Courageous Joy

Summer Routine –

We’ve sort of gotten into a summer routine – a stride – and so it seems boring to say “this is what we did” day after day…thus the “this is what I’m thinking” posts earlier in the day. {G}

I had thought I’d take my bike tire to Concho Bikes today – but I got side tracked. Adrienne called and suggested we meet her and her kids at the park at 9:30 a.m. We did. We spent a couple of hours enjoying the “cool” morning at the park. We went our separate ways for lunch. We met again at China Beach at 1 p.m. Jared was starting to think that he was jinxed with China Beach since every time he is with us we DON’T SWIM! The first time they were closed before we got there. The second time I forgot the pool passes. The third time they shut it down for storms. This is the pool right on base. The kids spent quite a bit of time at it while we were in TLF’s. I assured him that they WERE open today, it wasn’t storming and we’d be fine. We headed out.

I had to stop and get another pass for the Expedition to be on base. I was sure I’d have the van back by Friday and so had them make the pass through the 4th – yesterday. Keep in mind that I’ve already gotten *3* passes for this vehicle. The gentlemen in there today discovered that the vehicle registration I’d been given at the dealership expired in MARCH. There was no way he would give me a pass. When he left, the women, who know me by now, came out with me to the car…noted the current registration tags and said they’d write it based on that. BUT they also noted the vehicle inspection pass EXPIRED in June! ARGH. They said there is a 5 day grace period and decided to let us on base today. However, I can’t drive the Expedition ANYWHERE with the expired inspection tags….and who does the dealer think is going to pay for this? I wonder who will pay if I get a ticket for driving without insurance (which I had them fax me because they forgot to give it to me) or driving with an expired tag? We’ve still not heard a word from them. I checked the TX Lemon laws and since we’ve had the van in for the same problem FIVE TIMES (hadn’t realized it had been so many times) in the 8 months since we bought the van (the requirement is 2 times in 12 months) and since we’ve had it in the shop for 30 days in those 8 months (the requirement is 24 days) we qualify. It stopping isn’t a “serious safety issue” BUT it certainly would qualify as “impairing the operation of the vehicle.” We think we are going to talk to the dealer and tell him that FORD owes us either a fix, a new van, or our money back. This van is still under warranty….I’m tired of taking 4 hours a week to drive out and back and then go back to get the van and back home again.

ANYWAY – we got into China Beach after 30 minutes at the visitor center. We had a fun time. Jared and I reminisced of how Bre and Krista would take them to the pool last summer…how huge I was at 8 months pregnant and our first week in TX…..and then we saw the lifeguard that kicked Zander out of the pool a year ago for throwing rocks at a spider on a tree. {sigh} Today she was telling him he couldn’t go in the “deep” end without me. The deep end is 4 feet tall – and he can touch. We all had fun anyway.

We came home….I made Chicken Quesadillas for dinner. I read two chapters out of *The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe* to the kids. It’s amazing how small our family reading circle has become with the 4 older ones gallivanting around the states and Mike working late. Mike is still at work.

Jared took some pictures – I’ll check them out and upload a couple.