Introducing...Our New Volvo

So we decided to buy the 'expensive' car, the 2006 Volvo V50, the one requiring a car loan. We deliberated all weekend and through Monday, finally coming to a decision Monday evening. We decided we'll keep this car through any moves we may make; and, since it has just 18,000 miles on it so far, it should last us for years, through lots of baby-stuff hauling and probably even another kid. Andrew made a valiant effort to haggle, but CarMax held true to its no-haggle pricing policy. We went for it anyway.

It's a pretty great car--as brand-new as a 'pre-owned' car can get, nice black leather interior, no leaks when it rains. It feels good to drive it, like we've taken some sort of step into an adult world we'd been previously shut out of. We haven't yet christened the car; that will take a while. Vern has earned his name--after 160,000 miles and several years of sporting a THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT IS NEITHER bumper sticker, I should hope he has. We'll see what adventures we embark on with our new car.

And yes, we've somehow become even more suburban than we'd been before now that we have a station wagon. We'll surely spiral into some sort of suburban vortex when we drive our baby in a station wagon to a big box store and load up the back with bags. Oh, and I'll be wearing sweatpants. Not yoga pants--sweatpants. It's only fitting. I'll have to go buy some at a big box store.