A Hayden resident was visited last weekend by a grinch on a mission to steal Christmas.

Don Fisher began decorating his home for the holidays the day after Halloween. Every weekend he was outside stringing lights and setting up various decorations. Last weekend, Fisher braved the harsh cold to put the finishing touches on the display.

"I do it every year for my family and grandkids to enjoy," Fisher said. "It is awesome. Well, it was."

Less than 12 hours after the display was completed, someone stole two major decorations from his home: an animated, inflatable "freezing snowman" that shivers and is wearing a T-shirt that says "Baby, it's cold outside," and an inflatable Santa Claus driving a boat with two reindeer water skiing behind it.

"It was perfect for our family," Fisher said of the inflatable Santa. "We are always on the lake."

After realizing that the two pieces had been stolen, Fisher reported the crime to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office. He said law enforcement seemed "very interested" in the incident and arrived quickly to get an account of the story.

Fisher also learned that a neighbor's surveillance camera may have gotten footage of the suspects. According to the incident report, a vehicle is seen driving by his residence three times in less than 15 minutes. The sheriff's office received a copy of the footage to be used in their investigation.

"I hope they catch them," Fisher said.

In the wake of the theft, Fisher said he is thankful all of his decorations weren't stolen, but said he is still upset that his two favorite pieces were taken.

"I can't even say the words to describe how I feel," Fisher said.

He said he is now careful to remove all of the other decorations from his front yard each night. Once he gets home from work he puts them all out again for his family and neighbors to enjoy.