New Van!!!!!!!

I bought a "new" van today. Yay!!!  Well, actually, it's a used/new van, but it's new to me, so I'm still excited. It's a 2005 Ford Freestar, which is the new generation of the Windstar--my old, dearly departed van.  This one is the same beautiful deep red as the other one, too.  There are no  'bells and whistles' on it; very basic, with the most extravagant item being the air conditioning. However, I think even that's pretty standard these days, so I guess I can't even consider that extravagant.  Alex came home from UMF (college...University of Maine at Farmington) yesterday so he could shop with me today.  He has to go back tomorrow, so we knew this was a one-day only type of sale/shop day.  I knew what I had in mind...another van. I knew what price range....around $200/month payment.  I knew I'd either get it at Darling's Auto, where the other van (RIP) came from, or Cars By Us.

Well, I got another van. I got it at Darling's. BUT.....the monthly payment is about $245 because the van is more expensive (inflation).  However, I got the bumper-to-bumper Ford warranty so hopefully I'll be covered if something goes wrong.  It will be so nice to be sitting up high when I drive again! This rental car is nice, but it's a Buick Park Avenue, and it sits so low.  Handles very nicely, fun to drive, but it's not a van.  There are a few things they have to fix on my van, so I won't get it back until next week sometime.  At least all the paperwork is done, and it's in my own name!!

The really fun part about all of this is having Alex around to help me. We always have such fun together, even doing mundane things like looking for a car!  I really didn't want to get one without him being there; he's so sensible and is such a money-guy.  I trust his judgment completely.  Also, there are a few fun similarities with buying this van and the other van (RIP).  He and I went vehicle shopping during Katie's first year in college, when the old car was on its last legs and had to be towed away. We went to Darlings Ford on the advice of a friend of mine, found the van, Alex said it made more sense to have a van than a car since it would take us through a few years of going back and forth with Katie to college. The van (RIP) we got was a 2000, and it was 5 years old (2005) when we got it.  Now, it's Katie's last year of college (switching majors took the extra year), he and I again got a van from Darlings Ford and the same salesman, and it's again a 5 year old van, since it's a 2005 Ford Freestar and it's now 2010.

I guess if I were a numerologist, I could make a case of some sort for all that, but I prefer to just say it's fun!!  Of course, at the time of getting the first one (RIP), we had NO idea Alex would be attending the same college as Katie, thereby really, really, really needing all the space in that van!  So, he has one more year to go, and we needed to make sure he had room to transport his beloved  office chair back and forth! :):)

Life is good. I'm happy.  I love my kids. Thank you God.