Advent Adventures - Gingerbread Houses

Phew - this is a busy family!

No wonder I don't have time to keep

up with my blog postings...

there is ALWAYS something going on!!

Hopefully I will finish up the holiday postings

and 

we won't be talking about 

Christmas in July.

(haha)

For a couple of years now,
this family has been doing
individual graham cracker
houses,
instead of the big gingerbread house kits.

This is:
more fun,
cheaper,
smaller,
and
individual!!

And it is a family event!

I hit up the Dollar Store (again)
for the decorations.
I tried to get things that come in the kits usually.
And then things that I thought my kids would enjoy.

My sous chef is helping me get set up.

Then with buttercream icing,

not royal,

put in piping bags with twist tyes at the top...

we started decorating.

This guy is pretty good at working the piping bag!

Mr. T was careful to put the little candies just right...

Ms. Priss was too!

Rico was making sure

to put the candies he likes most on there,

because they get to eat off of their 

houses for as long as they survive!

More piping bag magic from the master sous chef.

More intricate design work from the littlest Martinez.

The sous chef is watching over daddy to make 

sure he is doing it right. (ha!)

Now posing with their masterpieces:

Now...
we eat!

Here is our "gingerbread" village!