G Is for National Gingerbread House Competition

We are fortunate to live very close to the hotel which hosts the National Gingerbread House competition. We love to attend the display each year and see all of the amazing creations. Everyone from young children to adults can enter. Everything used must be edible. Here is a sampling of our favorites this year. Remember ~ everything you see in the display can be eaten. Sometimes mice get into the gingerbread displays, but we didn't see any this year.

I loved this peacock. There were several peacocks this year, but I think this was the best one. My kids especially loved the sea turtle and it reminded them of the sea turtle hospital we visited this past summer. My daughter took pictures of every teapot display, since she knows how much I love tea. I liked the one in the collage above the best.

The kids love getting a treat at the hotel's bakery. Looking at tons of gingerbread does make one's tummy hungry. The top left corner is a dragon attacking an ice castle. That was the coolest one in our opinion. 

The kids loved the Wizard of Oz display. The military boots and owl were pretty amazing, too.

This display was made by my oldest son, Tim, along with other members of the Hinds' Feet brain injury day treatment program. It is Santa at the bowling alley (which is one of the favorite activities of the Hinds' Feet members). Santa fell over after he was set up at the hotel, and the members were so disappointed. However, I overheard a family looking at the Hinds' Feet display say they thought Santa was break dancing, because he was very happy that he'd made a strike. I thought their interpretation was really cute!

We came home inspired and made our own gingerbread house from a kit. We want to make one from scratch someday, but it always seems so overwhelming during the Christmas season. Maybe we should try it in August ~ LOL!

Blessings, Dawn