Oh Christmas Tree...

Russ and I have an odd-orable Christmas tree. And there's a story behind it.

Flashback to our first married Christmas (2007).

December 2007 we were paying for a condo in St. George, an apartment in San Marcos, and our first house payment. To be frank: Money was TIGHT! It was a month of transitions and we counted our house as a Christmas gift to each other.

The residual effect was that we had no money for a Christmas tree. Or lights, or anything! I thought we should try to get a little something to celebrate. I had borrowed a tiny Christmas tree for a lesson at church (it was about 4 inches tall). I asked the lady who lent it to me if I could borrow it for Christmas.

This sweet, elderly lady was quite dismayed that we were about to have our first married Christmas without a tree. She told me to stop by her house and she'd get something together for me.

2007

2008

2009

2010

I will never forget her kindness. Sounds cheesy, or whatever, but it was nice to have a tree. And we still use this tree. It's fake, it's maybe 6 ft. tall, it's not pre-lit, and most of the ornaments are second hand.

Oh, and the lights only work if our little elf is plugged in working on his shoe. So.. it also makes noise. I'll have to make a video of this guy and post it on here this weekend. It's hard to explain the elf.

But I LOVE it!!!