SKANEATELES - As the five members of the Stowell family sat around a table making gingerbread houses, they were happy to be together again.

“We came to get a family portrait taken last year, but my husband Patrick is in the military, so he wasn't with us,” Tracy Stowell said.

This year, Patrick was seated next to his daughter, Julia, 7, as he eagerly helped her spread frosting over the family's creation.

“Pat said he wanted to come today so we could all be in the photo this time,” she added as the couple smiled at each other.

The Stowells were among numerous guests present Sunday at the Stella Maris Retreat and Renewal Center, which held its annual Victorian Christmas Open House.

The afternoon affair featured nearly a dozen raffles, various entertainment, the taking of family portraits, tea with Queen Victoria and the creation of dozens of gingerbread houses.

“About seven years ago, we started having an open house at Christmas-time, when we'd invite people from the community to visit,” said Stella Maris director Gerrie Kaluzny.

In the years since, she continued, the center has added activities to the open house such as the taking of family portraits and tea with Queen Victoria, a character on loan from the village's Dickens' Christmas festival.

“It's all about bringing in people to Stella Maris who might never come to a retreat,” she added.

New to the open house this year was a gingerbread house contest - the prizes were mainly merchandise and gift certificates that Kaluzny said were donated by local merchants.

The event is also one of the center's main annual fundraisers.

“We always have a massive need for funds here, especially for maintenance,” Kaluzny said.

The money raised Sunday will be go toward the center's upkeep, particularly to renovation of its outlying buildings.

“Any monies that come into the retreat house go directly back in to the retreat house,” she said.

On Sunday, many guests also came to the house for the celebration.

The festivities kicked off at noon with a performance by the Skaneateles High School madrigal choir.

Meanwhile, families had photo portraits taken at a booth set up in the center, while others visited with Queen Victoria in the solarium.

A big part of the celebration was the numerous raffles, the most lucrative was for $5,000.

The center also raffled a sleigh filled with various types of chocolate, the prize created by NunBetter, a not-for-profit organization that is part of the Sisters of the Third Franciscan Order of Syracuse.

And in the dining room, at which every table was filled, the Stowells labored over not one, but two gingerbread houses.

“This year we had to make two houses ... each of the girls wanted one,” said Tracy Stowell as her daughters Julia and Laura, 2, added Tootsie Rolls to the roofs to serve as chimneys.

“Last year when we tried making a gingerbread house, we had some trouble ... I think we're doing a lot better this year,” Julia said as she looked proudly at her achievement.

On the Web

To learn more about Stella Maris Retreat and Renewal Center, visit www.stellamarisretreat.org