Cover your eyes

One of our Christmas traditions has died because of our move.
We have cut down our own tree for years and years
but we have moved to the desert now...
and Christmas tree farms are much harder to come by.
You can buy a pass to go into the national forest to cut down a tree
but Frank wasn't that excited about a scraggly tree for which we have to search far and wide.

So we went to a local place.
New tradition!

I failed to bring enough cash or my checkbook 

(who the heck carries a checkbook these days?)

so while Nevin and Carter went home for it,

Ryan and I hung around, making small talk with Santa.

Good times.

Carter gets the tree set up in the living room

Last night we decorated the Christmas tree.

I brought out all the old ornaments,

Turned on Christmas music,

And everyone helped.

 

Amber and the girls came up too

And Isabelle really enjoyed looking at the tree,

Carrying ornaments around,

And occasionally removing one we had just put on.

Kaylee layed happily on the carpet near the tree,

Occasionally rolling over

Laughing and smiling.

Then, later, sitting contentedly in Nevin's arms on the couch.

It was a lovely evening.

Now's where my true personality shows up.

Since no one ever wants to help with the lights

I did them all in advance by myself.

Somehow none of our old lights seem to have made it in the move.

We had tons!

And I know I gave some away...

But all of them?

So I bought the new LED lights at Costco.

Size C-6.

So biggish lights.

At first I didn't buy enough

Typical.

But Amber drove to the store for me and got me another string.

I have LEDs on the outside of the house and I like them a lot...

But this tree is not giving off that lovely Christmas glow I like so much

You know, the gentle light that makes you want to sit by the tree at night?

No

This tree has more of a neon sign, blast your eyes with light kind of look to it.

I'm seriously considering undecorating the entire tree

So that I can get new lights.

Do you think they'll all want to reassemble

for a redo?