Light Bright

Let me tell you about my husband, Brian.  He is IMPOSSIBLE to buy for.  He had two items on his Christmas list this year and two weeks before Christmas he bought both of those items for himself.  I had no comment.

I rack my brain each and every birthday, Christmas, holiday that involves a gift to try to come up with something that I think he will love, and each and every birthday, Christmas, holiday that involves a gift, I end up scrambling.

It was no different this year, but in the wee days before Christmas, I had an ingenious idea: exterior lighting!

(Brian talked about adding lights to the house multiple times, so why not surprise him and get it done?!)

I set up an appointment with a local lighting company to place some faux lighting in the areas that we would have lights so that we could present it to Brian for his Christmas present.  Once Brian figured out where exactly he would like his lights, we could go ahead with the plan and get them installed.

Shortly before Christmas, this faux lighting was set up while we were out.  We got back home and were busy getting settled and having dinner when there was a knock at the door.  I looked slyly at Brian and said, "Hmm...I wonder who that is?!"  He was immediately curious...and confused.

He looked at me.

I looked at him.

He looked at the door.

I said, "Merry Christmas!", and he was even more confused.  (I learned that night that Brian doesn't love surprises.)  Our outdoor lighting expert answered the door with a Safari Zoo wind breaker on.  I also learned (later) that Brian thought that I set up some sort of over-the-top Christmas light display on our house for him.  Oh, Brian!

Our lighting expert, Matt, had us walk to the middle of the yard.  When he plugged the lights in, I explained to Brian what was going on.  The house was uplit to perfection, and this was his Christmas present.

It took him a little while to comprehend, and he was very concerned that this little stunt I had just pulled had already been installed (read: expensive and permanent).  I assured him it wasn't and let him know that we could decide whether or not to go through with it, but I had absolutely exhausted all other Christmas present avenues and time was-a-tickin'!

We decided together that the exterior lighting would be our Christmas present to ourselves.  See our lighting debut below:

BEFORE: No lights.

AFTER: LIGHTS!

What a merry and bright Christmas it was!  And, for your viewing pleasure, watch our light transformation unfold here!