The spring always seems to be about change. This year for our family that is definitely true. Here are some of the highlights...
Andy Retires His Car After Fourteen Years
Before March, the last time I got a new car, I was in high school. The funny thing is that I have been out of high school 14 years now! Most of you will likely recognize my dark green Escort. That car was my transportation for fourteen years. I put a great number of miles on it the first five years I drove it. Once it became only 'the work car' around 2001, that number shrank to only a few thousand miles per year! Still, it was a great car and even the air conditioning still worked when I donated it on March 27, 2009. It simply was going to be too costly to make all of the repairs that I needed. I purchased a 2000 Ford Focus (hey, I like change but not that much!) from a private owner that lives in the same town as my parents up in Cleveland. As avid Dave Ramsey followers, we paid $2,500 cash for the vehicle! Car Loans are not in our vocabulary. It feels great to drive something without the weight of a loan dragging behind it.
The journey to get the car was an interesting one. Because Alex was only a few weeks old, taking him up there and back was not something we wanted to do. And leaving Deanna with three kids for the weekend wasn't a wise option if I still wanted to be married. So I needed to find a way to get there in a vehicle that I didn't have to bring back down to Dayton. I ended up renting a car one way. It was tough to find a place that offers that service. I finally found one - but then it was a race to get there. On Saturdays, most rental car places outside of airports are only open from about 9am- 1pm or so. It is easily a four hour drive up there without running into any problems. We did make it just in time with some faster driving than I normally do. Sarah often gets car sick when watching DVD shows in the car. This trip was no exception. For about the last hour, she kept saying 'Daddy, I don't feel well!'. I am not pleased with the thought of taking a rental car back with vomit all in the back. And if I didn't get the car back before 1pm, I was going to have to pay for an extra day, probably about $100. So we somehow made it there and back just fine. It was a nice short visit with my family - the girls loved it. I think Deanna liked having a little quiet in the house - even if just for a day.
Even with the much nicer ride, I couldn't help but think back at all of the memories I have had in my old Escort and how much has changed since I started driving it in 95. In this very vehicle I asked Deanna out for the first time back in the fall of 1996. This was also the same car that took Deanna, myself and two friends to the infamous skiing accident in January 1997 in which Deanna broke her nose and I broke my thumb. There have been 10 new additons to our family since then. I drove this car before I saw the inside of a college or an office job. Goodbye Escort, hopefully my Focus will be around long enough for some great memories of its own.
Alex Gets Baptized
We had a very joyful April weekend April 24-26, 2009 for Alex's baptism. We were fortunate to have so many people come for the weekend and the baptism on Sunday. The weather was unreal for spring with temperatures peaking in the 80's. We enjoyed a lot of family basketball games and our kids had a great time with their cousins. We also enjoyed some time in the Holiday Inn Pool that a lot of our family stayed at. We snapped tons of pictures if you want to see more. Alex has really gotten big. He now weighs about 13 pounds. He loves to laugh and smile at ceiling fans and clocks. He is overall a very happy baby and loves his family.
Sarah Loses Her First Tooth
Sarah got her first visit from the tooth fairy on May 3, 2009 as she lost her first tooth. She has another one loose so soon she will have a big gap in the front of her mouth. Sarah is close to wrapping up her kindergarten year at school. She has learned to read over the past few months and does a great job. It is unreal to hear her read a whole book and not need any help.
Charlotte Helps Daddy Plant Grass
Charlotte likes to dig in and get her hands dirty. I often hear her yell 'Dad! I found a worm!' with the excitment that rivals her opening presents on Christmas morning. So it was no surprise that she liked to help me when I decided to kill off part of our lawn and replant it. It was a lot of work, but the weather has been perfect for growing grass. It looks like it will come in much better than what was there before. Darn, now I will have to mow it! Charlotte has had a great first year of preschool and only has two weeks left. She loves her teachers and going to school. I have been driving her to school in the mornings since Deanna was put on bedrest in January. I have enjoyed our time together.
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