Green River man uplifts Christmas spirit with Wyoming-themed decorations

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Tyler Johnson, [email protected]

GREEN RIVER, WYOMING (December 24, 2020) – The winner of the 2020 Wyo4News Holiday Decoration Competition has been perfecting his light display for nearly 20 years.

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Robert Bostick, located at 1915 W Teton Blvd. in Green River, decorates his home from top to bottom in a Wyoming theme that can be spotted down the road.

There are three reasons Bostick decorates his house the way he does.

Growing up in Green River in the 1970s and 1980s, he remembers driving down Jensen Street with his parents and every house was lit up and that memory sticks with him to this day.

Another reason is simply the Christmas movie classic: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

“I don’t need to say more,” Bostick mentioned.

The third and probably the most important is the fact he enjoys putting his imagination to life.

“It is really cool to imagine something then be able to pull it off,” he said. “I go above and beyond because I love the reactions I see and get from people.

“I have people constantly tell me that they drive by my house when they feel down and that seeing it uplifts their spirits. To be able to touch people in a positive way that is so large by doing so little is pretty awesome.”

Bostick said decorating the entire house takes him over a week and taking them down takes about three to four days.

His decorations are a static and traditional display because he doesn’t want to take away from the roof and nativity effect.

Pretty much everything seen is handmade. “All of the cutouts that are seen on the roof and front of the house are handmade,” he said, which includes the Wyoming state flag, Cowboy, mountains, wildlife, Devil’s Tower and much more.

“I have two sets of mountain ranges set up on the rooflines,” Bostick said. “The first you see coming down from West Teton is randomly sketched and has a lake, moon and a shooting star that I set up above the three sections.

“There is a river I built that snakes down the roof to a water that goes off the edge of the roof into a pond which a fawn is drinking out of. I also have a section of mountain tucked behind the chimney facing the street as an extension of the aforementioned range.”

Admittedly, not everything is perfect in the eyes of Bostick. He said the second mountain range, which is on the garage roofline is messed up, but it still is a sight to see.

“It is supposed to be the Grand Teton mountain range, except I put the lights in backwards so it’s facing the wrong direction,” he said. “Enough people have recognized it as the Tetons so it worked. I have Devil’s Tower in front of the Tetons.”

Included in the display is the abundance of different wildlife the state has to offer, like a moose, mountain lion, bear and two cubs, wolves and pups and a beaver. There are also deer and trees on the roof.

Nothing gets more attention than the Wyoming state flag, University of Wyoming Cowboy and a sign that reads, “Seasons Greetings from Green River, Wyoming.”

Bostick built a nativity scene as well. He has red, white and blue lights that wrap around the flag pole to highlight the flag. He also built a pink ribbon that symbolizes breast cancer.

“I change things up every year by putting up new things and rearranging things a little,” Bostick said. “I power everything by utilizing 10 GFCI outlets that I installed around the house that are on 10 dedicated circuits.”

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Bostick said he is a licensed master electrician in the state, which means he does a have a small advantage to the competition.

For many that are wondering, his electric bill runs about $100 a month. Bostick said the highest electric bill he’s had is around $127.

“I don’t have the most lights or most extravagant display,” Bostick said humbly. “But it is unique and you won’t see another house like it. Well, at least for now, because I have been sharing my trade secrets all over Facebook and Instagram.

He said he is honored so many people like his house and believes that all other houses in this year’s competition were just as outstanding.

“I am pleased that so many maintain the Christmas tradition in unique, individualistic styles,” he said. “Everyone needed this type of participation during this difficult time and I think every participant accomplished the goal of uplifting spirits.

“Thank you for having the competition because people can see the number of beautiful displays around Sweetwater County and all of you at Wyo4News accomplished the goal of brightening a cloudy holiday season.”

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