Sunday, November 01, 2020

2019 Annual Gherkins Gingerbread Competition

 Gingerbread competition in November? No, we are NOT starting Christmas celebrations too early - we're actually extremely late!  I haven't blogged our last New Year's Eve celebration. ::snort::  My family thought it was unbelievable when I didn't post until April last year. I've topped myself this year.  I promised to have it done before certain parties go into labor....seems Mr. Gingerbread may get to attend a labor if the vote is right. LOL 

Many of you know we do our gift exchange on NYE.  We had youngish children when we started this, and in order to stay up until midnight, we announced a new activity each hour.  The year Bre brought Izaak home, we added a gingerbread competition. It seemed a fun way for all to bond. Before we could blink our eyes it had turned into a competition between the men and the women....a tradition was born.  Each year we post photos and blog readers vote on the best Gingerbread creation. That team hosts Mr. Gingerbread for the year. 

Over the years we've noted more participation if the vote is held on Facebook. SO....feel free to comment below, but go to our Facebook Page - Courageous Joy - to vote. The poll is pinned to the top of the page; voting ends Friday, 5 Nov at noon AKST. 

It should be noted each team is given the same gingerbread house kit and a few extra items that can be added to each team's creation (Krispy treats and gumballs this year). They are also given a unique challenge item that must be added. Each team has the same amount of money to buy a few extras. 

TEAM A  presents Dip Netting - An Alaskan Theme....This team presents a realistic gingerbread rendition of our family's annual dip-netting fish camp from the cleaning station, to the  salmon-littered beach, fishermen in the water, sea gulls feasting on salmon, and a brilliant sunset. 


Feeding frenzy

Fish cleaning station 

Outhouse

Note the white coolers! 

Dip Netters

TEAM B presents An Alaskan Dream - a winter Get-away to a Deserted Island. This creation features a shipwreck near a sandy beach with brilliant blue waters with a couple of sharks to make life interesting. The gingerbread castaways can be seen looking out across the waters with the Sun setting behind their lean-to.

Tropical Island

Ship in shark infested waters


Castaways


White caps! 

IF YOU AREN'T SICK OF VOTING - VOTE NOW! Voting ends at NOON on Nov 6th....just in time for Mr. Gingerbread to be awarded to the winners at our birthday celebration for Benny and Michael. 


Interested in a trip down memory lane? It was fun to see dear faces from past year's  competitions and winners:

2013 Competition - Men won with their Town square complete with a clock tower.

2014 Competition - Women won with their sweet Chapel; Men's Night Before Christmas disqualified them according to judge Michael. ::snort:: 

2015 Competition - Women won with Mad Hatter's Tea Party over the Men's rendition of Santa's Village.

2016  Competition - Women won with their  "Portrait of  2016." 

2017 Competition - Men won with "An Alaskan Getaway," over the women's offering of "Snowman's Lodge." 

2018 Competition - Men won with "An Iditarod Checkpoint." I must admit even some of our men voted for the women's "Family Oasis," and we were rather surprised the men won. 

* And now - since I finally have the "Gingerbread post" finished, I can blog last year's Christmas on New Year's Celebration BEFORE this year's Christmas season commences. ::snort:: 

There's a Monkey in Your House!

  "Baachan!" 

"There's a monkey in your house!" 

The door is always open (or nearly always open) which makes for some fun and unexpected announcements. "Baachan, I'm Heeeeeeeere!"

"Howdy, howdy." 

I must say, "There's a monkey in your house," is one of the most unexpected announcements we've received. To be fair, it's not the FIRST time I've had a monkey in the house. I did grow up in Liberia and the Philippines, BUT it is unexpected in Alaska. 

Sunday afternoons are usually lazy....various family members drop by....Josiah, Carrie and Livie...Arielle and Benny fill Cory's work hours with us from time to time....today Jamin stopped by too. Millie goes  berzerk when Benny and Arielle stop by. She's pretty good with everyone else...but she is beside herself with excitement when she sees them. 

Michael calms Millie

A theme this week has been "friendship." Dear friends are walking through hard paths and are nearly continuously in our prayers and thoughts, friends have stopped by to offer help, texted, marco polo'd...and we got TWO boxes of pecans from Florida! Thank you Steve and Ranaee. 
Jamin, Michael and Stacia

It's been a busy week and my free time has been divided between time with Jesus, naps, party prep and/or working out...never all in any one day...but I'm trying to take a big picture view of life while we establish new routines. I haven't had minutes to blog. HOWEVER, loading photos reminds me of the highlights of the week and I'll post-date some blogs from the week on this lazy Sunday afternoon and in the next few days.