The Unexpected Chapter in my Life...

So, a while ago....I did something I never EVER EVER thought I would do in this lifetime.

I bought....dun dun dun....

A MINIVAN.

This was by far one of the most unexpected turn of events in my life. I'm sure I sound completely ridiculous to a lot of you, and that's OK with me. I don't expect everyone to understand.

But for me, my car has always been sort of my thing. I traded in a car back when I was a single mom and switched jobs from teaching third grade to sales. This decision was mostly because I was stuck in a really dumb lease, and driving up to 500 miles a week. The current car wasn't going to work for me much longer. But buying my car was also a symbol of my hard work. I had gone through a stupid divorce, kept my house, kept Kamden in his private pre-school, and was proud of being an independent woman. I loved my car. It got great gas mileage, and while it was really small, it served its purpose, and I always felt safe. Their service at the dealership was amazing. Free car washes and oil changes, not to mention any time my car had to go in for service, I had a loan car that 9 times out of 10 was nicer than mine! I loved that car. And a few months after buying that car, I got engaged to Justin :)

You know the rest of the story...

So, a few weeks ago, when I made the inevitable decision to trade my beauty in for something larger, a minivan was the smartest choice. An SUV would have been too difficult to put her in from her chair to her car seat. And I'm not getting any younger.

I haven't given up on the idea that Kendall will be able to walk some day. But realistically, a bigger wheelchair is in her near future. Adapting a minivan to meet those needs is really the only way to go. Her KidCart was a huge ordeal to fold up and place in the trunk. When she was in her car seat, the person in the passenger's seat couldn't even put the seat back far enough to remove their knees from the dash. And when my 6'5 husband tried to drive it, nobody else could sit behind him!

So, its done. I'm a minivan driver. I shed some serious tears at the dealership...for more reasons than just getting rid of my car. But, I'm over it now.

I have come to love my van. It's completely decked out inside. Kamden loves it. I have plenty of room for everything. The kids can watch a movie on one screen and play video games on the other. The bucket seat enables Kendall to be reclined, making her head control less of an issue. The solar screens pull down and I don't have to put sunscreen on her before we head out to a Dr.'s appointment! There's room in the floor for a cooler with insulins, so I don't have to take them inside everywhere we go! All in all, it was a good purchase! And I WILL get used to it :)

Next, I plan to drill holes in my high ceilings in my living room to hang her Ikea hammock swing. Vanity has gone out the window...practicality is my new thing!