Well, we did it. We bought the van. It is a painful experience, perhaps second only to buying or selling a house. All that paper work. All that schmoozing. We kept being reminded of the "report cards" we would get in the mail to evaluate our service and how important it is to give them high marks. Our paper work was not ready when we got there, even though we were told it would be. At the end, we started to hand over the title to our old van and the man says "UH, I don't show that you have a trade in." My mind was saying "are you KIDDING me?" So, we did every paper over again.

I showed them, though; I had left my kids plus a friend of Blake's in the lounge with the free fountain soda. Uh huh!!!! Never put Blake and free soda in the same room. When we got back, Kayla was giggling. Blake had drunk 7 sodas - alternating between Diet Pepsi and Mt. Dew, and was on his second cup of coffee. I'm pretty sure his eyes were moving in circles. Then we went to dinner and he had 2 or 3 Diet Pepsi's. He is just like his dad, though; he goes to bed and sleeps like a baby after all that caffeine. If only he had drunk about 750 more cups at the car lot we could have had the rear bumper paid for.

Kayla has entered an art contest for Doctor Appreciation Day. Her objective: to show on a poster how she feels about her family doctor. She worked hard and I sure hope she gets some recognition. My objective today: find a place that can make a copy of her poster so we can deliver it to our doctor before the contest; and then deliver the poster to the art gallery.

I will Thank God today for:

1. My good report from the doctor
2. My husband (DO NOT get me started on this wonderful man)
3. Our new church family (DO NOT get me started on the change this congregation has made in our lives)
4. My healthy, active children (and the public school where they attend; I can love them from afar just as easily)
5. the fact that we were able to replace the van
6. whatever else comes to mind at that moment