10th Annual Gingerbread Party!

This Christmas we had our biggest ever gingerbread party. It's the 10th year that we've put it on, and it's always a HUGE amount of work, but worth it in the end to see so many friends who are able to make it a part of their family Christmas traditions. We ended up with 74 guests-- nearly maxing out the capacity of our condo clubhouse. I believe it is 75.

I have to admit that this year during preparation there were grumbles and rumbles between Brian and me of it being the last year. Maybe we should go out with a bang-- ten years of this is an accomplishment! But as always, when it is over and we sit in our house with dried icing and crumbs of gingerbread on our clothes and many of our possessions, we throw back leftover egg nog and talk about how awesome our friends are and that we're happy to be able to do this for them.

This year we had the most help with preparations and clean-up that we've ever had. Brian was able to help some with the baking this year and his mom did almost all the icing, which was amazing. Nearly everyone contributed lunch food, and-- as always-- the candy. This was all super helpful and took away a lot of stress from me.

But as usual it took me the entire weekend before to bake all the gingerbread. The boys are old enough now to want to help, but not old enough to actually be helpful. It makes for a long weekend for us: baking for me, and a ton of shopping and hauling for Brian. The boys run around being nearly neglected the weekend of baking and during the party.

All things considered, though, I think it's safe to say the party will probably happen again next year.

Without further ado, here are some pictures from the preparation and from the party: (If you scroll down to the bottom there are links to all past years.)

Paper towel Santa beard

This is Christmas spirit, folks.

The boys take a break from being neglected/ interrupt me

 Aaaaand, the party:

And then, a few weeks later I custom-made some gingerbread creations for my nephews who were visiting from Atlanta: the White House, a regular house, and a race car.

I even spent some time to make one myself and to help Cal and Clark make one: 

And made gingerbread people for the boys' teachers' cookie bar at school:

In case you haven't had enough gingerbread pictures here are links to past parties:

Gingerbread Parties 1-6

7th Year

8th Year

9th Year

Sibling Christmas Shopping Trips, 2013 & 2014

My brother Aaron and I have a long-standing tradition of Christmas shopping together. I've written about some of our Christmas shopping trips here and here, in case you need a little background. We always have a great time and once-in-awhile we come away with a gift or two. Usually we just buy each other things, or Aaron deliberates over toiletry and candle scents while I soak in the general freedom that comes from not having three small children to control in public.

Last year I slacked and didn't write about our trip. Our sister Crystal (referred to as Bean from here on) was visiting, so we had the rare opportunity to all three go Sibling Christmas Shopping together (typically called our Non-Shopping Trip). This was something that hadn't happened since going Mom Shopping together when we all lived in Idaho a hundred years ago.

It used to be that Aaron and I would go to a mall for our shopping trip, but as I've done the suburban creep, farther and farther from the Pentagon City Mall that we used to go to, we've switched to the big box stores in shopping centers out here in the 'burbs. Lately it's mostly been World Market, where we stay until we are kicked out at closing time.

Last year it was no different-- mostly World Market. I did come away quite productive once again. I guess with age comes wisdom and knowledge that time is short and Christmastime can be stressful when you wait too long to get gifts. I was RIDICULOUSLY efficient and productive, with my list in hand. It was easy to knock of gifts for Aaron and Bean, since they were with me. The highlight of last year's trip, though, was when we escaped from shopping to have a beer at Red Robin and our waiter's name was Tim, the only missing sibling from our trip. It felt a little weird but we did have someone take a picture of us with Tim. What was even a little weirder was that we asked him to make a funny-face pictures with us. He was a good sport.

2013 trip-- my face says it all

We wondered where Bean went...
and found her on a couch display in the entryway.

At Target, the biggest decision, for some reason, hinged on
which Q-tips were better quality: real ones, or Up and Up
brand. 

Three-sibling Christmas shopping, with waiter Tim in foreground in slightly
awkward situation

He even made a weird face for us-- what a guy.

This year Aaron and I (mostly me) were super-productive again-- knocking all kinds of things off the list. If I ever lost Aaron I knew to find him smelling candles or deodorant. He spent a lot of time with tree-based and festive scents, settling after much deliberation on spiced cedar and balsam fir. We had our typical stops at Target and World Market, a short one at The Container Store, and one very long one at Home Goods, where Aaron camped in the glassware and stemware section and I was in the seasonal decorations area, daydreaming about having enough room in our house to rationalize buying more Christmas decorations. In World Market, Aaron drooled (Though I've tried, I don't understand this) over Tunisian olive oils and their rich history.

Afterward, we went to a new bar and grill close to my house where we people-watched and had some heart-to-heart-- the essence of sibling shopping. It was our last Sibling Non-Shopping Trip with him as a single man; next year at this time my little brother will be married! I lost my camera and alas have no pictures to share from the shopping trip this year, but it was good to keep the tradition alive for one more year.

A Smattering of Favorite Christmas-y Pictures

I have various entries planned (in my head) for the blog, but am going through recent pictures and thought I'd share some of my favorites from the past few weeks. Merry Christmas and Happy 2014!

Teddy and Aunt Bean

Gingerbread-ing with my little sister!

Clark with our little snowbaby

Argyle brothers

My favorite elf, making a gingerbread house on the table

Santa and some elves

Wink

Jumpin' elf slippers

Concerned Theodore out tree-fetchin'

Our weird, tipping tree

The magic of the tree

times three

Competing for best-dressed Santa

Really, Mom? A Santa suit?

Oh, look at that. I'm adorable in a Santa suit!

Sassy weirdo

Christmas morning stocking

Santa and Mom combine for the greatest Christmas gifts ever

Spiderman deftly scales the counter

Teddy's first gift

First Christmas!

With focused determination, Teddy goes after another gift.

Town Center Christmas tree with friends

All six Crosson boys together! Jake, Zane, Drew, Cal, Clark, Teddy

Downtown Atlanta with the cousins- hanging out with a street musician

Cal's idea: turn our Christmas tree branches and needles into "art"