST three boxes of tree lights that were NOT that sickenly awful LED color that seems to be the Christmas Tree Light of the future.... and unfortunately makes me feel sick to my stomach.  I can't describe why.  I simply hate it.  But we were saved for one more year.

Christmas Miracle #3

 This was the only moment that the entire tree was decorated. 

As it is now.....  the bottom half of the entire tree is completely undecorated.

And the red balls are in Ryker's toy box all chipped up and dented.  And forget wrapping presents and putting them under there.  JUST FORGET IT.  It ain't happenin', Jack.

Blah.....

 I adjusted and readjusted and fluffed the bow and sticks

 Kaleigh said she was a present and laid under the tree

 And we sat by the fireplace for the rest of the night

And ended the night with a REAL DATE...  to a REAL THEATER to see a NEW MOVIE.
We saw Catching Fire....  and I will be flogged for saying this....  but I hated it.  I was so disappointed.  I know I am the ONLY person who feels this way, so I will not go on and on about it.  But I was so sad.