YEAH!!!

When I was in my teens and 20's and VERY naive about life, I swore, I mean SWORE, I would NEVER, NOT EVER drive a mini-van. And I stayed true to that through one child and no dog. Then came child number two and during that pregnancy I started thinking about how crowded it would be in an Accord for both girls. How one would have to be on the outside seat of the car while one was in the middle. And we got a big dog. Enter the little thought that came worming its way into my mind: I wish I had a mini-van.

Yes, I was a mini-van convert! I freely admit that! Do I sometimes feel (as I was told in FaceBook the other day) that I'm no longer "cool or hip" because I drive a van? Yes, but those thoughts are few and far between because to me it is a badge of honor.

I have carried and birthed 2 wonderful children. They are driven around safely and comfortably in my van. They've spilled everything in there from Cheerios to Chicken Nuggets and haven't trashed it yet.

I am able to load my 110 pound labbie into my van and take him where ever we go. And now I have a 60 pound bundle of energy that can bounce around in the back without disturbing those of us waaaaay up front. Try doing that in an Accord. I've tried, it doesn't work.

My van has taken us all over the state of Georgia, to Auburn, Disney, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee multiple times each with both kids and every accoutrement known to man and still had room to spread out.

We can fit all 4 of our family and my parents and my sister in there with ease and have done so many, many times.

I have heated seats for those 3:00am rides home from work when I'm frozen from head to toe; and yes that place in between. I have XM radio and DVD for long trips. In other words, my van is my rolling home away from home AND I LOVE IT!!! And it has now been ransomed from the car hospital. I never thought I'd be so happy to slide onto any leather seat, adjust the seat to my height and then pause for a moment to enjoy being "home" again. Apparently my kids feel the same way. As they climbed into the van, from one side I heard "Thank goodness" and from the other I heard "We've missed you".

So maybe I'm not "cool or hip" anymore because I drive a van, but I am happy and that, my friends, is what is important.