Opening Sequence

Featured Song

True Meaning of Christmas

LISTEN TO THE LIGHTS

This year, for the first time ever, our display is computer controlled with 176 individual channels and a low-power FM transmitter so you can listen to the lights as they dance to the music.

ABC5 TV News Coverage

The Evolution Of Our Display

This Year's Display

Number of Lights:
Approximately 40,000

Controllers:
11 - Light-O-Rama 1602W
Three controllers on the porch.

Number of Channels:
176 total

Three controllers; 48 channels.

RF Data Connections:
4 LOR Easy Light Linkers

Beats data cables through walls.

Number of Extension Chords:
Approximately 350

Chord bundle coming off the roof.

FM Transmitter:
Ramsey 100B
Frequency to 100.9 FM

Programming/Setup Time:
A LOT

Dedicated Power:
17 extra 20-amp circuits

Extra Power Used:
Triple a normal month last year. This year it will probably be less since not all the lights are on all the time.

That's 200 amps.


And another 60 under the eaves.


The power company thinks
this looks pretty cool.

Running power under sidewalks..

We attached a hose to the end of a PVC pipe and -- PRESTO -- worked it clear under in about three minutes.

2005 -- Our Final Static Display

Our display has grown steadily year by year for the last dozen or so. Our first year of outside decorating consisted of changing the white light bulb by the front door to red or green. Pretty exciting, huh? But it was a start, and to this day some of my favorite displays are the simpliest. For example, if you come to visit our display you'll also see some of my favorite displays anywhere done by our neighbors -- tasteful, attractive, personable, and very well done.

So after just changing one light our first year, we decided to add a string of white lights to the bush on either side of our steps the next. After that it wasn't but a year or two before we were putting light strings on all the bushes. A year or two later we were putting C9 multicolored light strings along the gutters. At least the low ones. Not long after that we were throwing a few strings on the small trees as well.

Then we discovered "simple insanity."

"Simple insanity" is when you look like you're going completely overboard, but what you are doing is actually really quick and simple. And there's a secret to it that I've only told a handful of people, but that I'm going to share with you now -- YARD LIGHTS! That's right. All you have to do to look like you've really gone overboard is start putting lots of things out in the yard itself. A half-dozen spiral trees gets things started. Add a dozen or two small trees and people will start thinking you've gone insane. Yet it's simple, fast, and effective.

So how much time do you think it took me and my son to put up the display in the photo above? One short day, plus we did the deck and back yard as well. Simple insanity.

This year was not so simple nor fast. I spent close to 100 hours programming the feature song (Christmas Jam by Trans Siberian Orchestra) during December 2005 and January 2006 alone. And we spent the better part of three days trying to get the rope lights on the top part of the house and porch roof right during set-up, which took at least twice as long as expected. In total we had about 10 man-days in putting up the lights and hooking up the

But hopefully you will agree it was worth it.

Son, Nathan, and Son-In-Law, Darren.

It's starting to look like all I did was take pictures.

The mini-trees, three deep, eight wide, one octave.

We always read the entire Christmas story in chronological order before opening presents on Christmas morning. It's a great tradition, and here are the passages if you would like to try it as well.

Luke 1:26-38

26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."

38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Matthew 1:18-25

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins."

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"[d]—which means, "God with us."

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Luke 2:1-20

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to his own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Matthew 2:1-12

1After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east[b] and have come to worship him."
3When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ[c] was to be born. 5"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'[d]"

7Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."

9After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east[e] went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

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No matter what you're interested in -- lights, inflatables, plastic molds, wire frames, or maybe you don't really know -- if it's about Christmas decorating, there are wonderful people talking about it twelve months of the year who are more than willing to help with ideas and answers. I could not have succeeded without their help.

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dave@wda.com