Van Issues

Sometimes I think that anyone who doesn't know me in real life probably thinks I make up half the stories that I tell on the blog. The interesting part is that I don't even tell half of what I could. Our life truly doesn't have many dull moments. As I've said before, I think I must prefer it that way because when life gets to mundane, I just add in something challenging. I haven't done that for a while either so I must be challenged enough right now!


For the past few weeks, I've had issues with my van. We can't seem to keep a working door. Last summer I had to replace a handle that the kids ripped off the rear driver's side. It was expensive but necessary. A few months ago, Zeke got mad and pulled the door handle off the rear passenger side. I left it off and wasn't overly concerned because I could still use the electric button on the inside to open and close the door, plus we still had a working door on the rear driver's side.


Then a few weeks ago, one of the kids (no one will fess up) slammed that door and messed up the catch, which made it impossible to close completely. Steve rigged it closed but then a few days later, Taylor tried to open it again and we couldn't get it shut. Envision me telling Riley sit next to that door, buckle up tightly and hang on to the door all the way home to keep it closed. It was a stressful ride back across town.


The final straw was two weeks ago when Riley tried to use the button to open the sliding door on the other side and the cable completely snapped! So for the last two weeks, Zeke got to sit in the front passenger seat because his legs don't allow him to get in and out very easily. The other kids had to crawl in and out through the rear hatch. Rednecks-R-Us! We had to look like some sort of weird version of a clown car. I drive up, jump out, walk to the back, throw open the trunk and then kids just keep tumbling out one after another!


Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse............We were already down to no working rear doors and then because the van's computer registered that the door wasn't completely closed, there was an incessant beeping reminding me to close the door.  My sister and I drove all the way to Sioux Falls that way. Not even kidding.


Sometimes I think I should just be content with the problems I have instead of complaining. I forget that it can always get worse. I should've just been thankful for a working van even if it had no working doors and beeped insanely.


Since the rear door was technically"open" the lights would stay on and so by the next morning my van wouldn't start at all. Remember Brittney's car blew up a few months ago so now without the van, we were down to just one vehicle.


The good news is that my dad came one day and put a charger on the van so I could drive it. Then yesterday I finally took it in to Mr. V's. Gotta love Chad!!! I told them the door issues and said we just wanted one door fixed, which ever one is cheapest. Having multiple doors is overrated anyway ;-)


It was going to be over a thousand bucks to replace the cable but they could repair the other door fairly easily. Under thirty bucks. Plus, they washed all the mud off and then nicely took out the fuse that was responsible for the beeping!