November 17, 2024 • 38 mins
Tom and Kathryn have turned their love for Christmas into a heartwarming ministry that lights up not just their home but the entire community. Over eighteen years, their festive display has grown into a spectacle spanning two acres with half a million lights. Initially a personal venture, it quickly became a beloved community tradition, offering joy when it was needed most, like during the pandemic. They share how their creative endeavor continues to evolve, capturing the essence of the Christmas spirit and the pure joy it brings to countless visitors.
What started with a few simple twinkles has blossomed into a grand charitable initiative. The pandemic inspired Tom and Kathryn to harness the goodwill of their visitors for a greater cause—supporting local food banks. Each year, this effort yields thousands of pounds of food and significant cash donations, underscoring the powerful impact of community generosity. Their story highlights the seamless blend of holiday cheer and heartfelt giving, demonstrating how even the smallest donations contribute to a larger mission of support and faith.
Beyond the lights and donations lies a deeper message about human connection and kindness. Tom and Kathryn’s journey shows how sharing your passions can touch lives in unexpected ways. Their story reminds us that joy, gratitude, time, and the power of a simple smile can transform lives. Join us in this celebration of creativity, community, and the enduring spirit of kindness, as we discover the many ways we can bless others this Christmas season.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Ordinary People, Extraordinary Things.
I'm your host, Nancy Bruchier.
I get to talk to ordinarypeople about real hope, so I'm
so glad that you're here.
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(00:22):
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So make sure to subscribe andfollow on our YouTube channel.
Well, welcome to OrdinaryPeople, Extraordinary Things.
(00:44):
I'm so glad that Tom andCatherine are here.
Thank you for joining me, youbet.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Thanks for having us.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
And this is just like a cold email that I sent out
and said, hey, do you want to beon the podcast?
And you guys were both sogracious to say yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I think your kids sent us a card.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Oh, did they send you a?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
card yes of our house .
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Oh yes, Okay, thank you, I couldn't remember how
that worked.
Yes, so we'll get into all ofthat and why we would send you a
card with your house on it, butif people don't know who you
are, could you both give threewords or phrases that describe?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
you.
I'm a guy known for myChristmas spirit.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I, you know, have a sense of creativity and just my
life in general and the thingsthat I try to do.
And, yeah, just enjoy meetingother people.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
That kind of explains all of why you would invite
people to your house to look atChristmas lights.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
A little bit.
A little bit of the explanation.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
So how about you, Catherine?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I would say three words to describe me would be
doer.
We like to get things done.
We kind of can see a vision andget it executed.
I would say humility.
Tom and I are often, you know,asked to you know why do we do
it and what do we get from it,and it's never been about that
(02:15):
for us.
So I would definitely sayhumble.
And then, lastly, I would justsay to describe us as happy,
full of joy, the glass is halffull, for sure, with us, that's
awesome.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
That's awesome.
So you are here because youhave just the most amazing
Christmas light show ever andit's free and I think that's
what you're trying to say is andit's at your home.
I feel like it gets bigger andbigger every year.
It dances to music.
You can walk through your likenot your house, but your grounds
(02:53):
, your and it's just soaccessible and we have been
going.
I know it was before COVID.
I feel like I always like timethings by was it before COVID or
after after COVID?
But I feel like it kind of wentviral almost after COVID.
Is that that is true, okay?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
yeah, we definitely saw an uptick during uh yeah,
the COVID time frame yeah uh,just people looking to get out
and do something and so manythings at that time were limited
access and ticketed.
Yeah, you have tickets,reservations etc.
And we didn't.
We didn't require any of thatduring that time frame, so it
(03:30):
was uh, we definitely saw alarge increase uh that year of
just extra people wanting to seeuh do something with the family
do something and, like you said, feel joy.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Right, I feel like Christmas lights bring joy.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Do you agree with that?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yep, absolutely Okay and I think that they, I think
some visitors come, you know,maybe from in a dark place,
especially during COVID, whenthere wasn't a lot to do, and I
think they left our Christmaslight display joyful, mmm, which
is exactly why we do it.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Yeah, so how long have you been doing this?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
We've lived in the home for the current home for 18
years.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Prior to that, previous homes, we had similar
scenarios, but not to the extentI mean.
There's a large reason that wecan do what we do because we
live where we live today.
We can do what we do because welive where we live today.
So it's been 18 years of lightsand it has grown over the years
.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Do you mostly add something new every year?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
We tend to.
It's not always the plan is tohave something new every year,
but we tend to.
The plan is to have somethingnew every year, but we tend to.
Yeah, it's just because you dosee the increase in the
excitement and new things thatwe'll try and we'll see what
(04:56):
people tend to like more thanother things, and so we'll tend
to extend on those things.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Yeah, and so how many acres do you have that's full
of Christmas lights Like?
Do you have like how many bulbsLike?
Can we get any idea of howvastly huge this is?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Well, yeah, so we live on a property that's a
little over five acres, androughly two acres of it probably
has something to do with theChristmas display involved in it
, something to do with theChristmas display involved in it
, the lights or the path or the,you know, the trails and the
different areas where people cantake pictures and things of
(05:31):
that nature.
We don't have an exact count ofbulbs.
We tried to count one year, afew years ago, as we were taking
them down just to see how manythere were, and we were at a few
hundred thousand then, and weknow we've added a few more
since then.
So we, we, we roughly guessthat we're at something, uh,
(05:55):
above 500,000 lights, or or so.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Wow, I think half a million, something like that.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Wow, so it's a decent amount of bulbs.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
yes, so it's like the I was just thinking of that
movie Christmas Vacation wherethey turn it on.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yes, often, many times, we are referenced to
Christmas Vacation as well as wedo that ourselves.
Does it cost a lot to run it?
No, I mean, there's materialsthemselves.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Well, yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
They are what they are.
I never add that up, becausethen that might be a little bit
more of a reason to stop.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
A big number, yeah, a big number to think about.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
So we try not to add that up.
But yeah, the very commonquestion every year.
You know this must cost a lotto run.
The electricity bill is not thatmuch and it's usually somewhere
between $75 and $100 more thanit may normally be, throughout
(07:04):
the year, somewhere between $75and $100 more than it may
normally be throughout the year,Probably about the same as I
would pay to run my sprinklersand run my fountain in the
summer, as it is to run thelights.
So yes, it's more of a cost,but nothing compared to the joy
that Catherine referencedearlier right that it brings to
people.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, how long does this take?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
It's an all-year thing.
Okay, I mean it's.
You know, here we are June, youknow talking about it, I've
been working on things alreadyin April.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Have you.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
So to prepare new things or try to repair
different things?
Yeah, just things that getbroken and we have to fix those
things.
So it's worked on throughoutthe year, but the brunt of the
setup starts in October.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
October okay.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Yeah, so when most people are thinking about
Halloween, we're preparingChristmas, yeah, and then it
goes through Thanksgiving, kindof our opening night of sorts
every year.
Thanksgiving night, that's thetradition.
And then after it goes throughNew Year's, and after New Year's
(08:20):
, yeah, that's really takingdown is always less exciting
than putting up, yeah.
So it really is dependent onweather and when we can get to
things from snow and all theconditions that we have as far
as being able to get access totake things down.
So it can take all the waythrough Easter in some years
(08:45):
where it's just been too much toget to that fast to get it all
put away.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, it all comes down.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
It does all come down .
We get asked that a lot.
Do you we?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
leave it up and we just can't because of the
weather, elements, wildlife andjust the wear and tear on the
lights.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
That makes sense.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
It would cause us more time.
We'd have to use more time tofix everything if we left it out
.
Oh sure.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
But this is a true ministry, I feel like for you
guys.
I mean, this is a timecommitment and someone seems to
be out there every night.
Is that?
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Yeah, it's really a.
I mean, we can't leave our home.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Just like, oh, let like, hundreds and thousands of
people just walk around.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
It is a funny thing.
Tom and I talk about that a lot.
Yeah, you know we try to be outthere every night, you know.
If not, for you know we're openfrom 5 to 10 pm and if we can't
be out there that entire time,at least some part of it.
Tom's always out there about4.30, quarter to 5, making sure
that everything's going to comeon, because we will have people
(09:53):
that are there right at 5o'clock, especially on the
weekends leading up to Christmas.
But we definitely try to be outthere and greet as many people
as we can, because that's whatbrings us the joy.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Okay, and just kind of chatting with people and yeah
, yeah Just saying I mean kids,seeing the kids enjoy.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, I mean our kids are older, right, they're adult
children.
So Now they started when theywere younger.
So my kids were climbing upinto the trees, putting lights
in the top of the trees whenthey were 8 and 10 years old,
but now they're adults and soit's good to just see that, it's
(10:34):
good to see the enjoyment outof the families that visit, and
even those without families andeven those without families.
We get a lot of oldergenerations or we will get buses
that will come through that arevisitors from different
(10:55):
community groups that we'llvisit Retirement homes,
retirement homes, that makessense.
Those kind of people that get achance to just get out and do
something.
So it's just as exciting totalk to them and see them get
some excitement out of it andeyes light up.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yeah, yeah, I feel like you can't help but smile.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Exactly, we try Exactly.
We try to keep that Exactly Forsure.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
I think it helps too that, as Tom was saying, you
know, with the two-plus acresthat we have accessible during
you know our season for peopleto visit, you can drive through,
you can walk through.
We have some people that theyspend five minutes, we have
other people that will spendhours.
Yeah, but it's also accessible,and so we often get asked
(11:44):
through our website or just youknow other visitors that come.
You know well, can I bring astroller?
Can I?
You know, my husband's in awheelchair?
we say absolutely yeahabsolutely yeah and I think that
just helps really reacheveryone yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Well, like I said, this has become a tradition for
our family.
For sure, we have to go atleast twice a year.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
We love that.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
A lot of comebackers, which is nice yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Do you hear that a lot?
We do, we do yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
But it's probably a 50-50 mix.
I mean, half of the peoplewe'll meet it's their first time
and half of the people yeah,they've been coming for, or this
has kind of become a traditionwhich we love to hear.
I mean that's kind of excitingfor us, that it's something that
was good enough, that it wasn'tjust a one-time drive-by kind
(12:33):
of idea and that people continueto get some enjoyment out of it
.
But others we will get manyvisitors that are, yeah, first
time they've been there or heardabout it or just and it is
really all word of mouth.
I mean it's something that iskind of just spread throughout
(12:53):
the community by people knowingand telling friends Like you've
got to go see this.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Yeah, yes, yes, for sure.
How many do you count?
How many Can you count?
How many?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
We've taken estimates .
Yeah, like COVID year wasactually probably the easiest to
get estimates because we werebacked up the street and cars
were.
It was a traffic jam, so wecould count how many people per
car per hour, what those numberswere.
Kind of Averaging, we'reaveraging, yeah.
(13:28):
So from that.
And then when we start to lookat that as other times, or now
post-COVID, or just in general,you do get some idea of how many
people per car and how manycars per hour and that type of
idea so it does equate to about20 to 30,000 people will visit
(13:54):
throughout the season.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Wow, that is crazy.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Like wow, it's a large number and some of those
again would be repeatsthroughout multiple visits
throughout that, that season, oryou know.
So it's not.
Uh, yeah, because we don't.
Yeah, we're not out there witha with a ticket or and and
checking, you know per hour orjust you know it's.
(14:20):
It's impossible to understandif you know somebody's on one
end of the property versus theother end of the property right,
and so it's difficult to count,pull in and then never get out
exactly.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Yeah, there will be plenty of people that um, that
will, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
park and watch maybe one of the light shows, and and
then, yeah, and then take offafter that, or or just people
that will come, drive throughand take off.
It does provide something for alittle bit of a different
experience for everybody, wow.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
When everyone else is crazy busy for Christmas,
you're like, yeah, we know,we're really busy.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
It's a different kind of busy.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
It's a different kind of busy, for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
It's a second job for sure, sure, in the month of
November, december.
But it's enjoyable, right?
It's enjoyable work, it'senjoyable just to see the amount
of people that you are able toprovide some kind of positive
(15:24):
feedback on.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Yeah, how long have you been taking donations for,
like the food banks aroundParker?
Speaker 2 (15:32):
So we started that in the year of COVID, so in 2020.
As I mentioned before so often,when Tom and I would be out
there, you know people wanted tohand us money for us and we
always just turned it down, youknow, shook our head.
You know thanks, but no thanks.
And then, in 2020, just withsome of my community partners
you know that I volunteer with Iknew how great the need was for
(15:54):
food in some of our local foodbanks.
The visitors want to begenerous, so instead of us
taking, you know, money fromthem or taking their money,
let's let's just say if you wantto bring something, bring,
bring a can of food.
Yeah, and that just turned outto be, I mean, it just
multiplied and multiplied theturnout that the community uh,
brought I mean donated that yearwas was just off the charts,
(16:17):
really.
Um, so that's when the, thedonation started was in 2020,
and so we we average about 7,000pounds of food each season.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
That's give or take.
There's been higher, there'sbeen lower, sure, and that's
just Tom and I, you know,filling up the back of our truck
, you know, and, and you know,taking it, taking it to the food
banks, usually on Mondaymornings after a busy weekend,
and we just, you know, we takenine or ten truck loads at least
a season.
Wow, we currently spread it outC-Corps here in Parker gets
(16:48):
some of our donations, parkerTask Force, obviously, here in
Parker, and then Help and HopeCenter in Castle Rock.
There's plenty more, you know.
We wish we could, you know,spread it out even further, but
right now, those are the threethat, for four years now, you
know, have received ourdonations.
And then, I think it was in 21,or maybe it was 2020, I can't
remember we did.
Also, after speaking with oneof the food banks, you know, we
(17:12):
realized we could take cashdonations, okay, and so every
penny that comes in goes backout to those organizations, and
so we average about $10,000 aseason in just cash.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
No, yeah, oh,000 a season in just cash.
No, yeah, oh my goodness, yeah,yeah, how I mean what started?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
as hey, let's put a little red wagon out there to
see if we can capture a few cansof food.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Has turned into, yeah , 30,000 pounds of food and
$30,000 or $, twenty fivethousand dollars of donations
cash
Speaker 2 (17:45):
donations yeah and those organizations can do so
much more with that dollar thanwe can.
If you know, they can take adollar donated right and buy,
you know, 10 bushels of bananaswhere if I walked into the store
I we can maybe buy threebananas.
So it's just, it's wonderful toget the money into into their
hands and what they can do withit.
And so all we're doing withthat is we're just providing the
(18:06):
platform.
Yeah, you know, a lot of peopledon't think, unfortunately, to
just go to the food bank anddonate Right, but I think,
because of what we're offering,they want to give, and so all
we're doing is providing theplatform.
We'll get it where it needs togo.
That's also amazing.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
It also becomes easier because you might not
feel um the same about goinginto the food bank and saying,
hey, here's my two cans sureversus versus we.
We give them an avenue that,yeah, they can drop off one or
two cans sure and that one ortwo cans will become $5 yeah, so
it makes it yeah it gives theman easy way to still feel like
(18:51):
they're doing something good,but maybe not, you know, feel
bad about the fact that they'reonly walking into the food bank
with $5 or or a couple cans.
So I mean it definitely alladds up.
And yeah, it was definitelyCatherine's goodness.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
She came up with the idea.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
We come up with the craziness of hey, what lights
can we put out there?
Speaker 2 (19:19):
And she came up with a good idea of hey, how can we?
Speaker 3 (19:20):
turn some of these donations Because prior to that
it was people wanting to give usmoney and we didn't want to
give us money and we didn't wantto take the money and we
encouraged on the website andeverything else to to just say,
hey, you know, you can stillgive to your church.
And that's what we would tellpeople prior to that point was
just don't, don't, don't, don'tgive your donations to us, but
provide those to other avenues.
(19:43):
You know, go give them to yourfavorite charities yeah so but
this now this allows us tocombine the two together.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
That's remarkable, that is so amazing, that's wow,
so yeah.
So your website at it sayssomething about like the true
meaning from christmas and thisreally is a I feel like.
I feel like it's a hugeministry for you guys to not be
like on a podium being like, hey, do you know Jesus?
(20:11):
You know, but to still do thatin such a safe way for people,
do you agree?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Yeah, I mean we definitely we cater to the joy
of Christmas.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Right.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
So there's lots of things that we do that are just
hey, there's lots of things youcelebrate at Christmas and gifts
and presents and lights andeverything but we are very
prominent about the fact that westill are we're born and raised
in Christian families.
We still are, we're born andraised in, you know, christian
families and that still is whywe any of us can celebrate the
(20:49):
holiday right.
So it is something that wedon't try to be shy about, the
fact that there are, you know,between every traditional
Christmas song you're going tohear, you know, one that's more
faith-based.
So you know, all of thosethings, yeah, come together and
it's certainly an important partof you know what we're doing
(21:10):
from a messaging perspective, orjust you know what we as a
family would celebrate, right,it's not, you know, it's many of
those things to us as well.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
So yeah, we hear it often from visitors that they'll
say you know?
Oh, I see, you guys arebelievers.
You know because they walkthrough our display.
Or they hear it, yeah, or youhave a little.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
I think you have a nativity and yes, yeah yes, and
you don't like scream it like sopeople would be like I don't
feel comfortable.
But I think that you definitelyget the sense that, yeah, but
you say that you got.
You get that from peopleabsolutely.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Yeah, I'll hear that.
I'll hear that many times overthe you know, over one season.
It's just, you know they'llcome up and put a hand on once
they realize you know that we'rethe owners, you know they'll
come up, put a hand up on youknow on us and just say, you
know you guys are believers,like that's awesome.
So you know and you just don'tand the other side of that is
you don't know the impact thatyou're making in the moment to
somebody that maybe came for thesecular version of Christmas
(22:08):
and then walked away with huh.
So if a seed was planted, that'sawesome.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
That's so neat.
How would you encourage otherswho have a gift Maybe it's
Christmas?
Lights but maybe it's.
I was just so excited to haveyou guys on because I thought
what like Christmas lights?
(22:34):
It seems very like small.
I mean, you guys do it big butjust the idea that everyone has
a gift or a passion and you canmake anything of that into like
sharing joy, sharing your faith,like do you have any thoughts
that you would share withsomeone that's like I don't, I
(22:55):
don't know.
I really like like cooking, oryou know something that they
feel like wouldn't show that.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Would you have any thoughts on that?
I would say I think, first andforemost, it's just remembering
that God gave us all uniquegifts and I don't think there's
a measurement to them.
I don't feel like you know,like you said, the Christmas
lights is a pretty small thingand people you know wouldn't
think that it could be so big.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, that you could give that much money.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I mean this is incredible, exactly, and I think
we, just as people are our own,we're fearful and so we think
that, oh, our little talent orgift or whatever our passion
isn't going to amount toanything.
But clearly it does.
You know, and I'm, I'm askedall the time.
(23:46):
I mean, if you know about youknow how did your husband get
into this?
You know what made him start it?
and because, again, it is such asmall thing, he likes Christmas
lights you know, period that'sit, and so I think it's just, I
think it's being in tune withknowing the talents God gave you
and how to, how to execute thatin a way that's going to grow
(24:08):
his kingdom.
And it can be like you said, itcould be with anything.
It can be cooking and cookingcould turn into you know
somebody, just you know likes tocook or bake, and they can.
They can go serve the communityin that way through their local
church or through you know.
Just another avenue and and whoknows where that's going to
take you, I think that if you,like I said kind of with the
(24:29):
humility part, I think if youcan start with a little seed and
it'll grow without you worryingabout it growing and then the
fruit comes like it has.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
For us it's just amazing, I think a key to it is
that it's something that weenjoy, so it doesn't feel like a
hassle.
It doesn't feel like somethingthat I'm having to do this work
and it's not a burden from thatstandpoint, because we enjoy it
(25:02):
so much.
The that just makes it thatmuch easier.
Yeah, yeah, I mean you.
you get your moments when you'retearing down a half a million
lights where you think, oh mygosh, am I going to be able to
do this again next year, right?
Or you know, 10 years from now,when I'm, you know, older, uh,
will I be able to continue thistradition kind of idea, right.
(25:25):
But when you think back to theexcitement that it brought and
you just enjoy it when you startputting them out again the next
year and then all of a suddenyou get that bug again, it makes
it that much easier.
So part of that is just findingsomething that if somebody has
a given talent they know how tobake, they know how to, and they
(25:48):
enjoy that then that's goodright.
Then use that right and nothinghas to go to the extreme.
That we've done Well, but youprobably never thought, right?
Speaker 1 (26:01):
I mean 18 years ago, when you started doing this on
your property.
Did you ever think?
Speaker 2 (26:06):
like 20,000 people are going to walk through here.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
No, I mean, or did you maybe?
Speaker 2 (26:13):
No no.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
That is another part of the equation, right?
It's not something that we aretrying to figure out okay how am
I going to get five morethousand people next year?
It's just more of the the factthat, hey, you know what I I've,
it'd be cool, I'd like to seethat tree do this.
Okay, let's make that tree dothat, right?
So it's those types of thingsthat keep it going right.
(26:39):
Not necessarily that we'reafter some kind of presence or
some kind of wanting to be knownby that.
It just happens that we are.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Yeah, I think we get that too.
We'll get that on the nightswe're standing out by the fire
pit and you know, and thensomehow, you know, a group of
people walk by and realize thatyou know, they'll hear, they'll
overhear us talking to othervisitors, and oh, they're the
owners.
And they're often I thinkthey're often surprised that
we're just normal, that we'rejust a family.
(27:13):
Um, because we get asked youknow well who, you know what
companies you hire, right?
and we're looking at each othergoing, well, it's us and our
grown kids and right um, and Ithink there's, I think the
community buys into that evenmore because we're just, yeah, a
family doing it.
It isn't commercial.
Some of some of the stuff tom'sdoes is very commercial, like,
(27:34):
yeah, but it's it's does is verycommercial-like, but it's not.
You know, we're not sponsored,we don't.
You know, this is all just outof the love of our heart and,
again, you know the passion thathe has to do it.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Well, it's just really fun to see something that
just started out as like, hey,let's just.
I love doing Christmas, myhusband loves doing Christmas
lights too, and him and Davidalmost always like, add one
thing.
But the idea that, like I'mtalking to someone that's
listening, like you don't haveto know what God's going to do
(28:06):
at the end, Like you know, like,oh, if I keep this up, then,
wow, I'll see this big ministryand I'm using ministry, you know
, as a um, just because I thinkit is like and I think that we
think that ministry is somethingthat.
But it's just showing peoplejoy and love and I think you
guys do that so well.
(28:27):
And it's just fun to see whatGod does just through passion
and using his gifts and saying,hey, God does just through
passion and using his gifts andsaying, hey, someone wants to
give me money, why don't I givethat to someone else?
And how that's become such anamazing way to bless others.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
It is yeah and again in this case it's simple in the
fact that we just enjoy whatwe're doing and then that shows
and that other people enjoy itas well, and that for some
people then that's somethingthat they feel like, hey, I want
to give back to that or I wantto support that with the
(29:06):
donations and the CAM goods andthe things that we do collect.
So it's turned into somethingmuch bigger as you say than we
would have ever anticipated orsomething that we were ever
after.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Right, right, right.
Well, this has been so fun andit's getting me in the Christmas
spirit even though it's onlyJune, but I wanted to do this
early, obviously because youstart ramping up.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Yeah, thank you Anding up.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
And I'll obviously put your website on and I hope
that everyone listening can goand see it for yourselves.
So what is your favorite Bibleverse or story?
Speaker 2 (29:46):
My favorite Bible verse is Psalm 4610, which is Be
still and know that I am God.
I can't even really elaborateon that because I just feel like
the Bible verse says it allJust be still, Let him work his
wonder.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
For me, yeah, so I have an odd one because I had a
father that Don't miss it.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
So I would say's favorite um bible story is the
story of shadrach, bishak andabednego.
Oh, I, love the fiery furnaceand so it's not everyone's.
You know you don't think aboutthat at christmas, you don't
think about that as a as afavorite bible verse.
But when, um, you know he wasill and we took care of him the
last year of his life, and whata blessing that was.
(30:34):
But when we were all gatheredin his home when he passed away,
the chaplain was there fromhospice and asked you know, what
favorite Bible verse would youlike me to read?
And Tom's sister knew that—well, kind of chuckled, because
Tom's sister knew that it wasthe story of Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego, Because Tom'ssister knew that it was the
story of Shadrach, Meshach andAbednego.
And so the chaplain read it andafter he was done he just said
(30:57):
you know, I have to say this isa first, Because that's not a
typical story that you're goingto hear at a bedside death.
You're going to hear Psalm 23and John 3.16 and all of those.
And it was you know, so it'sjust a special story for him and
(31:17):
and all of us.
So now, every time we hear any,any, any um you know, reference
to Shadrach, meshach andAbednego, we all just kind of
smile.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Yeah so and certainly it's one of those things that
my father those genes are in methat's what leads to this
Christmas light thing.
My parents were decorators ofthe house inside.
Oh okay, so they were a bitmore, just the fact that they
liked to decorate internally.
(31:44):
And I took it externally as ourfamily grew.
So the correlation therebetween my father and that verse
and his passing and that.
That's probably where I come tonow for a verse reference.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Yeah, that's it nothing to do with christmas
anything else which makes iteven sweeter, though.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Well, and I think too , getting to what was, as tom
was alluding to, just themulti-generations, because that
is definitely where it started.
But I think for me, when youknow we ramp up, you know
September, october, and we knowwe got to start getting, you
know, getting everything out.
For me, as a mom and as a wife,it's so fun to see our whole
(32:30):
family together, you know, and,like Tom said, our kids were
young when we first started this, this, and now they're, you
know, they're pretty much allknocking on the door of 30 or
older than 30, and we're stillout there doing it together and
it's, you know, you don't get alot of that as your, as your
kids get older and everybody hastheir own families, you know,
separation happens justorganically, and so for me it's
(32:52):
always fun just to kind of be a,you know, kind of being seen
but not heard out there, becauseI just like to listen to the
conversations, you know, betweenour kids and between my son and
, you know, tom, and then, whenTom's dad was alive, between
them, just to hear, because Ithink to me again, the platform
(33:13):
is just the lights.
That's the excuse why we're alltogether, but it provides such
a great opportunity to just talkabout anything you know, that's
so great.
So that's definitely a highlightfor me is just the family time,
because it is an all day, everyday for many up to you know, at
(33:33):
least a month or six weeks, andso we're together a lot, and
that's good and it's bad, butfor the most part, you know,
we're eating meals together andwe're just conversing and it's
great.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
It's great.
That is so cool.
I love that.
What are you grateful for?
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Well, just the ability to do all of that stuff
that we're talking about.
The ability to do all of thatstuff that we're talking about,
it's a blessing to live where welive.
I couldn't do what I do if Ilived in other places, right?
Or if I was in an apartmentsomewhere or in some more
traditional neighborhoods orwhatever, which we used to live
(34:11):
in the past.
So I'm blessed with the factthat we live where we live and
we're able to do what we do, andI have the capabilities to kind
of think it out and put thatcreativity in place and leverage
it for what's a nice purpose.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
I would say I'm grateful just for time.
I think you know just time,kind of like I was alluding to
before, just time, time to betogether, time to be alive, to
be able to do this, you know.
Time with each other, time withour kids, time with all the
visitors, you know, and, like Isaid, there's some visitors we
never get to talk to.
(34:51):
Others we see year after yearand you get to see, you know,
but they've added a new baby tothe family or something like
that.
So time just to have that time,and, like Tom said, we're not
guaranteed, you know, tomorrow,and so you know, god willing, as
long as we're able to stillphysically, you know, do this,
we will do it, but we all knowhow precious time is.
(35:13):
And just to be, you know, again, like what he said, to be the
time to be outdoors together, todo this is just great and, yeah
, I would say time for sure.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
That's awesome, yeah.
And what kindness have youreceived or given in the last
week?
Speaker 2 (35:28):
For me and you actually said something about
this earlier is, to me it's notone thing, it's a smile.
I tend to give them often and Ithink when you give them, you
notice when you receive them.
And so for me it's not anywords, it's not any action, it's
, it's just a smile, it's just.
You know that somebody you knowsmiled at you today.
(35:51):
You walked in some in a doorand the person walking out
smiled.
Because I think we don't do awhole lot of that anymore.
We don't have a lot offace-to-face interaction.
People have their noses intheir phones or in their
computers and when we're drivingwe're just in a hurry to get
from point A to point B, and sojust to take a second to smile,
because who knows what theirstory is that day.
(36:12):
And if my smile made adifference to them or maybe
changed a decision that they orwrote a path they were going to
go down, that you know you can'tbeat that.
So I would definitely say asmile nice yeah well.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
I'll just tie it back to this this opportunity, I
mean this, uh yeah, having achance to meet you and your kids
and being able to address someof the questions.
Some of these things we getasked over and over every night
but the other things are just.
It's good for people tounderstand some of the benefit
(36:49):
of this.
Opportunity gives maybe morepeople to understand some of our
background, our story, you knowwhy we do what we do and what
it's all about.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
And it'll touch more people through you.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Yeah, so I appreciate this act of kindness.
Well, I'm just excited that Igot to learn more about you.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
I know we've met a few times, excited that I got to
learn more about you.
I know we've met a few times,but you know it's it's always
very brief, you know.
And so what a fun way to just,you know, start the Christmas
season when this comes out and areminder, that joy and a smile
and using your, your gifts andjust blessing others and in a
(37:35):
way that I feel is kind of likea little bit different, it's so
fun For sure.
Well, thank you for being onand taking the time to chat with
me.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Thank you, Nancy.
Yeah, we appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Thank you for listening.
We truly wouldn't be herewithout you.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for sharing.
If you haven't found ourYouTube channel, it's at
JenNancy to watch our podcasts.
Welcome to Ordinary People, Extraordinary Things.
I'm your host, Nancy Bruchier.
I get to talk to ordinarypeople about real hope, so I'm
so glad that you're here.
We have over 10,000 downloads,and I want to tell you about a
place that maybe you haven'twatched, and I did say watched
(00:22):
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Check out our YouTube channel.
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and watch them.
So make sure to subscribe andfollow on our YouTube channel.
Well, welcome to OrdinaryPeople, Extraordinary Things.
(00:44):
I'm so glad that Tom andCatherine are here.
Thank you for joining me, youbet.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Thanks for having us.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
And this is just like a cold email that I sent out
and said, hey, do you want to beon the podcast?
And you guys were both sogracious to say yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
I think your kids sent us a card.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Oh, did they send you a?
Speaker 2 (01:06):
card yes of our house .
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Oh yes, Okay, thank you, I couldn't remember how
that worked.
Yes, so we'll get into all ofthat and why we would send you a
card with your house on it, butif people don't know who you
are, could you both give threewords or phrases that describe?
Speaker 3 (01:26):
you.
I'm a guy known for myChristmas spirit.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
I, you know, have a sense of creativity and just my
life in general and the thingsthat I try to do.
And, yeah, just enjoy meetingother people.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
That kind of explains all of why you would invite
people to your house to look atChristmas lights.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
A little bit.
A little bit of the explanation.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
So how about you, Catherine?
Speaker 2 (01:54):
I would say three words to describe me would be
doer.
We like to get things done.
We kind of can see a vision andget it executed.
I would say humility.
Tom and I are often, you know,asked to you know why do we do
it and what do we get from it,and it's never been about that
(02:15):
for us.
So I would definitely sayhumble.
And then, lastly, I would justsay to describe us as happy,
full of joy, the glass is halffull, for sure, with us, that's
awesome.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
That's awesome.
So you are here because youhave just the most amazing
Christmas light show ever andit's free and I think that's
what you're trying to say is andit's at your home.
I feel like it gets bigger andbigger every year.
It dances to music.
You can walk through your likenot your house, but your grounds
(02:53):
, your and it's just soaccessible and we have been
going.
I know it was before COVID.
I feel like I always like timethings by was it before COVID or
after after COVID?
But I feel like it kind of wentviral almost after COVID.
Is that that is true, okay?
Speaker 3 (03:09):
yeah, we definitely saw an uptick during uh yeah,
the COVID time frame yeah uh,just people looking to get out
and do something and so manythings at that time were limited
access and ticketed.
Yeah, you have tickets,reservations etc.
And we didn't.
We didn't require any of thatduring that time frame, so it
(03:30):
was uh, we definitely saw alarge increase uh that year of
just extra people wanting to seeuh do something with the family
do something and, like you said, feel joy.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
Right, I feel like Christmas lights bring joy.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Do you agree with that?
Speaker 2 (03:47):
Yep, absolutely Okay and I think that they, I think
some visitors come, you know,maybe from in a dark place,
especially during COVID, whenthere wasn't a lot to do, and I
think they left our Christmaslight display joyful, mmm, which
is exactly why we do it.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Yeah, so how long have you been doing this?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
We've lived in the home for the current home for 18
years.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
Prior to that, previous homes, we had similar
scenarios, but not to the extentI mean.
There's a large reason that wecan do what we do because we
live where we live today.
We can do what we do because welive where we live today.
So it's been 18 years of lightsand it has grown over the years
.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Do you mostly add something new every year?
Speaker 3 (04:35):
We tend to.
It's not always the plan is tohave something new every year,
but we tend to.
The plan is to have somethingnew every year, but we tend to.
Yeah, it's just because you dosee the increase in the
excitement and new things thatwe'll try and we'll see what
(04:56):
people tend to like more thanother things, and so we'll tend
to extend on those things.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Yeah, and so how many acres do you have that's full
of Christmas lights Like?
Do you have like how many bulbsLike?
Can we get any idea of howvastly huge this is?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
Well, yeah, so we live on a property that's a
little over five acres, androughly two acres of it probably
has something to do with theChristmas display involved in it
, something to do with theChristmas display involved in it
, the lights or the path or the,you know, the trails and the
different areas where people cantake pictures and things of
(05:31):
that nature.
We don't have an exact count ofbulbs.
We tried to count one year, afew years ago, as we were taking
them down just to see how manythere were, and we were at a few
hundred thousand then, and weknow we've added a few more
since then.
So we, we, we roughly guessthat we're at something, uh,
(05:55):
above 500,000 lights, or or so.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Wow, I think half a million, something like that.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Wow, so it's a decent amount of bulbs.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
yes, so it's like the I was just thinking of that
movie Christmas Vacation wherethey turn it on.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yes, often, many times, we are referenced to
Christmas Vacation as well as wedo that ourselves.
Does it cost a lot to run it?
No, I mean, there's materialsthemselves.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Well, yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
They are what they are.
I never add that up, becausethen that might be a little bit
more of a reason to stop.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
A big number, yeah, a big number to think about.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
So we try not to add that up.
But yeah, the very commonquestion every year.
You know this must cost a lotto run.
The electricity bill is not thatmuch and it's usually somewhere
between $75 and $100 more thanit may normally be, throughout
(07:04):
the year, somewhere between $75and $100 more than it may
normally be throughout the year,Probably about the same as I
would pay to run my sprinklersand run my fountain in the
summer, as it is to run thelights.
So yes, it's more of a cost,but nothing compared to the joy
that Catherine referencedearlier right that it brings to
people.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, how long does this take?
Speaker 3 (07:27):
It's an all-year thing.
Okay, I mean it's.
You know, here we are June, youknow talking about it, I've
been working on things alreadyin April.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Have you.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
So to prepare new things or try to repair
different things?
Yeah, just things that getbroken and we have to fix those
things.
So it's worked on throughoutthe year, but the brunt of the
setup starts in October.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
October okay.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Yeah, so when most people are thinking about
Halloween, we're preparingChristmas, yeah, and then it
goes through Thanksgiving, kindof our opening night of sorts
every year.
Thanksgiving night, that's thetradition.
And then after it goes throughNew Year's, and after New Year's
(08:20):
, yeah, that's really takingdown is always less exciting
than putting up, yeah.
So it really is dependent onweather and when we can get to
things from snow and all theconditions that we have as far
as being able to get access totake things down.
So it can take all the waythrough Easter in some years
(08:45):
where it's just been too much toget to that fast to get it all
put away.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Yeah, it all comes down.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
It does all come down .
We get asked that a lot.
Do you we?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
leave it up and we just can't because of the
weather, elements, wildlife andjust the wear and tear on the
lights.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
That makes sense.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
It would cause us more time.
We'd have to use more time tofix everything if we left it out
.
Oh sure.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
But this is a true ministry, I feel like for you
guys.
I mean, this is a timecommitment and someone seems to
be out there every night.
Is that?
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Yeah, it's really a.
I mean, we can't leave our home.
Speaker 1 (09:26):
Just like, oh, let like, hundreds and thousands of
people just walk around.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
It is a funny thing.
Tom and I talk about that a lot.
Yeah, you know we try to be outthere every night, you know.
If not, for you know we're openfrom 5 to 10 pm and if we can't
be out there that entire time,at least some part of it.
Tom's always out there about4.30, quarter to 5, making sure
that everything's going to comeon, because we will have people
(09:53):
that are there right at 5o'clock, especially on the
weekends leading up to Christmas.
But we definitely try to be outthere and greet as many people
as we can, because that's whatbrings us the joy.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Okay, and just kind of chatting with people and yeah
, yeah Just saying I mean kids,seeing the kids enjoy.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yeah, I mean our kids are older, right, they're adult
children.
So Now they started when theywere younger.
So my kids were climbing upinto the trees, putting lights
in the top of the trees whenthey were 8 and 10 years old,
but now they're adults and soit's good to just see that, it's
(10:34):
good to see the enjoyment outof the families that visit, and
even those without families andeven those without families.
We get a lot of oldergenerations or we will get buses
that will come through that arevisitors from different
(10:55):
community groups that we'llvisit Retirement homes,
retirement homes, that makessense.
Those kind of people that get achance to just get out and do
something.
So it's just as exciting totalk to them and see them get
some excitement out of it andeyes light up.
Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yeah, yeah, I feel like you can't help but smile.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Exactly, we try Exactly.
We try to keep that Exactly Forsure.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
I think it helps too that, as Tom was saying, you
know, with the two-plus acresthat we have accessible during
you know our season for peopleto visit, you can drive through,
you can walk through.
We have some people that theyspend five minutes, we have
other people that will spendhours.
Yeah, but it's also accessible,and so we often get asked
(11:44):
through our website or just youknow other visitors that come.
You know well, can I bring astroller?
Can I?
You know, my husband's in awheelchair?
we say absolutely yeahabsolutely yeah and I think that
just helps really reacheveryone yeah, so yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Well, like I said, this has become a tradition for
our family.
For sure, we have to go atleast twice a year.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
We love that.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
A lot of comebackers, which is nice yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Do you hear that a lot?
We do, we do yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
But it's probably a 50-50 mix.
I mean, half of the peoplewe'll meet it's their first time
and half of the people yeah,they've been coming for, or this
has kind of become a traditionwhich we love to hear.
I mean that's kind of excitingfor us, that it's something that
was good enough, that it wasn'tjust a one-time drive-by kind
(12:33):
of idea and that people continueto get some enjoyment out of it
.
But others we will get manyvisitors that are, yeah, first
time they've been there or heardabout it or just and it is
really all word of mouth.
I mean it's something that iskind of just spread throughout
(12:53):
the community by people knowingand telling friends Like you've
got to go see this.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Yeah, yes, yes, for sure.
How many do you count?
How many Can you count?
How many?
Speaker 3 (13:05):
We've taken estimates .
Yeah, like COVID year wasactually probably the easiest to
get estimates because we werebacked up the street and cars
were.
It was a traffic jam, so wecould count how many people per
car per hour, what those numberswere.
Kind of Averaging, we'reaveraging, yeah.
(13:28):
So from that.
And then when we start to lookat that as other times, or now
post-COVID, or just in general,you do get some idea of how many
people per car and how manycars per hour and that type of
idea so it does equate to about20 to 30,000 people will visit
(13:54):
throughout the season.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Wow, that is crazy.
Speaker 3 (13:57):
Like wow, it's a large number and some of those
again would be repeatsthroughout multiple visits
throughout that, that season, oryou know.
So it's not.
Uh, yeah, because we don't.
Yeah, we're not out there witha with a ticket or and and
checking, you know per hour orjust you know it's.
(14:20):
It's impossible to understandif you know somebody's on one
end of the property versus theother end of the property right,
and so it's difficult to count,pull in and then never get out
exactly.
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Yeah, there will be plenty of people that um, that
will, you know.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
park and watch maybe one of the light shows, and and
then, yeah, and then take offafter that, or or just people
that will come, drive throughand take off.
It does provide something for alittle bit of a different
experience for everybody, wow.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
When everyone else is crazy busy for Christmas,
you're like, yeah, we know,we're really busy.
Speaker 3 (14:59):
It's a different kind of busy.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
It's a different kind of busy, for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
It's a second job for sure, sure, in the month of
November, december.
But it's enjoyable, right?
It's enjoyable work, it'senjoyable just to see the amount
of people that you are able toprovide some kind of positive
(15:24):
feedback on.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
Yeah, how long have you been taking donations for,
like the food banks aroundParker?
Speaker 2 (15:32):
So we started that in the year of COVID, so in 2020.
As I mentioned before so often,when Tom and I would be out
there, you know people wanted tohand us money for us and we
always just turned it down, youknow, shook our head.
You know thanks, but no thanks.
And then, in 2020, just withsome of my community partners
you know that I volunteer with Iknew how great the need was for
(15:54):
food in some of our local foodbanks.
The visitors want to begenerous, so instead of us
taking, you know, money fromthem or taking their money,
let's let's just say if you wantto bring something, bring,
bring a can of food.
Yeah, and that just turned outto be, I mean, it just
multiplied and multiplied theturnout that the community uh,
brought I mean donated that yearwas was just off the charts,
(16:17):
really.
Um, so that's when the, thedonation started was in 2020,
and so we we average about 7,000pounds of food each season.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
That's give or take.
There's been higher, there'sbeen lower, sure, and that's
just Tom and I, you know,filling up the back of our truck
, you know, and, and you know,taking it, taking it to the food
banks, usually on Mondaymornings after a busy weekend,
and we just, you know, we takenine or ten truck loads at least
a season.
Wow, we currently spread it outC-Corps here in Parker gets
(16:48):
some of our donations, parkerTask Force, obviously, here in
Parker, and then Help and HopeCenter in Castle Rock.
There's plenty more, you know.
We wish we could, you know,spread it out even further, but
right now, those are the threethat, for four years now, you
know, have received ourdonations.
And then, I think it was in 21,or maybe it was 2020, I can't
remember we did.
Also, after speaking with oneof the food banks, you know, we
(17:12):
realized we could take cashdonations, okay, and so every
penny that comes in goes backout to those organizations, and
so we average about $10,000 aseason in just cash.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
No, yeah, oh,000 a season in just cash.
No, yeah, oh my goodness, yeah,yeah, how I mean what started?
Speaker 3 (17:30):
as hey, let's put a little red wagon out there to
see if we can capture a few cansof food.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Has turned into, yeah , 30,000 pounds of food and
$30,000 or $, twenty fivethousand dollars of donations
cash
Speaker 2 (17:45):
donations yeah and those organizations can do so
much more with that dollar thanwe can.
If you know, they can take adollar donated right and buy,
you know, 10 bushels of bananaswhere if I walked into the store
I we can maybe buy threebananas.
So it's just, it's wonderful toget the money into into their
hands and what they can do withit.
And so all we're doing withthat is we're just providing the
(18:06):
platform.
Yeah, you know, a lot of peopledon't think, unfortunately, to
just go to the food bank anddonate Right, but I think,
because of what we're offering,they want to give, and so all
we're doing is providing theplatform.
We'll get it where it needs togo.
That's also amazing.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
It also becomes easier because you might not
feel um the same about goinginto the food bank and saying,
hey, here's my two cans sureversus versus we.
We give them an avenue that,yeah, they can drop off one or
two cans sure and that one ortwo cans will become $5 yeah, so
it makes it yeah it gives theman easy way to still feel like
(18:51):
they're doing something good,but maybe not, you know, feel
bad about the fact that they'reonly walking into the food bank
with $5 or or a couple cans.
So I mean it definitely alladds up.
And yeah, it was definitelyCatherine's goodness.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
She came up with the idea.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
We come up with the craziness of hey, what lights
can we put out there?
Speaker 2 (19:19):
And she came up with a good idea of hey, how can we?
Speaker 3 (19:20):
turn some of these donations Because prior to that
it was people wanting to give usmoney and we didn't want to
give us money and we didn't wantto take the money and we
encouraged on the website andeverything else to to just say,
hey, you know, you can stillgive to your church.
And that's what we would tellpeople prior to that point was
just don't, don't, don't, don'tgive your donations to us, but
provide those to other avenues.
(19:43):
You know, go give them to yourfavorite charities yeah so but
this now this allows us tocombine the two together.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
That's remarkable, that is so amazing, that's wow,
so yeah.
So your website at it sayssomething about like the true
meaning from christmas and thisreally is a I feel like.
I feel like it's a hugeministry for you guys to not be
like on a podium being like, hey, do you know Jesus?
(20:11):
You know, but to still do thatin such a safe way for people,
do you agree?
Speaker 3 (20:18):
Yeah, I mean we definitely we cater to the joy
of Christmas.
Speaker 1 (20:22):
Right.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
So there's lots of things that we do that are just
hey, there's lots of things youcelebrate at Christmas and gifts
and presents and lights andeverything but we are very
prominent about the fact that westill are we're born and raised
in Christian families.
We still are, we're born andraised in, you know, christian
families and that still is whywe any of us can celebrate the
(20:49):
holiday right.
So it is something that wedon't try to be shy about, the
fact that there are, you know,between every traditional
Christmas song you're going tohear, you know, one that's more
faith-based.
So you know, all of thosethings, yeah, come together and
it's certainly an important partof you know what we're doing
(21:10):
from a messaging perspective, orjust you know what we as a
family would celebrate, right,it's not, you know, it's many of
those things to us as well.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
So yeah, we hear it often from visitors that they'll
say you know?
Oh, I see, you guys arebelievers.
You know because they walkthrough our display.
Or they hear it, yeah, or youhave a little.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
I think you have a nativity and yes, yeah yes, and
you don't like scream it like sopeople would be like I don't
feel comfortable.
But I think that you definitelyget the sense that, yeah, but
you say that you got.
You get that from peopleabsolutely.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Yeah, I'll hear that.
I'll hear that many times overthe you know, over one season.
It's just, you know they'llcome up and put a hand on once
they realize you know that we'rethe owners, you know they'll
come up, put a hand up on youknow on us and just say, you
know you guys are believers,like that's awesome.
So you know and you just don'tand the other side of that is
you don't know the impact thatyou're making in the moment to
somebody that maybe came for thesecular version of Christmas
(22:08):
and then walked away with huh.
So if a seed was planted, that'sawesome.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Yeah, I love that.
I love that.
That's so neat.
How would you encourage otherswho have a gift Maybe it's
Christmas?
Lights but maybe it's.
I was just so excited to haveyou guys on because I thought
what like Christmas lights?
(22:34):
It seems very like small.
I mean, you guys do it big butjust the idea that everyone has
a gift or a passion and you canmake anything of that into like
sharing joy, sharing your faith,like do you have any thoughts
that you would share withsomeone that's like I don't, I
(22:55):
don't know.
I really like like cooking, oryou know something that they
feel like wouldn't show that.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Would you have any thoughts on that?
I would say I think, first andforemost, it's just remembering
that God gave us all uniquegifts and I don't think there's
a measurement to them.
I don't feel like you know,like you said, the Christmas
lights is a pretty small thingand people you know wouldn't
think that it could be so big.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
Yeah, that you could give that much money.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
I mean this is incredible, exactly, and I think
we, just as people are our own,we're fearful and so we think
that, oh, our little talent orgift or whatever our passion
isn't going to amount toanything.
But clearly it does.
You know, and I'm, I'm askedall the time.
(23:46):
I mean, if you know about youknow how did your husband get
into this?
You know what made him start it?
and because, again, it is such asmall thing, he likes Christmas
lights you know, period that'sit, and so I think it's just, I
think it's being in tune withknowing the talents God gave you
and how to, how to execute thatin a way that's going to grow
(24:08):
his kingdom.
And it can be like you said, itcould be with anything.
It can be cooking and cookingcould turn into you know
somebody, just you know likes tocook or bake, and they can.
They can go serve the communityin that way through their local
church or through you know.
Just another avenue and and whoknows where that's going to
take you, I think that if you,like I said kind of with the
(24:29):
humility part, I think if youcan start with a little seed and
it'll grow without you worryingabout it growing and then the
fruit comes like it has.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
For us it's just amazing, I think a key to it is
that it's something that weenjoy, so it doesn't feel like a
hassle.
It doesn't feel like somethingthat I'm having to do this work
and it's not a burden from thatstandpoint, because we enjoy it
(25:02):
so much.
The that just makes it thatmuch easier.
Yeah, yeah, I mean you.
you get your moments when you'retearing down a half a million
lights where you think, oh mygosh, am I going to be able to
do this again next year, right?
Or you know, 10 years from now,when I'm, you know, older, uh,
will I be able to continue thistradition kind of idea, right.
(25:25):
But when you think back to theexcitement that it brought and
you just enjoy it when you startputting them out again the next
year and then all of a suddenyou get that bug again, it makes
it that much easier.
So part of that is just findingsomething that if somebody has
a given talent they know how tobake, they know how to, and they
(25:48):
enjoy that then that's goodright.
Then use that right and nothinghas to go to the extreme.
That we've done Well, but youprobably never thought, right?
Speaker 1 (26:01):
I mean 18 years ago, when you started doing this on
your property.
Did you ever think?
Speaker 2 (26:06):
like 20,000 people are going to walk through here.
Speaker 1 (26:09):
No, I mean, or did you maybe?
Speaker 2 (26:13):
No no.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
That is another part of the equation, right?
It's not something that we aretrying to figure out okay how am
I going to get five morethousand people next year?
It's just more of the the factthat, hey, you know what I I've,
it'd be cool, I'd like to seethat tree do this.
Okay, let's make that tree dothat, right?
So it's those types of thingsthat keep it going right.
(26:39):
Not necessarily that we'reafter some kind of presence or
some kind of wanting to be knownby that.
It just happens that we are.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Yeah, I think we get that too.
We'll get that on the nightswe're standing out by the fire
pit and you know, and thensomehow, you know, a group of
people walk by and realize thatyou know, they'll hear, they'll
overhear us talking to othervisitors, and oh, they're the
owners.
And they're often I thinkthey're often surprised that
we're just normal, that we'rejust a family.
(27:13):
Um, because we get asked youknow well who, you know what
companies you hire, right?
and we're looking at each othergoing, well, it's us and our
grown kids and right um, and Ithink there's, I think the
community buys into that evenmore because we're just, yeah, a
family doing it.
It isn't commercial.
Some of some of the stuff tom'sdoes is very commercial, like,
(27:34):
yeah, but it's it's does is verycommercial-like, but it's not.
You know, we're not sponsored,we don't.
You know, this is all just outof the love of our heart and,
again, you know the passion thathe has to do it.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Well, it's just really fun to see something that
just started out as like, hey,let's just.
I love doing Christmas, myhusband loves doing Christmas
lights too, and him and Davidalmost always like, add one
thing.
But the idea that, like I'mtalking to someone that's
listening, like you don't haveto know what God's going to do
(28:06):
at the end, Like you know, like,oh, if I keep this up, then,
wow, I'll see this big ministryand I'm using ministry, you know
, as a um, just because I thinkit is like and I think that we
think that ministry is somethingthat.
But it's just showing peoplejoy and love and I think you
guys do that so well.
(28:27):
And it's just fun to see whatGod does just through passion
and using his gifts and saying,hey, God does just through
passion and using his gifts andsaying, hey, someone wants to
give me money, why don't I givethat to someone else?
And how that's become such anamazing way to bless others.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
It is yeah and again in this case it's simple in the
fact that we just enjoy whatwe're doing and then that shows
and that other people enjoy itas well, and that for some
people then that's somethingthat they feel like, hey, I want
to give back to that or I wantto support that with the
(29:06):
donations and the CAM goods andthe things that we do collect.
So it's turned into somethingmuch bigger as you say than we
would have ever anticipated orsomething that we were ever
after.
Speaker 1 (29:20):
Right, right, right.
Well, this has been so fun andit's getting me in the Christmas
spirit even though it's onlyJune, but I wanted to do this
early, obviously because youstart ramping up.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Yeah, thank you Anding up.
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
And I'll obviously put your website on and I hope
that everyone listening can goand see it for yourselves.
So what is your favorite Bibleverse or story?
Speaker 2 (29:46):
My favorite Bible verse is Psalm 4610, which is Be
still and know that I am God.
I can't even really elaborateon that because I just feel like
the Bible verse says it allJust be still, Let him work his
wonder.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
For me, yeah, so I have an odd one because I had a
father that Don't miss it.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
So I would say's favorite um bible story is the
story of shadrach, bishak andabednego.
Oh, I, love the fiery furnaceand so it's not everyone's.
You know you don't think aboutthat at christmas, you don't
think about that as a as afavorite bible verse.
But when, um, you know he wasill and we took care of him the
last year of his life, and whata blessing that was.
(30:34):
But when we were all gatheredin his home when he passed away,
the chaplain was there fromhospice and asked you know, what
favorite Bible verse would youlike me to read?
And Tom's sister knew that—well, kind of chuckled, because
Tom's sister knew that it wasthe story of Shadrach, Meshach
and Abednego, Because Tom'ssister knew that it was the
story of Shadrach, Meshach andAbednego.
And so the chaplain read it andafter he was done he just said
(30:57):
you know, I have to say this isa first, Because that's not a
typical story that you're goingto hear at a bedside death.
You're going to hear Psalm 23and John 3.16 and all of those.
And it was you know, so it'sjust a special story for him and
(31:17):
and all of us.
So now, every time we hear any,any, any um you know, reference
to Shadrach, meshach andAbednego, we all just kind of
smile.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
Yeah so and certainly it's one of those things that
my father those genes are in methat's what leads to this
Christmas light thing.
My parents were decorators ofthe house inside.
Oh okay, so they were a bitmore, just the fact that they
liked to decorate internally.
(31:44):
And I took it externally as ourfamily grew.
So the correlation therebetween my father and that verse
and his passing and that.
That's probably where I come tonow for a verse reference.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
Yeah, that's it nothing to do with christmas
anything else which makes iteven sweeter, though.
Speaker 2 (32:07):
Well, and I think too , getting to what was, as tom
was alluding to, just themulti-generations, because that
is definitely where it started.
But I think for me, when youknow we ramp up, you know
September, october, and we knowwe got to start getting, you
know, getting everything out.
For me, as a mom and as a wife,it's so fun to see our whole
(32:30):
family together, you know, and,like Tom said, our kids were
young when we first started this, this, and now they're, you
know, they're pretty much allknocking on the door of 30 or
older than 30, and we're stillout there doing it together and
it's, you know, you don't get alot of that as your, as your
kids get older and everybody hastheir own families, you know,
separation happens justorganically, and so for me it's
(32:52):
always fun just to kind of be a,you know, kind of being seen
but not heard out there, becauseI just like to listen to the
conversations, you know, betweenour kids and between my son and
, you know, tom, and then, whenTom's dad was alive, between
them, just to hear, because Ithink to me again, the platform
(33:13):
is just the lights.
That's the excuse why we're alltogether, but it provides such
a great opportunity to just talkabout anything you know, that's
so great.
So that's definitely a highlightfor me is just the family time,
because it is an all day, everyday for many up to you know, at
(33:33):
least a month or six weeks, andso we're together a lot, and
that's good and it's bad, butfor the most part, you know,
we're eating meals together andwe're just conversing and it's
great.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
It's great.
That is so cool.
I love that.
What are you grateful for?
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Well, just the ability to do all of that stuff
that we're talking about.
The ability to do all of thatstuff that we're talking about,
it's a blessing to live where welive.
I couldn't do what I do if Ilived in other places, right?
Or if I was in an apartmentsomewhere or in some more
traditional neighborhoods orwhatever, which we used to live
(34:11):
in the past.
So I'm blessed with the factthat we live where we live and
we're able to do what we do, andI have the capabilities to kind
of think it out and put thatcreativity in place and leverage
it for what's a nice purpose.
Speaker 2 (34:31):
I would say I'm grateful just for time.
I think you know just time,kind of like I was alluding to
before, just time, time to betogether, time to be alive, to
be able to do this, you know.
Time with each other, time withour kids, time with all the
visitors, you know, and, like Isaid, there's some visitors we
never get to talk to.
(34:51):
Others we see year after yearand you get to see, you know,
but they've added a new baby tothe family or something like
that.
So time just to have that time,and, like Tom said, we're not
guaranteed, you know, tomorrow,and so you know, god willing, as
long as we're able to stillphysically, you know, do this,
we will do it, but we all knowhow precious time is.
(35:13):
And just to be, you know, again, like what he said, to be the
time to be outdoors together, todo this is just great and, yeah
, I would say time for sure.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
That's awesome, yeah.
And what kindness have youreceived or given in the last
week?
Speaker 2 (35:28):
For me and you actually said something about
this earlier is, to me it's notone thing, it's a smile.
I tend to give them often and Ithink when you give them, you
notice when you receive them.
And so for me it's not anywords, it's not any action, it's
, it's just a smile, it's just.
You know that somebody you knowsmiled at you today.
(35:51):
You walked in some in a doorand the person walking out
smiled.
Because I think we don't do awhole lot of that anymore.
We don't have a lot offace-to-face interaction.
People have their noses intheir phones or in their
computers and when we're drivingwe're just in a hurry to get
from point A to point B, and sojust to take a second to smile,
because who knows what theirstory is that day.
(36:12):
And if my smile made adifference to them or maybe
changed a decision that they orwrote a path they were going to
go down, that you know you can'tbeat that.
So I would definitely say asmile nice yeah well.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
I'll just tie it back to this this opportunity, I
mean this, uh yeah, having achance to meet you and your kids
and being able to address someof the questions.
Some of these things we getasked over and over every night
but the other things are just.
It's good for people tounderstand some of the benefit
(36:49):
of this.
Opportunity gives maybe morepeople to understand some of our
background, our story, you knowwhy we do what we do and what
it's all about.
Speaker 2 (36:58):
And it'll touch more people through you.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
Yeah, so I appreciate this act of kindness.
Well, I'm just excited that Igot to learn more about you.
Speaker 1 (37:09):
I know we've met a few times, excited that I got to
learn more about you.
I know we've met a few times,but you know it's it's always
very brief, you know.
And so what a fun way to just,you know, start the Christmas
season when this comes out and areminder, that joy and a smile
and using your, your gifts andjust blessing others and in a
(37:35):
way that I feel is kind of likea little bit different, it's so
fun For sure.
Well, thank you for being onand taking the time to chat with
me.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
Thank you, Nancy.
Yeah, we appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Thank you for listening.
We truly wouldn't be herewithout you.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for sharing.
If you haven't found ourYouTube channel, it's at
JenNancy to watch our podcasts.
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