O, Christmas Tree

When I was growing up it was a tradition to visit the tree lot, located at BK's stop-n-shop at the end of town, to pick out the Stream Family Christmas tree. I will never forget the year this tradition came to a screeching halt. My Dad brought us all into the living room, sat us down on the couch and told us with a very excited look on his face that we would not be getting a real tree this year, but instead would be purchasing a fake tree. My siblings and I looked at each other not understanding the words that were coming out of his mouth. This must be some kind of joke. That would be like dishing up plastic food at Thanksgiving. Surely this was the beginning of a very sick joke. We waited....still no punchline. We all, as if on cue, started to tear up. The look of 7 kids with tears in their eyes over a Christmas tree must have been too much and my Dad let out a chuckle. Well, that did it. The waterworks began and for the next hour we tried to bargain, beg, and plead to my parents for a real tree. I am actually surprised this didn't work, because my Dad was sort of known to give in where stuff like this was concerned.  Stuff like 6 crying girls.  From that day forward there was no real tree. The parents and the synthetic imposter had won.

Fast forward to this year when Kevin casually mentions that maybe we should get a real tree. I get all excited. Cautiously excited mind you because just as easily as the suggestion comes out, it tends to be forgotten it was even suggested. Or, a spreadsheet would be put together and during a family home evening of bar graphs and pie charts, we would be told: "It's just not economical". So, I wait. A few weeks go by and still no mention of a tree. I decide to take it upon myself to organize a Family Home Evening to the tree lot where we will pick one out. I mistakenly do not discuss this with Kevin, but decide to surprise him with the plan when he walks in the door from work. It did not go over well. This coupled with a few other issues sends my perfect plan into chaos. I tell him we are going with or without him. We all go get in the car, Kevin included. Halfway to the tree lot, we turn around and head back home. He has had enough. We pull into our driveway. I tell him to please hop out, (this isn't exactly what I said) I will take the kids by myself. He gets irritated, gets back into the car, and we are once again on our way to pick out our Christmas tree. When we get there it is freezing, and very muddy, but the trees are gorgeous!!! I want to break out into song (I actually did, "in my mind". It was "A Whole New World" from Aladdin). I ask him if he has cash for the tree. He says no. I ask him if he has rope to tie the tree to the car. He says no. He tells me I should be more prepared. I say thank you for the reminder, I will be next time (this isn't exactly what I said). We all go home empty handed.

After arriving home, I send him on an errand which takes him a good 1 1/2-2 hours. I am starting to get worried. It is now 9:30 p.m. The doorbell rings. I run down to get the door and it's my wonderful husband and my beautiful real tree! I shout, "Kev! It's the most beautiful tree I've ever seen!" Once again, for the second time in my life, I tear up over a Christmas tree. But this time, it's also because a loving husband wanted his wife to be happy, and she was.