Las Cruces family’s Christmas decorations light up Espina Street

One Las Cruces family’s Christmas decorations attract eyes from all over town.

“We want to add more, but we’re running out of space,” said Maria Gonzalez, with a laugh. She placed them just after Thanksgiving with her husband’s help.

There are light-up lollipops, inflatable cartoon characters and hundreds, if not thousands of colorful lights.

“Hey, it’s once a year!” Gonzalez said. “If the bill’s pretty high, that’s alright. As long as we bring somebody else a smile, that’s what’s worth it.”

The Gonzalez family has lived at their home, near Idaho Avenue and Espina Street, for almost a decade. The couple started off by decorating the trim of their house, but gradually built up their collection.

“Every year, we began adding more and more,” Gonzalez said.

Now, she says it’s not unusual for neighbors or passerby to knock on the door of their home and ask to take a picture in their front yard.

“I think the display is so colorful and beautiful and diverse without being gaudy,” said Mickey Weiss, who drove by the home. “I actually pulled over and had to stop and look at it and take a picture.”

“We’re just excited to bring smiles to people’s faces,” Gonzalez said. “Cars pass and they honk or… we get postcards in the mail from our neighbors.”