Sammamish family honors neighbor with bright holiday display
During the holiday season, families across Sammamish put up holiday lights at night to share the joy of this season with their neighbors. For Mike and Melinda Wilson’s family, the winner of this year’s holiday lights competition, their festive display also honors a particular neighbor.
The Wilsons have perfected their light display over a decade, collecting over 12,000 lights to brighten every side of their home and yard. They have dubbed their theme as “wintery white,” opting for a consistent, traditional look using white lights.
But this year, they decided to add something that was uncharacteristic of their style — inflatables. They did it to honor their neighbor, who could not put up his own lights and inflatables this year due to health issues.
“This is the first time we’re doing this,” said Mike Wilson, 54.
The Wilsons’ cul-de-sac is a very tight knit community where everyone knows each other well. This one neighbor was renowned for going all out with his display, placing numerous inflatables and decorations to turbocharge the Christmas spirit every year. This was the first year that he could not do it, and the absence was felt.
“Our neighbor used to have a yard full of inflatables, but now he’s unable to put them up,” Mike Wilson said. “So, we’ve each taken one and put them in our yards to honor him in that way.”
They decided to borrow their two personal favorites — the snowmen and the tractor.
The whole cul-de-sac is also in on the effort. In total, six families are including an inflatable in their yards. Wilson said this was “our way of giving back to him for giving us the joy of seeing the inflatables.”
The inflatables add to the 12,000 white lights that the Wilsons diligently install each year. Part of this tradition comes from Mike’s childhood, especially with the inclusion of daytime decorations such as a green garland and a red ribbon with ornaments.
It took them over three weeks to put up the lights, starting from Nov. 26, with help from their two teenage boys. They start off by installing the gutter lights, then the icicle lights, and then the garland and ribbons to provide that daytime flair. They continue by adding fence lights and all the lights on the bushes. Before lighting up the house, they secure the stars on the tree in their front yard. Finally, the kids get to do the honors by flipping the switch and making the house light up.
“Christmas wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t continue the tradition of putting up the lights,” Wilson said.
The Wilson family light display can be found in the Klahanie neighborhood.
