We learned that the SoDT and I can NOT go shopping together

The SoDT (Secretary of Domestic Tranquility, aka my wife) decided the other day that today she, and I, and the kids would all run to Madison to look for a new bed, run some errands, and look around for a deal on a minivan.

Mattress shopping first. Tried a bunch out. Really liked the TempurPedics the most. Tried one with the base that allows you to raise and lower the head and feet. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: "DON'T DO IT!! IT'S A TRAP!!"

It was. Loved it. We have not slept well for years. Either of us. Hopefully this will take care of it. Never thought I would drop that kind of coin on a mattress. I hope it does the trick.

Stopped and had lunch after that. Went to Cracker Barrel (right next door). You know, if you can get past the stigma of it being an old folks place, the food is actually quite good. I had meatloaf with mac and cheese, pintos, and hashbrown casserole. Other than everything needing salt, it was really quite good. SoDT had a Reuben and said it was one of the best she has had. The kids just wolfed theirs down like animals, so there's no telling how good it was.

From there it was van shopping, er... browsing. I have done a lot of research trying to determine which vehicle was going to be the best bet. We pretty much had decided on a Toyota Sienna, but didn't want to buy a new one if we could help it.

(Now I should tell you that we have three vehicles: a 98, a 99, and a 2000. The 99 is our current minivan, and is pretty much junk at 122K. It will become my "truck". The 2000 is a station wagon that my wife never really liked. It was a good deal at the time, and we needed something reliable since the van was getting bad. Now, the A/C needs work, it needed tires, and possibly some other repairs. It was time to start looking.)

Instead of driving to the biggest Toyota dealer in town (all the way across Madison) we went to a smaller one right near where we bought our mattress. We looked at the 2011 Siennas, and asked a sales guy if they had any used. They did. Three. Three used minivans. A 2004 Toyota with 140K on it, a 2008 Nissan Quest with about 26K, and a 2008 Sienna with 41K.

For some reason I was pretty sure the 2008 Sienna was the one we wanted, even before driving it.

As we looked at it the sales guy told us it was the dealership shuttle vehicle. The only owner of the vehicle had been the dealer, and it just went on the lot that morning. That's was a good thing. Parked inside every night. Spot on maintenance. Very, very clean. Clean Car-Fax, and good service records. It was an obviously well cared for vehicle.

We drove it (well, I did). Sales guy (Rudy) had me take it out on one of the freeways. Before I got to the top of the ramp, I was doing 65. Fast. Smooth. Quiet. Incredible.

After the test drive I was sold. So was the wife. Problem was we had a car to trade that we didn't think we would get much for. Saw what the blue book was and wasn't expecting much, but everything hinged on the trade in.

Well, they drove it, and while they were gone my wife (as she later told me) prayed that if they offer us $2500 as trade in, we were meant to have the van.

God is good.

We pick up the van Monday.

My wife is a pretty good manager of our money, and had enough squirreled away to pay cash for the car, but we financed it (a little over 1/2 of the purchase price) anyway. We like having that money available. I'm never confident (in this economy) that I am going to have my current job. One just never knows. And we talked about that. We trust that God will help us take care of things if something happens to my employ. And there is no job that is beneath me. My role as a Christian man is to provide for my family. And I will, no matter what I have to do.

So you see, if we had gone alone, neither of us would have made either of the purchases we made today.

Maybe I should have stayed home and cut the grass.