We have (another) van

We have been looking for a replacement vehicle for a while (since, you know, May of 2013 when the rear subframe of our van snapped on our way up to NY for graduation).

We said goodbye to Winnie (our '02 Ford Windstar) back then but while we were on our graduation trip in a rental we decided to have mechanic our tow driver recommended put a used piece put on her to fix her to sell her. She wasn't fixed exactly right but she got us from point A to point B (she mostly went from home to the hospital). We decided she should be a Metroplex only vehicle because we didn't trust her frame and rented a van for vacation though we have taken her to Louisiana twice to visit Glenn's parents.

God gave us Ghana ('97 Ford Taurus) when our friends moved to Ghana in the spring of '14. She has taken us to New York twice, Wyoming once, Louisiana once (?), up to Ohio in early November, and all over the metroplex. She's been a huge blessing because she sits 6 so we can all fit in her. She started making a funny noise last Thursday and I mentioned it to Glenn. When he mentioned it to his dad his dad recommended not driving it because it might be the rod. He drove it home from work anyway and had a friend who has mechanic training listen and he shouted, "Rod, rod, rod rod rod," so Glenn would turn her back off. I honestly have no idea what that means but, from what I've gathered, it's bad. Like don't drive her again bad. :(

We (really Glenn) had already been looking for vehicles more lately anyway because he wants us to have a reliable vehicle when he's gone next month and I wanted something with at least 8 seats so I can cart all 7 kids legally in a few weeks when the kids and I go up to watch my nephews and niece while my brother and sister-in-love head off to get the little girl they're adopting. The "rod" thing and the fact that Winnie seems to be having possible transmission issues and the fact that Winnie's frame is just bits of rust kind of stuck together made it more of a priority.

On Saturday Caleb had a birthday party up 199 and there are lots of used car lots up that way. While he was paint balling the rest of us used car lot hopped. We met several nice used car salesmen, figured out how to have the kind of conversation we wanted with used car salesmen (after a few mistakes), looked in several vehicles, and made Hannah get in the back of lots of vehicles to check leg room. It was helpful as we were able to cross several types of vehicles off of our possibilities list because there was not enough legroom or not enough storage space for us.

After looking at a minivan at one of the lots we noticed an old conversion van and asked about it. It had been a trade in and he didn't know much about it but let us check it out. The legroom was enormous and the seats were comfy. Hannah was in love.

After picking up Caleb, Winnie choked a bit and we kind of seriously joked about seeing if the guy would give us an even trade for her. Instead we continued to the mall and watched Star Wars: The Force Awakens (a special thanks to our dentist, Dr Tillman, for free tickets).

After church on Sunday, Glenn and I sat on our bed and compared craigslist ads for various vehicles we were considering, most of them being big vans (conversion or other passenger vans) and contacted a few owners.

After looking and talking for quite a while we decided to move to the urgent/ not important quadrant of our to do list and go to Six Flags to use Glenn's pass before it expired (the urgent part) and continue our conversation while in line for rides. It was so nice to just get out and have fun as a family and enjoy the pretty lights of Holiday in the Park.

While there we missed a return call from one of the owners but we got home too late to call him back so we called him on Monday afternoon. The van had 10 seats, which fit our "8 or more" desire so we decided to go check it out. The owners have 7 kids and replaced her with a newer van that seats 15 so they can bring friends along. We totally understand that since we can only fit one extra person in Winnie so if we have more than that someone has to sit illegally. Driving to the northeast corner of the metroplex during rush hour was NOT fun but we got there and checked her out. After checking her out and talking to the owner about the price we decided we would chat about it on the long drive home. Four and a half hours after leaving home we got back to Fort Worth and chatted with friends from our small group about whether we should buy her or not and decided to do so.

Tuesday afternoon we drove back out there and picked her up and, while the dads worked on paperwork and talked about more of the van's idiosyncrasies, I had a great conversation with the wife (another homeschool mom) and our kids had fun playing with each other. I think that our families would be great friends if they didn't live on "the other side of the world."

Welcome to the family, Black Beauty (her given name) or The Beast (what I think we should call her) or something else... we haven't come to an agreement on her name yet. She may not be our forever car but she has room for more than just us and we are grateful for her and I guess I will be getting used to driving a big van. We get to try her out for her first #wanderingmaases adventure today as we go to Lake Charles to visit Glenn's family for Christmas.

 

It has 4 captain's seats and a bench that sits 4 in the back (that also folds down into a bed). 

We could live in there or at least use it as a play house (which the girls did yesterday with a friend).

Now, to decide what to do with our other 2 vehicles...

Thanks, God, for providing a vehicle for us. Please help us to use it for Your glory.

It's a cold, wet night in Fort Worth.

It's a cold, wet night in Fort Worth. It's been wet for over 24 hours and keeps getting colder and it's not supposed to warm up or dry up for another couple of days and I've been complaining.

In my heart and out loud I've been complaining. I don't like being cold. I don't like being wet. When the weather's like this I just want to hibernate but we're pet sitting for friends while they're out of town so we've made the trek out our doors and between our homes more often than I would of my own volition.

...and all I can think of is the homeless people and I am ashamed of my discontent heart. I leave one home that is dry and warm-ish and has blankets and go to another home that is dry and warm-ish and has blankets. I may drive a car with no heat between the two but the blowing cool air keeps the windshield clear of our breath and the drive isn't that far and I'm dry.

Tonight when I got home from checking on the dogs I had to run Glenn's phone to him at the hospital because he'd forgotten it at home and I was complaining a bit in my heart because I had the cold car and I had to leave the house again and then there, just inside the rotating door way, was a man and a woman bundled up with a few plastic bags a piece. The lady chuckled at me as I walked in, "it's a bit cold out there isn't it." I smiled and said, "yes, ma'am, it is." and my heart broke. I'm not sure how much longer they will be able to sit there in the warm, dry hospital. I don't know at what point they'll be forced out into the cold rain. Glenn told me the man was sitting there when he arrived earlier tonight and he told me of a man that slept for over a week in one part of the hospital in the heat of this past summer. Maybe they'll get to stay inside tonight. Who knows. They didn't really look prepared to handle this rain, or the cold.

As I was walking out the man asked me if I smoked. I told him no. He then asked me my name and how old I was. "Sonja," "36, no, I mean I'm 37." The lady chuckled again saying it's to late to ask such hard questions. He asked me and if I was there with my boyfriend. "I came to bring something to my husband that he left at home, he's working upstairs." The woman told me I'm a better wife than she would be, that she wouldn't come out on a cold, wet night like tonight. I told them he's worth it and wished them a good night and left.

And I can't get them out of my mind.

How I wish I had something to help them. I don't even know what I could give that would make a difference. I'm home now, nursing a cup to tea to warm me up, listening to the rain, feeling the cold seep in through the windows thankful to be inside, out of it for the night, thinking of those who are not as fortunate as I am.

It's a cold, wet night in Fort Worth and I'm a bit more thankful for my circumstances than I was.

Oh Lord, please be with those not as fortunate as me tonight. Help them to find warm, dry places to sleep and help them to be safe and not alone and help me find a way to make a difference in their lives and to be grateful for my circumstances and to trust You with all of this. Amen

5 Minutes in October: Almost

Almost

I chat believe it's already October 31, the 31st day of the write for 5 minutes everyday challenge. I took the write daily in October challenge once before back in 2012 when I did a month of flashbacks but I hadn't written in so long that I was scared to start writing again so I just decided to take it a day at a time, no promises and I did it. Every day. I still can't believe it.

Writing every day has been good for me. It has been healing for me. It has been something I've started to look forward to instead of dread.

I know I won't continue it because I won't have daily prompts and the challenge but I'm hoping that this month will have primed the pump to get me writing more regularly.

My 5 minutes is almost done but I just want to say thanks to whoever started this write every day challenge and to Kate for her list of prompts. I have learned a bit about myself and have grown through it.

PS.... I wrote this earlier today and I almost forgot to post it.

5 Minutes in October: Bacon

Bacon

So, bacon is the word that gets chosen as favorite when you give a group of women a chance to recommend a one word prompt.

Bacon.

Sometime in the last year or so Glenn shared with me about some article that said you should only eat bacon once a year or something. I'm not sure what it was or where he read it. I'm denying it's existence so I'm not even sure why I'm mentioning it here.

Still he brings home the bacon (literally) sometimes. Sometimes when he has extra money left in his account he'll bring home breakfast from work after a night shift and it often has bacon. Occasionally they'll have some kind of salad at noon conference and a few times he's brought home a partial pan of leftover crumbled bacon and we've stuck it in our freezer to stick in eggs or soup or salad.

I like bacon. Even if you're only supposed to eat it once a year.

5 Minutes in October: Sea

Sea

I was struggling with what to write about sea and thought about how our sins are cast into the depths of the sea and had to google the verse. (My concordance doesn't get nearly the workout it used to since google became so helpful at finding the verse I'm looking for though I did pull it out the other day when one of the kids was supposed to find a verse about rest and their little back of the Bible concordance only showed about one verse where Strongs has many more than that.)

I digress. The verse I was looking for was in Micah 7 and I had to include the verse before it:

Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. (‭Micah‬ ‭7‬:‭18-19‬)

How grateful I am that He forgives my sins. I don't have to be good enough or try really hard. I am forgiven because of the cross. I watched a great sermon about that this evening. You can check it out here. http://www.northridgerochester.com/messages/laying-your-ladder-down/laying-your-ladder-down/

5 Minutes in October: Hope

Hope.

I didn't know what to say.

My husband says, "It's in the Lord." Which, of course caused me to start singing:

My hope is in the Lord
Who gave Himself for me
And paid the price for all my sin at Calvary

For me (for me) He died (He died)
For me (for me) He live (He lives)
And everlasting life and light He freely gives.

No merit of my own
His anger to suppress.
My only hope is found in Jesus' righteousness.

And now for me He stands
Before the Father's throne.
He shows His wounded hands and names me as His own.

His grace has planned it all
Tis mine but to believe
And recognize His work of love and Christ receive

Oh, I love that song. It reminds me of singing with my family. You have to sing both parts if the chorus when you sing it, even if it sounds funny. Sometimes it gets really low which makes it sound all growl-ly and fun.

I remembered the first and last verses and the chorus, google helped with the middle 2.

Oh, how grateful I am for that hope that can only be found in Him. It is a sure thing hope not an I sure wish hope. I can trust in that hope in all days and at all times and in all circumstances because He is good.

5 Minutes in October: Perhaps

Perhaps

I recently listened to The Magic Art of Tidying Up and so I am slowly trying to go through my stuff and get rid of things that we don't need. She recommends starting with your clothing so I've done my tops and bottoms and today, because I was frustrated with it I dumped my underwear drawer and sorted through it.

I came across this cute little card (What? Is your underwear drawer not full of sentimental papers??) and it made me smile. I remember loving looking through these little cards when I was a kid at the book store at Word of Life and my mom would often let me buy a few to give to others.

 When I turned it over I saw this and started to cry.

Am I? Am I in their thoughts and prayers? Do people in heaven think and pray about people on earth?

Perhaps.

I don't know.

I do know that:

The Holy Spirit prays for me: ^"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." Romans 8:26

and so does Jesus: ^"Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us" Romans 8:34

That. That is enough.