For some, one of the most magical moments of Christmas is driving around town and looking around Christmas lights and lawn decorations. Ralph and Gerry Jones on 217 Pine Needle Dr. would agree, and contribute to the magic by illuminating the Christmas season with a lawn full of lights.

“We’re trying to be in the spirit of Christmas and the reason we do it — we’ve been doing it several years — it’s to see the expression on the kids’ faces when they come by with all the “oohs and aahs” and it’s an opportunity for us to kind of give back to the community,” Ralph said.

The couple has lived on Pine Needle Drive since 1998 and they’ve been decorating their home each year. Over the years they’ve collected a number of decorative Christmas items that are housed in a storage unit all year that is bursting at the seams with Christmas spirit.

“A lot of it we’d have for years, and we use over and over. We’ve got a storage building rented and you cannot get in it at all because it is packed so full, and we’ve had the storage building rented for maybe 14 years,” he said. “Absolutely not one other thing is in there beside Christmas decorations.”

The couple start unloading the storage unit and setting up their decorations mid-November, a few days before Thanksgiving, and while they already have several thousands of lights, every year the Jones’ try to add something new to their ensemble.

“We try to add something different every year,” Ralph said. “And if something goes on the blink we’ll replace it with something different. It’s just fun and something different.”

Ralph said it would be safe to say that Christmas is he and Gerry’s favorite holiday.

“When you get to be as old as we are, it gives us something to do and it keeps us out of the bars,” he said with a laugh. “We just enjoy getting in the Christmas spirit and hearing some of the favorable comments from the neighbors and children when they come by.”

The Jones have on display a lit nativity scene, a sleigh and the reindeer, and many more holiday decorations that fill the eyes of children of all ages with wonder.

Ralph’s favorite decoration he said is probably the nativity scene.

Ralph said his Christmas decorations will stay up until Jan. 1 when he plans to work to return everything back into their Christmas storage unit.

“It’s a labor of love every year,” he said.