Hello Hello! Thank you for all the happy comments about the new baby — you’re all so sweet! We’re super excited and looking forward to a fun new year!
So. How was it? Did you all (who celebrate!) have a good Christmas? We had a great time. All the kids were home for Christmas this year and everyone came to our house. There was lots of cooking, eating. visiting and playing games. And in the middle of it all, on Christmas Eve, we had our Annual (well, except for last year when we were on the road) Gingerbread Competition. It gets tougher every year to come up with new ideas, but somehow, this little family manages to surprise us every time. So, let’s get down to business!
We sort of had a tie for last place and for first place this year, with one in the middle. Sharing the spot for last place was the little house by TheManofTheHouse and me. We didn’t really have a theme, so we just did a traditional candy house and at the last minute, threw in a zip-lining guy because I went zip-lining for the first time last August in Montana. We built a rock chimney on the back of the house, put wreaths on the front and back, and had one lone pine tree to support the zip line.
Sharing the back-of-the-pack berth with us was CuteNiece2 and her boyfriend. She’s a certified yoga instructor and she came prepared with gingerbread people all cut out in yoga poses. So Darn Clever! There was a yoga person for Triangle, Three-Legged Dog, Down Dog, and Wheel. Check out the Three-Legged Dog guy with his little yoga block. They very cleverly had a stack of yoga mats and another stack of yoga blocks. I loved that CuteNiece2 gave her house so much thought and came prepared. The only reason this cute little house didn’t get some votes is because the competition was so stiff this year — in another year, this house would have been a winner!
CuteNiece1 and MyDadLovesMeBestSister came ready to win too! CuteNiece1 worked at a farm last summer and loved it, so they decided to make her farm. Their attention to detail was fantastic! They had chickens with a chicken coop, pigs, compost bins along the side of the farm, a tractor, and veggies in rows behind the barn (complete with veggies growing on a pretzel trellis running down the middle of the garden). Very, Very Cute!
CrazyBIL, CuteNephew, and TheSecondChild always get very creative and end up carving the gingerbread to suit whatever they’ve designed. This year they decided to go with a political theme (which was a bit risky — we’re a family divided along political lines, so we avoid politics at all costs!) and poke a bit of fun by creating a Trump Tower. At the beginning, it looked like they were going to have to withdraw when their tower collapsed, but they recovered and did a great job. Trump is welcoming all of his followers (complete with golden comb-overs LOL) to Trump Tower. There’s also a wall to keep aliens out, but they’re scaling the wall anyway. And, in keeping with their habit of somewhat gory houses, there’s an alien who fell to his death from the top of the wall, and Hillary is hanging from the side of Trump Tower. And, do notice the special cereal dollar signs on the side of the tower.
Trump Tower tied for the first place vote and we had to have a run-off vote. I think Trump Tower was winning for creativity, but the final winner was the ADORABLE little PINK house by SweetiePie and TheFirstChild. I knew they had a little girl house up their sleeves when SweetiePie produced piles of pink candy at the start of the competition. She’s mastered the art of decorative frosting — what a super cute house! And a perfect way to remember the exciting month we’ve had in finding out that the new baby will be a GIRL! Look at the cute little Mom, Dad and Baby, standing at the front door. Congratulations to SweetiePie and TheFirstChild!!!
So, there you go. Another fun year with the Gingerbread Houses. Thanks for sticking to the end and reading all the details.
And, btw, did we tell you? …
LOL!
XOXO,
Anna
oh that pink house! what a cutie
They are all brilliant and what fun! And what fantastic news about the baby too. Congratulations all round… very exciting!
They’re all totally amazing, Anna. I have to say, the pink girly house is my favourite! :o)
Oh how fun Anna!! LOL, what creative people you are. Even your ‘normal’ house is lovely. Sounds like your house was full of the best things of Christmas :)
What??? I must have missed a blog post!!!!! Congratulations to all the characters in ThimbleannaLand! Especially the parents to be and the grandparents to be! It’s going to be an exciting New Year for you all!
I love the gingerbread houses this year. They are all winners in my book!
Most anticipated blog entry of the year! These are great! The pink baby house is so beautiful. And I love your house too-so much yummy detail. The roof, lights, door-fantastic! What a talented, creative, fun family! As always thank you for sharing!
Love all those gingerbread houses – it really is a good idea for a get together – they are all really cool looking how you all come up with ideas year after year is amazing. Love the pink baby house. How neat for yours to add the zip line – trump tower with the comb overs ha – that man has to do something about that hair!
Oh what fun! I’ve been waiting for this and wondering what you all might come up with this year. Truly, all of them were amazing! It is so competitive that everyone brings their own “stuff” to make the house unique. Nothing “spur of the moment” in your creations. Loved the Trump Tower, the zip-line on yours (plus it was so pretty!!), the yoga was so thoughtful (where do you buy yoga gingerbread cut outs?), and of course, the pretty pink house for a baby girl was sweet as can be! Well done all!
PERFECTION!!!!!!!! I soooooo love to read and see the Gingerbread houses. A big kudos to all of your family for their creativeness. And a GREAT BIG CONGRATS about the baby girl, very exciting. :) xoxo Jewels
Oh my gosh your family never ceases to amaze during the annual “gingers” competition. I was laughing outloud at the Trump one – to clever – but the pink dreamy ginger would have been my vote for first as well. How cute is that. Thanks for sharing the night – glad all your duckies were under one roof – Happy New Year Sunshine. Hugs – Ms. Farmhouse
SweetiePie also thought of my absolute favorite cookie decoration – silver balls! Just love those things, even thought they’re bad for your teeth. The competition was fierce this year, and the family was in top form! Voting would have been very difficult this year, indeed!
Woaaaaa! That was a stiff competition. And the pink house was fabulous and looked professional to boot! Your family is pretty amazing. S glad you had a good time together.
How are your parents?
Wow, wonderful! I must say I like all of them. I guess the Trump Tower is “tongue in cheek” sort of gingerbread house??? In any case it seems you had a ton of fun.
Really, everyone has outdone themselves this year – these are ALL the best ever! You all deserve a prize. I look forward to gingerbread competition all year.
I am so happy for all of your family. You will have so much fun. Girls are a LOT more fun to dress, though I did have fun with our son, too. ;) <3
Bravo!! They are all fantastic! I am amazed at the preparation….love this post. Happy New Year!
Oh sooo happy for you. Babies ad to our families so very much. Couldn’t be happier for all of you!!! Love, love, love,,,,ain’t nothing like it! Congratulations!!!
Oh, my! The competition was fierce, but I think every single one of you knocked it out of the park this year! What a fun post!
They’re all winners!! I love all the creativity and thought that has gone into each house. The yoga gingerbread are so cute!!
What a fun family tradition! Always a pleasure to read the post about the gingerbread house competition! Wishing you the best that 2016 has to offer! Happy New year Anna! Cheers!
Fun fun fun!!! Love them all! Wishing you a wonderful 2016!!!
xo
De-lightful!! this is one of my favorite posts! this is also when I always say “next year I’m getting out my molds”
I loved them all, such creativity and so playful and fun.
The pink house is the sweetest thing ever! I’m so happy for them and everyone.
thanks for sharing your fun family event
oxxoxox
And in all the excitement, you still got the apostrophe in “it’s” in the right place on that house. I knew you would. My kind of family….!
wonderful!!! all of them are wonderful!! you should take the pic of sweetie pie’s and 1st child’s house and make a collage print and frame it for them to hang in the nursery. it will be great to share with the little one as she starts growing and talking. ;p
They all look so brilliant! Happy New Year!
What a wonderful tradition – wishing you a stellar 2016!
Such wonderful houses! I laughed and laughed at Trump Tower, we are also a family divided so I get your unease! Well it’s really the extended family but enough to never talk politics with the Texans! And the sweet, sweet, girl house! What a joyful year ahead. I will send you email with the things my girls loved the most for babies, although I know you have an endless list of your own started.
Oh! I love Ina’s idea!
I LOVE your gingerbread house posts!!! And how did I miss it this year??? Wonderful news on the baby front – terribly exciting for you all! Congrats to all the competition participants – loved them all.
And now I’m hungry!! Xx
Oh MY! I miss so much not blogging or reading blogs! Congratulations!!! A sweet baby girl. <3 <3 <3