The proud parents of a Dodge Grand Caravan

That's right,we are official mini-vanners!!!!!

Phil and I have been looking for a new vehicle, as the truck isn't quite conducive for three passengers. Last week Dine told us about a used car dealer who was liquidating his inventory and Phil went to go check it out. He came home all excited about this minivan that he had test driven and wanted to make an offer. The van was quite a bit out of our price range, and I wasn't too sure, but we went to see it again with our buddy Timber who is an avid minivan enthusiast. After test driving it myself, I agreed that it was a pretty sweet ride - two captains chairs in the middle, a bench in back, two sliding doors, all seats are removable, power everything - but I was still uncomfortable with the price. So Phil put in an offer that was more in line with what we wanted to spend and it got turned down. Oh well, we thought, we have time to find a car that is right for us.

Well, luck would have it that the dealer called us the next day and accepted our offer and we went in and bought it off the lot. Yeah for us!!!! It's really funny how people have reacted. Those who don't own a van think it is hilarious, and those who do own a van keep assuring us that we have made the best decision and we will be nothing but happy with our purchase. I have to admit, I didn't think I would be all to fond of being a van owner, but Phil spoke my language when he told me that we could throw our bikes, camping gear, friends, and baby in the van and be off! So I guess we have crossed some invisible threshold into the world of the minivan, but I think it will suit us well.

With that said, I will end this post with a big thank you to our current vehicle - 2000 Toyota Tacoma, which has been an absolute champ out here in Hawaii. Without the truck we wouldn't have been able to explore such places as the summit of Mauna Kea, the beaches of Waipio, Green Sands, and Champagne Ponds. It has been a real adventure owning the truck and it has never let us down.