July 1

Today we bought our mini van. Kellie, you can make fun all that you want, but the convenience of it is totally going to outweigh the uncoolness of it!

It is a 2008 Town and Country Limited. It only has 7,000 miles on it (seven thousand, that is not a typo!). It is way fancier than anything we would ever buy or be able to afford (leather seats, two TV screens, all the fancy options!). I feel the need to explain to the world how we were able to buy it, just so people don't think we went out and spent more than we could afford on a minivan. So here's the story:

My mom and stepdad own a funeral home, and they have a gazillion white minivans. They take very good care of their vehicles, and Daniel has always asked them if they have any they want to sell.

When they heard we were looking for a van, they told us about this one that they were leasing. The lease was up, and they were willing to sell it to us. We were able to buy into their lease and pay just their remaining balance on it ($16,800). The van originally retailed for $36,000. It is three years old, so it's not new. But since it only has 7000 miles on it and it is in pristine condition, we feel like we are getting a brand new van at half price. It was too good of a deal to refuse!