The Kellys have no idea how many lights they use in their annual Christmas display. They get people from all around the area and those visiting from out of town who come by every year to see their brilliant lights.
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Jan and Janice Kelly live on Concord Street in the Fauntlee Hills neighborhood of Seattle not far from the Fauntleroy Ferry dock. Every year, many of their neighbors put up an impressive display of lights. But none are as impressive as the Kelly's.
Janice is the "art director" working on the color scheme, the layout of the lights, and animated and static characters which include, ducks, geese, pandas, snowmen, bears, a moose (crafted from a tree), angels, reindeer, elves, and of course, Santa.
Jan, her husband, is the self-described "gofer" who over the course of two weeks changes their home into a complete fantasy land of Christmas lights and displays.
"Janice tells where it goes and I attempt to put it there and if it doesn't look right, I have to move it," said Jan.
"I'm not sure how many lights there are," said Janice. "We were going to count them but we just got overwhelmed."
The Kellys have been decorating in some fashion or another for decades but over time the displays and lights, and crowds have grown.
At the peak, cars "come by in a constant stream," said Jan. Some of their neighbors on an adjacent street even chose to stay home and have a party or two just because they have a view of the Kelly's remarkable holiday brilliance.
"We do it for the children," Janice said. "And my story with the children is that at midnight on Christmas Eve all the figures in the yard come alive to help Santa deliver presents to everybody, and their eyes just sparkle. It's just awesome."
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