pretty pretty prius

Right after Brandon and I got married we bought our first car together! It was a 1997 Isuzu Rodeo and we were in love with it! Sure it wasn't brand new but it was new to us and it was our first purchase as Mr. and Mrs. Most importantly, it had electronic locks! WooHoo! Anyway, fast forward to 2010 and that same old Rodeo was still a member of our family. I drove it the entire time we lived in Ponca City, while Brandon rode his motorcycle to work, and then when we moved to Mustang (and Brandon's commute increased from 3 blocks to 30 miles one way...) we HAD to purchase another vehicle. I mean, I call what Brandon drove a "motorcycle" but really it was a circa 1970's moped-ish thing that I mistook for the weedeater on many occasion when Brandon started the engine! HA! So, it goes without saying that a 60 mile roundtrip commute wasn't happening on it. Anyway, long story longer, we bought our mini van two years ago and Brandon has been driving the good ol' Rodeo ever since. Well, let's just say that the long commute 5 days a week plus weekend driving has taken it's toll on our old friend. We have sunk money into her with a repair here and a repair there and then the unthinkable happened...this summer Brandon's air conditioner went out! Ugh! Brandon has spent the entire summer (in Oklahoma temps reach 110!) with no A/C! Brandon and I had just talked, yet again, about getting him a better car last week and we had come to the conclusion that he would try to make it through the winter with the Rodeo. Then...in a miserable turn of events...I...HAD...TO...DRIVE...THE...RODEO!!! I had a doctor's appointment and Brandon had to pick the boys up from school so he drove the van and I drove the Rodeo. Oh my! There's no words the describe the misery! No A/C, no power steering, a huge crack in the windshield, EVERY light on the dashboard blinking at me...sigh! When I got home from the doctor I walked through the door and announced "We are looking at cars tomorrow!" And so we did!

Welcome our new 2006 Toyota Prius Hybrid to the Knight family! I was excited for Brandon to finally have something reliable and nice to drive everyday and also something that will cool down in the summer and heat up in the winter! (It's the small things in life, right!?) I was also very excited to learn that since this new little car is a hybrid what we are saving in gas, versus the amount of gas the Rodeo guzzled, makes over half of our car payment! YIPEEEE! Who wouldn't be excited about that!?!?
If you can't tell...Brandon is excited!! Yes...this IS his excited face!! HA!!

Our first family ride around the block in the new car...

Whoa! I didn't know it had a rearview camera when you put the car in reverse! Fancy!

OK...so I made Brandon take this picture and he laughed at me. Oh well! I think it's cool!

Anyway, even though we're not all that excited for two car payments (yuck!) we are both excited with our new addition! I did make Brandon promise, however, that he would keep his new car clean. No coke cans on the floor, stuck on sticky mess on the center console or piles of work receipts in the backseat. We'll see how that works out! It was sort of sad to say goodbye to our Rodeo, I have to say. She gave us 9 good years, half of those with no car payment! And saddest of all, the CD player that was installed in the Rodeo was a gift from Brandon to me for my 16th birthday! When I turned 16 I put it in my first car and then when I traded that in I took the CD player out and have had it in all my cars since. R.I.P. loyal Rodeo, R.I.P.