craftgrrl | Venting... I apologize

He assured me he had a tree. I told him I hadn't seen it in the year and a half I've lived here and he re-assured me. I was reassured. I rested easy, making all the hideous ornaments I've so proudly posted and plans for this pre-lit tree he claimed to have. Today I searched for it.
In the garage, nothing...
In the closet beneath the stairs a few Christmas-y things, but no tree, just a garland and some plastic snow-folk...
   I even opened the attic door, whereupon a dead bird fell on the floor. Needless to say, I did not enter the attic. He says there is no way it is there.
    I asked him about it when he got home and he said that he didn't own a garland, that it must be the tree. I hadn't looked too closely at the box, but figured he knew what he was talking about.
     I told the 5 and 8 year old boys that we'd be making ornaments tomorrow and when they asked where we would put the ornaments, I told them that we would be putting them on the tree that their daddy has.
    Can you guess what happened when I checked the garland box? It's a small box and contains, as stated on the box, a pre-lit garland.

I've been trying so hard to be all upbeat and everything about having no money this Christmas, trying to make the best of an uncomfortable situation, putting everything I had into those crappy paper ornaments so his children, who don't even particularly like me, would have a good holiday. Somehow, having no tree and being unlikely to get one has broken me. There are free ones on craigslist, but he was completely disinterested when I mentioned them. I may try to be more persuasive tomorrow, but, as I sit here in tears all I want to do right now is burn those stupid, ugly folded pieces of paper and sparkly bits. Is that bitterness and cynicism I feel creeping back into me? And just in time for the holidays, too. Welcome, old friends, welcome.

Update:
You guys are all so sweet and kind and understanding that it's hard for me to get too cynical. Maybe, subconsciously, that's why I posted this. Thank you all so very much. I wasn't fishing for compliments on the decorations, I just overreact to situations like this. But all your kind words are like a soothing salve to my wounds.
In the boyfriend's defense, he is under an insane amount of stress right now, what with being on trial (it's a long story, but it was nothing violent, he is innocent of the charges, and it was all years ago, so you don't need to worry about me in that sense.), so if he isn't as understanding as I'd like I have to cut him a little slack right now. The trial should be over by the end of next week, so if he doesn't improve fairly soon after that, I will not have any more excuses for him. He feels bad about money being so tight, but hasn't wanted to seek better employment (he's a database admin, IT guy, programmer type, so the income potential is there) with the trial hanging over our heads. And I don't have a valid license or insurance, so I can't just go out and get a job (or a tree). I hope that helps explain why I'm willing to be a little more patient with him than I would normally be.