Long overdue

I've been meaning to write a short post about our minivan. 

Yes...we finally bought one.

Our tan Toyota Camry over-heated one day and we learned it needed a new head gasket (by the way this was about 6+ months ago). But we were pregnant and decided we wouldn't put the money into the Camry if we were going to need a bigger car to accommodate 3 kids. So the search began for a minivan. I was not too thrilled to be looking at them because I didn't want to be one of those moms. But we figured it was for the best especially if we ever wanted to go on trips as a family and would need lots of room for stuff. Well, the search went on and on and on. We started looking for vans around $5000 but each time we went out seriously looking, our price range went higher and higher because we wanted a van that would last a while, not be too old, and have less than 100,000 miles. Soon we were looking around $10,000 vans and after a while decided that was getting too much for us. So we kicked it back down and started again. It seemed that everytime we found a good deal, we would think on it, and by the time we got back to test drive it, it was already gone. So after a couple months (and having had Kaliya by this time) we finally found a van that we liked. It was a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan with 98,000 miles. We liked the color of it, the inside was nice, it drove well, and had a few perks that we wanted (power doors and stow-n-go seating). The only thing we didn't like was the price. It was listed for $10,000 but we talked to the dealership and got it down to a price we were willing to pay. Of course they later sucked us into a warranty that ended up making the price of the van over their original listing price, but you live and you learn and that is probably one mistake we will never make again. So, as of June 10, 2013 we became van owners. I have to admit, after having it for a few months and driving it around, I don't mind it. It's easy to get the kids in and out, has lots of room for stuff on trips, and drives well. So this post has been long overdue, but welcome to the family little minivan.

Picture from the dealership website