Saying goodbye and one of the perks that came with it.

Today was Michael's last day at Nissan. The people he works with had a lunch catered in to tell him goodbye. He has received a flood of emails and phone calls this week with some of the nicest comments. It has been emotional for me to read all the emails. I lost it yesterday when he came home with all his things that had been in his office. I know that job change is no big deal to so many people, but to us it's just not that easy. After being in one place for so many years and with all the relationships we have established, it has made leaving hard.
This whole week has been such a blur, things have happened so fast. We both feel so tired and drained, it has to be from all the adrenaline, emotions (for me) and just this huge change. Maybe over the next two weeks while Michael is off we will get caught back up....that is if I don't work him to death with projects here at home. :) After he sees my honey-do list he may wish he had worked his last two weeks instead of taking his vacation time!?! :)

We did not leave without taking advantage of all the buyout perks. The picture below is of Maggie Kate @ 5:30 this morning. She woke up excited. It was as if it were Christmas morning, because last night we go a NEW (and very much needed) VAN!!!!!
This could not have happened at a better time. A couple of days ago our old van rolled over 215,000 miles. Last week while Michael was driving it (on the interstate) to pick up some kids for a sleepover it overheated and just stopped.We had to have it towed and worked on. I think that is what you call driving it until the wheels fall off!!! It was time for a new one!!!(ps. I love the sunrise in this picture...isn't it beautiful!) We got such a steal on this van!!! With the buyout deal and all the rebates right now, we couldn't pass it up. We couldn't have even bought a 3 year old van for this cheap...we are excited!! No more having to open the passenger side door and reaching through to open my driver door. No more side door getting stuck while the teacher tries to open it for the kids to get in. No more not knowing which radio station we are listening to because the lights on the radio don't work.
I guess all these things will eventually happen to this van too, because I plan to do just the same with it...drive it till the wheels fall off!!! The girls at 5:30 outside looking at the van. They love the automatic doors and SO DO I!!!!!! AUTOMATIC DOORS!!!! They love that it has so much room. They can stand all the way up in it.