My last post for Christmas Traditions

I thought I would save our Gingerbread party for last. We actually just had the party yesterday so the photos are current. I started this holiday tradition for the kids when they were older. They would invite a friend over and each child would make their house then decorate it. That first party was such a bust since the houses wouldn't stay together so we resorted to hot glue and toothpicks in an effort to hold them together. Then when they started to try and decorate them the houses couldn't support the weight of the candy and many collapsed. That is when I decided to find a local bakery that would bake and assemble the houses, which I did. Every year since then we have ordered the houses and then we go and pick them up, each in a pretty box. All that is left to do is make the royal icing for the glue to hold on the candy. It has made for a successful party ever since. As the kids grew it became their friends and their kids, then friends with kids, or grandkids. As of 3 years ago, I turned it over to my oldest daughter, Kimberly, to have for her friends and their kids. Everyone brings two bags of candy to share, that allows for a lot of variety. It is a wonderful family project and you leave with a beautiful house for the holidays. This year Kim even provided lunch for everyone, what fun!

Family Traditions

We have lots of family traditions that surround this time of the year. Some are silly and some are more serious but we all love them. I continued things my mom started in an effort to make Christmas special for us when we were young. She was raised on a cotton farm in Alabama with 14 brothers and sisters. Their family was very poor and they didn't have much. It was so important to her to do special things during the holidays that would make them extra special and she always made all our dreams come true. I have added my own things to her list and one of the things I added was a Gingerbread House party. I started it when the girls were young, maybe 11-12. Although it has evolved throughout the years it basically was, I supplied the houses and invited moms and kids to come and decorate a house to take home. They have to bring 2 bags of candy to the party that will be shared by everyone. At the end I hand out ballots to vote for the most original, best candy etc and there are prizes plus they get to take home their decorated house. I loved this party, I always let the girls invite their friends and I invited some of my friends and it was a house full of kids, candy and the wonderful smell of gingerbread. This year, my oldest daughter, Kim had the party at her home. I handed it off to her this year as it seemed more appropriate for her to throw it for her friends who now have their own children old enough to enjoy it. She carefully asked if she could do it this year and I knew it was time. For myself, it was a bittersweet moment. I was so thrilled to see her love it so much she wanted to keep it going yet sad that I would not be hosting it anymore. I passed the baton and she did such a great job. I got to help decorate and make the royal frosting and she got to get all the oooohhh and awes over her home and the party etc. It felt so good to see her shine, its her turn, its her time. I guess that is part of growing older, learning when its time to take a step back and watch as the reflection of ourselves continues. She will make it her own special yearly event and it will evolve her way and I am so excited to watch! Here are some pictures of that day, I was the photographer and I love the faces of the younger kids as they are still full of wonder and amazement in anticipation of Christmas.