This post should really be called: The Long Wait.
Honestly it felt like a SUPER LONG TIME. It didn't help that the boys and Papa and I shared the front seat in the travelall and as the boys grew, bigger in all directions, and my belly grew, growing sweet baby JKB, it got harder and harder to climb in to the seat, buckle up and enjoy the ride. It got to the point, near the end of the wait, that J, L and I had to sit sideways in the seat so we could all fit. Can you say uncomfortable? Papa had to drive so he got the most space. Several times I fervently wished I could drive just so I could sit a bit more comfortably. Town trips as a family dwindled. City trips ceased completely. The last couple of months we didn't even have to drive to church, as we were hosting, so the only time we all went anywhere was if someone had a doctors appointment in town or the very rare trips out. Thursday's the kids had piano lessons so we moved T's car seat, and with it moved and Papa at work, the kids and I fit quite nicely. Some weeks the car seat never got moved back as we never went anywhere as a family.
The week we picked up the Transit was packed full of trips to town and made us even more grateful for the space we had when we finally moved all the car seats and booster seats into the Transit.
We ordered the Transit right before Christmas and I guess we're a little bit spoiled by Amazon and online ordering because we sort of seemed disappointed when it didn't show up the next week even though the dealership told us it would be several months and it was. Every time we went to town and we'd get near the dealership someone would say 'Look for the Transit!' and I'd slow down and we would all crane our heads to check the back lot as we drove by. Actually after we got the Transit S still yelled 'look for the Transit' when we got to that spot in the road for at least two trips to town :)
Several emails flew around after we hit the second week of March. Us wondering if they had a ship date, we knew it had been built March 1st, and them reassuring us they would get it up here somehow. No one seemed too sure on how. Something about retro fitted train cars and a limited supply. Then one day we were told it was on a train! Yay! Our necks got sore looking in the lot, Auntie R got on board and became our eyes in town for the Transit. Several more weeks went by. We were told it was in Canada late in the month but still 13 hours from us. That's as far as the train went, now it would have to be shipped another way. Because of her height and length we were pretty sure it wouldn't be on one of those car hauler trucks. But, as it turned out, it was. Not a typical one I'd guess as it was only holding 4 Transits. We'd sent a email a day or so before asking if it was moving yet and that afternoon we got one back saying they didn't know. Then I checked my email that night and there she was! The dealer ship was closed, he'd sent it at closing, but we were welcome to come take a look at her. Papa was outside so I opened the door and read him the email. There was whooping :) It was April 2nd. The kids were playing outside so we piled them all in the travelall and headed to town.
This time when someone said 'look for the Transit' we found it. Papa and I were both holding our breath. I know because we were siting so close I could feel him holding it. We both had the same thought at just about the same time. It was BLACK? Processing, processing. We weren't super happy about it but considering all the hassles to get it here we could live with black. We piled out. Maybe it was green? We both took our sun glasses off... IT WAS GREEN! But much darker then we had expected. It still looks black if it's cloudy out. The Transit had only just been delivered, it still had bags on the seats and we couldn't get into it as it was after hours. But we looked in all the windows and drooled over it. Papa was very pleased that it had the 3 marker lights above the windshield, I remember. That was Friday.
Saturday Papa went in and took a good look at it and talked about when we could pick it up. I had an ultrasound in the city on Wednesday and we were really hoping to be able to take it for its first real trip just the two of us then. Never mind we had a list a mile high as we'd been avoiding the city for some time. It had to be inspected, and sealed, and they did the seats for us and then there was the paperwork. It was a long process for someone who normally bought rigs by hauling them off farmers fields after handing the farmer some cash and signing a bill of sale.
Monday they did all their work on it and Tuesday my mom kept the kids for a good chunk of the day while Papa and I did paperwork and test drove it. We ended up taking it home on the test drive and the dogs freaked out a little until Papa and I got out. They adjusted to it quickly and didn't even bark at it when we brought her home to stay. They've both, recently, expressed a desire to get into it, a desire I have hopefully killed with a stern NO!!! They would both fit no problem, even though they are huge dogs, but the hair from Tucker would be found for the rest of the vans natural life. No exaggeration necessary.
Tuesday afternoon after all the paperwork we got handed a pile of keys, a travel mug for me and a hat for Papa and we officially owned a Transit. Our first new vehicle E.V.E.R. It was a little overwhelming. Papa drove her out of the lot and we passed Peggy Sue, our faithful green travelall, and we both looked at her and knew it would be years, if ever, we drove her regularly again. It was a sad but exciting moment. We went for a ride to get a quote to undercoat her. Then Papa drove me back to the dealership and I got in Peggy Sue and drove her down to my folks place. Looking back I realize it was my last ride in Peggy Sue. She ran perfectly and behaved as a lady as always. Papa drove the Transit to my folks, a bit later as he had some more paperwork to finish, to show the kids and mom and dad the van and excitement ran high! We looked in all the corners of it. The kids tried out each seat and door. Papa cracked the hood and he and Grandpa peered in at the engine. Something I still haven't seen for myself, come to think of it. After while the kids and I went back in the house and Papa and Grandma and Grandpa took it for a drive. They both drove her. The plan was to do the big car seat switch out at home so when it was time to go Papa and the kids piled in the travelall. Papa had decided he wanted the last ride in Peggy Sue with his kids and I'm still kicking myself for not getting a picture. But it was windy and I was a bit worried about having to drive the Transit in the wind on my very first day in a brand new van! Papa followed me out of town, thru the worst of the windy spots and then passed me on the two lanes close to our house and parked in the yard and watched me drive in. The transit did great in the wind, I hadn't needed to worry. I pulled up near the house and the great car seat swap began almost as soon as I turned the key off. In record time we had them all in and we were heading out for a drive. Papa even took the one set of back seats out before we left.
We do assigned seating with our kids in the vehicle. There is a big with each little. We've moved a few around since that first drive but it's similar.
It felt enormous. Papa drove and we did the loop. All the kids were amazed at how much they could see out the windows. There was only one problem. She STANK. That new car smell made a few of us green, and not with envy. Poor L and I had the worst of it. Neither of us got sick but wow the stench gave us a instant headache and the drive wasn't nearly as fun as it should have been. We stopped at the local pizza place for supper and parked her in the window so we could see her. We had their breadsticks yum! That night we left the windows open in the back.
The next day we took her to the city and loaded her up. We had over $1000 in groceries including a bunch of boxes of apples/potatoes etc, a bunch of wood stuff for the stair railings, a jungle gym from Costco for the yard, two new car seats, a booster seat and we still could have easily fit all the kids without a problem. She still stank when we got back. We used my EO difuser in her several nights running, with peppermint. We left the windows open. We ate in her. Papa put a couple bags of feed in her for several days. She still smells a little but we are getting used to it I guess. Some people love that new car smell but not this crew.
Loaded up with groceries and trip stuff on our trip to Toad.
Papa has been calling her Fiona. The kids and I went to see a local schools production of Shrek and the ogre Shrek falls in love with a princess Fiona who later also turns out to be a ogre. Ogres are large and green. The van is large and green. But I don't know. I keep looking for a better name, but if nothing hits me soon she may stay Fiona. Maybe Princess Fiona. Princess Fiona reminds me of my neice A. She loved that movie as a kid. We recently watched Shrek and Shrek 2 and I think she will remain a Fiona. She's classy and large and green and not afraid of hard work and she hauls around our creative little people with style. Seems like a pretty good fit.
Here she's hauling a ton of corn (that was stacked on a pallet ans loaded with a skid steer!) and 16 bags of chick supplement and all the kids. That big black thing on top is my van bag/diaper bag. There were feed bags behind my seat too!
Fiona hauling hay home. Beautiful.
We've had her now for a couple of months and we are loving her. She drives like a dream but is a bit tricky in a lot of wind or right behind a big truck and trailer. She does this weird wobbly thing if you are right behind a big rig that makes me turn green and Papa laugh. Strangely enough we are loving the air conditioning. Papa has always hated air conditioning but either he's getting used to it or it's different somehow because we use it all the time. The kids love the sound system and I love how easy it is to use. We bought some clear totes to haul groceries in as they tend to flop around back there uncontained. Not a problem we've ever had before. She's fairly easy to keep clean as she's not carpeted and a broom does a decent job in short order. We are slowly making her ours. Papa moved the jack to a less annoying place and we have little totes under the seats for the little two guys with diapers and wipes,food pouches and toys and different colored totes for garbage under other seats. Papa has been experimenting at the car wash trying to get the nicest cleanest look without a ton of work and seems to have figured out the magic formula to keeping her looking shiny. He still wants mud flaps on the back tires so she's not muddy in the back. It's a process but we are loving it and her! It's amazing what we can haul in her and how much less vehicle stress we have now.
They say it's the little things in life and they are right. One of the things we are enjoying most about the new Transit is that everyone has their own cup holder and everyone can have their own water bottle. Oh and the tinted windows! Even on a very sunny day all the kids can still see! With a bunch of blue eyed kids this used to be a big problem! Another thing we both love is the windshield wipers...they come on all by themselves when a spot on the top gets wet. Very handy and very cool.
And that folks is the rest of the story of how we got our Transit!!
