Gingerbread Houses!
Each year I get together with some girlfriends to make gingerbread houses....it is such a fun, non stressful Christmas Tradition kind of day....I LOVE IT! It used to stress me out because I would try to be done and cleaned up before the kids got home from school, but this year I was so smart, I just planned to take it slow and enjoy it, leaving the kitchen a mess and have the kids do theirs that night for family home evening! So here it is in stages....

The baking is one of the best parts....the house smells incredible!

Here it is already to be assembled!

Hot glued and ready to go....we used to do frosting, but it takes way too long for it to hold, this way we can spend way more time on the fun decorating!

The candy insanity!

The finished product! Each year I do something different, last year my roof was rainbow skittles, this year I stuck to all red and green in any shade! I also added cute little lamp posts that really light up! The kids love these little touches!

My front door was my favorite, the M on the doormat and my cute little topiaries in their red pots! The little holly and berries were a fave this year, even though we were driven a little crazy with the detail work....next year....tweezers!

Then it was time for the kids....lucky Rock got Dad...poor Josie got me.......

We just get out the graham crackers and they do amazing things.....

Everyone hard at work!

Chloe's awesome flag poll person, pure genius!

Rock's hummer and garage....only Hans....even a Y on the garage roof...that was Rock's request!

Josie's was completely decorated by her....can you see the pile for flowers by her front door...yep, the whole bottle!

Rock's quote of the night...."Mom, dad is just the gluer and I am the artist!"

Crazy Tru did a great job!
This year when baking the big gingerbread house, I had some extra and I baked these little houses that I had a cookie cutter for and the kids just stuck them on the front of their graham crackers! I think they are a cute touch!

Awesome Chloe!

Gray is already practicing smoking a stogy....nice! But I do really love the wreath and the light posts, definitely follows after his mother...I'm sure he'll be thrilled to hear that! Ha! We love our Christmas traditions!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!