The decision has been made!

We still haven't decided what to name the baby, but the important thing is, we HAVE decided what to drive her around in.

So with 3 kids now, we need a tad more room than the back seat of the truck or car. I've always wanted a mini van, no question. But now that the reality of getting one is here, I've had cold feet. It for sure solidifies my age..... that I'm Mormon..... that I live in Utah.... and that I have more than one kid. A while back my friend did a blog post about getting a mini van and how she really didn't want to and I commented that I was all for it and that they are the greatest thing in the world. Now it's my turn and I really started to lose that confidence in getting one.



I don't consider myself a car snob. It's not like I'm really interested in cars or what people are driving. Maybe that's because of all the snazzy cars we had growing up. Most my life I traveled around in a big, brown van. Oh that thing was heaven. It had a couch that folded into a bed, a table we'd pull out while we were driving and throw things out the bottom hole where the pole went and watch them bounce along the road out the back window. We'd pull the cooler up between the driver and passenger seat and use it as a spot to sit. It was awesome. I'd at least like to say it looked like this -

But really it was more like this.....  brown to boot!

We did have fun climbing up the latter onto the top and we had many a sleepover in that thing.

Then we had the ever so loud Peugeot. I think it was a hand-me-down from my grandparents. It was so loud that you could hear my mom coming home like 5 minutes before she actually arrived. I really don't think I'm kidding about that. Again, I'd like to say it looked like this-

But really it was more like this-

so you know, I figured I wasn't too picky about cars. Lets just join the club and get us a mini van. 

There are definitly plenty of cars out there that hold more than one person. That's not really the issue. It's just that over the last 4 years I've created a mental list of things I really NEED in order to keep my sanity as a mother.

* I need my head not to hit the roof of the car and mess up my hair.

*I need more leg room.

*I need to be able to climb to the back of the car, without getting stuck and about breaking my neck climbing over a console into a very tight back seat.

*I need to not bend over to buckle car seats.

*I need to be able to put the diaper bag and whatever else I'm lugging around on the floor some place that it won't get stepped on or look like a mess.

*I need the boys to have their space so they don't sit and antagonize each other.

All that, my friends, equals right up to a mini van!

We started looking at vans and I felt very old and like I should have 6 kids instead of 3. I also was very annoyed to find out that the newer vans had a console in the middle of the driver and passenger seat. One of the main reasons I wanted a mini van, so I could get to the back with ease. In my frustration, what did I spy out of the corner of my little eye? This beauty! 

Satan's temptation. "Come on Becca, you will look much cooler driving around in this. Who cares about your sanity! It has the bucket seat in the second row, like a van, and a bench in the back. If the vans going to have the console in the front anyway- you may as well get this. And it says nowhere in the scriptures that having children equals having mini vans." 

Well if anyone knows me and the fact that Mike and I dated on and off for 4 years you know making decisions isn't my strong point. I really, really wanted this and I really, really wanted what comes with a van and now there was a serious decision to be made. Live in Utah with a mini van and up my age to 40? or live in Utah with the Chevy Traverse and take me back down to at least 30? It did have alot of the same features as a van. We went over and over and over the pro's and con's-

But alas- I chose sanity vs. vanity. The ability to automatically open sliding doors for the kids to get in and out, without banging the door against the garage wall or another car, won. Yesterday we got ourselves a mini van. Mike was never for a mini van, but when he test drove it he fell in love with the higher sealings and wide window you could see out without seeing the hood of the vehicle. It actually comes in on Tuesday- which is when I'm scheduled to be induced and have the baby. So I think we'll call her Mini.

We got our van- next stop, the vinyl shop for our people cut outs to put in the back window!

Ryan, I actually took this picture for you and Candace, my two Arizona cousins who like to make fun of Utah Mormons and their window stickers. Take a good look at the license plate on this Mormon mobile! And lets be honest, had these stickers been popular when you guys were young Dottie would have been all over it. And she probably would have toe-painted hair and faces on them.