
Gingerbread Day 2015 …

Patient Mom (Angie Taylor) roof holding while frosting sets with Megan & Jerika (standing)
I’m singing with Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof … Traditions! I Love Traditions!! My tradition? Grandma Keri Days!
Which started with Pumpkin Patch Day … when I had grown pumpkins in my garden for the first time and had the little ones over for pumpkin carving and hot dog eating.
I was a working Grandma and quickly found out if I wanted to enjoy the company of these funny, quirky, entirely unique and wonderful people I would have to schedule the time … that’s when annual Grandma Keri Days began.
Initially they were holiday based … Pumpkin Patch Day, Gingerbread Day, Valentine’s Day, and Easter Egg Coloring Day. Then I added in things like 24th of July Pioneer Day, then separate Grandson & Granddaughter weekends (sleepovers & activities). We had Family Field Days for a few years, and Service Project Days at Thanksgiving time. Friends and extended family are always part of the fun and often messy excitement.

First Gingerbread Day 2002
I don’t have favorites … I love, love, love each Grandma Keri Day … they are like my children & grand-kids; wonderfully unique … but Gingerbread Day might certainly be close to the top. Like all traditions it started small; I made gingerbread, then we’d all cut, bake and frost gingerbread men (or at least my very patient mom, daughters, daughters & son-in-law, who did most of the building & frosting those first years). One of the first invitations included the story of the Gingerbread Man who yelled, ‘you can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread Man’.

Gingerbread Day 2003

2004 R-L Bryson, Kylee, & Wyatt Taylor With Uncle Steve (Beepo) Vest
One year we tried graham cracker houses … now that wasn’t the best idea … it took a LOT of TIME. But from the smiles on the little’s faces it was worth it!

2004 Wyatt, Kaylee & Bryson in Boise

Gingerbread Day @ Gardner Village 2007

Christmas Cabin Weekend 2009
This year I found the coolest cutter & recipe to make the gingerbread houses. The fruit of many online searches was the “Swedish Gingerbread House
Pattern Cutter from Fancyflours and a gingerbread construction recipe that uses margarine, no spices, and no leavening (they are sweet, but pretty much inedible) … I spent most of last Monday making, cutting, and baking 20 house kits (like 9 – 10 hours baking). The dough was easy to work with and baked up to an almost indestructible house component.

How can you not smile with these people for family? Tony, me, Wyatt, Bodie, Clint 2015

Cecily & Bodie Humble … Bodie’s First Gingerbread Day …. 2015

Me & Great-Grandson Silas Hodgins’ at his First Gingerbread Day … 2015
The ‘older’ boys couldn’t quite get in the build a house mode but hung around laughing and teasing and 4 of the granddaughters had to work … I really missed them!
This year was my youngest grandson Bodie and my first Great-Grandson Silas’ first Grandma Keri Day … oh! and I’m not Great Grandma Keri I am gma-squared. LOL.
Life is Good and I am Blessed.
I wish you all of the Peace, Joy and Love that comes from knowing our Savior Jesus Christ, not only at this time of year when we celebrate his birth, but in all ways in throughout the year.
Love and Merry Christmas!
Gma2, you are awesome! I can’t believe you make everything from scratch. That is really something. And look at those kids grow up. It is wonderful that you have made it a priority to be a part of their lives and teach them some good things at the same time.⏳
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