Well, it’s official…

We need a new minivan.

Our loyal Honda Odyssey, which is 20 years old, needs a new transmission.  And that costs more than the car is currently worth.  Which means it would really be smarter to just get a new minivan.

Easier said than done, because there really are only two reliable minivan models out there that we are considering – the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna.  And yes, I know I’m driving a 20 year old vehicle, but does every single car I test drive need to feel like it’s a computer on wheels???

Car shopping at the best of times is tedious.  Car shopping on the clock is worse.

While we were missing some faces, we did manage to throw Tad a pretty respectable backyard BBQ birthday party this weekend!

The cousins always enjoy getting together and eating their weight in potato chips.  And I bought strawberry lemonade, which made Tad happy. [more]

We finally got away for a date night (in honor of our anniversary) – and we ATE AT A RESTAURANT.

Amazing!

And yes, I will eat this key lime cheesecake with kiwi and mint garnish, thank you very much.

Too bad the Mariners decided to play a bad game.  We had a perfect view of the TV at the restaurant.

An outdoor movie night for a birthday party?

In this day and age, Tad was thrilled!

We kept the guest list small – so just Danny, Lane, and George came over – and had pizza in the backyard, while watching “Return of the Jedi” (Tad’s choice) on the big screen.

And we all stayed outside, and distanced, and stuffed our faces with popcorn, root beer floats, and pizza.

The kids were just happy to be together in person.

It was the best birthday party of 2020 – so far!