Another Gingerbread House

We have friends who have a gingerbread making party every year around the holidays.  They use it as a chance to spend time getting to know people from different circles of their lives.  They try to get a good mix of people, some older, some with little kids, some who have never made a gingerbread house before.  They have snacks and drinks and provide the houses, the guests bring some candy to supplement what comes in the boxes.  It is usually a great time to get to know friends and relax around the holidays.

Let me begin by saying that we do not get invited to this.  Not because they don't like us, but because they know us too well.  That's what I keep telling myself anyway.  So last night we get a call from them saying that it's gingerbread house party night and two of their three families cancelled and were wondering if we would be a last minute substitution.  Now that would put most people off, but knowing the thought that goes into this party, I understand the last minute call.  And being totally aware that we were not first round picks, we went to discover the mystique of the gingerbread house party.

The other guests were a little late, so we started in on the snacks.  Chris made real egg nog, which I didn't get to sample, but it looked delicious.  I stuck with the chips and rotel.  Justin ate his share too, since he didn't like dinner.  Kelsey had everything laid out beautifully down to the holiday paper plates.  The other couple was Chris' boss and his wife so our kids were the only other little ones.  The kids got their own pre-fab house to decorate so they went to it.  Justin and Robert just watched, but Travis and Clara got into it.  It was hysterical listening to them jabber about what to put where and how to decorate their house.  They worked really well together and they didn't even fight once. There was quite a bit of whispering and giggling though.

I did the top row of swirls on the roof, but they did the rest.  I was impressed!

The adults turned out some fabulous homes complete with candy rock paths, shutters and shrubbery.  Randy and I didn't attempt our own house, which was good in retrospect.  Ours would have paled in comparison.  My lack of sleep was catching up to me!

After Justin ate his snack he went and played and did some light reading.

Here's the finished project.  Most of the candy ended up on the house along with lots of extra frosting.  They even created snowmen/gingerbread people to go on their house from cookies Kelsey bought for us to eat. They had a great time and they ended the evening watching the Grinch on TV.  An all-around good time!  We appreciated the invite and even though we were second-tier, we had first-rate fun!