HRH Auxiliary Hosting Holiday Home Tour

This holiday season, four families open their homes and extend a warm invitation to the community to come share their Christmas cheer – all for the benefit of Hannibal Regional Hospital’s Auxiliary. The Hannibal Regional Hospital Auxiliary will be hosting a holiday house tour on Saturday, December 6, 2014 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Inside each of the featured homes, visitors will be treated to the hosts’ holiday decorations as well as the special architectural features which make each location special.

Ahrens Home: 11 Huntingdon, Hannibal
Reflect on memories from Christmas past as you approach the main entrance of 11 Huntingdon Road. Encompassed by sleds from the prairie, you will be welcomed into the main foyer and immediately feel embraced with holiday cheer in this beautiful custom built home.

Simple and elegant, the main floor features a 10 foot tree with a collection of Lennox snowflake ornaments and a splendid stone fireplace decorated to celebrate the season. Stop in the gourmet kitchen for a cup of hot cider and a homemade holiday cookie. Take a moment to gaze out the windows and enjoy the rolling hills of rural Hannibal. Four bedrooms will be open for viewing as well as a loft play area above the garage where a tree will be displayed adorned with shades of pink and purple, favorite colors of Miss Ainsley Mae.

The lower level of the home will also be available for exploring. Take notice of a third tree featuring favorite ornaments of the Ahrens children. Remembering the reason for the Christmas holiday, a nativity will be on display as well as favorite antique toy train cars from the family’s personal collection.

Westhoff Home: 2 Thornaby Road, Hannibal
The Westhoff home is a two-year-old six-bedroom home where you will be intrigued with the bookshelf that swings open to reveal a hidden room. Every room will be decorated.
As you enter, a 9’ tree decorated with red ornaments will command your attention, but you’ll want to spend extra time examining the two smaller trees flanking each side of the stone fireplace. They are decorated with hand-painted and cut goose-egg ornaments, each depicting a different miniature scene. Cheery wreaths adorn kitchen cabinets over granite counter tops, and one cabinet opens to a walk-in pantry. In this household of four boys, you should expect to see more than one sports-themed decorated tree. The family tree in the basement boasts treasures made or collected over the years, and stockings embroidered by grandma hang by the fireplace.

This home with 10’ ceilings and hardwood floors throughout has an open staircase that will be decorated with garland, as will be the fireplace mantles. You won’t want to miss the home theater on the lower level, where a Christmas movie will be running.

Valuck Home: 211 Butternut, Hannibal
The Valuck home is a traditional home in which they have lived for 18 years will be decorated on four levels in celebration of The Music of Christmas, each room inspired by a different song title. There will be at least a dozen decorated trees.

“Joy to the World” is proclaimed as you enter the home and see the nativity scene they’ve built over the years. You’ll be drawn in by the decorated open stairway. You’ll be humming “I’ll be Home for Christmas” in the family room which features a collection of ceramic houses, a large tree and family stockings hung at the hearth. The dining room celebrates “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” In the study, there’s a unique desktop tree made of vintage Christmas books. And the bedroom on this level will transport you to Williamsburg for Christmas.

The mid-level open balcony decorations are inspired by music from The Polar Express. A snowman collection displayed on the lower level evokes the “Frozen” theme, and Santa’s Workshop takes over the hobby room. A second level of bedrooms will feature trees decorated with Precious Moments and Peter Rabbit ornaments.
The fourth level, Nana’s attic, will offer you a rare chance to view a collection of vintage American Girl dolls, many of which have been retired. Five fireplace mantles throughout the home also will be decorated.

Smith Home: 4809 County Road 407, Hannibal
As you approach the front porch of the Smith home, the charm of a country Christmas greets you in a live decorated tree in a wash tub and the Christmas quilt draped over a wrought iron day bed. Inside, you’ll first glimpse the Willow Tree nativity scene collected over 30 years. A decorated tree awaits you in every room.

A large tree with handmade family ornaments captures your attention in the living room, alongside the stone fireplace. Pencil pine trees accent the breakfast area. A snow-flocked green three stands in the dining room alongside the Christmas village. There’s even a beach-themed tree in the master bath. And three small trees (one decorated for each grandchild) in the kids’ play room.
The main floor of this home, built in 2011, will be on tour. It features hardwood floors throughout and custom hickory cabinets in the kitchen.

Tickets for the tour are $8.00 in advance and $10.00 at the event. Tickets can be purchased at Judy’s Boutique located inside Hannibal Regional Hospital or at the Mark Twain Book and Gift Shop. For more information, please contact Alicia Rollins, Director -- Volunteer Services at 573-248-5272.