if you keep believing

[If you never read THIS post about how we do cars in our family, you may want to check that out first]

When Brent and I first started dating, I drove a little red 1991 Ford Escort. I bought it for $900. I LOVED it. This isn't my car, but [google images to the rescue] it looks just like it, funky discolored paint and all. 

Brent's first car was a 1976 Toyota Corolla. It wasn't so much grey, as it was lacking color. Here is a red one I found on Google images:

His first real car was a 1993 red VW Passat that his brother gave him [and then laughed as he drove away]. He had more issues with that thing… Again, Google helped out. This is basically what it looked like but way less shiny. And with US plates. I remember it being much cooler. 

So we had similar looking red cars when we first started dating, which I though was just too cute and fate [we also both wore Cool Water, he for men, and I for women-- #meanttobe].

THEN!!! The cuteness continued and we both just happened to get "new" cars the same summer and we both totally felt upgraded… in our nearly matching Grand Ams! Mine was a blue 1996 [automatic], his was a green 1997 [manual].

google images

Here is where I have to pause and reflect on the strangeness of this picture I found on Google Images:

 And we got married and drove our Grand Ams to Kentucky. Until we sold Brent's to our mechanic for about $200.

And then I thought I was the coolest cat around and we upgraded to a 2002 Hyundai Sonata.  My blue car was slowly deteriorating, but we were happy.

Then our two years in Louisville were up and we moved back home. We sold my car to a mechanic here for a couple hundred dollars and I begged Brent to buy me a Subaru Outback. I know many people thing they are "grocery go getters" but no, no, no…they are awesome.

He searched high and low and we found an '04, in my least favorite color. But oh well…it was mine! And we even hauled a loveseat in the back of it once! And it was all-wheel drive! And it had heated seats! And one of my students referred to it as a little-van-thing! We were moving up in this world for sure.

Instead of taking a picture of my car, I thought I'd find one on Google images like the one above so you can revel in just how sporty this car can be! 

A year or so later, it was time to update our Sonata, though it had served us well. It was around 200,000 miles, and we wanted a little bigger sedan. About that time my dad was yammerin' on about trying to get his car sold. "Uhh…Dad?" SOLD! We were the proud owners of a 2005 [that's right folks, an '05!! That's not even 10 years old!!] Chevy Malibu. And it is silver…just like I always wanted!

google images- ours doesn't have sun roof
I'm sure you've seen one around--it seems everyone drives [a silver] one

 And then Blythe was growing and she outgrew her infant seat and we had to get a big ole carseat for her.

 Suddenly our "family cars" felt pretty small. And maneuvering her in and out of this seat was a pain. "Brent, you know how I always said I wanted a Honda Odyssey van? I think it's time to start looking."

We thought we were going to wait awhile, but all of a sudden we stumbled across one about an hour away. This was a picture in the ad:

All of a sudden I needed that van. The price was right. It was a great van. SOLD!

And all of a sudden I own a great van…and a HONDA no less!

And all of a sudden Brent and I are in the midst of car inspections and license plate switching and title changing business.

And all of a sudden I can click the automatic doors and they whoosh open and I can easily plop Blythe in and she has leg room to spare!

And all of a sudden I have leather interior [and I still have my heated seats!]

And all of a sudden I realize we are selling the Subaru, which is the car we brought Blythe home from the hospital in. :(

And all of a sudden I have two pretty nice [SILVER] vehicles parked in my garage.

Okay…it wasn't really "all of a sudden". We've slowly climbed the car ladder, never having a car payment, driving clunkers at times. But here we are! Maybe that all seems a little crazy to you, but we are pretty excited!

Blythe, however, could really care less.