The Obamas are set to celebrate their final Christmas at the White House. First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off the season-long celebration by giving military families a preview of the holiday decorations. The First Lady says she picked a holiday theme filled with symbolism. Washington bureau reporter Geoff Bennett brings us the story from the White House.

First Lady Michelle Obama presented a group of military families with an early holiday gift Tuesday -- a first look at the White House holiday decorations.

Reporters got a preview, too. 

Visitors are greeted by more than 8,000 bows and ribbons lining the East Hallway. That leads to larger-than-life replicas of the family dogs Bo and Sunny.

Around the corner, sparkling crystal ornaments hang from more than 7,000 strands of ribbon.

'It's Been Mind-Blowing'

New Yorker Patrick Clayton is among the 92 volunteers who helped bring it all to life.

"I figured it would be fun," he said. "It’s been mind-blowing. Everyone’s been so nice and so helpful, and the friendships that have come out of this have been pretty awesome."

Upstairs is the main attraction: the White House Christmas Tree -- a 19-foot Douglas Fir, trimmed to fit into the Blue Room.       

A Christmas Tree Wrapped In Symbolism

The tree's ornaments honor U.S. service members, says volunteer Patricia Ochan, a military spouse originally from Uganda.

"Everybody who has served or contributed to service to this country is reflected here," she said. "And when you look at the floor, we have gold. That is a sign of a 'heart of gold' because anyone who can put their life on the line for others has a heart of gold."

Another highlight are 56 Lego gingerbread houses -- one for each state and territory. A team of Lego builders crafted the houses from more than 200,000 Lego pieces.

No White House holiday would be complete without the traditional gingerbread replica. This year’s version weighs in at more than 300 pounds, including 150 pounds of gingerbread covered in 20 pounds of icing. Sculpted sugar versions of Bo and Sunny stand guard.

Plenty of old and new crowd-pleasers for the thousands of visitors expected to see it firsthand.