We almost got a real one this year since our youth group was selling them for a fund raiser, but after getting them in at the church and just cleaning up that mess I am so glad we did not do it. We did get a live wreath though and it is so pretty.

Ang if I were you I would maybe just get a table top tree and put that up, there are some really cute ones and then maybe add a few touches of Christmas like a wreath and a few poinsettias. That way you get the Christmas feel without feeling you did too much for just a few weeks.

As for the decorating, my family has always decorated on my birthday (November 20), and we’ve always had an artificial tree (see ShoeShe for details). The year my parents downsized really pissed me off, but looking back I’m not really even sure why I was so upset.

Decorate at leisure. Nothing about Christmas should be stressful. Besides, the longer you wait, the more you are forced to participate (whether you like it or not) in the season of Advent…perhaps the waiting can give you a more joyous experience and help prepare you even more for the celebration of birth to come!

As a matter of fact, we’ve had a small 4-ft artificial tree for about 8 years (remember trying to sell it at your yard sale that year, Hey You?). We’ve never lived in a big enough place to have room for a full-size tree. Now that we’re in our new house, I am frothing at the mouth to get a full-sized, pre-lit tree. I’m glad grammy mentioned the lights only working well for about a year. I wonder if that’s not the case for all pre-lit trees, ’cause my in-laws put their tree up the day after Thanksgiving and some of their lights weren’t working either. I’ll probably just get one that’s not pre-lit.

Which brings me to another dilemma. I have lots of stuff to decorate the house with for Christmas. Many of our neighbors have put lights up on their houses, and I want to be one of the people with lights on their house. I also want to put my little figurines and Christmas-themed carousel out in the house, but I kind of don’t see the point. We are always gone the entire week of Christmas. The last time I decorated for Christmas (the last time I even put up a tree) was 3 years ago when we were living in KS and my brother and his family stopped by for early Christmas.

Now I’ve gone and hijacked your blog. But seriously, my cats would try to climb the tree and/or eat the lights/ornaments. The last time we put up a tree we had to leave the bottom two feet bare (looked kinda funny, actually). I need someone to force my hand to start decorating, but then once I got started I’d get so excited and be happy that I did. Okay, I’ve got tons to do today and I can’t believe I wrote all this. Snap!!

So, we’ve just had the discussion again, real or artificial? Now the only reason to keep it is the $75 – $100 per year for the cost of the real one.

Regarding the decorating early instead of on my birthday, a tradition that stems from my childhood. I decided that too many times unpleasantness crept into the setting up the tree and I don’t want to have tension on my birthday any more. Curiously, this year we set up the tree and strung the lights (Dad and I) without an argument, and he even suggested adding 300 more lights!!!

Another reason for early decorating, we are taking Grandma and Grandpa on a road trip for several days and it would make the remaining days til Christmas too stressed if we wait til we return.

Reason for the Huckablogs not to get in a rush…less time for careful supervision of a little guy who might decide to CLIMB the tree.

Last, Dad has mellowed a bit about noisy things, but the singing snowman still got slapped around a little after The Son went home.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/NoNewWitticisms/FurTree.png

Your usage of “fur” is hilarious! It makes me picture a synthetic fur coat covered in Christmas lights and ornaments. I think we should forgo Christmas trees from now on and just decorate outerwear. A new tradition!