Far-Far Away Flusches: It's beginning to taste a lot like Christmas!

Decorating a gingerbread house for Christmas is a tradition Paul and I started when we were engaged to be married. Over the years we have delighted in this simple tradition at each of our parent's homes in Oklahoma, in Broken Arrow Oklahoma, in Pensacola Florida, Edmond Oklahoma, Corpus Christi Texas, in our Juffair Marriott hotel room in Bahrain and this year on Tala Island. It's fun to look back at the photos of this tradition, I especially love the memories made the Christmas that Tobey and Kaz stayed with us and I was weeks away from delivering Gavin. I wore a cream & black Damisk apron and was as big as a barn! GOOD TIMES!

This year Tanner and I (amongst the yet to be unpacked moving boxes) cranked up "John Denver and The Muppets Christmas" CD and set out to build the Flusche Family Gingerbread Standalone Villa (more Bahraini humor!) The John Denver and The Muppets Christmas music is another family tradition, this one was started by my Dad when Lauren and I were little girls helping him "build" and decorate the artificial Christmas tree... back then it was a vinyl record... and I had to walk uphill both ways through the snow to get to school, did I mention I was barefoot? LAUGH!)

Tanner and I designed quite a remarkable villa for the Bahraini gingerpeople! My favorite detail was the green star shaped sunglasses for the tiny candy marshmallow snowman - He's got STYLE!

Tanner's favorite contribution was the gingerbread man with the "really pretty blue eyes like Mommy". Seriously, I can totally see the resemblance! :)

Tanner and I set out some expectations for ourselves prior to starting this project:

1) We must complete it while Gavin is napping.
2) We should eat almost as much candy as we use to decorate with.
3) Repeat the John Denver CD if it ends before completion of the candy covered abode.
4) Try not to laugh too hard when Ms. Nida spies on us from around the corner.
5) Sing back-up for the Muppets and try to catch Ms. Nida singing back up as well.
6) Most importantly, surprise Daddy with a complete villa when he gets home from work!