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Local family struck by tragedy hope to win national Christmas-decorating contest

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TANGIPAHOA PARISH - It may not even be Halloween yet, but the Jenkins' are already thinking about Christmas.

"It was a special time of year for me and my mom as a kid," explained Ken Jenkins. "We always started the day after thanksgiving."

Ken always spends the last few days of November decorating his home with a handmade nativity scene, candy canes, and reindeer. However, the last few years haven't been the same.

In 2013 Ken lost his mom to cancer and the year after that, a tornado hit Amite in December. Luckily the Jenkins' home was untouched, but his prized decorations didn't make it.

"A lot of wind through here. I had my nativity scene set up over here. It destroyed the nativity scene. I had a cross that was there as well, destroyed that," said Ken. 

Life caught up with them and they haven't had the time or money to be able to rejuvenate their Christmas spirit. Just last year the Jenkins' added a baby girl to their crop of four boys.

"We would like to start replenishing those things as she gets a little bit older and let her get that child innocence, that joy of Christmas, that her brothers have shared."

As a finalist in Hallmark's Holiday Home Decoration Sweepstakes, they now have a chance to make that happen.

"90-percent of the grading is already done, the last 10-percent is online voting from the public."

As one of five finalists nationwide, the Jenkins' could have their entire home--inside and out--decorated for the holidays. 

They just need your vote

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