The Recap and Update Post You've All Been Waiting For

So a charming and delightful recap post for you. Let's see starting with Christmas(es)

Christmas #1 had us traveling to Husband's immediate family Christmas. It was really a nice time. I was pleasantly surprised. They surprisingly picked out wonderful gifts (not that it's about that) and we had a really good evening together. (Not always the case. Sometimes I want to claw my eyeballs out.)

BIL's family rocking the awesome sunglasses we got them as part of their theme present of theme park tickets.

Christmas #2 was Husband's mom's side extended family Christmas. To make a long story short, there were 43 out of 59 possible attendees there. This particular gathering graduated from Grandma's house to the Knights of Columbus Hall years ago.

Christmas #3 was just us at home. It was a party with Christmas Eve Fajitas and Christmas morning orange juice, eggs and homemade doughnuts. I got a matching lamp set for our bedroom. One for each bedside furnture piece. (Husband has a nightstand, while I am still rocking the Sterelite storage plastic drawers from college.) Since we have been married I have never ever had a lamp on my side of the bed and my side of the bed has never been by the overhead light switch either. I feel VERY grown up and powerful to have a lamp. I don't want to turn off my light yet? No problem! Next step is getting an actual dresser or something not plastic.

Our festive Fajitas.
They're Christmas colors and a great change of pace from Ham, Potatoes, Rolls. 

Christmas #4 was Christmas afternoon celebrating with Husband's aunt and uncle and their other side family. The other side family is richy rich rich rich. In the driveway were 2 Audis, a BMW, a Honda and then our car. It was funny.

Christmas #5 was that same day for dinner we had a birthday party for baby Jesus, with chicken nuggets and other kid food. Along with Twinkies as Jesus' birthday cakes. We are going to continue this in years to come. It was fun. Next year we're going to add Pin the Tail on the Donkey in the stable! 

Christmas #6 was spent with my my family and it was a delight.

I beat my brother. I had a 3 star handicap but even without it I beat him by 20 coins.
This has never ever happened before. It will never happen again I'm sure.

Then New Year's Eve brought me cleaning one of the bathrooms at my parent's house, Cards Against Humanity and Helen Keller jokes. We also were gifted our final Christmas present from my parents which was a new to us Mini Van named Bess!

My brother had been driving Bess but he didn't need her anymore since he's at college. Husband's car has been just a stream of bad luck for us since we got married: timing chain, fuel pump, new tires, 3 (yes 3) new windshields, new battery, vacuum leak and I am sure I am missing something. Lately we haven't even been driving it because the last time we did it died going down a hill. It's home for now but it won't live here long! We are very thankful and happy to have Bess join our family.

Obviously as a family of 3 Bess is even  a lot more car than we need but hopefully we'll grow our family at some point and a mini van is a great step up from Husband's little car. 2014 started out great!

My word for the year is Focus. (Coincidentally, the name of the car I would very much like but will hopefully not need to buy with the addition of Bess.) I am hoping to focus this year on a number of things. Finding the big and little picture when needed. Sometimes I think too far in the future and pre-worry. Other times I focus too much in the RIGHT THIS SECOND LIFE IS HORRIBLE and should look ahead a tiny bit more. This is my year to work on this. There's plenty for me to focus on and I am looking forward to it.

Our other "resolution" of sorts is the 52 week savings plan. Every Saturday we will each transfer the amount of the week into our separate savings accounts. Week 1 is $1 all the way through week 2 being $52. By 2015 we will have put $2800 into savings.

So that's what's been happening here. Kind of great stuff. We are looking ahead with excitement towards the continuation of 2014.