Christmas Tree Wonderland
A Christmas wonder! That’s what can be said about Pat and Troy Fincher’s home in Fenwick Estates. With approximately 81 trees and wreaths, each with a different theme, it’s almost more than a person can perceive.
The couple takes holiday decorating to a whole new level. In October, when the rest of us are thinking about falling temperatures, football, and the changing color of leaves, the Finchers are unloading lots of boxes full of ornaments. That’s when they start setting up scores of Christmas trees. The trees are placed throughout their spacious home and careful attention to detail is given to adorning each artificial tree.
Every tree commemorates a special interest in the couple’s life. Their “Navy Tree” pays tribute to the Fincher’s daughter and son-in-law who serve in the U.S. Navy. Because the family is very patriotic, they also have an “Americana” tree complete with flags and other special ornaments symbolizing freedom. There’s a tree to celebrate their love for Lucy, Barbie, lighthouses, the Olympics, Star Wars, Pooh Bear, The Tree Stooges, sports, super-heroes, trains, teddy bears, Disney, Charlie Brown, Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Coke, Snowmen and a whole lot more. After seeing all their trees, a person feels like they know the Finchers much better. Unique statements of their lives are expressed in their festive, holiday decorating.
Pat began collecting Hallmark ornaments many years ago. She appreciates the exquisite craftsmanship and quality. As she bought more and more Hallmark ornaments, she bought more and more trees. “Thankfully, my husband supported me in my collecting. Troy really gets into it all with me,” she said. “It takes a lot of work and planning to get this many trees up each year. He has to make sure the trees are all electrically working right. I couldn’t do it without him helping. He even built a special room in our house for storing all the Christmas trees and boxes of ornaments.”
The Finchers’ family and friends love seeing all the trees during the holidays. Parties are often hosted at their Fenwick home so they can share their Christmas tree wonderland with others. One cannot help but get in the Christmas spirit upon crossing the threshold. The visual delight is immediate.
A favorite room to see is the “wilderness” room with a cathedral ceiling and masculine decor. Commanding your attention, a very large tree stands in the middle of the room and is full of hunting and fishing ornaments. An “outhouse tree” is located in the half-bath of this room. It reminds you of the strong sense of humor and whimsy displayed in many of the various themed trees throughout the house.
Both Pat and Troy were previously teachers and one other large tree in the home is the “Teacher” tree. It is filled with ornaments the couple received through the years from their students. One will notice lots of apples and books dangling from the boughs.
Another unique tree among the many is the “Angel” tree. It is a white feathered tree and is adorned with ornaments representing deceased loved ones. “It’s a way we sort of memorialize people who have been close to us, such as family members,” Pat stated.
Pat offers advice to other enthusiastic holiday decorators. “The key to putting up multiple trees is to make sure you have storage space. Make sure you organize the ornaments according to a particular theme of the tree and wrap the ornaments in bubble wrap or newspaper to protect them while they’re stored.”
When leaving the Fincher home, you can’t help but believe you should buy more ornaments and somehow make room for additional trees. You feel a little more cheerful and some Christmas magic seems to go with you.
