day eight

Today I give thanks to God for:

orchestrating the opportunity for us to purchase a new van

Behind the wheel of our new Chrysler Town & Country

I purchased my first car, a silver Hyundai Elantra following my college graduation before relocating for my first teaching job.  I hate to say the car has been a lemon to me with numerous problems in which I have invested my time and money in.  However, I must say it always got me to where I needed to be and the last year it was renamed the miracle car.  It has a laundry list of problems and after praying over the car, it began to function again and we were able to get almost another year out of her.  We of course wanted to purchase something new and bigger since our little love arrived and with the amount of traveling we do...add in a large breed dog and you realize more space would be a dream.  We do have my husband's Toyota Camery which has been our reliable car and is very nice.  I have learned to pack that car like it's a game of Tetris and take pride in the amount of stuff we have packed while traveling to visit our family.  We have always agreed that a bigger vehicle would be beneficial but with one car payment already, it would have to wait...and we were waiting...and then the Elantra died on Friday.  So, vehicle shopping began.  Saturday we went out and test drove some mini-vans.  I came to terms with being a 'soccer mom' as they state and was actually excited about the possibility of purchasing one.  After leaving a dealership disappointed on Saturday, my husband called the same dealership Monday and was very persistent in negotiating a deal and tonight we came home with our new van!  I am so excited! It is a beauty with lots of space.  And...my husband is thrilled to have his Camery back.  It's a win-win! 
And I would like to extend my appreciation to my father-in-law for being a wealth of knowledge and assisting us in the process of purchasing a car.