Wednesday, December 5, 2012

o christmas tree(s)

Ever since we moved into this house 5.5 years ago, we've talked about putting up a second Christmas tree in our sunroom. The conversation usually went like this:

C: We should really put a second tree up in our sunroom.
D: Yeah.

But we never did. Because let's face it, decorating the house for Christmas is kind of a chore. There, I said it. Sure, I have the same Norman Rockwellian vision that everybody does of all of us drinking hot cocoa while Christmas carols play in the background and we take turns picking out that perfect branch for a favorite ornament, but the scenes where the kids nearly come to blows at the Christmas tree lot over which tree to pick and a coin flip is finally needed to settle it, or where an ornament bites the dust roughly every three minutes, are conspicuously absent from Norman's paintings. But once it's actually done, I could swear that it was nothing but hot cocoa and carols for us -- that's the magic of Christmas!

Anyway, we got married in November, and David informed me right before our first Christmas that he preferred large colored lights on the Christmas tree. He waited until after we were married to tell me that. Because I loved him, I acquiesced, and even went so far as to go into a Walmart in December to procure said lights. That's love. And ever since, we've had big honking lights on the Christmas tree. They've totally grown on me over the years, but when we moved into this house and suddently had a big empty room off the back, I saw my opportunity for a Christmas tree with dainty white lights. And this was the year that we stopped talking and started doing. So now we have party in the front:

Business in the back:

I went all white and gold on the business Christmas tree. I love it. But I love the party tree too. And the kids have cute little tabletop tinsel trees from Target in their rooms, so there's really a tree for every mood and personality type in our house this year.

3 comments:

Nancy/n.o.e said...

I love both trees! Your sunroom looks so classy with that dignified tree. The first year we were in this house, I had a big tree in the back (colored lights, but small), a white lights tree in the front window, and each girl had a tree in her room (Jenni's was filled with hot pink ornaments). It was fun, but we haven't had a 4-tree repeat in the intervening decade.

Pamela said...

Love the second tree. So pretty and good for you, since you have the space. Those big lights remind me of being a kid. Good memories! And as for the decorating...I have those same sweet visions. Never works out, tho. This year, it was fighting and stress and a little punishment before the fake tree was even put together. We pulled it together in time for the ornaments to be hung in peace and harmony. :)

Kayte said...

I agree with David on the big lights, and that is how we started having more trees. One with big lights and nothing but the glass bulb ornaments and candy canes...if it fell over no big deal, if the kids accidentally passed a football into it, no big deal, if a cat climbed to the top and needed to be rescued, no big deal. It's in our family room by the fireplace. Then came the tree in the front room that had all our travel ornaments and ones we did not want broken by cats and kids and romping dogs. They all pretty much don't occupy that area, so it was a nice peaceful quiet place to enjoy a little Christmas when the house was a bit less busy at night. Then came the big tree in the foyer that is silver and gold and white that has nothing but religious-oriented themes. It's stunning when people enter. The boys each had a little table top tree in their rooms with Disney ornaments, etc. We have a tree problem here. lol And we enjoy them all. This year I thought about just putting up one and they were all horrified. Your trees are beautiful!

 
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