LOOK AT THIS: Rexburg man builds massive igloo in his backyard
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REXBURG — Dr. Matt Allred is a familiar face to many moms across eastern Idaho. He’s an OB/GYN at Madison Women’s Clinic and has delivered hundreds of babies over the years. In his neighborhood, he’s also quickly becoming known as the guy with the igloo.
He has a large igloo in his backyard that’s large enough for his wife and four kids to get inside. It’s a project he started in December and it’s become a popular landmark for people who drive by.
“When I meet someone, they know my house before they know who I am,” Chrissy, his wife, tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Allred and his family moved to Rexburg from St. Louis, Missouri several years ago. One of the perks of moving to eastern Idaho was having more time to spend with the family and creative projects with his kids is something Allred became interested in. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic only increased that interest.
The idea for the igloo started with the kids. An idea and access to YouTube tutorials is all it took for Allred to dive in and get to work, Chrissy says, and it’s been an ongoing project in-between downtime and his shift at the hospital.
“He would go deliver a baby and come back to work on the igloo,” Chrissy says.
The project started with colored blocks of ice made by filling up lasagna trays with water and food coloring and placing them inside. Eventually, lights were added inside to give a particular glow at night.
After more than 13 weeks, the igloo is still holding strong. Chrissy says they may take it down before it has the chance to melt to prevent any flooding problems.
In the last year, Allred has used his creativity in other ways, including decorating for Halloween and Christmas and doing chalk art on the drive way. But the igloo was something in a whole different category.
Chrissy says it’s helped them create amazing memories for their family and she hopes it inspires others to find their own ways to do the same.
“Whatever time we spend doing this, it will be worth it,” she says.
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