My swagger wagon!

If you haven't seen this video yet, go check it out. It cracks me up!

This is my new van:
Isn't it awesome? It's an 04 Toyota Sienna LE. I have to say, it is a total blessing to have this. WE were looking back in Dec to get a van, but it never happened. So it sat on the back burner and we figured we would get one some day. Well, that day came a little sooner than we thought. About a week ago, maybe more, it just suddenly came to me that we should start looking again. We talked about it, figured financing and how much we could afford and how to do it. We also lowered our standards. In Dec we were looking for a newer model- 06 or newer. This time, we decided any van would be better than no van, within reason of course. So I was looking for anything I could find under $4k. That basically meant the early 2000 models or really high miles. I talked to an ex-coworker of mine that I knew might be interested in my Matrix, and we worked out a deal for him to buy the car from me, contingent on my getting a van. Tuesday, I decided to just check KSL without putting in price restrictions, because there couldn't be too many new vans right? Well, we found this one. It was more than the $4k we had originally thought about, but everything else seemed to click. We ran out Tuesday night and test drove it right before they closed. Runs great. Looks great. We talked about it, and Weds, we went and picked it up. The best thing about this: we have no more car payment! Thanks to a tax return we hadn't spent, we were able to pay off my Matrix and pay cash for this van. We are planning on paying ourselves back over time, but we owe no one for it! I am so excited. I'm just waiting on the title from the CU for the Matrix so I can sell that. It's a really nice van, much nicer than the older models. I just feel like this is right. We humbled ourselves, chose not to take any loans for it, and the Lord rewarded our decision. It's got stow and go, so it has a REALLY deep trunk and the back seats fold flat if we want. The captains chairs are removable, or they can be rearranged to sit next to each other or with a space between. Right now I have the space. I might change it for our CA trip next week. We got it in time for our trip, which will be great. And the move. I was not looking forward to two dogs, two kids, and two adults in my matrix for two days. No thank you. This will be MUCH more comfortable, and we can actually pack stuff and dogs.

This is my favorite part:

That's right. It has a tape deck. Seriously toyota. A tape deck? In an 04???? My 03 matrix doesn't even have a tape deck. Are moms that behind the times??

Here's the inside with the car seats in it.

Claire just loves the swagger wagon (which is how it shall be known for time and all eternity). She loves that she can sit on the back bench all by herself. She loved climbing in the two front chairs until I put the car seats in. The door by her seat is power, which is nice. I'm actually thnking of maybe switching the kids sides again. It might be easier to load them all through the power door, then go around to the other side and put her in her seat. Right now I seem to walk around and around and around the car. I guess I could just climb in with them too. That's the point of a van right? I'm sure we will get it worked out. I've driven it a bit the last two days and I just LOVE it.