Ich verfluche dich Weihnachtsbaum

...which in English translates to, "I curse you Christmas tree."  But, I needed to write it in German because the tree is German and I want to make darn sure it understands EXACTLY what I'm saying.

So, I get the tree in the tree stand and then cut the nylon netting they put around it and its STUCK in the exact same shape.  Literally frozen like that.  I just had to laugh.  How appropriate.

(They were cuter than the tree so I decided to take a picture of them instead.)
 

I took the broom to it.  Whapping at the branches to get the frozen beads off...and the snow off...and to make them start to pull downward and fill out some....and I got it pretty good...

But then started some of the other problems.  It was sooo cold outside that the snow and ice was jus stuck on the branches...I tried to let it melt off...but that didn't work so I knew I'd have to bring it inside the house and then let them melt off...

And so I did...note all the towels around the base?  It took about 2 hours, but it finally all melted and the tree dried enough that I felt comfortable putting on the lights.  Look...it filled out more too!

And then began the decorating...first the lights...

The girls INSISTED on putting the rope lights on the tree.  Normally I wouldn't do it...I mean it looks a little ridiculous, but beh...who really cares?

 And then it fell down.  Not once...not twice, but THREE times this dang tree fell down.

And broke John's Czech Republic Pilsner ornament...

And made Maddie cry.  And so I tied it up with yarn.  (you thought I was joking...didn't you...)

And then the "ornamenting" began.  (That was Maddie's word...she's been excited to "ornament" the tree all day.)

The box of ornaments...

Look Mom!  Sparklies!

Bella hanging her first ornament

The girls "ornamenting" the tree

And when it was all done I had to just stand back and laugh....check out the bottom row of branches...

How many ornaments can you fit on one branch?  :)

And even though this was a job that took the ENTIRE afternoon and left one child in tears and made the other extremely grumpy and hungry...

When our neighbor came visiting she said, "Oh wow....this tree looks very loved."

HA HA HA.

I'll take that as a compliment.