Tree Drama

Last year we came home to the U.S. for Christmas. The day after Christmas my parents watched all the kids while Paul, Cristy, Andy, and I hit the sales. Top on our list (well, really the only thing on our list) was a pre-lit Christmas tree. My parents were willing to store it for us until we got home for good. We found one at Lowe's and it was a steal. Normally $300, it was marked down to $75. A great deal - especially for a tree with 1000 lights. Happiness is, right????

So, fast forward to this Christmas season... We got home from spending Thanksgiving weekend with my parents on Sunday night. We had hauled the Christmas tree home with us of course. So, that Sunday evening we were going to set-up the tree, fluff it a bit, and be set... Easy peasy! Well, not so much. We soon discovered that 1 whole strand of lights was out and 3 other strands only partially worked. After trying to change out lights and fuses Sunday evening, nothing worked. To try and make a long story short, the next few days weren't pretty. Lowe's wouldn't do anything for us because they have a 90-day return policy. So, I ended up taking off the strands of lights that didn't work and restrung lights just like they had been. In the end it looks great and it was worth it. But boy were my arms and hands all scratched. That's some tough work! And if we set up the tree next year and more lights are out, I think I'm just going to cry... But we are hoping for the best. Lesson learned though - a pre-lit tree isn't always easier... And if you are thinking of buying a tree on clearance this year, set up and check it out even though Christmas is over! You never know...

So, after four days of work, Andy took some video while the girls started to decorate:

The next morning I was able to snap this picture as the girls continued to decorate and rearrange: