Gingerbread House Party 2019

December 1st fell on Sunday and worked as the date for the Gingerbread house party.  It also started with the first day of the Advent Calendar.  

I bought a gnome and red truck cookie cutter this year and experimented with the decorating.  While I a pretty good with houses, I am not as good decorating cookies.  The whole flooding, leveling thing is not something I have a lot of practice with.  But I think this time I got the frosting at the right 20 second consistency and the cookies turned out they way the should be.  

Sadly, we had four cancels, all for different reason but enough friends and family were able to make it and decorate their houses.  Heather Nelson came with a plan and had fun making her plan come true.  She cut small gumdrops in half vertically and used them as 'stones' on the sides of her house.  Ryder was tired and when he was done with his house, he was just done.  Greeva and Kartikey each worked on a house.  Kartikay had no plan and just stuck on whatever he could reach. Greeva worked a long time on her patterns.  And she made us chai before she left!! 

Heather, Connor, who is now taller than me, and Brigid had a lot of detail and when Brigid needed help, I pulled up a chair and helped out figure out her next plan.  I worked on my house off and on when there was room at the table. 

Jake and Roxie helped too. Mostly by bumping elbows and cleaning up dropped sprinkles.

Jake was giving out lots of love too.  He is a loving dog, when he is not trying to break your nose giving your a hello kiss. 

Mom got to make a house this year as well. Heather challenged her to make it crazy, colorful, and out of her comfort zone.  That started Mom out a bit stressed but she figured out what to do.  

Jake loves to share the love seat with everyone.  

Meme was able to be at the party too this year and made her first house.  

 Connor's house in progress.  

Brigid's house, she made her own sleigh.  

My house, I added lights inside and a gnome and red truck.  

Greeva sent me the photos she took of me during the party.  It is weird seeing me in photos!

Monday we had the neigthbor girls over to decorate houses we had left over.,  Baylor started one, he put the circle pretzels and rocks on the roof and then said I could finish it.  So I did!  

Rehoboth Beach 2019

After school was over and Summer Camp started, Baylor and I headed to the beach to spend some time with family.  My parents bought Baylor a travel bag for Christmas and I know he was not impressed with it at that time.  He did not know what it was for. But after vacation, he was pretty impressed with having it.  

As I was packing the car I noticed someone, or some critter, had helped themselves to the first ripe raspberries.  Argh! 

All loaded up and ready to head south!! 

DiAnn rented a new house this year but it was five blocks from the beach.  It was also much newer, bigger and had more than one bathroom for everyone!  And a nicer porch, which Baylor promptly rested in. 

Fun with Baylor's tablet game.  

I brought our bikes with us because I knew there would be no way I would be able to walk to the beach and I am not paying that much to park there either.  It was an easy ride and my knees could handle it.  And when we rode back to the house, I had to stop short and fell off my bike.  Thankfully, I broke my fall by hitting my head on the side of the house.  I had a helmet on!! 

Time for his fun in the water.  He can just run and jump and play in the surf for a long time.  

Sandy selfie 

Of course he was really excited for the virtual reality experience.  He would live in here if he could.  

And if he could live on ice cream at the beach, he would probably do that too.  

Our abode for vacation.  We went on the second half of the week so there were not as many people there as the first weekend.  So it was much less crowded and more quiet.  

  

I was usually up first and made the coffee.  And then went out on the porch to enjoy it.  

He did not sleep out here but fell back to sleep for a bit after joining me on the porch.  

This place had two TVs but we did not watch it much.  But Thursday it was cold and raining so we found a movie to watch in the afternoon.  

Friday we rode back out to the beach.  Right before this I had fallen off the bike, just standing there.  

Somewhere in my piles of pictures from my past, I have a photo of me in the same shop wearing a similar hat.  Since we now know we are Scandinavian, it feels appropriate. Though Vikings never really wore helmets like that!  

Lunch at Sammy's, his favorite place to eat at the beach.   We talked to Sammy every time we were in for a meal.  

The sky was better today but the waves were really rough.  The lifeguards were not letting anyone go out past the breaking waves, which were hard to play in. 

But he tried and played in the sand and at the edge of the cold water.  

Happy with his ice cream.  

He spent most of his quarters on Plinko this year.  He was addicted! 

Native scallion on the beach today 😃

He did not want to join anyone for dinner so we called out for Grotto!  It was delicious.  

Morning coffee selfie to send to Mom.  

Friday morning we went back out to the beach and he was worried it would be the same conditions as yesterday so he did not want to bring his swimming stuff.  He was a bit disappointed when he found a much calmer sea today.  But the air temp was still pretty cool and the water was still very cold.  He was happy to play in the surf again.  

Followed by more ice cream 

And more VR.  

And more Sammy's food 

Where he learned he loves gyros!! 

We went out in the evening and the sky was lovely!  

This one made it to the bathroom wall photo gallery.  And my phone's wallpaper.  

More ice cream 

Saturday morning we rode our bikes down to Sammy's for breakfast. 

And then all along the boardwalk, stopping at the north end of the beach to look of shells.  It was a gorgeous morning for bike riding and shell hunting. 

Some of our haul 

On our ride home, I was buzzed by a dragonfly.  We had to hurry back to the house to help clean and to pack up to leave.  But it was fun riding on the boardwalk with Baylor!  

And many hours later, we were home.  

Where a ripe raspberry or two were waiting for me.  

And on my way home from getting groceries, so was the train.