It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

We got home from our cruise and it was mid December 

so we had a few very busy weeks getting ready for Christmas.  

A couple of friends and I decided to take a road trip down to SLC. 

We were hoping to go to the Tabernacle Choir broadcast but the tickets didn't work out, 

so we ended up going to see

A Christmas Carol at the Hale Theater.

 It was a fantastic show and the man who played Scrooge was fabulous!

 

 We left Boise on Friday morning, drove to Utah, ate dinner at a yummy Thai restaurant, and then 

went to the play.

 We did some power shopping on Saturday morning, ate lunch at Maddox

and then drove back to Boise.  

It was so fun being with my friends, Holly and Patricia.

 Sunday night was the Hidden Springs Live Nativity.

Devin's ward puts it on each year and they asked Devin to be in charge this year.

He did a great job.

This is the Bethlehem scene and both Eva and Sophie were citizens of Bethlehem.

 Before we left on our cruise, I got another quilt finished 

and gave it to my sister in law Cindy,

for Christmas.

She sent me a pic of it on her bed.

Eva and Sophie take hip hop dance lessons and learn a dance for a Christmas recital.

I love watching them dance.

The Monday after we returned from the cruise I had my Christmas piano recital.

We always go to an Assisted Living Center and perform for the residents.

I have 17 students this year and they all did well.

Hidden Springs Elementary School does a Christmas concert for grades K-3 so both

Sophie and Eva were in it this year.  

The theme was "Twas the Night before Christmas"

Don't they all look so cute in their Christmas jammies?

Hi Mom!

Eva had a speaking part this year.

We again hosted what has become an annual Gabrielsen family Christmas party.

We always have so much fun together.

Taylor flew in right as we were starting the party!

We started with a "taco bar" dinner,

then Sarah P provided games.

We had so much fun with the white elephant gift exchange.

You gotta love Tom's new glasses

Reverse charades was a hit.

Devin and Sarah and family, and Whitney and Taylor were home for our 

Christmas Eve celebration.

We always do a different county's food for our

Christmas around the world theme, but

this year we tried to recreate a cruise meal.

Filet minon, mashed potatoes and a pan reduction,

carmelized  carrots and broccoli.

I forgot to take a picture of the desserts but we served a 

s'mores parfait (my favorite dessert on the cruise
 and creme brulee.

YUM

On Christmas Eve we always have dinner, a little talent show, read and recreate the

nativity and then do our Christmas Eve delivery.

It snowed all day Christmas Eve so that made it even more Christmassy.

Devin and Sarah and family decided to stay the night with us.

It was so fun having them here and seeing them wake up on Christmas morning.

The kids were so worried Santa wouldn't leave their presents at our house,
but he is one smart guy.

Coming down the stairs on Christmas morning.

Taylor wanted in on the action

Look he came!!

Looking for the hidden pickle ornament.

Whitney of course found it, she always does.

Opening presents

Our Christmas morning traditional breakfast,

aebleskivers, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and hot cocoa.

That afternoon we went sledding on Simplot Hill

We invited Charlie and Lucille over for Christmas dinner which consisted of ham, funeral potatoes, veggies and rolls and leftover desserts.

Whitney entertained everyone on the piano.

I love it when Devin and Whitney sing together.

A few days after Christmas we hosted our neighborhood progressive dinner
with the Manwaring family,

the Carr family and the Hathaway family.

We had a huge group this year with lots of kids home for Christmas.
We did main course so I made 2 huge batches of soup and Whitney made homemade rolls.
The soup was snarfed up.
Patricia brought ice cream cake for dessert.

Whitney and I took some time for a little R & R after the Christmas festivities and got pedicures.

A few days after Christmas, we took the kids on a winter 

adventure up to Roystone Hotsprings.

The kids loved swimming in the middle of the winter.

Devin and Taylor shot some hoops.

We then had a very cold picnic.

We drove up to Cascade, hoping to find enough snow to go tubing.

Devin, Tom and Taylor had to have a snowball target practice competition.

We found a road right along the river that we could tube on.

Sarah did some snow shoeing

The rest of us hit the slope.

Miss Sophie is getting braver.

Go Eva!

Tommy just wanted to eat snow.

Whitney took a ride!

Wee!

We had New Year's Eve dinner up at Devin and Sarah's.
They served raclette.
If you've never had it, you should try it!
It was delicious.

Here we come 2018!