Rod's New Car

(photo: Saturn SL2, picture at night, from Rod's cell phone)

We've literally looked at 40 cars within the last 10 days. Maybe not in person, but contacting, emailing, test driving... and it's getting old. I told Rod today, that if we don't find something in the next couple of days, I'm personally going to need a break. He said that Great Minds Think Alike! He's feeling the same way!

He was supposed to go to a car dealership yesterday to look at a car... they closed early without letting him know. So today, he went, I'm not sure if it was the same dealership or not, to see what they had. They told him about the Saturn SL2 that's pictured above.

Because he'd gone to the dealership, he missed bible study. I'm okay with it though, I just want this one particular issue in our lives resolved :D He test drove it and really liked it. No body damage, leather (or lookalike leather) seats, extremely clean interior, really nice stereo. Best of all, the engine sounds good & it has low miles (considering how much we paid for it) & newer tires. The hub caps are shiny.

Rod bought it. My pre-approval was a really long conversation while he was in the car lot, and a MMS message with the above photo! Then I realized that this is the THIRD car that Rod's purchased - and I wasn't present. You'd think for spending that much, that you'd both want to be there.... Rod and I talked about all the must haves (low miles for the year, good sounding transmission, cruise control, electronic windows, an a/c that works, etc.) - the actual car body style wasn't on the list.

I trust Rod with my life and my kids. I trust him with honoring my parents. I trust him at work. I trust him with so many things, why wouldn't I trust him with the purchase of a car? Afterall, it IS just a car.

It was a bit more than we had planned on spending. But, this is God's money. If that's what he puts before us, that is what he puts before us. We did our due diligence of looking for a car that gets good gas mileage without completely being a tin can!

So, Rod has a newer car, gold, but doesn't get to drive it tomorrow.. I need to take it to the insurance company and have it added onto our insurance tomorrow :D Oh well, he gets it the day after!

I do need to add that I drove it home. We stopped at the smokey point rest stop on the way home. I must say that it either handles reallly well or I've been driving a mini van for tooo long (or maybe both!). It was so much fun to drive!!!!

(photo: Me & My Dad) Today, the kids and I went out to my parents to help my dad put the plastic on the greenhouse. We were supposed to do it on Saturday, but dad must have gotten up & seen that the weather would be fantastic for doing it. When my mom brought the boys home from the Gleaners.. she said that dad wanted us to come out and help him put it on.

We spent the whole afternoon out there. Putting the plastic on was relatively easy. That surprised me. My dad got the overhead stuff nailed down & then I told him that if he had a hammer that I wouldn't mind helping putting on the 2x6's (??).

(Dad's Greenhouse, Josiah's inside) I was so excited! I really did help put it up. And then my dad really did let me nail on the wood pieces to hold the plastic in place. He was so thankful too. That type of activity is extremely tiring for him & I saved him a lot of bending over & a lot of work. Although, I looked like I'd done a lot of work when it was over! Josiah helped too! Thanks Jos! My dad is still awesome - when I was a kid I knew he could do stuff... still as an adult, I am amazed at how accurately and how fast and how hard he can swing the hammer!

Josiah and I also watched/helped him install the fan for it. My dad is amazing - his design to get airflow between the two sheets of plastic. It is fantastic. I imagine by this time next week he'll have the ends of it and the doors on & it will be a full fledged hot house! Really looking forward to dads homegrown tomatoes for my favorite salsa!!!

(Julia & Easter, our bunny, who resides at my parent's house) BTW - I was able to get some great outdoors shots with the new A350. I simply cannot believe how quick the focus/shot is in live view! Sony may not be the favorite of most DSLR afficionados - but they've done SO much to change camera technology since they really got into designing cameras. Their cameras seem more for those of us who didn't grow up with "traditional" photography, but more for those of us who've really gotten into it since digital photography has come into it's own.