Gingerbread houses

Another year brings another round of gingerbread house makin'.  This year the Clowards offered to host our get-together.  Someday, someday we will host it at our own house. But until then we appreciate so much our friends who let us use their house.

This year Ryan and I were prepared to make the house makin' easier for the kids.  We put together 15 houses for the kids using burnt sugar.  It worked out GREAT!  This made it so the kids could get right to decorating instead of waiting for the royal icing to set.  The kids could do more on their own and it didn't take as long which left more time for the adults to decorate their houses.  I think this will be a new "must do" for the event.

The ward was having a gingerbread contest at the ward party which was taking place in 5 days.  So all the adults were serious business.

 Alexis and her cute log cabin

Emilee and Dave Anderson and their stilted house in Fiji

 The Callisters

I loved their design.  The rock chimney was so creative.

Ryan had a great house with lots of candy.  He wanted to be sure his house didn't crumble like last year so with the extra burnt sugar he made his structure! 

The Cloward's  His was my favorite.  He made a trailer complete with gas tank, flamingo and antenna. Loved it.

 Aidan's gingerbread house didn't survive the ride home, neither did mine.  So we made a new one to take to the Christmas party.  It turned out great.!

Everyone from our group won an award from the Ward Gingerbread contest!  Fantastic. 

Some of the candies we think are really successful are twix, charleston chew bites, reese's cups, ice cream cones, pretzels, mini nilla wafers, gum drops, sugar wafer cookies, licorice, candy canes, dots, mike and ikes, marshmallows, and various hard candies.  The new candy this year that was a hit was chocolate rock candy.  AWESOME!

The best two Christmas packages just arrived.....MY PARENTS!

My parents decided to personally deliver our Christmas presents this year.  I was so excited to have them come and share some of our Christmas with them.  They came for four days and they came baring gifts. My version of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Stephen's hot cocoa, cinnamon bears and grandma sycamore bread! Big ole YUMMY!

Brynlee and Grandpa met for the first time.  She took to him quite well.  He was always willing to hold her so I could get some things done.

First, we made sugar cookies.  I love sugar cookies but sometimes the production is overwhelming.  Well, I learned the key to decorating sugar cookies is.............. GRANDMA!  The cookies turned out so cute and SO yummy.  Grandpa was in charge of holding Brynlee during the event.

 Some good snuggle time with Grandma.

 And of course what is a visit without getting your hair done by your granddaughter?

Lunch at school with the kids.  Grandpa always buys the school lunch just to try out the food.

I was so excited that the timing of their visit coordinated with our Stake Festival of the Nativities. It is always so nice to look at all the nativities. Plus it brings back so many memories of putting together the event with mom in Twin Falls.  They had a kids room where the kids could do a craft, color, and dress up. So here is our little Gremmert nativity.  Notice the baby Jesus.  Cassidy of course had to be the angel since she was an angel for Halloween. 

Grandma and Grandpa bought a whole slew of presents.  The kids were so excited and wanted to open them all.  We let them open one present.  They loved what they got!

I just loved that they came out to see us.  It meant so so so much to me.  I loved sharing some of Christmas with them.  I was able to shop a little with my mom and wrap presents with her.  I love doing that with her.  It was a great visit.  Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!