Gingerbread Houses

You can't beat a tradition that is both fun to do and fun to eat! =D We've been making gingerbread houses every year around Christmastime for about twelve years now, and it is an unbreakable tradition!!

no store-bought kit is as good as home-made gingerbread!

 Let the building begin!

Dad helped Daniel out on his house

the architects at work =D

front of Daniel's house

back of Daniel's house

Bethany's house (front)

Bethany house (back)

My house (front)

(back)

Nate's house (front)

(back)

And we can already attest to the fact that they taste even better than they look! =D

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...

...but it doesn't seem likely!! Though the weather is getting cooler now, the last couple weeks have been in the 60s! I hope there will be some snow when we go up to PA, though.

We've had our Christmas decorations up for a while now... I've just been too lazy to post them! =D But I figured that the fall decor on the blog was going out of season. =D So anyway, here are a few pics of some of our Christmas decorations:

our little tree. I sometimes wish we could get a real one--they're so pretty and smell so good--but several places I clean have real trees, and it's very annoying when tons of needles fall off whenever you brush against it...especially when you're trying to clean the floor!! =D

this is what I WISH our tree looked like through the living room window.... frosted with snow! =D

Daniel's 7th Birthday

Daniel turned seven last Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. With everyone here for Thanksgiving, he got enough gifts to spoil him, though some of them are being used by Nate and Dad as much as by Daniel... the remote-control helicopter particularly, which Paul got for Daniel. =D

opening his presents...

And let's not forget the birthday spankings!!! =D

 One of Daniel's gifts took a bit of before-hand planning. (To keep it a secret from him, we called it the Manhattan Project. =D) Since it wasn't something we could wrap up, Dad wrote a little jingle to tell him what it was...

I think he looks like our cousin, Lincoln, in this picture. Scary! lol =D (Don't tell Lincoln I said that, Gram! =D)

In case you can't read it:
Today is your special day, We think you will shout hurray!
For you we have a big surprise which will really put you on a rise.
We know you like to climb the trees, and swing and sway in the breeze.
So how about a house off the ground, that you can play in all year round?
You'll need a ladder to climb up in, and a door somewhere to let you in.
And side to protect you from the mouse, that may want to camp in your TREE HOUSE. 

The hilarious thing was that he didn't get it at first!! =D But he was very excited once we explained that he was getting a tree house!

Dad and Nate (though mostly Nate) built the tree house in a large oak tree at the corner of our yard on Thursday and Friday.

It turned out to be quite large... and higher off the ground than Mom anticipated. =D

Nathan cut round pieces of wood into the right length and used them for pickets, which look really cool. He even made a trap door above where the ladder is. He's going to make a wooden ladder of some sort later, I think.

Daniel really enjoys his new tree house!

O taste and see that the LORD is good

I hope all of you had as enjoyable of a Thanksgiving as we did. All the married kids and my grandparents were able to come for a couple days. Daniel's birthday was also on Thursday (and he got so many presents he's going to be spoiled!! =D), but I'll post those pics later so as not to bore you all with a lengthy post.

Melinda and Andrew came Wednesday afternoon, and we girls made the pies for Thanksgiving dinner. It was fun to cook together...

Lindy rolling out pie dough

Mom washing dishes

Me checking on the pies

Nathan and Andrew wanted to help... lol... but we threw them out of the kitchen! =D

Gram and Pap arrived Wednesday evening and Paul, Priscilla, and Victor got in late that night. The next day, little Victor had many hands ready to hold him...but of course, we didn't spoil him! lol =D

Lunch was delicious!!

In the evening we played games and, later, volleyball. (Don't have any pics though..was actually dark outside. Yes, it was an interesting game playing in the dark! =))

playing Bananagrams... soooooo fun!

Lindy and Beth playing Life on the Farm.. and being silly =D

With some struggling, we managed to harness the guys long enough to take the usual family pictures...

Group pic

Gram and Pap with all the grandkids, and great-grandkid... and Bear, Paul's dog

Mom and Dad with all the kids and grandkid.... and Bear, of course =)

Been a long time since we had a family pic of just the original eight of us

Priscilla, Paul, Victor, and Bear

Andrew and Melinda

Four Generations: Pap, Dad, Paul, and Victor

Gram, Mom, Priscilla, and Victor

I'm very thankful for my wonderful, though-not-perfect, family, and thankful that we were all able to get together this week!