Christmas Tree and Lights

So, I'm way behind. I still want to 'log' these pictures though, and know that looking back

I won't care that I posted them on the next to last day of January.

We get a live tree every year. Some may see it as frivilous, or messy, or a pain. It works for us.

We love the smell of it, and since we don't have a lot of extra storage, it eliminates

the task of finding a spot for an artificial tree 11 months out of the year.

It also makes for a fun outing as a family.

No regrets here!

We were going to go to an actual tree farm this year, but time got short and

we decided to just do what was easiest, and cheapest. We went to Menards.

I know it loses some of it's luster to do it this way, but we still had fun.

Here are a few pictures of the boys playing with the lights while we were testing them.

Yup, I'm in love with these two little men!

Here's the irony of these pictures. We tested the lights, as always, to make sure they worked.

We lit the tree and decorated it, but after only a few days the top strand stopped working.

Jason INSISTED that we go buy a new strand, but being the frugal mama that I am,

I talked him into waiting until after Christmas to buy them.

There must've been a short in the wiring, because they would work randomly,

but then go back out.

We got 8 years of use of of the lights, so I guess we can't complain too much!

The best part about Menards? The ATV's sitting out front.

It was freezing this morning, but the boys still wanted to sit in the ATV while they waited

for daddy to load the tree.

See?!?! Isn't this fun?!?!