The magic minivan

Love the Stow and Go Seating! We can have a dance party if we want.

Look at all that cargo room!
McCade, jumping out of the car after he pushed the "magic" door button.
Isn't that a great color! It won't show dirt or snow.

Our saga with the minivan started a few years ago when Matt bought us one on eBay. We had to replace the transmission as soon as we got it (eBay insured it, but still). The drama has continued accordingly. Every few months something has to be fixed or replaced. It got so bad that my friends joked about getting me a gift certificate to Elbie's (our local repair shop where the guys know me by first name) for my birthday. A month ago we were on our way to Shelley and it overheated in the Arco desert , we had to replace the radiator a week later. That was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. (I would like to point out, for the record, that in the seven times I traveled to and from Billings in the last year it never gave me any trouble when I was on the road alone. Matt on the other hand has had it pop a hose and start smoking just on his way to Albertsons.)

So now the extensive debate about what vehicle to buy begins anew. Matt wanted an SUV, (more masculine and cool, 4x4, and boat pulling ability being the main things, A "But, it's a minivan" thrown in for good measure.) It's no secret that I LOVE my minivan. (better gas mileage, easy to get in and out of for the kids, lots of cargo room, and I am so comfortable behind the wheel because it drives like a car.) I have taken more than enough heat for my undying love and devotion to my van, but I wanted to be open minded so we test drove a Tahoe (loved the way it cruised, hated the lack of cargo), an Expedition (loved the automatic flip down seat,), and an Acadia (loved every single thing about it except the price tag), and an 08 minivan. I took each of them to Albertsons to see if I could park. ( I get sweaty just thinking about parking a big SUV, I know it's illogical but that's why they call them phobia's, their illogical but still very real.) Anyway, I decided I could drive an SUV if it would make Matt happy, it wasn' so bad, why was I fighting it. . . Then the shopping began. And that is the long story of how I got a new "magic" minivan, with stow & go seating, DVD player, dual automatic (magic) doors, and automatic hatch. The bottom line is... it costs less, especially with gas prices factored in. So cool goes out the window and practicality wins.

McCader Alligator

During the "shorts in winter" phase

Dad's hat, jammy shirt, swim trunks, Grace's church shoes
Grace's flip flops, lei, potato head flower on the hat, surf's up!

"Mom, Take a picture of me with underwear on my head!"
Jammy shirt for pants

I don't know if all little boys are as silly as McCade but I know that daily he says and does things that crack us up. There was a jammy phase when he wore jammies everywhere he went. At least in the morning he changed into fresh jammies. The thought did cross my mind, "What will people think when they see him in the middle of the afternoon." But it was quickly banished by the sheer fact that a) "Those who mind- don't matter, and those who matter- don't mind and b) this, like many of his other hilarious phases will soon pass. Besides, he absolutely charms me with his impish, infectious smile and his sweet way. The boy's creativity knows no end.

Nana's broken ankle

Right before school started my sister Wynn came for a visit. My mom was scheduled to come as well but she fell off a ladder the day before she was supposed to leave and broke her ankle (at 11:30 @ night). Wynn came into my room after I got home from work to tell me that Tim (her husband) had taken mom to the ER and was waiting for the x-rays. She said she wasn't in too much pain but it seems like it has gotten worse with the swelling and everything so she has pretty much been laid up in bed for almost 2 weeks. It is broken in at least 3 places and fairly stable. If anything moves, she might have to have screws put in. I am hoping after her next doctor visit that she will be able to come here so I can start feeding her like 6 times a day (since it seems like that is all we do all day is eat, eat, eat.) And also everything at our house is on one level, unlike her house with is 3 floors seperated by 24 steps. (I counted one time after I had done a really hard work out and my legs were killing me, each step seemed like agony.) Obviously, not the best place for an injured Nana. (I had to add this cute picture of my mom and Bella pre-ankle fracture)

second, third, fourth day of school

Grace has become such an independent little thing. The third day of school she decided she wanted to try hot lunch, walk in by herself, and ride the bus home... all on the same day. Watch out world. This may not seem like a big deal for some kids but considering Grace's history of being a little on the shy side it's awesome.

I'm not going to lie, I am nervous about her riding the bus with all those older kids. One night I was telling her that I wished she had an older brother who could take care of her on the bus. Her answer was classic, " I don't need a brother, I can take care of herself." (Duh, why didn't I think of that.) I love all her new found spunk and confidence. I'd say that is one of the most important school supplies a girl could have in her "pencil box of life". Her first day, she didn't like riding the bus all that much because it was "too crowded" but after a full interrogation she changed her mind and wanted to keep riding.

My dad used to ask us every night at dinner, "What did you learn at school today?" Of course our answer was always the same, "Nothing." So I thought I could be sneakier and get more info by asking, "What was your favorite thing about school?" and later, "What was the worst thing that happened at school today?" This was Grace's response; "Nothing bad. You don't have to ask me that. I will tell you if anything bad happens at school, you don't have to ask me all the time. Why do you ask me those questions?" I told her, "You are away from me for a long time during the day, I miss you and want to know what is happening with your day." I think she took mercy on me and decided to grace me with a daily report. Jeese, the things a mother has to do to extract a little information from her kids.

Eleven Years

Matt and I have been married for 11 years on August 21. It has gone by so fast it feels likes it's just been two minutes...underwater. Ha Ha, Just kidding. I heard that joke the other day and couldn't resist using it. The last eleven years have actually flown by. I love being married to Matt. He's my best friend, my protector, my provider, my teammate, not to mention the best kid bather and chicken griller of all time. We celebrated with a lunch buffet and a walk around Matt's work. In all the years he has worked there we haven't ever had lunch together so it was nice.

First Day of School

Where did the summer go? Some people might like it when school starts again. I admit there are some benefits such as getting back into a routine and the whole "education" thing. But the truth of the matter is that I love having all my kids at home with me. If I thought that I had enough discipline or that it would be better for Grace I would probably homeschool my kids. But sadly, I can barely get McCade to do an alphabet worksheet once a day, and then there's the fact that I can barely add and subtract.

I did all I could to help make her less nervous for starting school; we met her teacher last week, she seems really nice. Grace's best friend Dani is in her class. Her clean backpack was hanging in the hall, full of fresh school supplies and her newly decorated pencil box. But she was nervous about... lunch. It's the unknown that is the hardest.

When we picked her up from school she was so happy! Her first day went great, lunch was no problem. Her favorite part was having two recesses. When she got home from school she was sad that she had missed out on all the fun stuff we did during the day like "play do and watching t.v. " She spent the rest of the afternoon trying to catch up on all the things she had "missed"

These boots were made for walking

One of Bella's enduring and endearing quirks is her love for boots...shoes...other people's and her own.