LIVE IN SAINT AUGUSTINE. ASHLEY HARDING, CHANNEL 4, THE LOCAL STATION.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: WELL, ONE
MAN, FAMILY’S GRATING SWEET
MEMORIES THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
TALKING ABOUT THE DONALDSON’S.
THEY’VE BEEN GOING ABOVE AND
BEYOND WITH THEIR CHRISTMAS
DECORATIONS FOR THEM LIKE 7
YEARS NOW. IT’S A LOT OF WORK,
BUT IT’S WORTH IT. RIGHT. NEWS
FOR JAX REPORTER LENA PRINGLE
TRAVELED TO THEIR HOME TO FIND
OUT THE INSPIRATION.
>>LAUREN VERNO: BEHIND THEIR
UNIQUE CREATION. IT HAS A GOOD
BRUCE ENGINE. THE DONALSON
STARTED DECORATING THE INSIDE
OF THEIR HOME ON OCTOBER. 1ST,
THEY STARTED TACKLING THE
OUTSIDE DURING THANKSGIVING
WEEKEND. AND NOW IT’S QUITE
THE MASTERPIECE. I SPOKE WITH
THE FAMILY ABOUT WHY THEY
CONTINUE TO CREATE THIS
ELABORATE DISPLAY YEAR AFTER
YEAR.
>> IF YOU’RE TRAVELING THROUGH
MANDARIN AND MAKE A STOP IN
THE CUT IS NEIGHBORHOOD WILL
SEE THIS BEHIND THE DOOR TO
GINGERBREAD LAND. THAT’S
RIGHT. A HOME COMPLETELY SIZE
GINGERBREAD HOUSE ARE REDS.
ALSO 8 FOOT.
>> ICE CREAM ALL THE CANDY
THAT WE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY
DECORATED. THERE’S CANDY
GALORE ALL OVER INSIDE
OUTSIDE. SO
>>LAUREN VERNO: IT’S JUST WHAT
MAKES THE HOUSE THE
DONALDSON’S HAVE MADE IT THEIR
MISSION TO SPREAD HOLIDAY
CHEER TO THEIR ELABORATE
DECORATIONS FROM THE SMALLEST
DETAIL TO THE LARGE IS NO PART
OF THIS WHOLE GOES AND
DECORATED THIS DECEMBER. AND
THEN WE HAVE THE SNOWMAN ROOM
>>LENA PRINGLE: SO THERE IS
ACTUAL REAL CANDY.
>> ON THE TABLE, HOW MANY
DECORATIONS DO YOU HAD INSIDE
AND OUTSIDE? COME BACK. IF YOU
ADD ORNAMENTS, PROBABLY
THOUSANDS AND ALL THAT WAS
INSPIRED BY THEIR DAUGHTERS.
UNIQUE BIRTHDAY PARTY REQUEST.
I ASKED HER WHAT SHE WANTED TO
DO HER FOR HER SWEET 16
BIRTHDAY PARTY. SHE SAID I
WANT TO PARTY.
>>LENA PRINGLE: SWEET 16
PARTY. SO MY HUSBAND AND I
DECIDED TO START MAKING CANDY
FOR A SOLID YEAR AND IT THAT
BURST THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE. I
DIDN’T KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING
TO DO WITH ALL THE CANDY
AFTERWARDS. AND I WAS LIKE.
>> THIS LABOR OF LOVE KNOWS NO
BOUNDS. THERE ARE 5, 8, FOOT
TALL GINGERBREAD STATUES
REPRESENTING EACH FAMILY
MEMBER AND EVEN THE BATHROOMS
ARE DECKED IN HOLIDAY FOR THE
SNOWMAN. ENJOYING THE BACK OF
THE
>> SEE A LARGE INCREASE IN
YOUR ELECTRICITY. HAHA. NOW
JANUARY, IT’S REALLY NOT THAT
>> MUCH BECAUSE WE USE ALL LED
THAT’S BEEN LED HERE. THE
DECORATIONS DON’T GO UP JUST
ONCE A YEAR. THE DONALDSON’S
KEEP THE CHRISTMAS TREE YOU’RE
AROUND EVERY MONTH. IT’S
DECORATED IN A DIFFERENT
THEME. THIS MONTH’S AS A VERY
SPECIAL MEANING WITH MY SON
BEING IN THE MILITARY. I HAD
TO HAVE A MILITARY TREE. SO WE
HAVE A TREE THAT IS LITERALLY
DECORATED JUST FOR HIM.
>>EMILY BOYER: HE WON’T BE
ABLE TO BE WITH US. YOU KNOW,
FROM SEVERAL CHRISTMAS IS. SO
IT’S KIND OF JUST AN EXTRA WAY
TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
FOCUS FOR HIM.
>>LAUREN VERNO: AND IT’S
IMPORTANT TO ADD THE MAJORITY
OF THE DONALDSON’S DECORATIONS
ARE HANDMADE. AND IF YOU’RE
NOT FEELING THE HOLIDAY CHEER,
THIS HOME IS SURE TO BRIGHTEN
YOUR SPIRITS. THIS IS THE LAST
YEAR THE DONALDSON’S WILL BE
DOING THEIR GINGERBREAD THEME
AND NEXT YEAR’S THEME WILL BE
A WINTER WONDERLAND EXPRESS,
BUT NO WORRIES. THE
GINGERBREAD DECOR WILL RETURN
IN 2 YEARS. BRUCE JEN?
>> SO THEY JUST DECIDED THEN
TO JUST KIND OF CHANGE IT UP A
LITTLE BIT TIRED OF GENDER,
WHETHER THEY WORK SO HARD YOU
KNOW, CATHERINE SAID THAT SHE
WANTED TO GIVE HER HUSBAND HER
MAIN WING MAN IN THIS WHOLE
PROCESS A BREAK. AND SO SHE’S
LETTING HIM PICK NEXT YEAR’S
THEME. AND SO WHAT THEY’RE
GOING TO DO IS THEY’RE GOING
TO ROTATE EVERY 2 YEARS. SO
HE’LL GET CHOICES FOR THE NEXT
2 YEARS. THE TERM AND THEN
THEY’LL STOP AND ANOTHER 2
YEARS. SO.
>>LAUREN VERNO: INCREDIBLY
IMPRESSIVE. YET SEEING THEIR
HOME, ESPECIALLY THE PERSON
HASN’T PUT UP A SINGLE
CHRISTMAS DECORATION. I WALKED
IN THERE REAL I MEAN,
ABSOLUTELY LIKE VALENTINE’S
DAY. IS THERE A ONE O? SO
ACTUALLY THEY END UP TAKING IT
DOWN RIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS AND
THEY HAD THE ENTIRE
NEIGHBORHOOD TO HELP THEM. SO
THEY’RE ABLE TO TAKE DOWN
THOSE OUTDOOR DECORATIONS AND
LESS THAN 4 HOURS BECAUSE THE
WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD BENEFIT
SWEET. I LOVE IT. ONE OF THOSE