Orem mom shows off collection of 1,000 penguins

Reported by: Nicea Degering
Last Update: 8:13 am

Emperor penguin (Samuel Blanc)

OREM, Utah

(ABC 4 News) - While most of us just got around to packing away our holiday decorations, an Orem mom and grandmother says she won't be putting her collectables away. She has hundreds and hundreds of decorations that stay up year round.

It's not hard to find Lauralyne Chord's house. An inflatable penguin and it's baby are waiting to greet you on the front lawn. But it's inside that you truly see the extent of her penguin passion.

"I have clothes, I have robes, I have slippers, I have jewelry and hats."

At last count Lauralyne had one thousand penguin collectable pieces. What started with a penguin slide twenty six years ago has since snowballed into a collection that has even her husband wondering how it all got here.

"Who would think it would turn into something like this? And everyone gets them for her. I just had no idea this would happen," Chris Chord says.

"It's just a fun thing to do and I love them. As far as a wonderful creation that God made they are unique beautiful and they have attributes that we as humans like to take on. They are family oriented, playful, funny. I just love penguins," Lauralyne says.

From toothpick grabbers, to a Pepsi can, to homemade cookies the tuxedo wearing creatures are everywhere you turn. And believe it or not, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

"Another fun thing I love is people coming up to me and saying, Lauralyne, every time I see a penguin I think of you. That is a good feeling."

For someone who didn't plan on having all this penguin pandemonium, Lauralyne says she doesn't mind being the penguin lady - she hopes to educate others about the birds. Her husband says that's great, as long as they stay out of his garage.

"The penguin lady, she's fantastic. Almost thirty one years of marriage in another month and I've loved it all. Penguins and all," he says.

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