We sure had a great Christmas here in the Nystul home! I have to say that I just love being married and it was so special to spend our first Christmas together.
Our little Christmas weekend started on Friday when I dragged Erik to Old Navy to get matching Christmas pajamas. He might have protested, but we sure looked cute :) And by the way, never make the mistake of thinking Park City won't be as crowded two days before Christmas as Orem is. It is definitely just as crowded - and you will want to scream.
On Saturday we had the Warner family Christmas party. I regrettably took no pictures, but it was sure a house full. The Warners are my MIL's side of the family and she cooked prime rib for about 25 people. Boy, was it delicious. You can get her fool-proof recipe
here. We also had amazing creamed corn, baked potatoes, homemade rolls, salad, and trifle. I was beyond stuffed when the party was over. Erik and I then spent the rest of the night vegging on the couch watching A Muppet Christmas Carol and Lord of the Rings (we ended up watching the full set of extended editions over the course of the weekend...definitely a new Christmas tradition...I might have the slightest crush on Aragorn).
Christmas morning we woke up bright and early. We were just the tiniest bit excited to open our presents so we jumped out of bed at 7:30am. I might have also woken up about a million times throughout the night hoping it was time to get up. I felt like a little kid again, and I was sure spoiled!
Erik told me all my presents were photography themed. You see, I got an Nikon D80 for graduation and I've been using it a ton ever since. So my sweet hubby surprised me with Photoshop (and as soon as I learn how to use it this blog will get a whole lot better!), an awesome camera bag, and a digital frame to display my photos. And the best present of all...my new white IPhone 4S!! To say I'm excited about my new phone would be a serious understatement. I've barely put it down the last few days. The first app I downloaded was Instagram (Follow me! @kaitlynnystul) and I'm super excited to use it. I think I'm most excited to have a phone that takes great photos so I can document all the little things that happen when you aren't lugging around a big camera.
Erik got some pretty great things too. My mom chipped in for an awesome Skull Candy Ipod dock. I think we'll have to have a dance party pretty soon. He also got a Newfoundland dog calendar (his favorite kind of dog), James Harriet Dog Stories and Animal Stories on CD (if you love animals you have to listen to these or read the books! so great!), and a couple of practical books (Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The Personal MBA). And last but certainly not least, a gorgeous marble Christus statue. It's the only decoration he's ever wanted for his house, so I'd say he was excited about it.
After we finished opening presents together we headed to my in-laws for more celebration. I was excited to see the rest of them family open their presents too. We surprised the Nystul men with a blu-ray player, while my MIL got a cute family name sign, and my SIL, Britta, got a Dr. Who bumper sticker and a sweater. We scored an awesome hotel-style shower rod that makes our shower twice as big - which is great for my 6'5" husband. Plus we got Monopoly from Britta which will be super fun.
After presents, we got cleaned up and went to church. It was so neat to have church on Christmas day. We don't get to do that very often, so it made the service extra special. And after all the focus on material things most of the morning, it added a bit of much needed perspective.
The rest of the day was spent eating delish carne asada tacos, playing with our new toys, and watching movies while cuddling up on the couch. I really could not have asked for a more perfect Christmas - unless my own parents could have been here. But thankfully they got into town today and we get to extend the holiday a little longer :)
Now even though this post is already epically long, I'd like to add one more thought. I know I just spent about three paragraphs talking about the stuff I got for Christmas - but in all honesty the best gift I got all day was spending it with people I love. I'll be the first to admit I've gotten a bit caught up in giving and receiving gifts this season. Erik and I are so enormously blessed. We are lucky enough to have the means to buy some fun things, but we know that's not what's most important. I'm so grateful for the knowledge I have of the true reason for the season, our Savior Jesus Christ. And I'm going to try much harder to keep Him in the forefront of my mind this time of year and every other day as well.
