The Most Wonderful Time of the Year... Our First Christmas together

I love the holidays (minus this crazy this cold weather we've had in Provo).  Everything makes me so happy and it's been really fun having our own little apartment to decorate and get excited about.  Matt and I were pretty busy in December but we got to do all of the big things I wanted to do at Christmas time this year so I've been a very happy camper.  I didn't go too crazy with decorating this year because we weren't in our apartment for Christmas, but it was still fun to make our apartment a jolly place to be.
Here are some of our Christmas adventures and projects:

Our first Christmas card picture.  I hope you're not offended if you didn't get one. I only sent them to our parents, grandparents, and siblings this time around.  Maybe next year we'll branch out.

 

Temple Square... My parents were in Salt Lake and we met up for the Cheesecake Factory and the temple lights.  It was great to see them!  The only downside of this little trip to SLC was that my new mittens that I loved so much got a big hole in the top :(

Mom & Dad

Our first gingerbread house!  Mike & Ally came over for family night and we made gingerbread houses.  I was a little nervous about ours at first because Matt decided to take a giant bite out of the corner and then later our house was falling apart, but I was very happy with the end product.  

I took several pictures of different angles so you could really picture it :)

The Calton house and the Larson house

I made stockings this year!  They're a lot cuter close up but my picture on my phone wouldn't send.  Just imagine how cute they are.

Stockings!  Matt & I gave each other stockings before we left for Mesa.  My stocking was perfect... more cozy socks, a meat thermometer that I've wanted for a long time, silly putty, and a jr. slinky :)

 Matt also got a stocking from me complete with goldfish crackers, hi-chews, silly putty, and a new wallet that is a money clip.

We also went to the Mesa temple to see the lights.  It was so great to be home.  I love the Mesa temple.

The Schmidt family went shooting... I was there too, but I don't know where the pictures of me went.  

This gun was crazy.  It's a pistol grip shotgun.  Imagine Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Matt throwing clay pigeons for my dad.  Male bonding.

Schmidt boys bonding... late night basketball and a Filiberto's run.

 We also went goofy golfing with my family at Golfland.  It was packed but it was really fun.  Too bad I lost my lead halfway through.

The traditional Nielsen's run...

 Mine and Matt's good friend Trevor got married in December and had his reception in Mesa after Christmas.  I don't have any pictures of our bigger group of friends right now, but I do have this one of me with my best friends Shauni and Tara.  They really make me miss living in Mesa.  It's just not the same when you only get to see your best friends a couple days a year.

Basically Christmas and our whole break was tons of fun.  It was a little crazy trying to juggle being with both my family and Matt's family, but I think over all it was a success.  I am so grateful my family and for my new family that I married into.  The Caltons are awesome people and I really do love them. I realize now that I didn't ever take out my camera when I was at their house, but we had fun adventures of watching "Muppets Christmas Carol", decorating sugar cookies, playing with the nieces and nephews, watching Les Miserables (amazing!), and just hanging out.  I'm a little sad to be back in Provo because I don't get to play anymore, but the holidays were great this year.  We are so blessed.