Lakeland couple creates Godzilla house to spread holiday cheer despite hurricane damage
Dec 22, 2024
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Jeff and Jen Cayer's house in Lakeland.There's the lights, Santa, and... Godzilla?OK. One of those things is not like others. How did a 14-foot Godzilla inflatable become a Christmas decoration?"During Hurricane Milton, we sustained some pretty severe damage to our roof line, and as we're waiting for our insurance company and our contractor to get the work done, we decided to highlight the damage rather than try to hide it," Jeff Cayer explained.It's a little tough to deck the halls when the roof bears the damage of a fallen oak tree. But not for the Cayer's. Through the damage, they saw the opportunity to have fun with it."When the tree came down, it took out three of our roofing trusses, as well as a lot of drywall," Jeff Cayer said. "It put a lot of holes in the roof, but fortunately, we still had power and still have water. So our house is still able to be lived in. We are very grateful for that."Standing atop that damaged roof is the Godzilla inflatable. But upon closer inspection, something does appear different with the other decorations.That Santa I told you about, he's actually fighting back. Their Santa inflatable is armed with a slingshot. The locked and loaded presents are aimed straight at Godzilla.And the lights, gleaming so orderly along the roof, drop off right where the damage, underneath Godzilla's foot begins."There have been people from the neighborhood that have walked or driven up because they heard about it and wanted to come see it," Jen Cayer said.Although Hurricane Milton blew through back in October, the hurricane's damage, which bears a striking resemblance to an actual attack from Godzilla, still remains."Our insurance company and our contractor, Waller Construction, have been fantastic," Jeff Cayer said. "The permits have been pulled this week, so we're hoping that our roof gets repaired quickly, and I could relocate the Godzilla into my music building as a middle school band director."Instead of dwelling on the unsightly mess Hurricane Milton left behind, this family is having some fun with it."Joy comes in so many different forms, and we find joy in humor because we know that there's a reason for everything," Jen Cayer said. "We're just making the best of what we've got."What else can you do when the damage looks like something straight out of a movie? Embrace it.