A Philadelphia family is spending a special Christmas right here in Cleveland, even calling it divine intervention.
They are in the house made famous by the movie "A Christmas Story" located on Cleveland's west side.
They got the winning bid during an auction so they'll be cozying up to all of the bright movie traditions and they're thanking a special someone for making it happen.
"We never thought in a million years that we would ever win,” said Courtney Roberts, while sitting beside her mom Nancy Roberts. They are huge fans of the movie "A Christmas Story."
It’s been a big tradition in their home for years but in 2015 something happened.
"The year was kind of rough for our family. My Nanna passed away," said Courtney.
She was her grandmother and Nancy’s mother who died in April. "Everybody in the family took it really hard and facing our first Christmas without her was going to be, obviously, monumentally difficult," said Nancy.
So, after watching the auction in the past, they felt this was the year to really go for it. "My mother was such a dynamic person,” Nancy told us. “I mean, this movie and my mother could have been synonymous because she was larger than life."
Their bid was large, too, $8,500. But it wasn't large enough until not one but four others backed out.
The decision was theirs. Should they do it? Nancy's other daughter quickly texted her. "She said she was walking home from work, looked down on the ground and saw a cross,” explained Nancy. “I actually have the picture on my phone and I said, that's Nanna."
Now they are fulfilling a dream. Will they recreate some of the movie scenes? "Every blasted one,” said Nancy. “Well, we're going to be shooting bb guns in the backyard. So, we'll be doing that,” said Courtney with a huge smile.
It’s all a little bit of fun with a little bit of help. "This is nothing short of a miracle,” said Nancy. “This is just...the odds are astronomical...my mother...she orchestrated all of it. I know she did."
The women said Nanna would have loved the idea of the charity that this money is going to all helping the neighborhood where the house is located.
They will spend two nights in the well-known Christmas landmark in our city. They will have gifts waiting for them from the house's gift shop and after their stay they will be spending an additional night at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel.
And they'll be watching "A Christmas Story" over and over again in the next couple of days.
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