Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Mini Van Mama

Jer and I took a big step this week...we bought a mini van! I have never really wanted a van, but once we had three kids the reality of having them all sit right next to each other set in. Not that I wasn't getting a great bicep workout lifting Ian into the middle seat and all but enough was enough. Poor Ian was being mauled everywhere we went! I have only had this since Friday, and I think it is going to be the best purchase ever. There's lots of room, no one can touch anyone else, and it is much better on gas than our Jeep. (If anyone wants a totally sweet Jeep Commander we have one for sale!) We have been searching for almost 2 months for a reasonable deal on a used Honda, and Jer's friend finally found this beauty for us. I'm all about practical, so I'm going to embrace my inner mini van mom and enjoy!



We broke the van in with a trip to Tony Grove on Sunday afternoon. It was a beautiful day, and we had so much fun. I took the camera but in was in Jer's backpack and between the baby, rocks, dropoffs, water, and two rowdy boys I was too busy to get it out. I love taking pictures, but it was actually nice to just enjoy instead of having a million photo ops. (You can see how much Seth did enjoy the only photos we took!) We had a great time, and I took some fabulous pics in my mind's eye:
**Seth running his 2-year-old run along the trail trying to keep up with Luke (and taking a few eggbeaters along the way).
**Luke wanting to (and doing it) climb every big rock in sight and Jer being the Nervous Nellie instead of me.
**Luke and Jer having some serious pine cone and snowball fights.
**Watching the boys eat their PB & J's perched on a big rock.
**The boys having fun playing in snow in the summertime.
**Ian sleeping peacefully in the Baby Bjorn the whole time (have I mentioned he is world's best baby)!
**Seth chasing after all manner of chipmunks with his hands out saying "hold." (He apparently has not heard Grandpa Steve's chipmunk story that ends with a finger nearly bitten off!)
**Cruising home in the mini van with dirty, happy, tired kids!

Here's to many more memories in the new wheels.

7 comments:

Kristy said...

You did it...you made the mini van plunge! I wouldn't admit that our Mazda 5 was a mini van for awhile but now we lovingly call it our mini mini van. Bucket seats with no touching are a must. I do admit looking in the rearview mirror of my mini mini van and thinking when did I get sooo many kids!

jami v. said...

what a fun place to break in the van! :) we love tony grove ... ok. so while i've always said "i'll never have a minivan" we actually had one for a week while they were fixing our car. jas and i just kept looking at each other and shaking our heads ... i think we realized how much easier life is in one with multiple children. oh well. maybe next time. :) enjoy!!

jtandj said...

Join the crowd Jen! You are going to love it! I swore I would never drive one and now I swear I will never drive anything else!

KW said...

You go girl! Hey I really want a Commander,but klint wants me to get a wrangler :( I love the boys buzzed hair. they look too cute.

Mandy said...

I'm lovin the mini! No one can argue- they are the best with lots of car seats!! :)

Shea, Kim, Hunter, Reagan, Samantha said...

Love the van!! There just comes that time in all of our lives when we have to embrace the inner mini-van in us!!!

Kimberlee said...

Nice new wheels. I'm all about the room and now being able to touch and tease each other.

You are amazing, going up to Tony Grove with Ian. I am such a hermit with Halle. Any time we take her anywhere she screams and cries and it really just is not a pleasant experience!