Roswell company brightens military family's holidays

A local business is helping making Christmas brighter for a military family in Roswell.

Carey and Jason Marinelli are the parents of three young children. The children -- aged 7, 5 and 2 -- will be spending the holidays without their father because he's serving in Afghanistan with the National Guard. He's been overseas since July.
 
"I have to say that Christmas was one of the things I was dreading the most, with being away from my husband," said Carey Marinelli.

Terry Kraft and Christmas Decor of Roswell stepped in to help light up the family's holidays. The company put more than 5,000 Christmas lights outside the Marinelli home.

Every year, Kraft goes all out decorating a military family's home for the holidays. For the Marinelli children, it's been magical -- with a Christmas tree unlike any other and Santa on the roof.

"It's a privilege to do it," said Kraft.

Carey Marinelli says the lights have done something very simple, but very important.

"Definitely puts a big smile on my kids face," said Marinelli.

That's means a lot for Jason Marinelli as he spends another holiday a world away from his young family.

"Over there, they worry so much about their families at home, and just to know there's people out there like Mr. Kraft who care so much about military families, it just makes him have one less worry," said Carey Marinelli.

Christmas Decor of Roswell has been doing this for military families for the last seven years. It took all day to decorate the house, but Kraft said that the look on 2-year-old Avery's face when she saw the lights made it all worth it.