Wow. It’s the last day of 2007 already. We had a fun year here in Thimbleannaland. I’m once again very grateful for a good year in which we all managed to stay healthy. You can’t really ask for much more than that!
To finish off the holiday season, we finally managed to get together for our annual gingerbread house competition. (I know you’ve all just been waiting on pins and needles for the results LOL!) I’d like to apologize ahead of time for the inappropriate behavior of some of my family — hang in there to get past the offensive parts!
The defending champion frat team of TheSecondChild and TheManoftheHouse (along with one of TheSecondChild’s friends) continued this year with the party theme. They created a bar, complete with malfunctioning neon lights, jam wrestling, a bucking bronco and a bartender. (Apparently, a bar was their concession to clean things up….rumor has it that a brothel was in the works. Men.)
Appropriately, MyCrazyBIL and my 13 yr. old nephew created a Funny Farm. Their accessories included a gingerbreadman in a straight jacket and a crazy lady escaping out the back window while an inmate looked up her skirt.
In an attempt to bring a little dignity back to the competition, MyDadLovesMeBestSister and my 10 yr. old niece made a cute little Candy Cane Cottage. They get a special prize for the best use of Captain Crunch cereal. I was so busy taking pictures that I didn’t notice the cute little gingerbreadman snowball fight until after everyone had gone home.
In third place, we have the team of MeMum and BigDaddy. We all cracked up when we saw their Santa’s Home for the Aged. BigDaddy is always good for a laugh! I thought he did a great job on the roof too.
My 15 yr. old niece and I cornered enough votes for second place. We made a little Peppermint Cottage. My niece had to carry the ball on our house, as I had to keep leaving her to take pictures and refill icing tubes.
And the first place winners this year were none other than the bride-and-groom-to-be, SweetiePie and TheFirstChild. They created a cute little wedding chapel, complete with attendants, stained glass windows and a steeple.
I didn’t get a great picture of the steeple, but you can catch a glimpse of it in this picture.
So, a fun end to a great year! Thanks to all of you for being a part of my 2007. I’m WAY behind on reading my comments/e-mails — hope to fix that in the new year. I hope you all have a wonderful New Year’s celebration. Be Happy AND Safe!!!
XOXO,
Anna
Happy New Year!
TOOOOOOOOOO CUTE – I love all of the houses and can really appreciate the ones with the guy’s point of view. After all I live in a house of all men also, so nothing shocks me, LOL. Heck I can even hold my own when I have to. Very clever family you have Anna. I think you all would be a lot of fun to hang out with.
Enjoy your holiday and be safe.
BIG NEW YEAR’S HUGS – Karen
Wonderful! Everyone did such a nice job! How fun. Great tradition. xoxo jewels
such intricate work and well done to the bride and groom to be! Happy New Year to you and yours! x
Oooh I so want to be a part of your family – I could be called adopted aussie blogger or something!! The houses are just adorable and you have inspired me to organise something special for my girls next year. In fact I plan to be a bit more chilled out next year so we can enjoy lovely things like this. A big new year’s kiss to you Anna and your wonderful family. xx
Sooo cute – I love how everyone took their idea and really “ran” with it. (and the jam wrestling -rofl)
Happy New Year!!
Oh gosh Anna, after reading a few posts that have brought tears to my eyes, yours has cracked me up! What a delightful group you all are!
Best wishes to you and to yours for happiness, health and prospertity in this new year, and thank you for being such a good blog pal. You’ve brightened many a day for me.
Happy New Year to you and the rest of your family and all the little inhabitants of those gingerbread houses too. I love them. In fact I think I prefer the naughty ones, I have never seen such rebellious gingerbread houses!
Kimx
I love the creativity in each gingerbread house, what a fun competition! I’ve never made on but am adding this great idea to my list for next Christmas.
A very happy and healthy New Year to you and your family!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Love your gingerbread house tradition! How much fun it must be for you all!
What a beautiful village you’ve all created, I especially love the farm. We don’t do gingerbread houses in England like you do in the States, but your collection makes me wish we did!
Loved seeing the houses for this year! All of you continue to outdo yourselves! Thanks for sharing! It would be too hard to vote on just one!
Happy New Year
Love,
Gurney
I love this, it was worth the wait. Happy New Year!
What fabulous houses and what a fantastic family tradition – I wish we did things like that over here more! Have a super new year! Lots of love Lucy xxx
Goodness, your kitchen must have been sticky once all that sugar was flying around!
Happy New Year!
You have had me laughing so much Anna. I just love the idea of decorating the gingerbread houses. Males just love a bit of competition and it was great to see their creative side come out.
We sort of did the same thing while we were at the beach this week with sandcastles – not sure how my menfolk would do with gingerbread houses though.
Your family sounds like such a hoot.
Have a great 2008 and keep blogging, girlfriend!!!!
What a great traditions, Anna! It looks like everyone in your family has the same wacky sense of humour from the funny props you all had on your gingerbread houses. And yes, I was on tenterhooks waiting for this part 2. Hope you had a smashing new year celebration!
I love every one of those houses, but I think I belong in the one for the aged – lol! What a creative and fun family you belong to! Thanks for sharing.
I’ll never be able to look at a gingerbread house in the same light again ! I think you’ve started a new Christmas tradition at house house that could spread across the nation !
JAM WRASSLING!
(hee hee hee hee hee hee!)