Christmas Traditions

One of our Christmas traditions (which we have done since my kids were very little) is to make Gingerbread Houses. We cheat and buy the pre-baked ones that you just assemble. Well, this year I found some at Costco that are already assembled and ready for you to decorate!! LOVE THEM!!

It's funny how my children's personalities come out in their gingerbread houses. Lyle is my straight-laced, by the book, follow the rules kind of guy.

Hilary, on the other hand, never found a story or event that her imagination couldn't make more exciting. Then, add Ethan to the mix...

Can't say I ever saw a gingerbread house quite like this one:

It had a fort on the roof that belonged to the cinammon Santas:

The catapult in the front yard also "belonged" to the cinammon Santas. It really works and shots gumdrops:

Then there was an ice fort that "belonged" to the snowmen. They had a machine gun that shot (of course) snowballs:

We also celebrated a small Christmas with Ethan before he went to his parent's house:

Usually when I make something crafty, I'm never happy with the end result. I'm a perfectionist, and the project doesn't turn out like I envisioned in my mind. But...I made Ethan a stocking to fill with lots of little presents, and I LOVED how it turned out. Thank you to my dear Grandma Hencratt for teaching me how to do embroidery and hand sewing!