Scotty McCreery reflects on 2018, "the greatest year of my life"

ABC/Image Group LAScotty McCreery has much to be thankful for this holiday season. The singer celebrated a number-one single with “Five More Minutes” and a chart-topping album with Seasons Change earlier this year, but credits his marriage to Gabi Dugal as the biggest joy.

“2018 has been the greatest year of my life, especially because it’s the year I got to marry her,” Scotty tells People of Gabi. “She’s incredible and we make a great team, and to be able to go through life together is one of my biggest joys. She always sees the best in people so it rubs off on me when I’m having a down day. Just going home to her perks me up a little.”

This year, the newlyweds are enjoying new traditions together like cutting down their own tree.

“One of the traditions Gabi wanted to start this year was for us to go to the mountains of North Carolina and find our own tree and cut it and all that. Let me just say that trees look a lot smaller on the side of a massive mountain,” Scotty admits.  He confesses they selected a tree that was too big for their home, so Scotty had to use a hedge trimmer and shears to cut it down to fit it into their home. 

Scotty and Gabi will be celebrating the holidays at their home in North Carolina, and Scotty wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Christmas time has always been my favorite time of the year,” he says. “And this year, I’m just so happy because we are married and we have our own house. It feels great and it feels warm and it feels like it should feel when it’s your first Christmas.”