Jen and I and the boys added to our Christmas tradition by making our biggest gingerbread house yet. Here it is just after we assembled it, the main house with two dormer windows, and two wings with a chimney each. That was three recipes of gingerbread and about nine pans to cook, for all the sides, roofs, walls and some gingerbread men and trees as well. What an undertaking, we figured we had better take a picture before we moved it in case it did not survive the move.
Here it is in all of it's candified glory. Is it not a thing of beauty, one to be admired. The main house is for Mark, Jen and the boys, Barry and I get the left wing and Mark's Mom and sister get the right wing. Are not the candy trees wonderful? Jennifer had a box of them ready made to add to the yard, WOW! The front walkway, made of cherry twizzlers are an attempt at a replica of Jen front walk made of flat stones picked from a beach. Leeland decorated the right wing, he is obviously the free thinker of the lot. William demonstrated he was his Mother's son with his adherence to straight lines and patterns as he adorned the left wing.
We have been enjoying the holiday season, last week we were at the boys school Christmas Concert.
Leeland is the boy in the blue in the front row. if you haven't guessed, they are singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
William is in the red in the middle of the back row and they are singing Little Drummer Boy. We have been going to see the Cape Breton Junior Hockey team play. Mark gave us passes as a thank you for looking after the boys for the weekend. The last game we were at Leeland's team played during the intermission, thanks to the sponsorship of Tim Horton's. They were so cute, the Junior team's mascot, Screech, the Screaming Eagle was out on the ice with them and Leeland spent a fair bit of time gazing up at him. I watched part of the game with Jen and family and marvelled that we were able to do the time honoured Canadian thing this winter, watch a live hockey game with members of my family.
Mark leant us an artificial tree this month and I was able to figure out how to assemble it and borrowed some of Jen and Mark's decorations to add to the ones that have gone around the world with us on the boat. I thought the tree looked hilarious only partially assemble so made Barry take a picture.
The end product was a pleasant but definitely not overcrowded tree. I don't think we had one that was ours since we lived in our house in Yellowknife, that would be 10 years ago. Last week curling wound up for the holidays and we had a turkey spiel. You entered your name and teams were thrown together and we curled two four end games. There was a tie and the tie breaker was a draw to the button with a frozen turkey cling wrapped to a styrofoam plate, I took on they challenge and although I finished second out of four our team got to choose between peanut and chocolates for a prize.
Barry and I are ready to hit the ski slopes, the googles the competed our ensemble, the only new equipment we got. Barry got skis and poles at the local Value Village (our favourite store) and he got boots and I was able to get skis and boots from Kijji. His sweater is new to us a great addition to his winter wardrobe.
Happy Holidays to all our friends around the world and to our family both near and far. Technology is wonderful, we saw and spoke to all of our immediate family within the last 24 hours. Lots of love and many bigs hugs are coming at you. From the crew of Cat's-Paw IV. Ann and Barry.
