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Building gingerbread houses is an annual tradition at our house.

All you need is………………

Christmas music

Graham crackers

Frosting

Candy

Cereal

Pretzels

Coconut

Food coloring

Anything else to add color and detail……………..

And willing builders.

In the end, you never know what you’ll see.

One person’s idea of a finished product looks totally different than the next,

but every house offers something special.

Whether the builder is inspired by Charlie Brown,

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Shrek,

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CSI,

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or a Hallmark movie,

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one thing is always certain……………..

creating a memorable gingerbread creation happens when the builder sticks with their work long enough to finish what they started.

Life is really no different.

Want to build a great life?

Start with what you’ve got.

And keep working.

Use what’s right in front of you.

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Don’t wait for name-brand graham crackers or perfect decorations.

Just start building.

Add whatever makes you happy.

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Don’t be afraid to remove things that are causing your roof to cave in or your walls to crumble.

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Find joy as you build.

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Share the journey with people you love.

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Be so engaged in the process that you stop worrying about the product.

Be fully present in the moment………………….

The adding of a pretzel or the placing of a gumdrop.

Because in the end,

it’s really not about the house you’re holding in your hands.

It’s about all the fun things that happened as your house was being built.

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