Out With the Old...

Well...here's the last picture of our kids in the only family van they've ever known.  We brought 4 kids home from the hospital in this van.  It's been with us in Missouri, Illinois, Virginia, and back to Illinois.  It's been a good van for us.

But it was getting old.  We had bought this van new 10 years ago.  Last week as I was heading to the dealership, I thumbed through all the repairs we've done over the years (and especially within the last year).  And that made the decision to negotiate a price for a new van MUCH easier.  Up until that point, I was struggling with the reality of monthly car payments vs the freedom of owning a vehicle free and clear.  There was something nice about having the title to the van.  But it was time.

So we went from a van with 121,503 miles to one with only 5.  I like the sound of 5.  Five may equal monthly car payments again...but it also comes with peace of mind that there will no longer be strange noises that prompt a phone call to the repair shop.  I can live with 5.  And we're hoping this lasts us even longer than our first family van.

Our Last Third

It's our last third. Or more specifically our last's third, or our sixth third. I digress . . .

It was Eliza's birthday this past week. We celebrated with cake and presents . . .

Eliza has been mournfully borrowing her brothers riding toys all summer, so she was thrilled to finally have her own trike. Plus it's pink and purple, which is, of course, the best!

A few days later, David and I took the birthday queen to Chuck E. Cheese for the traditional 3rd birthday dinner and playtime.

She ate her pizza with 3 year old manners . . . 

 played every racing game in the joint (whether she could reach the pedals or not) . . .

 crawled around in the plastic tubes enjoying gazing down on her kingdom . . .

and finished the day by being just plain sassy.

We love this spunky little girl. It's been a great three years and we are anxiously/apprehensively awaiting many, many more! Happy Birthday Eliza!