Having 5 Kids Doesn't Mean You Can't Do Anything Fun

We recently did something that is, apparently, a little unconventional.  Seth sold his Hyundai Elantra sedan and got a Mazda Miata convertible.  Everyone seems to have an opinion on our decision, and he's gotten a lot of flack for selling a "practical family car" to get a two-seater.  People don't seem to understand why someone with lots of kids would have a car like this.  The main reason is because Seth has wanted a convertible since he was a kid, and although I tend to be a very practical person, I am also a big believer in going for your dreams and having a little fun when you can.  Life doesn't have to be boring!  And, really, it wasn't an "impractical" decision for us.  There really isn't anything that we can't do with the Miata that we would have done with the Hyundai.  With Seth's work schedule, and the fact that he works just a few minutes away, we could easily get by with one car (and we have!), so having a second "family car" is not necessary.  If one of us takes just a couple of the kids somewhere, we take the van - it's not worth the trouble of moving car seats, and I couldn't drive the Hyundai anyway (it was a stick shift).  Even when our van needed a repair a year ago, having Seth's car wasn't helpful because we couldn't all fit in it, so Seth rode his bike to pick up the van.  Although the Miata is a convertible, it's old, and was worth pretty much exactly what Seth's Hyundai was worth, so it was an even trade, so for us there was no good reason not to get it!  I love that I get to support Seth and his dreams - after all, that's what he does every day for me!  So, yes, having a convertible might be a bit unconventional when you have a big family, but so is having a big family, living in a small house, having chickens, getting a Master's degree and many of the other things that we do (and love)!   =)

The kids are pretty excited about Daddy's new car!