2018 Annual Gherkins Gingerbread Competition

The most anticipated New Year's Eve activity around our home is the Annual Gherkins Gingerbread Competition. This year was no different. What IS different this year, is that I did not get the contest ready for voting the first week in January. I am rectifying my grave familial sin this morning - on April 1st. ::snort::  Cute - Gingerbread Gherkin chained to my laptop until I gt the Gingerbread post done. LOL 

Get me out of the nook - publish the post already! 

The prize of this competition is the right to host   "Gingerbread Gherkin" for 2019. The winners  take photos of his adventures, share him with one another, and I post photos of him on the blog and on our Courageous Joy Facebook page. This Gingerbread Gherkin is ready for fun and cannot understand why he has been cooped up in my nook, instead of living life big with a winning team. He's missed births, job promotions and the Iditarod. ::bowing my head in shame::

Stacia and Nolan served as team captains again this year. Each team was provided the same gingerbread kit, spatulas, bowls, spoons, and $20 to shop for anything else they may want. We did not provide challenge items this year - as each team had built-in toddler challenges.

Bella's 3rd competition 

Gideon's 2nd competition 

Members began taking turns entertaining toddlers

Benny's 2nd competition 

We have noted that most of the contestants friends will vote on Facebook and not on a blog link.....so official voting will take place on our Facebook Page - Courageous Joy. The poll is pinned to the TOP of the  Courageous Joy Facebook page; voting ends Friday,  5 April,  at 9:00 p.m. AKST.

To keep everything scrupulously unbiased, we will no longer designate "Girls Team" and "Boys Team" until after a winner is declared. Entries are presented in alphabetical order.

Team A presents "An Iditarod Checkpoint"

Enjoy this Alaska winter landscape, captured in this scene from the Iditarod. Great attention was given to detail, from the rolling terrain, to the trees, to the mountains towering in the distance, to the river flowing through the scene, and the Northern Lights illuminating the way for the mushers. This submission captures the greatest race in the world with maximum clarity. 

Overview

Do you see the wildlife challenge to our musher?

Sled (by trees) with dog team - at Aid station 

Mountains, snow, Northern Lights, rivers, sleds.....

Team B presents "Wibbly Wobbly Acres - A family oasis in Alaska"

We made a charming farm nestled in the Alaskan woods. Some of its highlights include a delightful garden, green fields with horses grazing, and a sweet lil red barn complete with a barnyard. The numerous tiny details are sure to delight as they draw you further into this peaceful oasis.

Overview

Harvesting hay and horse pasture

Working in the garden - minus the moose! 

Bunnies and pasture in the foreground, barn, chicken, garden in the back 

Chicken coop and hay bales

Go vote now. Voting will end at 9 p.m. on Friday the 5th of April. 


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.

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." 

Winter Afternoons are made for Science

 Stacia continues to work away on science....

Yuuki isn't interested in science

A Fun Visit

Look who came to visit! 

Annie is two months old. She brought her Mom and siblings to visit. 

The balloon was a big hit. Benny felt he had right of possession. He's a good boy and he did share. 

Stacia introduces Bella to the art of pillow fighting. 

She also baked cookies with Bella and Gideon. 

Quality Control

Gideon provides sampling

Chicken Entertainment

It's been a rough winter for the girls. In the last few weeks they have begun tearing the feathers out of each other. Michael talked to a gal he met at Walmart and she said this is common up here in the spring. She gave him several ideas. 

He hung cabbage in the chicken yard so they have something new to peck at. LOL 

Piano Man

Michael used to play jazz and Keith Green almost every night. The kids would dance around the house while he played. He doesn't play as often anymore, but when he does, there's a new kid on the block to dance. 

CoRielle brought Benny up to watch Grandpa...and of course that led to dancing. 

Simple, happy, family times.

Building a House

The kids are in the process of building model houses. 

Note the lights installed and working

In this activity they learned how structural components fit together to form a strong building. Previously, they built lights.  In this lesson they are at the starting point of installing wiring into a house. They installed LED lights and insured they were working.

The assignments build on each other so I'm wondering what else thy may be doing over time with this house. Stacia envisions walls, curtains and furniture. LOL

We love our science this year - Advanced Physical Science from Exploration Education.

Benny & His "Toys"

One fun aspect of watching Benny for CoRielle is getting to interact with his new passions. He is 16 months old now and it's fascinating to watch his thought processes.

We are all familiar with Christmas morning when a child is happier to play with the box and wrapping than the gift! It has been fun to watch how CoRielle encourage Benny's imagination. One is likely to find all sorts of odd and interesting real life objects in Benny's possession.

Lately - it's been HIS POTATO! Yes, that little red potato...

I've heard Arielle talking with him about. I've discovered it in the dryer. It's been in the tub, his shirt....and today....I discovered it in his toy box. The little potato has become an official toy.

Note - the potato eventually HAD to disappear (they DO rot you know) and Benny has moved on to other fascinating toys.