Upgrade

It has finally happened! We have become a minivan family...and couldn't be happier! As we started January we realized that our main vehicle was due to be registered. Since we were already planning on buying a van this year due to the addition to come in July we decided now was as good a time as any to upgrade. So, on January 21st we sold our beloved "silver bullet" (which we purchased 5 years ago from my dad) and went in search for the perfect van.

On the 9th of February we officially became minivan owners and went from this....

To this.....

This car is already very loved due to the amount of sacrifice we went through to get it. We test drove pretty much every mini van under the sun and knew what we liked and didn't like. We got to be pretty picky, but also knew that it would be difficult to get all of the features that we wanted for the low price that we wanted. We decided not to settle and kept looking....in the meantime sharing our 1994 green Ford Taurus. Being a one car family is HARD! I hope we never have to do that again! Or at least if we do, I hope we have a more reliable vehicle that doesn't break down on our way to Logan or in people's driveways. 

Anyway....we decided to talk to a guy in town named Don who bids for cars at auctions and then fixes them up. We decided this was probably the only way we would get exactly what we wanted for the price we wanted. He bid on this 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited and won it for us! We were excited because it didn't need a whole lot of work (just a side impact accident) and would have everything for a super low price. There is no way we would have gotten this deal at a dealership. 

The van was drivable and actually not in bad shape at all. It really just needed a new sliding door, some body work around the fender, and a new axle in the back. We kind of bid on it blindly not really knowing what features it had, but it turned out even better than we thought! It has everything that we wanted including leather, low miles, a DVD player, automatic adjustable cruise control, automatic sliding doors (such a lifesaver as mom!), automatic back-hatch, stow n' go seating, 6 disk CD changer, built in window shades, sun roof, and the list goes on. Shad and I laugh that we are still trying to figure out where all of the buttons are. A new one appears everyday.

It was a leap of faith buying a car at an auction but I was so impressed with Don's work! In just 2 1/2 weeks (some of the longest weeks of my life!) it went from this...

To this...

Totally amazing to me! The door is totally automatic and functional. The paint matches perfectly, it drives smooth as butter and no one can tell the difference. Here are a few more pictures of the inside:

The DVD player has been so nice! The screen is a huge 12" screen. Haken has loved it so much that we have set a rule that we only turn it on when we go at least 30 minutes away from home.

The headrests in the middle were missing. Don is still looking to find replacements. He really has given us the best attention to detail on this van and not cut any corners.

The middle seats fold up for easier entry to the back if needed, but we usually just leave them up. Also, the back seats fold into the floor for flat storage in the back.

This van will be very loved for many years to come. I love it more each day I drive it around. I think I can deal with being a "soccer mom" if I get to drive this around.