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December days are short, but just minutes before the sun sets like I said, you got the jitters and the butterflies. Rob Schiller's as nervous as a kid on Christmas Eve. Oh, it's an energy that you can't describe because at exactly 4 42 energy flows down his driveway to the north grove and every tree in sight lights clicking on as others inch up the gravel road because they've been watching Rob's creation come together. Oh golly, I don't even know how many hundreds of cords since August, when the Plymouth County Christmas lover dropped his first drop cord as the state fair was still serving corn dogs. Well, it's miles and miles of electrical cords. Walmart loves us when we go to Walmart. Mhm. Plenty of people budget early for Christmas. Our electric bill runs about 303 $150 more a month to do this. If Rob's Snowman Village wasn't lit with L. E. D s, his bill would be as astronomical as the emotions he shared more than a month before Thanksgiving. When you actually have grown adults standing in your driveway crying of what we've done. That's why we do it you know. So, yeah, I still get teary eyed over the whole deal because no one will accuse Rob Schuyler of having the fanciest Christmas display in Iowa. Oh, if they got, If they're dinged up their faded, they got scratches. That's vintage. That's what I'm looking for. That's what I want. But by November, it becomes obvious. Rob means business. So we are right now, the largest outdoor country Christmas display in what's called the Tri State area. And people drive Hundreds of miles and several hours just to come here one way. So when the calendar flips to December and that sunset glows orange, so do 800 plastic faces. His old bear pops out a village of inflatables stretch Christmas Acres is coming to life just minutes before those cars and the kids in them. It's amazing. Never show up to the display best seen from up above. You got miles of cars in a line waiting to come down the highway to come through. It just kind of with all the lights. Just takes your just takes your breath away. When Rob showed Hitler built his home 25 years ago, he wired it specifically for Christmas display. Nothing. We never prepared for what we have today. A quarter million lights showcasing 800 old blow molds from addicts and Barnes ST Pol decorations from towns wanting something newer and so much Christmas nostalgia. It's a labor of love. Bad guys, moms and their kids drive from hours away, Dutch to soak in Christmas Acres. And I love how they still have the manger with Baby Jesus and everything, not just Santa Claus. So everything. It's just who would have ever thought. We never dreamed of this. This is never our intent. This is where we're at today, but even more amazing. Hello, there. Here have another One is what appears at the end of Rob's driveway. He loves to make people's Christmas. You see, eight or 10 years ago, the guy giving out candy canes, thank you kept getting visitors who wanted to pay his light bill. He kept refusing. They kept insisting, so he compromised, setting up a spotlighted donation box. In January, he took a trip to town Wow with a capital W to visit Steve Kolker, who had started Christian needs center. There's no cost for anything. This is all donated clothing And so we give it back a free store where Iowans like James can take anything they need. Trying a decent pair of jeans. They always best hard this place here. It was really nice to help people out in need. In the last few years, it's over. $100 worth of food. Director Susan Van real has seen a lot of need. That's hard. I had a lady here just she's about 70, did not want to come here. But she admitted that she was sitting in the dark. Most walk in wishing they didn't need help. She was literally crying, did not want to be here, she said. This is not and I'm like, Well, that's what we're here for I told her, That's what you need to come here. When Rob walks in, he brings joy. Thank you so much, guys. Oh, I do. I do this time of the year. I'm just knowing what we're doing for people in need and A check. Last year it was, yeah, I was up to $40,000. Visitors to his lights covered the center's entire light bill payroll and overhead for the whole year. Yeah, lets us operate here, and there was enough left over to cover unpaid lunch balances at every school in the area. That's the way it is. You know that you're here in Iowa, when when we need something we've got our neighbors to count on. And that's what that's what this is all about. Three months of set up a month of crowds surrounding his home and another month to take it all down is a lot. It is a lot, you know. It is a lot, but it's 100% worth it because of the joy Christmas Acres spreads, you can just tell how much hard work he's put into it. Oh yeah, he's passionate about this and the light it shines. I know what we do here does to so many for so many people, and that's what that's the field that keeps us going night after night