I fought the tree and....

I won! Our sunday school teachers were talking about how their biggest fights throughout the years of their marriage have revolved around the Christmas tree. This year Allyn and I were at peace...it was the tree that I was fighting with. We picked out the tree easily and even got it into the stand without any major drama. The girls had a wonderful time unwrapping all the ornaments and lining them up in the floor. The next step was for me to put on the lights. This is where it got hairy. Since Allyn thinks that putting lights on the tree means simply wrapping them around and around until you get to the bottom, I agreed that he was better off sitting on the couch watching t.v. while I took my time getting them exactly how I wanted them. It was pleasant and relaxing until I got to the bottom and realized I had the female end of the plug instead of the male end. Trying to help me not come unglued, Allyn calmly strolled over to investigate the situation. He then pointed out to me that I had started the lights out in the wrong direction all the way at the top on my second strand. UGH!!! You can imagine what happened next....I took all of my perfectly placed lights off and re-strung. Yipee, I made it to the bottom with the right end of the plug. It was showtime. As I plugged them in, Allyn started laughing. Laughing??? I was ready to cry. The middle strand wasn't working. Allyn suggested that I just go on to bed and tackle this project in the morning. Go to sleep now? I think not! I was at war and determined to win no matter how long it took me. Third time was a charm, and I was in business. I won the battle with the tree, though my head didn't hit the pillow until way after midnight. An artificial, pre-lit tree may be on my wish list for next Christmas.