DALLAS, Texas — It really is the season to be jolly for all Dallas Cowboys fans. The Cowboys are 11-4, the NFC East Champions and have clinched a playoff spot, all during December.
So, for so many in Cowboys Nation: Christmas came early.
And that notion can't be underscored more on Noelo Street outside of Honolulu, HI -- more than 3,500 miles from AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
It's on that street where Waldo and Shelley Ahia are getting viral attention for covering their house in Cowboys decorations for Christmas.
Both are native Hawaiians and die-hard fans. Waldo said he has been loyal to Dallas since the third grade and converted his wife in the '80s when they started dating.
"I didn't have a team yet!" Shelley Ahia said over Zoom with a laugh.
Every December, the couple goes overboard with Christmas decorations, and for years their kids always wanted a Disney-themed display.
But last year, the Ahia's said the kids weren't as interested as previous years when it came to putting up lights.
So, a Cowboys-themed Christmas display was the answer.
"When they said they were done, we said, 'OK good, let's do Dallas Cowboys then.' And we did it, and it was fun!" Shelley said.
This December, the couple did such a great job that Cowboys fans across Oahu Island started coming night after night to the Ahia's home to take pictures.
Eventually, photos and videos of the house spread, and the Ahia's front yard became known overnight on social media.
They even created an Instagram profile for their house.
"I got like thousands of messages, and I couldn't keep up," Shelley said. "I'm still trying to read through them all."
"We were on NFL on Fox, CBS Sports, ESPN, just like all overnight."
The home is covered with stars, blue and silver lights, Cowboys inflatables, and cutouts of players like Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott.
A star sits seven feet above the house--and a canvas with the Cowboys-styled star is draped over the garage door.
The Ahias hand out candy and toys to every child that arrives at their home and plan to keep doing so until they take the decorations down after New Year's Day.
"We do it because we love Christmas, and we love the Dallas Cowboys," Shelley said.
It's been an excellent month for the couple, entertaining other fans like themselves and seeing the Cowboys win along the ride.
"I feel like this is our year, I feel it in my bones," Waldo said. "We're sticking by them through the thick and thin."
If the couple had a Christmas wish, it would be to attend a game in Arlington with their family someday.
Shelley and her son Keanu attended a preseason game in Hawaii in 2019 when the Cowboys played the Rams. But other than that, it's been their only chance to see the 'Boys. Keanu struggles with high anxiety disorder.
As for the decorations, the family belongs to an HOA and has to take the decorations down pretty quick after Christmas.
If it weren't for that rule, the Ahias said the decorations would stay up indefinitely.
"I would keep this up all year long if I could!" Shelley said with a laugh.