Travis and Kayla Bearden had a spirited debate about how many Christmas lights to put up outside their house this year.
Kayla wanted an elaborate display.
Travis did not.
They reached a happy compromise — one that’s already caught the attention of scores of motorists passing between Iola and Gas on U.S. 54 this week.
The Beardens teamed with neighbors Brian and Darla Ulrich for a humorous, yet elaborate display.
The Ulrich home, just east of 1900 Street on U.S. 54, is loaded with lights and inflatable holiday figures, while the Bearden home has a few strands of lights spelled out to say “ditto” with a lighted arrow pointed to their neighbors.
“We were just having fun with it,” Darla Ulrich said. “We wanted to do something different.”
The Ulrichs have made it a family tradition to put up an elaborate Christmas light display, from the time they lived on South Third Street in Iola.
Then, it was a light-hearted competition between Brian Ulrich and Iolan Mitch Garner.
“He would add something, so I would add something,” Brian Ulrich said with a laugh.
That holiday tradition remained, even when the Ulrichs moved to their new home along U.S. 54 seven years ago.
While thinking of ideas for their 2011 spectacle, the Ulrichs saw a similar display on Facebook and quickly decided an homage of their own was in order. They approached the Beardens, who happily agreed.
“Now Travis doesn’t have to worry about putting up a bunch of lights,” Kayla Bearden said.
The families have become good friends, to the point that their children often frequent each other’s houses on a nearly daily basis.
The displays were turned on for the first time Monday evening.
“There have been all kinds of cars slow down as they pass by to get a better look,” Brian Ulrich said.
Brian Ulrich still plans to add a few more elements to his display this year, he said.
“I just have to remember not to put too many lights on a single breaker,” he said.
‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ gets easier for one Gas home
