I am an early bird with the Christmas decorations because I enjoy the holiday season to bits and want it to last as long as possible. In fact, every year we go and cut down our tree at a tree farm in Easton, Connecticut. Aside from the fun of hot cocoa, a hay ride and the debate about which of the boys gets to actually cut it down, the trees typically stay fresh for a good five or six weeks.

Until last year. Last year will be known as the Year of Two Trees.

We took our usual ride up to Easton and enjoyed all the aspects of the tree cutting extravagana. I decorated it with some help from the boys with A Christmas Story playing on the television””a must for this crowd.  Here’s a shot of it all tricked out and festive. I loved this tree! It was fat and fabulous, just like Santa.

I watered this thing twice a day and made sure it was getting enough to drink, as I do every year. Usually, the fresh cut trees last well past New Year’s Day because they haven’t been sitting on a lot for a couple of weeks already.

Not that tree.

The 2012 tree was defective. I don’t know what the heck happened but in a matter of two weeks it turned into a dry, naked bunch of sticks that rained pine needles. It had completely stopped taking in any water and had turned become a fire hazard.

So we had to un-decorate the entire thing, throw it out and get a new one.

Here’s a shot of the SECOND

Humphreys’ Family Christmas Tree from 2012.

I didn’t mind too much, in all honesty.

I love decorating the tree, so that part was fun. I could’ve done without the explosion of pine needles on the first floor but the boys helped out so it wasn’t that bad. Actually, they were more helpful decorating it the second time around and we all had a good laugh about the defective tree.

Last year’s tree drama was a fluke and this year, our tree is absolute perfection. The best part of the decorating this year was talking about the defective one and the Year of Two Trees.

Merry Christmas!!!

Sara is giving away a digital copy of Unclaimed. You know the drill. Leave a comment to be in the drawing!

Sara