Its a New Dawn ... A New Day ...

Happy Monday -- the very last one of 2013! 

With M being home from work all last week, and starting his new position at a different prison this morning, it felt like a week full of Saturdays! To be completely honest, I'm happy to get back to a normal routine today. The whole month of December threw us off. Between family visits for 9+ days, the holidays, and M's strange on-again/off-again work schedule, there wasn't a single week where things felt "routine" around here. 

I'm ready to have that structure back. 

Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you choose to look at it, there won't be a definite structure 5 days a week around here anymore, thanks to M's job. Heading back to the unit within the prison means 2-week block schedules, working 2 or 3 12-hour shifts, followed by 2 or 3 days off. Working every other weekend {Friday, Saturday and Sunday} and no guarantee of holidays off. It can really throw you for a loop if you let it. Luckily, we've done it before, and have only had a "normal" work schedule around here for the past 9 months, so it won't take us long to settle back in. 

Thankfully. 

But enough about that -- 

How did you spend your last weekend in 2013? M decided we should go out with a bang! So we spent the tail end of last week, and all morning Saturday, down at the car dealership tossing around numbers, test driving, and eventually purchasing a new vehicle. 

{via}

The kids seem to love it -- even though, little do they know, they won't be riding in it very often, thanks to it being a two door. And being that it's a standard, and I don't know how to drive it, M will have to drive it to work all the time. Know what else that means?! It means that for the first time since we bought it in May, the Kia will *finally* be considered my car -- since, you know, we did buy is for me and the kids! 

I couldn't be happier about that. 

And M couldn't be happier to finally own the Dodge Challenger that he's had his eye on for a long time! He's just heard the speech already "One speeding ticket and we're taking it back to the dealership!" Ha! 

We spent the rest of our weekend breaking in our Christmas presents -- playing with toys, learning to play new board games, and watching new movies. Other than Church Sunday morning, we didn't really get out and go and do a whole lot. Which was nice after the fast pace of the previous week. Sometimes you just really need a few days of nothing to unwind! And now, we look forward to 2014 and all the things that it will bring! 

Do you have any plans to ring in the new year?! 

Or do you prefer to watch the ball drop in sweats from the comfort of your couch!? 

{That's always my favorite ... if I can stay awake that long!!}