Thursday, September 27, 2012

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.

2 comments:

Carolyn said...

Ah, the joys/trials of cars. I wasn't super attached to our first Honda that we sold last year (in about 4 hours on Craigslist - that was an experience) but I know I'll be sad when Pink 5 (our current Suburban) bites the dust. That peace of mind is so worth it though!

Elaine said...

Happy for you!