Please- we need your help!

I was hoping the title would get your attention. But it's true. We really do need your help. If nothing else, please go to the bottom and vote (in the form of a comment) on your favorite gingerbread house. Thanks.

What a great week it's been. I'll sort of tell you about it, and then show a bunch of pictures, and then ask a HUGE favor from you as a reader of this blog. First, however, scroll down and read the next post if you haven't seen it already. It is about buying a new car last week. It was pretty exciting.

This week, obviously, was Thanksgiving. This year we decided to extend the invitation for people to come up and visit us instead of us going to them. Family started arriving on Wednesday night, and they kept coming in waves up until yesterday. We actually postponed our big Thanksgiving celebration until Saturday night so that more people could be involved, which meant that on the night when most of the country was sitting down to turkey dinners we were eating pizza and watching a movie.

We did a few different things with family. Of course there was a lot of talking and stuff. On Friday we went to the big Coeur d'Alene Christmas celebration. That was cool- they had a parade followed by an awesome (like, best I've ever seen) fireworks show over the lake and a big lighting ceremony where they turned on all of the lights at the resort. It was a very festive atmosphere with a live band and the weather was pretty nice and it was just a bunch of people having a good time. I think this celebration is something we'll probably go to every year we live here.

Saturday was filled with cooking. There was, of course, the traditional dinner that we all pitched in to make. After dinner we had a dessert cook-off where we broke into teams to make our various different sweet treats. I am proud to say that the unanimous decision among everyone was that Shannon and I literally took the cake (pun intended, ha ha) with our copycat recipe of Chili's Paradise Pie. Oh man- that was good.

Finally, after all the kids were in bed, we had our first annual gingerbread house contest. We broke into two teams. We each had one night to make a gingerbread house. The judges, I am pleased to announce, will be you- my loyal readers. So go to the bottom of this page, look at the pictures, and cast your vote in the form of a comment, either here or on Facebook, for which house you like better.  Do not be a fence sitter. I know you have an opinion and you will not hurt anyone's feelings.

Basically, it has been a lot of fun having everyone up here.

Here are the pictures. Don't forget to judge the houses!


The Food:

The Dessert Competition

(The Winners- Go Shannon and Me!)

The Kids:

 (This is Evelyn being a superhero)

The Gingerbread Houses:

Team A:

This cozy bungalow is located on prime beachfront property where you can enjoy all of your favorite activities. From sunbathing on the sandy shores to entertaining in the outdoor gazebo, this place has it all! The front of the house is landscaped with lush tropical vegetation that is sure to provide a break from the long Idaho Winters. When you need a place for fun, this is it- but watch out for sharks!

Team B:

This sprawling mansion is sure to catch you fancy if you are looking for a place to settle down in luxury. Nestled in the mountains, you get seclusion and a great view from the upper levels. In addition, you can relax in the security that the house is built to be storm proof, earthquake proof, fire proof, wind proof, volcano proof, tsunami proof, bullet proof, and baby proof. There is nothing that is bringing this baby down!