We are now the official owners of... My Car!

Yeah! So after almost five years of being tied down to Fidelity Bank, my wonderful Corolla is officially paid off :) And after an unnecessary trip to the DMV this weekend to obtain the title (turns out the title was already in my name, and should have been sent to me by Fidelity) We can now officially call it ours :) Though theoretically its been ours since early June when that final check cleared, having the title in hand makes it all that much better. And of course since cars are known for needing major repairs soon after being paid off, we have already replaced the Serpentine Belt and the Wheel Rotors. The brakes (both front and rear) will be the next big job within the year. And remember what happened to my old car only a few months after it was paid for? Ouch- we certainly don't want that happening again!




So while we are no longer sending those payments to Fidelity, we are certainly still paying for the car. Kevin's gas guzzling SUV will be officially paid off in another month or two at most, which will add even more to the excitement. And since the 4-Runner does nothing but sit in the garage anyway (Thank You Government Car!) as soon as that title is in our hands, we will be looking for someone to take that gas guzzler off our hands... so if you are interested.... just putting it out there :)

After the trip to the DMV we took Matthew to the Stay and Play. Kevin rarely, if ever, gets to come to all these fun places as they usually occur during the week at play-dates. So, since this place is right near the DMV, we took the opportunity. It was a blast- it was great for Kevin to get the chance to see Matthew interact with other kids, and with different play equipment. Plus- anything to get out of the 90-something degree heat is a bonus. (Just a side note- when we got in the car at 8:15 this morning, it was already 82 degrees... ugh)


An update on our garden:

Though- have I ever posted anything else about our garden? I don't know- but I meant to. A few weeks ago we were worried that our lovely veggies were not going to make it through the summer as they were being deliciously enjoyed by a variety of beetles. Well, thanks to those lovely beetle bags that cost only a few bucks, our garden is looking better than ever! I do feel slightly guilty about the fact that the beetles essentially roast to their demise in the hot plastic bag, but I guess since they were eating our veggies...

This year we are growing:
Tomatoes (5 varieties)
Peppers: Green Bell, Red Bell, Jalapeno, Sweet, and Chile
Squash: Zucchini and Yellow
Japanese Eggplant
Cucumber
Lettuce
Green Beans and String Beans (though I think despite the different seeds- they seem to be the same thing)
We attempted Spinach and Snap Peas, but neither took :(

I never thought I would love growing a vegetable garden, but it really has become one of my favorite things. Matthew loves helping, he loves watering the plants, he loves pulling weeds, and he loves taking a little taste of everything I put into the basket. (And really who can resist a fresh from the vine tomato? yumm!) I can not wait for future years when Matthew can come shopping with us and say "gee mom, I'd really to try growing a (insert veggie/fruit of choice here) plant. There is something so wonderful about growing this garden, feeding my family healthy foods, and teaching our son all about how things grow, and why it is important to grow our own veggies. Who knew that a few simple veggies could bring so much enjoyment and really be our favorite family activity?