It’s a Christmas tradition.
Every year Heather Cairns' children decorate and make their own ornaments to hang on their Christmas tree.
One year they made Santa hand prints. Another year they made "Frozen-" inspired footprints.
Each year the ornaments get more creative and the decorations on the tree grow.
“We paint them, put their pictures on them and their names, their initials, stuff like that every year. They always go on the tree every year, and now it’s all gone,” said Cairns.
On Tuesday the mother of three walked into her home and immediately knew something was wrong. Her family’s 6-foot Christmas tree was gone and so were all of her kids’ decorations.
"They had stolen little things, you know, video game systems, games, a controller,” she told 41 Action News. "I don’t really care about that, but they stole my kids’ Christmas tree… they had worked really hard on.”
Cairns told 41 Action News she believes a thief broke into her side-door and drug the tree outside. In the process, they left behind a trail of ornaments and broken lights.
While Independence police investigate, Cairns said her family has packed up their belongings and are looking for a new home.
But she does have a message for this real-life Grinch.
“Keep the game system, keep the tree. I don’t care about that,” she said. “I just want those few items that my kids worked so hard on over all of those years, I just want those memories back.”
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Ariel Rothfield can be reached at Ariel.Rothfield@KSHB.com.
