The Ahias went viral last Christmas after covering their house with silver and blue. This year? They outdid their 2021 decorations.
DALLAS, Texas — When the Dallas Cowboys face off against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday night, many watching might have already taken down their Christmas decorations for the year.
On Noelo Street outside of Honolulu, Hawaii, more than 3,500 miles from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, the Ahias are keeping their decorations up as long as their HOA will allow them.
When you see those decorations for yourself, you’ll understand why.
“It’s been crazier than ever,” Shelley Ahia told WFAA.”We had a lot of new visitors this year.”
Waldo and Shelley Ahia are both native Hawaiians and die-hard Cowboys fans.
Their elaborate Cowboys-inspired Christmas decorations outside their home caught viral attention last December.
This year? They outdid themselves.
The couple had a custom inflatable helmet made for their driveway and placed detailed cutouts of players throughout their yard.
Waldo told WFAA that he started work on the cutouts in the summer.
“He was putting all the details on the plywood so that they would withstand the weather,” Shelley said.
“I have a lot more to do for next year,” Waldo said.
The couple told WFAA that tourists from all over the states stopped by their house on Oahu Island to take pictures.
They said they even saw tourists from Japan and Germany stop by to snap photos.
Videos from the couple show a band in the driveway at one point during the holidays and visitors outside enjoying the music.
A successful toy drive was even held.
“We got to meet a lot of new, different people,” Shelley said.
Waldo has been a loyal Dallas fan since the third grade and converted his wife in the ’80s when they started dating.
Every December, the couple goes overboard with Christmas decorations, and for years their kids always wanted a Disney-themed display.
But in 2020, the Ahias said the kids weren’t as interested as in previous years when it came to putting up lights.
So, a Cowboys-themed Christmas display was the answer.
If the couple had a Christmas wish, it would be to attend a game in Arlington with their family someday.
Shelley and her son, Keanu, attended a preseason game in Hawaii in 2019 when the Cowboys played the Rams. But other than that, it’s been their only chance to see the ‘Boys. Keanu struggles with high anxiety disorder.
As for the decorations, the family does belong to an HOA and has to take the decorations down on Jan. 2.
If it weren’t for that rule, the Ahias said the decorations would stay up indefinitely.
As the decorations grow and improve, the only unknown is where to store everything.
“We had to buy this big mobile storage unit,” Shelley said with a laugh. “It’s almost like a house!”
Anything for the ‘Boys.