Gingerbread Mania

As in years past, this year we waited to build our gingerbread (graham cracker) houses until after Christmas when Cindy Lynn and Mahon were here.  I’ve decided that this is a fun activity this way—instead of it being one more thing we try to cram in, we do it when things are a lot calmer and we have a great time.  We did decide that next year we need to figure out how to have more room though—we were really missing our big NC kitchen/breakfast area.  We were also missing our glue guns—we never have found that box so I ended up borrowing a few from various people in the ward.

Because I waited until after Christmas to buy the candy, I got lots of green & red candies at Winco in the bulk section for really cheap.  I got way too much though—I’ll have to see if I can remember to buy less next year. 

[picture temporarily removed—will be replaced after contest.]

Josh really worked hard on his this year, but the structure took him so long that he didn’t get it decorated at all.  He promised to return next year and find time to both build a bmx bike park and decorate.

Jared took on a big project all by himself—a houseboat.  (Filled with candy.)  Unfortunately by the time I came back to take good pictures the next morning some of his had collapsed a little.

Mahon made a party house complete with rock covered chimney, santa, and front porch filled with partiers.

Cindy Lynn had decided that she was going to make Rapunzel in her tower, but her plan was temporarily thwarted when, for the first time ever, I didn’t buy pull n peel licorace for her to use for Rapunzel’s hair.  I have repented and vow that from this time forward I will never leave out the pull n peel.  She recovered when I made her some glass candy hair.  (Which for your information was much harder than buying a pack of pull n peel!)

As you can see Rapunzel has beautiful golden hair

And the prince climbs up it.

Or maybe this was the part where the witch tricked the prince and cut off Rapunzel’s hair…I can’t quite remember.

I, as I so often do when making gingerbread houses because I’m actually not creative, based my house on something real.

It’s our house here in Oregon, or it would be if I hadn’t forgotten the living room.  But at least I got the pond and the bridge.

Or as Cindy Lynn called it, the satanic circle of rocks.  (That was before some obliging person put “water” inside of my circle of rocks.)

The girls decided that they were both going to make the same thing, so tomorrow I will post pictures of their individual creations and we will be taking votes on who’s is best.  So prepare yourselves!

Note to self: Old bread pans work great to hold glue guns while not in use.  Keep high temp glue guns away from both the kids and Russ.