Gingerbread House Creations

On Friday night, I went over to Jen's house to decorate Gingerbread Houses. Her friend Mary and her family join us every year, and this year Mary made the Gingerbread and Jen had Pork BBQ sandwiches for dinner for us at her house. I brought some candy and some food to go along with dinner. I don't even know how many years we've been doing this...I remember Rod & Sherry joining us one year. My guess is since early 2000s. This year, unfortunately, I flew solo since Jen's kids had just been throwing up, and I didn't want our kiddos to get sick. Shawn offered to stay home with the boys while I went and had fun.Here are the "naked" houses and the candy all spread out, ready for the fun! We had so much that I took a lot back home with me to freeze for next year. We never eat the houses...we used to use a hot glue gun before they got good at making the actual icing glue. And, now that the kids join us...it's just safer not to eat what you make! :) :) :)Here's the "before" picture of my house. Once again this year, Grace asked if she could join me rather than having to fight with her sisters over their house.Here we are! I must say this is our ugliest house ever. I just did the icing for the most part, and she picked out what went where. Ah the creations of five year olds! :) :) :) It didn't matter, though - we were having fun.Here are the kids in action!And the finished products...Jen's whole family with their house...and baby number five on the way!Mary's whole family with their house.And here's Gracie showing off our finished product. What a masterpiece!

Here are the "ghosts" of Gingerbread past...I don't remember making one in 2006 - probably because Joshua had surgery the beginning of that December. I don't remember much of anything besides that and the miracle he was. But, below are two pictures from 2005 - me & Shawn with our house and then me & Jen with both our houses: And here is my partner in crime Grace and me last year with our house in 2007: