It’s been several years since I have gone car shopping and it’s never been one of my favorite things to do.  I remember as a teenager going car shopping with my parents.  We were looking for my first car- a used car.  My dad had to do all sorts of research on each and every car we looked at.  Sometimes he would research a car so much that the car would end up selling and we couldn’t get it.  We mostly looked at Toyota and Honda cars.  In the end my first car was a Honda Accord.  All the research my dad did served me very well as the car lasted a very long time.  I had it until I was married to George and in the end it had tons of miles on it and we still sold it.

bout 5 years ago it was time to go car shopping again.  I really wanted another Honda- possibly a Honda Civic.  This time my car shopping was done with George and he does not like to do all sorts of research like my dad does.  I found myself being the one doing the research.  Even though it used to drive me crazy when my dad took forever researching I felt like it had to be done.  We did look briefly at some Lexus choices but in the end we decided the Lexus was too expensive for us.  We ended up getting a Honda Accord again.  I loved my first Honda and I love the Honda I have now.

How about you?  Do you like car shopping?  Do you do lots of research before making your choice?

Do you know what George has always dreamed of owning?  A boat.  Ever since I have known him, George has been talking about buying a boat.  He loves to be out on the water and would definitely live on a boat if he could.  We can not afford a boat right now- it’s just not in our budget.  But, I do hope that someday we can buy one as I know how happy it would make him.

I wouldn’t want to live on the water but I could agree to spend some nights on the boat.  We’d need to look at boat lights of course for our overnight stays.  One from Magnalight would probably be perfect.

And now I’m off to try to figure out how to make some extra money to buy that boat.

Did you know that winter is coming to an end?  I am sooooo excited that winter is almost over.  I can’t wait!  I do not like winter by this time of year, not one little bit.  But, Miss B loves snow related activities and it’s great exercise for her.  I like to encourage her to step away from the computer, the Wii and the text messaging once in a while.  So I’m thinking about looking at Burton snowboards to give her a little push to get out and enjoy being outside.  I think I would save it for a gift for next year- but this seems like a great time to buy one.

About a month ago I blogged about a family that had been involved in an accident.  The family was driving home after a visit to see some family.  On the way home the husband/father was driving.  He didn’t remember what happened but their car ended up in a deep pond.  He was able to get out without injury.  He tried to save his family but he could not.  He flagged down help and emergency workers were there soon.  But his wife and two children died.

Apparently the husband/father was under investigation.  Since he wasn’t injured I guess they wondered why he was able to escape while no one else was able to.  I don’t know the whole story or very many details at all.  But ever since that day I have thought of this man numerous times.  The whole story just broke my heart.  I know I asked myself questions after this happened.  Why his whole family?  Why couldn’t one other person have survived with him?  Why do things like this happen?

He had been staying with his parents in another state.  He recently returned home and had seemed to be doing okay.  I can’t imagine ever returning home after something like that.  I just wouldn’t be able to go back.  And apparently he was not okay, as he took his own life last week.  He was found with his Bible, a family picture and his child’s teddy bear. 

I’ve been asking more questions since then.  The Bible says that we will never be given a burden that is more than we can bear.  I think this poor man was given more than he could bear.  And of course, with suicide there are always questions of where your soul ends up.  He took a life.  But we have an understanding God.  If the poor man was just out of his mind with grief and misery, was he in his right mind and making a clear choice?  I just don’t know the answers to these questions.

He lived a Godly life.  His family was killed and he couldn’t stand the pain of missing them.  Is he in Heaven with them?