It's almost time to welcome in the New Year!

I hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Christmas with your family and friends...taking time to reflect on the 

true meaning of Christmas and the birth of Jesus.

Here is a small peek into our Christmas traditions!

On December 19th, we had our annual Troll Stroll celebration.  This is a progressive dinner with our Norwegian friends and family.  

The first stop is appetizers...herring, salmon, shrimp and cheeses. To drink...glogg! YUM!  

As you can see, I forgot to take pictures until the bowls and plates were just about empty!

The second stop is the main meal...polse, limpa, and soup.  This is also the visit from the Nisse lady and Trollina (Nisse lady apprentice) bearing gifts for the children.  

The third stop was at our house this year! DESSERTS!  Several kinds of traditional Norwegian cookies, krumkake, ricecream, and kransekake (ring cake) and, of coarse, coffee and liqueurs.

My husband made 3 kransekake this year and they were delicious!

After plenty of food and celebration, we relax and sing (thanks to Frank our guitar player).  

We had a fabulous time! 

The very next evening, we hosted what has become known as the 

4 friend's families party.  We have been getting together at Christmas since all our children have been very small. 

 We raised our children together, attended the same church and school.  

As now our children are mostly grown and our lives have taken different paths, we strive to continue getting together at Christmas. As you could say, we have HISTORY.  

On Christmas Eve, we are invited to our dear friends home for more Norwegian traditions.  Appetizers of herring, cheese, flatbread, and lingonberries.  

We eat the most scrumptious dinner of medista-polse, pork roast, rutabaga, potatoes, and vegetables. 

We attend church together for a time of worship and reflection.  

Then back for dessert, coffee and our exchange of gifts. 

We have the best times together!

Sad to say that I didn't take many pictures this year...

Christmas Day morning is spent at home with our immediate family opening gifts, lots of coffee and my traditional cranberry almond coffee cake.  In the afternoon, we celebrate with my extended family...grandma, cousins, aunts and uncles [this year, at my brother's home]. The annual ornament exchange, presents to/from grandma, turkey dinner, pumpkin pie, cookies and chocolates...

I really must get better at remembering to take pictures. 

Tomorrow we are off for some wonderful relaxing moments in Wisconsin at the beautiful Osthoff Resort with our dear friends, Ken & Ruth and family.  We cherish this time together!