I bought a gingerbread house kit from Walmart once again, and we put it together on Sunday while my oldest son was home on leave from the Marine Corps. This little photo essay is inadequate for fully understanding the scope of the epic mess we made, the sugary sweetness of eating the thing as we built it, and the challenge it was to my diabetes and diet.
I did not realize when I bought this kit that the gingerbread house was already put together and glued in place with sugar paste. So the first step this time was chocolate frosting and candy decorations.
Last minute special touches only cost $1.95.
My son the Marine did the Christmas tree on the side in green frosting, not realizing that we had a package of green marshmallow stuff in the kit for that purpose.
I am told that the best part of the process was tearing it all apart and devouring it at the end. I even ate a tiny piece myself.
Catch a Falling Star 
This classic holiday post from 2017 gives me more time to recover from Covid Omicron. It also calls back to a family time that we no longer have access to for many reasons.