a smile on a kids face

[sirloinofbeef001]

The greatest feeling I get is hearing the kids hollering and laughing at the show. So no matter what, no matter how much I critique myself, its all worth it. I've told all the ppl I see that Santa is gonna be here on the 24th and the 25th to give presents to the kids. My wife bought a outfit for me to be santa and a bag FULL of toys to give out. Warm cider for some by request. This is what its all about.

[SteveMaris]

Well said. Our "Santa" night is this Friday. Looking forward to it. 

[sirloinofbeef001]

My wife is gonna be my elf. Lol. Psst. Don't tell her that.

[Jimm]

You guys are Amazing!
I know its fun for you but I am sure that it really touches some of those kids.
Thank you,

[sirloinofbeef001]

That's exactly my point. The kids eyes light up and the amazement on their faces is what makes it worth it. We have about 80-100 cars a night now and ppl coming from with car loads of kids. Even a nursing home came by with a van load of senior citizens. ( they requested the hot apple cider.). My show is only 20 minutes long and some stay thru 2 cycles.

[deanathpc]

That is what's is about.  I have one person out front right now watching the show as I type.  I think they are the only ones tonight.   Wish I could get more to stop.

I did have to run out and mess with the GFCI's though.  Gotta figure out what's causing the trips.  This rain is not helping any..  Can't believe I'm typing this but I want snow!!!!!

Dean

[sirloinofbeef001]

That is what's is about.  I have one person out front right now watching the show as I type.  I think they are the only ones tonight.   Wish I could get more to stop.

I did have to run out and mess with the GFCI's though.  Gotta figure out what's causing the trips.  This rain is not helping any..  Can't believe I'm typing this but I want snow!!!!!

Dean

2 days it rained and the show was canceled because of gfci's tripping. I feel your pain. I ran 8 separate circuits for my show.. Lots of incans tho.

[wbuehler]

I only get a few visitors a night as well.

Bill

[sirloinofbeef001]

maybe its the area. Its mad here especially saturdays. there was at least 8 or 10 cars deep down around the corner last saturday at 5:45 waiting for me to turn it on.. the kids get out of the cars and walk to the house and stand on the sidewalks clapping.

[kgustafson]

We get some traffic but not a ton.  Word of mouth helps (if you are doing this for the first year, it may take awhile to get the traffic).  Proximity to major thoroughfares also helps.  I live on a dead end street with little traffic to begin with.  I also live in a townhouse where most people do not expect there to be a full blown show.  However, the entire neighborhood comes by at one point or another and most nights I have a few folks watching outside.   In the end it is always worth doing just to put one smile on one face!

[sirloinofbeef001]

I believe that one smile or the chance of a lil glimmer of hope for a child is worth more than all the traffic that's here as I post this. I told one young lady with her lil girl that santa was coming to my house on the 24th and the 25th  and the glee in that childs face said it all.  Hope for a child is precious and should be seen as that. Sorry for rambling on...

[meman]

I get get tremendous joy from all of the kids (big & little) with huge smiles that stop by to see the lights. But some of my best memories come throughout the year from my own kids. My oldest son is 13 and profoundly autistic. He absolutely loves to lay in the grass with all the lights and strobes around him, but earlier this month he caught me sequencing in Vixen with the picture of the house in the background and seemed to "get it". I found vixen loaded a couple of days later and knew he had been trying to play around with it (yes, I backup nightly).
Even more joy for me was watching him hold the soldering iron for the first time and helping me build a last minute Express board. Don't get me wrong, his attention span is only a few minutes, and theres is no conversation involved...but there are few things that we truly do together, so those are precious moments for me. We share a love of lights!

Thanks,
Mike E.

[therealbigjim]

My lights are my gulity pleasure. I spent way to much time fretting, sequencing and plotting. I have people stop and asking in early Nov. when the lights are going to start. I have a steady stream and many repete visitors who come nightly. Its becoming a tridition for some families to stop by and see my lights. 

[kgustafson]

My lights are my gulity pleasure. I spent way to much time fretting, sequencing and plotting. I have people stop and asking in early Nov. when the lights are going to start. I have a steady stream and many repete visitors who come nightly. Its becoming a tridition for some families to stop by and see my lights.

I was watching one of those shows on Christmas Lights on cable and there was a psychologist that said that our obsession is both a 'guilty pleasure' that fills some personal pysche niche (perhaps narcassitic?) as well as an outward altruistic (giving) need.  I am good with that and don't feel guilty about it at all.  As long as others benefit from my obsession and I cause no harm, I am good.  *smile*

Kurt