Gingerbread Houses!!

This year we knew the kids would be making Gingerbread Houses at both grandparents houses so we opted to  not make any at home. We did not have enough time to make the one we had planned to make at Grandma & Grandpa Birds house, so they let the kids take it to make at Grandma & Grandpa Andersen's!!

Grandma Andersen and Sharon made a special trip to the store to stock up on candies for the Houses... the kids LOVED making them this year!~

Grandpa and Landon made one from scratch with Graham Crackers and Sharon and Hailey took over the kit from G&G Bird. Grandpa was SO patient with Landon it was fun to watch them and take pictures. I was in charge of making the icing so they could plaster those candies ALL OVER!!~~

 We got out all the candies and supplies and got going!!

 I made some special icing that was nice and thick. We had a prepared icing from the kit, but because we had two house going at once we knew we would need more icing!!

 Hailey and Sharon did a GREAT job! Sharon was previously working on a Graham Cracker house but it kept falling apart so she went for the pre-made one. She used Red Vines for the roof and I convinced everyone in the house that came to look at them to tell her it was ugly, but secretly we loved it!!

 Then Landon and Grandpa made a Great house too!! Grandpa taught Landon how to hold the candies between two fingers and then squeeze the frosting on it so you could place it nicely on the house. Landon caught on quite quickly and loved it. He would tell grandpa all the colors of the candies as he got them out and was quite proud of himself after the house was finished. Grandma came out at the end and he told her not to eat it; only Landon and Grandpa could eat it!!

The kids got PLENTY of candy, and enjoyed eating the houses over the next few days.

I am sure Landon will make this a future tradition when we visit Grandma and Grandpa for sure!!~