MIDLAND, Texas — When it comes to the holidays, people like to go all out. Whether it be baked goods, caroling or gift giving, some people pull out all the stops.
For Buddy Loftin, his home out in Midland is filled with decorations, ranging from standard Christmas lights to big wooden cutouts of the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers logos.
He even has a tree that, when lit up at night, can bee seen from Highway 191 as you drive by the neighborhood.
The process takes time, and Loftin likes to start early.
“[I] started in early October, start with putting lights up that are not in the yard. I got to wait for the grass to go dormant, have last mow and all that," Loftin said. "By Halloween we have all the lights up at the house, that’s when we do a final mow and start putting out Christmas decorations.”
He can't do it alone though, as he had the help of his six-year-old daughter Brinley when putting up the lights, who helped him set up what she called "the mega tree."
The "mega tree" is one of many decorations in the yard, a project spawned out of the love and passion Loftin has for his family.
“[I started in] 2017 really, that’s when Brinley was born," Loftin said. "I started adding stuff and have been adding ever since."
Loftin has since had another daughter, who has only helped fuel the passion project that can be seen on the front yard.
It's not just fancy lights either.
He's got wooden cutouts of different Christmas figures, a reindeer feed station with homemade reindeer food, a short-range radio transmission that plays Christmas music and even a mailbox where kids can drop off letters to Santa Claus himself.
“Last year, my daughter Brinley put a letter in the mail. Santa did return it, so I know it works," Loftin said. "I would recommend kids come out and put a letter to Santa and see if they can [get] a return letter.”
Don't worry though, Santa reads every letter he gets, and always delivers the goods.
"This year, I do want a Barbie dreamhouse," Brinley said.
The wooden cutouts come from Vision West, a local store out in Odessa. The reindeer food is made by Loftin himself, and will be made available the weekend before Christmas.