A Fort Lauderdale family has had a Christmas tradition that has them spending weeks untangling thousands upon thousands of twinkle lights every year. Most likely, you\u2019ve seen their work before, and they are shining in this 7Spotlight with Courtney Allen.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s one of the most recognizable boats in the Winterfest boat parade.<\/p>\n
Mr. Bobb has been lighting up the New River in the ft lauderdale boat parade for the past 40 years!<\/p>\n
Peggy Messingschlager: \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel like it. The kids keep me young!\u201d<\/p>\n
Eighty-eight-year-old Peggy Messingschlager still gets up on the bow and shakes her pom poms \u2014 rain or shine.<\/p>\n
Peggy Messingschlager: \u201cMy daughter is saying, \u2018Come down, Mom, it is raining!\u2019 I am like, \u2018No, we have not passed the judge\u2019s stand yet!’\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Bobb is an award winner and a fan favorite.<\/p>\n
It has captivated crowds for decades, and even caught the attention of entertainer Bob Hope \u2014 who hopped aboard to take his Christmas picture in 1987 when he was the parade\u2019s grand marshal!<\/p>\n
Peggy Messingschlager: \u201cThe parade was over. It is like 11 o\u2019clock at night. I am looking up at my husband, and we are circling, and I\u2019m like, \u2018Why aren\u2019t we going home?\u2019 He told me, \u2018Mrs. Hope would like to have her picture taken on the boat.\u201d<\/p>\n
So how did this tradition begin? In 1985, Peggy\u2019s son Mark told her he wanted to be in the boat parade, and like any good mother, she supported his grand idea.<\/p>\n
Peggy Messingschlager: \u201cwent to the wholesale house, bought 2,000 lights, two days later, Mom, we need more lights. I\u2019m like, you couldn\u2019t have gone through those already. Now, we gave up counting.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Bobb was named after Peggy\u2019s husband and Mark\u2019s dad. Forty years later, Mark is still decorating it.<\/p>\n
They start in October \u2014 untangling the countless cords that make Mr. Bobb light up.<\/p>\n
Mark Messingschlager: \u201cIt is a nightmare, spaghetti ball we call it.\u201d<\/p>\n
And his kids and their friends pitch in, too.<\/p>\n
Amanda Messingschlager: \u201cBoys do all the manual labor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rita Messingschlager: \u201cYeah, boys do all the manual labor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Messingschlager: \u201cMy son\u2019s best friend right here, Oliver, he is the one who is the engineer. He\u2019s our electrical engineer.\u201d<\/p>\n
For them, the boat parade is more exciting than Christmas. We asked Peggy, her granddaughter, and daughter-in-law to pick their holiday highlight.<\/p>\n
All three: \u201cThis, this, this!\u201d<\/p>\n
Peggy\u2019s granddaughter, Amanda, says even more important than the dazzling lights is the family tradition.<\/p>\n
Amanda Messingschlager: \u201cIt is pretty cool to see my memories when I was 4 [-years-old] to 32 [-years-old] in the same place and always the most fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amanda: \u201cIt is honestly awesome to have a hobby passed down to you, that I am excited to bring my kids into.\u201d<\/p>\n
And hopefully, Mr. Bobb\u2019s legacy will carry on for generations to come.<\/p>\n
You can see Mr. Bobb and the 99 other boats in this year\u2019s parade in our Winterfest special airing Friday at 7 p.m. on WSVN.<\/p>\n
Courtney Allen, 7News.<\/p>\n