Gingerbread 2015

Last year Carter wasn't that excited to do gingerbread because we didn't have our friends, the Petersons, here to do it with us.
It's hard when all of your traditions are mixed up with certain people,
and then you move.
But we did it anyway
and, of course, we had some new people to include...Branden's little family!

This year
The Petersons have moved to Utah but they got strep on the week we had planned to get together.
Sad Face!
Branden, Amber and the girls have moved to Alaska.

We decided to invite my brother's family since he has kids that we thought would enjoy the activity.

I thought about inviting my whole family
but decided it was more gingerbread and mess than I could handle...
so maybe next year, family!

I will try to be more on the ball.
eventually.

Carter also invited his girlfriend, Harley, over.

Somehow my week got away from me and I hadn't actually made any gingerbread when the day arrived.
I ended up spending all day on Saturday cooking the little houses.

I went with a much smaller pattern than I've used in the past few years
because Frank said he can't do a whole "big" (I always do a fairly small house pattern) house...
he gets bored.
bored?
So he usually ends up with half his house looking good and the other half, well,
he gets all sloppy and weird.
He was hoping that a smaller house would be more manageable for him.

Nutty.
But ok.

I cooked for hours and hours on Saturday.

Frank kept coming in and commenting on how much time I was spending in the kitchen cooking...
he was so surprised at how long it took me to make those houses.

I had to let him in on the secret that it takes me this long every year but I usually do it during the week when he's working and apparently doesn't notice.

We had a good time decorating though.
I made enough icing (whew)
and even though I didn't get quite as much candy as I have in the past, we had plenty.

One of Dion's kids and one of mine decided not to decorate a house.
(So I still have gingerbread sitting on my counter if anyone wants to come make one!)

Frank still got, ahem, creative

but his house is at least completely finished, unlike previous years.

And even Carter's house was more decorated than in the past.

So I guess the small house worked out.

Frank put what I think is supposed to be Santa on his porch.

He's kinda creepy though.

He also has a sleigh on the roof, which is cute

On the back he wrote F+D

and kept trying to write it on my house too.

But I was going the more traditional route and didn't let him.

No graffiti for me, even if it is romantic.

It was a fun night!