Gulf Shores, Ala – January 6, 2012 –When Jim and Mary Lorenz first began collecting Christmas houses over thirteen years ago, they never dreamed of what the collection would eventually become. The collection which started with just three or four houses has grown into an entire village consisting of over 100 houses and buildings that the couple displayed inside of their home each year.

However, It wasn’t until about six or seven years that Jim Lorenz began to realize just how large the village had become.

“It started with the top of the kitchen cabinets and before we knew it I was building archways and bridges to make everything fit,” Jim Lorenz said. “The village really began to outgrow our own house so we began thinking of what we should do with it.”

This past December, Jim and Mary Lorenz made the generous decision to part ways with their thirteen year masterpiece as the couple donated 89 of the village houses to the City of Gulf Shores to display in the David L. Bodenhamer Recreation Center during the holiday season.

The Lorenz masterpiece drew admirers of all ages at the annual City of Gulf Shores Christmas Open House and continued to stop traffic inside the David L. Bodenhamer Recreation Center throughout the month of December.

Even after parting ways with much of their masterpiece, Jim and Mary Lorenz are still putting their finishing touches on the village.

“We’ve got a Chic-Fil-A, Home Depot, Lowes and another moving scene that we plan to add next year,” Lorenz said.

Something tells me this won’t be the last time the Lorenz family adds to their masterpiece.