COEUR d'ALENE - The small Christmas tree in the Mogaveros' Holiday Inn Express hotel room twinkled with colored lights Tuesday as a fire roared in the fireplace.

The room was cozy and warm, punctuated with giggles fromJacob, 5, who still couldn't get over his amazement with the jetted tub. He was also impressed with the fireplace.

"We're going to leave cookies for Santa," Jacob said.

Without a place of their own right now, the family was happy to call the Holiday Inn Express and Suites home for their Christmas holiday.

"Oh my gosh, I could just move in," said Jacob's mom, Jodi Mogavero. "If there was one more room, I'd never leave."

Jodi, her husband Alfred, and their three children drove across the country from Wisconsin for a job opportunity in Spokane. To their dismay, the job fell through, leaving them homeless and jobless. They contacted Family Promise of North Idaho, a nonprofit that works with homeless families to get them back on their feet, and they have been in the program since mid-November.

Through Family Promise, the Mogaveros were connected with Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Coeur d'Alene, which hosts families in need for a week each Christmas. This is the fifth year the hotel has participated, and the Mogaveros are one of two families catching a break from the hardships of homelessness this week.

"This has just been wonderful, absolutely wonderful," Jodi said.

She explained that her family has been sleeping in Sunday school rooms in various churches while saving money to find housing. Alfred found a job as a screen printer and Jodi plans to return to work once her certified nursing assistant paperwork has been transferred from the Midwest. She said the family hopes to find a permanent home next month.

But having a week at the Holiday Inn and being able to give her kids a truly special Christmas is something for which she is extremely grateful.

"From sleeping in your car to being able to have a fun, stress-free Christmas without worrying where we're going to go and what we're going to eat, you know, everybody is not only safe, but happy, and that is what it comes down to," Jodi said, her voice filling with emotion. "It makes me want to cry that we were so blessed with having this fabulous family time together."

Holiday Inn staffers gifted the Mogaveros more than just a room for Christmas. Melody Breidenbach of Coeur d'Alene, the hotel's director of sales, said the family was also given ice skating passes, gifts from Mulligan's Restaurant, Fedora Pub and Grille, Triple Play Family Fun Park and was treated to Christmas dinner at Shari's Restaurant. And the hotel itself has extended special holiday hospitality to the Mogaveros.

"It's like a holiday dream," Breidenbach said. "They can have gifts and things like that, and decorate their own tree and swim in the pool whenever they want, the hot tub, have breakfast every morning and dinner three nights a week. Popcorn every afternoon, milk and cookies at night, just things you don't get daily. Just having someone come in and clean your room is kind of nice."

She said the hotel is happy to participate in helping families have a merry Christmas and assist any way it can.

"It's good and it brings hope to the families," she said. "It's also a good thing for us to do. It's just something we all enjoy to do and provide for these families when we get the chance. It means a lot to us to be able to have the opportunities to host the families."

Family Promise of North Idaho's executive director, Cindy Wood, said Holiday Inn has "extended their hands to our families, realizing that this is such a big gift to them" and that the hotel has thought of every detail.

"They're not just given a room, but they're given a room with a fireplace. This is a place that has a dog on site for crying out loud, and a 24-hour pool, so you can go at any time, and not every hotel does that," Wood said. "It really fits with active families, that they're making sure they have a great meal, whether it's here on site or out in the community. They've utilized their hospitality networking."

Wood said the week at the Holiday Inn also allows the families privacy and freedom to sleep in, as they have to be up and at 'em by 7 a.m. each day.

"This is giving the opportunity of saying, 'It's OK, let your hair down, get some rest, enjoy your family, just like the rest of us,'" Wood said.

Jodi said once the family finds permanent housing and is once again stable, she can't wait to give back to the community. But for now, they are going to relax and just enjoy their holiday together at the Holiday Inn until Sunday.

"We are all healthy, and we're all here and we're all safe, we're together and we're safe," Jodi said. "That is pretty much all I wanted for Christmas, for my kids to be together and us to have time as a family."