In the fall of 2003, we made the decision to trade in our
SUV for a minivan. Camryn was coming soon, and the
seat configuration was not going to work with three
small ones. After much research, we bit the bullet,
and traded the Montero in. I was happy to be rid of
it. The minivan was cheaper, got better gas mileage
and insurance was half as much. It was a little harder for Rex.
We told ourselves that by buying it in black, somehow
redeemed it and made it less of a blow. Still, as we drove by
the Montero one last time, Rex hummed the country song:
"good bye 20's, hello minivan, look out 30's,
I'm becoming my old man"
In all fairness, it has been a GREAT van. It just seems
like getting a van, is making a statement. You are doing
the family thing..the whole kit and caboodle.
And then there is the point where you start to max
it out. What do you do then? We have taken the cramming
route. Opting not to buy a bigger vehicle yet, we just
stuff our belongings in every nook and cranny.
Pack stuff under the kids, next to the kids, on the
kids...you get the picture.
This last week though, we realized that for our
upcoming trip to Tulsa we would need a stroller.
Knowing we have absolutely no room to bring one,
what were we to do? And friends, we succumbed.
Now we are not only going to be driving a minivan,
but one with a car top carrier on it.
Yep, its true. I still remember feeling like the Clampetts
when we had one growing up. Yet, here I am $23.99 later...
the proud owner of a soft sided car top carrier. Due to arrive
on Monday, thanks to Amazon. In discussing whether or not
we needed to invest in one (and the safety implications of having
stuff strapped to the roof of our car) it hit me, we have 4 kids,
we have been married almost 10yrs!
We are those people, with "all the kids" (if I had a $1 for
every time I heard that line!) packed in a van, that cannot even
contain all that they need for a short trip.
We are old married folk!So we will head to Tulsa this week, with our new 15cubic ft of
storage space, and maybe this time I will not have as
much trouble coveting these as they drive by:
Seriously, last trip, it was a problem.
And honestly, I don't think Rex is ready for it yet. :)
And honestly, I don't think Rex is ready for it yet. :)
10 comments:
Well, if you decide you just can't bring yourself to use the cartop storage, you can always borrow our stroller... :o)
Yes, I knew that could be an option. Except we have a week trip to CO in may, and a week in TX in sept, both of which will be before we have saved enough for a new vehicle. I just thought we should get the carrier now, and enjoy it for longer. It took some persuading. :)
Great post, Shawna! I hope the car topper works out for you and somehow will help you manage during your upcoming trips so as not to have to go on to the 15 passenger van quite yet!! :-)
I can't help but laugh!
Oh, this made me laugh!
Yes, you DO have a trip to CO in May, don't you?
Saw that brother of yours today!
Can't BELIEVE he's old enough to get married!!!
Are car top carriers that dorky? We have one...if it makes you feel any better, and we only have one kid! :)
We only got one to move more stuff up here though...I can't imagine we will use it much these days...but maybe later on down the road. :)
If it's any consolation, when I see a car topper I only think "there's someone on vacation." The downside - who vacations in Oklahoma!? Oh, wait. I do.
we used to have a carrier on top of our VAN! but then, we were on vacation. and there were 8 of us.
Is that what people were thinking as we drove along? I did hate the carrier but- sometimes that was the best option.
It's only for a season right? This too shall pass
Shawana, Uncle Dave and I bought our first full sized van (we didn't have mini-vans then there was only station wagons) we only had 3 kids and everytime after that when I tried a regular car or station wagon I eventually told Dave I wanted to go back to a van. Even after they all left home we went from the Sable to a van so we could fit our grandkids in when we all got together. But it is so nice to know that whenever we had a van it turned out to be used for more things than just carrying our kids and our stuff. We were able to help out friends and family and do lots of trips easier because of the van. One of my sons in law says I need to get rid of my great big van which is our second one since the kids left but after taking a trip in a car I realized how much more comfort and freedom I had in the van. I can't just store the van and use it for trips so sometimes I am driving around to the grocery store - one old grandma - in my big red full sized Ford van. Now that my joints and other body parts hurt and give me problems I am thankful for all this van does for me. Along with the diswasher the van is my friend and it's been a great help in our lives. But now that the kids are all moved out Dave has purchased a 1966 T-Bird and keeps restoring it and we take it out on "cruises" down Michigan Avenue and wherever. We get comments and thumbs up and questions at red lights and parking lots. It's fun. Tell Rex that when the kids all move out maybe he will get his dream car and be able to have fun with it too. In the meantime the van is indeed a family car and it comes with all the other blessings of being a family. Enjoy it now, as you seem to be doing, because all too soon this stage will have closed it's curtain. And then the new stage opens - GRANDCHILDREN. Love, Aunt Margie
Post a Comment