Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Our new wheels

Well, we are finally buying a vehicle big enough for all of us. Last spring, our Landcruiser died unexpectedly, and we sold it for parts. It was not in the greatest shape, and was needing more work to fix it than it was worth, so we decided to move on. We have been borrowing a car from Carl's parents for the last several months, so that we have an extra car other than Carl's that he drives to and from work, but it's a tight squeeze. Surprisingly, all three of the kids' huge Britax carseats fit in the backseat, which made it possible for us to get by until now without something with more room. However, we only planned on doing it for a few months, and now it's been a lot longer than originally thought. So we have been looking around lately, deciding what would work best for the five of us. We were leaning towards a van, until we went and looked at a few used ones that gave me horrible flashbacks of being a child riding in friends' vans that smelled like old fast food and had sticky residue on every surface. I'm only partially kidding about that. I have never been a van person, and Carl definitely was against the van idea. I like the idea of a van, but when actually picturing myself owning one, I just couldn't do it. So no offense intended for all you van drivers/lovers, but it turns out vans aren't for us.

So, in the end, we ended up with a Chevy Suburban. I know, I can just hear the gasps of disbelief. I realize that a suburban is probably the least eco-friendly vehicle we could have chosen, and I also realize that had we waited only a short time longer we could have purchased the new fuel effiecient/hybrid suburban thing that will come out shortly. But the thing is, I am not paying $50,000 for a car. Absolutely not. So, with our budget to be taken into consideration, the room needed for us, (we really wanted a third seat) and the winter conditions here, we decided on the nice white 2002 Suburban a young couple in Kalispell was selling. We pick it up today, and I must say I am quite elated. No more pulling over because someone has bitten someone else's fingers, or because the toy given to Sienna was taken by Avery who had it stolen by Caden who threw it on the floor. My children will be separated as far from each other as possible, in the far recesses of our new family car. Sienna will now discover what a car ride is like with a toy to chew on, and Avery will actually get to look at the book she chooses to bring with her. As for Caden, if he throws his book and blankey on the floor the minute the car leaves the driveway, he'll just have to learn that that probably wasn't the best gameplan for the ride to town.

Maybe I'll post a few pictures tomorrow. I'll show you how happy our faces are with a little elbow room. : )

3 comments:

R said...

I soo share you van sentiments. Totally hate them and will fight to the death before I get one.

I think I secretly think my butt will grow if I get one.

Congrats! May your car rides be joyful!

Kristen said...

Congrats! I'll bet the kids will be happier, too.

I don't have strong opinions about cars/vans/suvs (except about learning what's under the hood and fuel/cost efficiency), so I'm good with the van thing. :)

Sandra said...

Congrats. I'd love to see pics!