We have a new burro!

So our 2000 Caravan has been needing some work. Yeah, we knew it, but it still drove so we kept using it. But we has a scout overnighter last week to Joshua Tree so we took it in to make sure it was safe for other people's children to ride in it that far. (We knew it was safe locally, just to be sure it would make it.) The dealership said "yeah, it's safe. But it needs X to make the A/C and heater run again. It'll be about a thousand dollars." Oh. And the driver seat had been broken for years, another 1,000. if we wanted to do it. Oh, and there was melted crayon in the back seat. Nice. We'd been driving it forever, and it showed. The nice men at the dealership pointed out that the car was worth less than the new part. Funny that. Sooooooo we started to shop.

We looked online and in the lot, and had found a black stripped down Caravan, a 2009 that we went on Tuesday to look at. It was sort of in our price range and the boys really wanted it, but it didn't feel right. I kept asking the salesman if there were used ones, especially a blue one. He pointed out this silver van, and I told him I'd like my dear brother in law, Rob to look at it. He's a mechanic at the dealership and very good with cars. Rob checked all over and gave it the thumbs up. Suddenly, we were talking prices and buying it. We spent 5 hours in the process and when it was all done, we walked out to our new van at about 10 pm and realized we had NEVER DRIVEN IT! DOH! But, Rob was, as always, right on the money, and it is a sweet ride. Only Wendy and Rob have seen it yet, so I wanted to share a few pictures.

I haven't really loved the old van for a long time. I called it the "pack burro" because it felt like that was what it was. A work horse that got me and our stuff where it needed to go. It worked, and I was grateful for that, but it didn't have some features we would have really liked to have had. Mike drives a sexy little car that has a great stereo system in it. It's the stock radio/cd player, but it blew the van's out of the water, and well, I spend a lot of time driving. Oh, I LOVE the radio in the new car. It has a Sirrius satellite system in it and I don't know how long it will last, but it is so nice to listen to my 80's tunes and not have the off color comments by the djs on the radio. (Michael...you know what I want from the Easter Bunny! A subscription to Sirrius!!!!)

Because we bought this 2008 car used (it was driven in Missouri as a rental for 8 months) it has bells and whistles that we wouldn't have had otherwise. It has "stow and go" where the seats fold into the floor and individual reading lights which really will come in handy. The boys love the middle row of seats because they recline and have their own arm rests. Ooooh....the middle doors open by pushing a button! Okay, I know you all have had these things on your cars for years, but personal climate control and air vents in the back really get us giddy. *grin*

Thanks for "listening" to my giddyness. We are just too excited to act cool about it. Oh, and a big "thank you" to my hubby for posing and jumping for me in the first picture. It took a few tries, but I love the photo!