My new grown-up car...

Because of Fluffy, the trip to Dallas last week was tough. I was obviously heartbroken, and it was difficult to focus on everything I had to get done while I was there. But we're planning on moving on September 25, so I knew I was just going to have to buckle down and get it all done.

So Daddy and I went car shopping on Friday afternoon. I knew what I had in mind, and we went to a dealership to look at a particular car. I test-drove it and loved it, and as we walked back into the dealership I had every intention of buying it. But as we went to sit down and wait for the manager to come over and talk with us, we saw a guy grab the keys from the salesman, get into "my" car, and drive away!

We were so confused, and the manager finally came out and explained that the guy had also been interested in buying the car, though he had originally been looking at a different car, and he was driving it home so his wife could see it. The car had been sitting on the lot for 100 days, but the dealership had dropped the price by $3,000 the day before, and I guess that guy spotted a great opportunity just like we had.

But my competitive instinct kicked in, and I told the manager that I was prepared to buy the car right then and there. When he called the guy back, he offered to pay $1,000 more than their asking price, and I accepted defeat.

Funny enough, we ended up looking at the car the other guy had originally been interested in, and I fell in love. It was a year older (with the same body style), with just a few thousand more miles on it, and it was just as clean. It was also $5,000 cheaper.

So I bought it!

In my name, on my own credit, and it felt incredible! I can honestly say that, in that moment, I felt more like a grown-up than I've ever felt before.

So here's a picture of my new, grown-up car.

It's a 2006 Lexus GX470. It's hard to see in pictures, but it's a full-size SUV, about the size of a Ford Explorer.

(Pardon my messy garage in the background. And my reflection on the car. What is that called, Lauren? Catch lights? )

It seats seven, though I'll probably keep the third-row seats folded up most of the time. It has a sunroof, which I love. And it's all-wheel drive all the time, which doesn't lend itself to great gas mileage, but it will be nice when it rains. It has all of these off-road settings and features, and as I was test-driving it, I kept asking myself: Who goes mudding in a Lexus? But I digress...

Here's the inside.

I'm strangely in love with the steering wheel. The wood grain is ridiculously smooth, and it feels wonderful! :) And I'm happy to finally have something with (1) heated seats and (2) a working cruise control.

So, anyway... I just wanted to share my new purchase with you! And that's one more thing I can scratch off my to-do list. We're also pretty certain we've found a place to live, though I'll wait and share more when I'm sure. My next task is to figure out what in the world to do with this house! If only there were more hours in the day...