Christmas village part of family's holiday tradition
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer
Ice skaters glide across a pond, a wedding party stands outside a snow-covered church, a holiday barn dance is in full swing, while moose roam through the woods and fishermen unload their bounty at the seaport. Where is this bustling village? It is all in the living room of the Dombrowski family.

PHOTOS BY DANIEL HULSHIZER staff Karen Dombrowski (r) sits with her children (l-r) Garrett, Chris and Alexa near the Christmas village they constructed in the living room of their Marlboro home.

The Dombrowskis' living room in their Yellowbrook Road home in Marlboro not only displays their Christmas tree, it also features a Christmas village. Karen Dombrowski and her children, Garrett, 15, and twins Alexa and Chris, 10, spent almost 50 hours setting up this winter wonderland. Husband Bob and oldest son Adam, 17, take on the supervisory role, Karen laughed.

The Dombrowskis start to assemble the village just after Halloween. Karen said each item that makes up the presentation is kept individually wrapped and boxed.

Garrett spent hours connecting more than 40 lighted figures.

A scene in the Christmas village that has been set up in the Marlboro home of the Dombrowski family features a bride and groom exiting a church to the sounds of a choir.

"It wouldn't be this big if he didn't help," Karen said about Garrett's work.

Karen recalled how 10 years ago the family received their first village home as a present.

"The kids got a kick out of it so we added more pieces," she explained.

As the children grew so did the village, and each child now has a section of the town.

This year Alexa added the North Pole, complete with reindeer, Santa Claus and a cookie tree. The cookie tree was no longer present at the North Pole, however, after one of the family dogs enjoyed a tasty snack.

Garrett and Chris share the seaport as their favorite part of the village. They created the sea, Chris said, explaining that a mirror was used with marbles and other features hot-glued on to create an icy look. The youngster said it took about six hours to complete the seaport.

A small section on an upper level of the village display is designated to remember soldiers serving overseas. The family chose to add this feature because Garrett is part of the ROTC program at his school and the twins were collecting items to send to soldiers.

The creativity of making features for the village, rather than just buying them, is one of the things that makes the Dombrowski family's village unique, according to Karen.

"It's a nice family activity," she said.

Karen explained that when she was a child, her family had a village, too, but those homes were cardboard pieces her mother fashioned. The pieces Karen cherishes most are not actually set up in the village. On a small table next to the village, Santa Claus and villager figurines more than 100 years old that have been passed down through Karen's family are displayed.

It appears as if the tradition of the holiday village will continue, because Alexa said it is something she always wants to have.

When asked if the bustling parish will continue to grow, Karen laughed.

"Every year I say no, but every year we buy a new house," she said.