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Christmas Decor surprises families with free and festive home makeovers

Company surprises families with holiday decorations
Company surprises families with holiday decorations 01:34

Each year, Christmas Decor, a holiday decoration company, surprises 200 families by trimming their homes with an amazing light display. 

It's been years of hard knocks for Geisha Alvarez — to the point she never expects good news. But this year, she was nominated by multiple friends and family to have her house decorated.

With yards of garland, hundreds of lights and thousands of dollars in decorations, Alvarez's house transformation was underway.

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Christmas Decors' surprise holiday lights were a jolt of joy for Geisha Alvarez and her family. CBS News

When asked if he was ever worried when knocking on someone's door unannounced, Brandon Stephens, Christmas Decor president, said, "Especially so when you don't know if they know that you're coming."

Christmas Decor sells the trimmings, but every year they do 200 homes for free — often as a surprise for first responders and military families.

Alvarez has three girls and five boys and is her husband Angel's caregiver. He has brain injuries after surviving an IED blast in Iraq.

Alvarez and Angel were the first to see their house after its festive transformation.

"I'm a crier, I'm so sorry," Alvarez said after seeing the house.

"I'm not used to receiving," Angel said. "Especially people donated their time to leave here and do this for us. It's pretty amazing."

The holiday lights were a jolt of joy for the special family.

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