Remember when I was a practical mother of three?

Remember when I was a practical mother of three last summer? If you don’t…you can revisit this post when Nathan and I justified why we needed a minivan instead of a gas guzzling SUV. It was the most practical car buying decision we had ever made. 

Until this arrived. It is a second year in a row of big snow on the prairie.

And this is our driveway. Suddenly a minivan that is practical 95% of the time is NOT when you cannot make it up your driveway. 

Unless of course you park this Bobcat in your garage and drive that around town when your minivan cannot cut through the snow.

Riding in the Bobcat to get to Nana’s house, church, the grocery store or daycare sounded like a fine idea to Elizabeth. But it makes for a real long commute for me to the airport. 

And so it was. After six months with life as a minivan family or the Odyssey as Nathan like to call her, Nathan could not live with the thought of me being stuck in a snow bank on the prairie, in a van without four wheel drive to blast my way out the snow. 

Late last week, I was attempting to wrap up a my work day and while still on the phone I motioned to Hunter to move towards the garage so we could get going to pick up the girls from Nana’s.

Hunter moved slowly to the door. I was still talking on the phone. Hunter stepped into the garage and hollered “SWWWEETTT! Mom!” I explained what was transpiring to my colleague and quickly got off the phone.

The white van had been taken away and replaced with white gas guzzling but powerful snow blasting SUV. It helps that my husband loves vehicles, researching, finding out on the details and specs on them and took it upon himself to find us a local deal. I literally did nothing other than agree that I liked it, would drive it and not complain. And so we welcomed our newest ride, Cherry, to the prairie. 

Nathan told me the new (to us but used) Nissan was “cherry” which I guess in guy car terms equates to “has many awesome features that I love”. Not the color of the vehicle. Hmm I thought it was white? Nathan looked at me like I was the most blonde woman he had ever known. Elizabeth heard that “cherry” statement and has proudly titled it “Mommy’s new cherry van!”

It is gas guzzling. It is not as efficient when it comes to carting kids around or have as much wonderful space as a Honda Odyssey van. However for our family it is most practical. Living on the prairie has quickly taught us what may be practical in August is not always practical in February. We are 80, 90, 100 or 180 miles to wherever we are going…almost always. And in this insistence the snow beats the economics in terms of practicality. You can save on gas, save on buying a less expensive vehicle, save, save, save all you want.  But when you are driving through snowdrifts with your family in your vehicle, you need power. Power to blast through snow drifts and safely arrive home with out using a shovel and/or tow rope. Sorry Honda Odyssey you just have no blasting ability no matter how practical you are. 

The funniest part of the story? I will miss the Honda Odyssey. Never in a million years did I think I would make that statement. I am a changed woman.