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It served us well for many years, but it's over. Our 2001 Suburban (now with over 351,000 miles) took us through many homeschooling years; hauling around my wife and I and our girls, their friends, swim teams, sports equipment, camp kids, and Biology specimens beyond what you can imagine. :)
We've been empty-nesters for a few years now and on several occasions have thought about selling it and perhaps buying a smaller vehicle. But, we decided to keep it until it died. It died last week.
I drive a 19 year-old Ford pick-up truck with over 200,000 miles. It's one of those great old trucks that just keeps on going. But, perhaps what I like best about it is that I don't have to worry about scratching it. Another scratch won't change the way it looks - I like that. A friend of mine has a fancy pick-up truck and rarely puts anything in the bed of the truck because he doesn't want to scratch it. That's not a real pick-up truck, is it? :)
All of this to say that we have a proclivity for older vehicles. Purchasing a 7 to 10 year old vehicle seems to be the sweet spot where you can still find one in good condition at a good price point. The key seems to be finding one that's been well cared for. So, the hunt is on.
The old Suburban certainly has many of our fond family and homeschooling memories attached to it. As my wife and I cleared our belongings from it, preparing to depart with it, we reminisced about all this car had been a part of over many years. I think homeschooling helps to build so many great family memories. We are grateful for this old car, for family, for homeschooling, and for a God who loves us and cares about all the details of our lives - scratches and all.
