Merry Gingerbread Day!
Just barely getting this year’s holiday greeting out before midnight!
We only had four of us home for our Holiday Gingerbread Extravaganza this year. (Everyone came for Thanksgiving instead, which was AMAZING!)
We kept the ‘flat’ templates from last year and our challenge this year was to ONLY use frosting — no candy!
As we get ready to hang up a new 2025 calendar, I am happy to reflect on 2024 with gratitude for friends, family, colleagues, and free calendars.
2024: What a year for John
After starting on a special diet in February 2023, by March 2024, John had lost enough weight for his hip replacement surgery!
We were so grateful, but little did we know in March how timely that surgery would be. He was fully mobile by July when we had the surprise opportunity to house John’s 93-year-old dad and 84 year old stepmom after they escaped from Florida — right before hurricane season. They are now safely living in the assisted living apartment a mile from our house where we can check on them daily.
Gingerbread side note: John broke his thumb right before the big ginger decorating day. So extra props to him.
Speed-decorator
Sean, always our reluctant gingerbread enthusiast, decided this year to treat the event like ripping off a Band-aid. Fairly certain his house was complete within 2 minutes of mixing the first color.
Piping Queen
Sarah traveled home for the holidays from the University of Delaware. When she returns to Delaware, she will enter her final semester of undergrad, and right now — she is anxiously awaiting her grad school fate!
Sarah spent the summer at Camp Menogyn (AGAIN) in MN, but this year, she was a trail guide! She led several 5-day canoe trips, and even commanded a 10-day Yellowstone hiking trek. If you get a chance to ask about her blisters, you should.
Therefore, tackling the largest of the gingerbread templates was mere child’s play for Sarah.
Harlequin Romance
Yup, that’s mine…. I did miss the candy this year.
AND I missed Kayleigh, Matt, and David. Hoping they will join us again soon.