Jersey Shore's Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino Celebrates First Christmas Since Prison Release

A lot has changed in a year for Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino.

Last Christmas, he was gearing up to begin an eight-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to one count of tax evasion. He reported to the Otisville Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville, New York on Jan. 15, 2019.

The Jersey Shore star — who is four years sober after battling a prescription painkiller addiction — was released on Sep. 12, telling PEOPLE in a joint statement with his wife Lauren, “We are elated to finally close this chapter of our life.”

“Thank you to our family, friends and fans for the continuous love and support during this time, it brought us so much peace and comfort,” they said. “We look forward to continuing our life as husband and wife and working on baby situations! We truly believe that the comeback is ALWAYS greater than the setback and we can’t wait to show the world ours.”

RELATED: Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino Claps Back at Fan Who Tells Him to ‘Live Humble’ Amid Sobriety

This holiday season, with his court case and sentence finally behind him, the reality star celebrated the new chapter with family and friends.

“Wishing You & Your Families a Merry Christmas,” he captioned a photo on Instagram of him and Lauren standing in front of their Christmas tree. “Positive Vibes Only!”

He documented the celebration on his Instagram Story as well, posting several photos of the feast, which included crab linguine, ham, lamb, mashed potatoes, stuffed artichokes and a selection of desserts.

“We turn our L’s into lasagna,” he joked alongside a photo of the pasta dish.

RELATED: Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino’s Family Was ‘Shocked’ When They Saw His Prison Weight Loss

He also posted a photo with the catering chef who assisted with the spread.

“Special Thank You to Steve and Angelo, owners of @feast.nj @osterianj & @brandos_citi_cucina for catering our very special day & Making Christmas Eve Great Again!” he wrote. “4 years Sober Birthday part … 2020 Let’s Go.”

The holidays come less than a month after the Sorrentinos revealed that Lauren had suffered a miscarriage at about seven weeks pregnant. Opening up to PEOPLE after their “traumatic” loss, Lauren, 34, said she decided she “wasn’t going let people suffer in isolation.”

“Even though it’s so common, I don’t see people really talking about it until they have their rainbow baby and it’s a happy ending,” she said. “And I was thinking while that’s wonderful and amazing and I know one day I’ll be sharing that message, I’m going through the thick of it and I need prayers and people to help me heal through it.”

“That was a huge reason why I wanted to share it, to help people that are suffering and going through it now,” she explained. “And also, to heal myself.”

RELATED: Jersey Shore Cast Was ‘Surprised’ by Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi’s Retirement Announcement, Source Says

Mike, 37, said he leaned on some of his Jersey Shore costars for support.

“It was definitely a difficult time for us, because we really didn’t have any experience on how to handle this,” he said. “We were sort of panicking and then I immediately texted [my costars] Jenni [‘JWoww’ Farley], Snooki [Nicole Polizzi] and Deena [Cortese]. I was like, ‘What do I do?’ “

“We [went to the hospital] and we’re very grateful and happy to confirm that the doctor said everything was fine, it just happened to be the odds, and it happens, and you just need to know that and continue to try,” he continued. “And that’s what we did. So we had a lot of support, too. We’re very grateful.”

The college sweethearts said they were moving forward and hopeful about their future.

“We’re definitely trying again,” he said. “We’re excited to move forward in that chapter of our lives. Hopefully, it happens and once it does it will definitely be a blessing.”