Tour of Laurel homes is more than a look at Christmas decorations ...

LAUREL ? Christmas lights are up, ornaments have been hung on the trees and Christmas decorations are scattered throughout the house.
Christmas is a wonderful time of the year to invite family and friends into your home.
The front doors were open on four homes in Laurel last Saturday. The families had invited friends, neighbors, and even a few strangers in and let them traipse through their homes and view the many Christmas decorations.
It was all part of the 2012 Tour of Homes.
The century old home of Tom and Elaine Wattier is very impressive ? and when the house is decorated for the holiday season it is a sight to see.
The home is filled with antiques and family heirlooms ? a china cabinet filled with dishes that have been passed down through the family, two rocking chairs, a trunk, bedroom set, and a little table and stools that had been Elaine?s when she was a young child. Several of the old blue tinted Ball canning jars, which are filled with old buttons, are displayed on a stand that a great uncle had made.
Throughout the house visitors caught glimpses of Elaine?s extensive collection of snowmen. Some of the snowmen were purchased but many were handmade by Elaine.
A delightful looking snowman had been painted on the front of the suitcase that Elaine had received when she graduated from high school. Other snowmen were featured on pillows and quilts.
Two snowmen ? who looked like Mary and Joseph ? sat on the counter in the bathroom.
Everyone needs to pay heed to the words on the sign that was hanging above the two snowmen: ?Snow flakes are such a fragile creation but look what they can do when they stick together?.
A couple of snowmen sat on the window ledge among numerous pots of African violets.
Elaine shared a tip with her guests on caring for the plants.
?I love my violets,? Elaine said. ?I feed them chopped banana peelings ? it is a hint that was taken from the Capper?s Weekly.?
The table was set and ready for a family Christmas meal at Daryl and Annette Junck?s home.
The blue and white dishes with a ?Christmas Rose? pattern had come over from Denmark with Annette?s grandparents.
The silverware had also been handed down through the family.
A series of small blue and white plates hung on the wall above the dining room window. At one time the plates had belonged to Annette?s grandmother and her mother.
Blue and silver ornaments decorated the white tree which sat in the corner.
The decor of the Junck home includes a mixture of new along with several older items that had belonged to family members.
Grandpa and Grandma Kvols had brought the beautiful desk that now sits in the living room back from Denmark. The salt and pepper shaker collection in the kitchen had been Annette?s mothers.
As Annette looks at the cherished items it takes her back to the homes of loved ones that were so much a part of her life.
Several old wooden crates set outside of the Junck home near the garage door. Years ago one of the wood boxes had held bottles of Lane?s Beverages. Another had been packed with Sunkist oranges from California.
This year the collectable wooden boxes are filled with Christmas balls and ornaments.
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Joy Herrmann received the first piece of her Original Snow Village over twenty-three years ago as a gift from her son and his wife.
Throughout the years other pieces have been added. There are now thirty big buildings in the Snow Village plus numerous other items.
The village now includes a set of farm buildings, two churches, houses, stores, a golf course and numerous other items along with some moving parts.
Two small figurines are skiing up and down a decline, others are skating on an ice pond and two deer are running round and round the Pinewood Shop.
Tiny parking meters sit alongside the snow covered street that runs through the village.
Several of the buildings hold special memories for the family.
The Snow Village?s Corner Cafe is a reminder of the Corner Cafe that used to be open downtown in Laurel.
One of the houses looks like the home a son and his family had lived in at one time.
A small replica of a Chinese Restaurant brings back memories of eating out.
?Our family always liked to eat out at a Chinese Restaurant,? Joy said.
The Snow Village Golf Course honors a family member who loves to golf, the police car represents a son-in-law who works in law enforcement and the garbage truck is a memory of Joy?s husband.
One of the churches that sit in the Village is especially meaningful for Joy.
?It looks like the Trinity Lutheran Church in Winside where I was baptized and confirmed,? she said.
Setting up the Snow Village and getting ready for Christmas can be time consuming but Joy has help from family members.
Her daughter, Donna Miller, from Newman Grove, set up the village this year with a little help from two of Joy?s grandkids.
?It can take up most of a whole weekend to set up the village,? Donna said. ?This year my two kids helped and we did it in about eight hours.?
Joy loves spreading her collection of snowmen throughout the house.
She enjoys seeing the smiles on the faces of the snowmen.
?Snowmen are usually happy,? she said. ?They make you feel good.?
This year a huge snowman smiles at Joy from the door of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
For more pick up this week?s issue of the Laurel Advocate!
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