Texas, I understand how you feel..My Dh is not a Christmas person, I am and I just do what I want..I usually, back off when something or someone has an opinion that is different than mine..When it comes to the kids and grandkids..I spend MY money and get what I want for them...I know it's all in how we were brought up, His mom never even put up a tree after the boys found out there was no Santa, they would get needed things unwrapped as gifts...Socks, underwear, that type of thing..She decided when I had our first child to put up a tree and do her thing, that is when I dug in my heels and we did NOT spend both the days at her home..We spent them with my parents who knocked them selves out all year long for us..DH went along, we visited with his mom and invited her to my folks on every Christmas eve after that first time... So she was never alone, but,I learned not to keep my mouth shut if something was important to me. I don't care if Dh and I echange gifts really, we do so much during the year, but he is always Santa to me and the kids now, even though he grumps for at least two weeks about how he hates Christmas
You need to talk this over with DH gifts don't have to be bank breaking, in fact my two boys just poke each other and say see what mom made me when they open some of the gifts..Both love cookies, sooo Chocolate crinkles for the oldest and chocolate chip for the youngest, at least 5 dozen
They also love the cold package that comes from the refridgerator, a box of peppered bacon and breakfast sausages...They spend most of the night trying to sneak off with each others box...So there are lots of ways to skin a cat Texas, just figure out which end to start pulling on
Now, as for the tree, your 4 legged kiddos, need a bad boy or girl, you need a new tree and some cranberry and popcorn strung up and put on with lights and to go look in the mirror and smile at that pretty face looking back at you...I'm smiling at you now, give yourself a hug from me, Cade, Ethan, Carson and soon to be Olivia...Things will fall into place for you...
kadesma