194 days: vans and kids

I cried as we pulled out of the dealership a few days ago driving our new-to-us minivan.

Many times I've heard people saying how depressed they were when they had to get a minivan or how they would never get a minivan because it'd be like a part of themselves dying... apparently because it's just that uncool.

That totally wasn't me.

I was crying tears of joy because the minivan is the ultimate Mom status and that's what I fought for for three years and coveted all of my life. I'm ecstatic about my beautiful (and more luxurious than my car!*) red minivan and I can't wait to have excuses to drive it around town.**

I also can't wait to fill it up with more children.

While driving to pick up my niece from school the other day, we passed a foster care/adoption treatment center that has a sign out front that said, "We had to turn away 4 children today because we didn't have anyone to call." I, of course, got teary-eyed immediately and when I pointed it out to Neal, he got sad as well.***

I would really like to do foster care some day, especially if years from now private adoption has never panned out. My cousin and his wife are fostering two boys right now and I just think it's so awesome. Ups and downs and heartbreak, absolutely, but totally worth it in the end.

*especialy more luxurious than my car since mine is currently scattered in bits and pieces all over our garage while Neal rebuilds the engine. Yes, he's so cool he can do that kind of stuff.

**I actually ran errands today with two 10-month-olds during nap time. They ended up doing great, though at first I wasn't sure if I was being adventurous and brave or just stupid!

***When something touches Neal emotionally, the hair on his arms stand up. It's so friggin' cute. :)