The Search for a Mothership

Casey and I have been battling back and forth over what type of vehicle we'd need for our expanding family. I was hoping that a Tahoe would be enough room, however after looking at vehicles and baby items we realized we would need something larger. I decided that a mini-van would be the best solution and Casey was being stubborn and saying a Suburban would be the best choice.
I have spent many hours researching SUVs and minivans on the Internet, so I decided I needed to began seeing the cars I was interested in person. Occasionally I'd stop by a dealership on the way home to check out the selection and look at seating and cargo space. It wasn't long before a Suburban became the clear winner.
We had agreed prior to starting our search that we did not want to take on another car payment. My Accord was paid off and Casey's truck will be paid off in less than 18 months. Earlier this year (well before starting IVF) we enrolled in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and had decided that debt free is the only way to live. Since financing was not an option we were willing to do for our new car, an even bigger obstacle would be price.
Last Saturday I was convinced I had found our new "grocery go-getter". It was a great Suburban with reasonable miles and a price that we could work with. I told Casey about the truck and we went to look at it Monday evening, he agreed it was nice and wanted to proceed. Tuesday we got the bed rest-curve ball, so that put us out of commission until yesterday. I went to the dealership after speaking with our salesman on the phone Thursday, to take the Suburban to a family friend that's a mechanic to have everything checked out. Of course wouldn't you know that our salesman was off on Friday and it was so sold by another person....so typical!!!
I went to tell Casey the news in person at the fire station and he was just as disappointed as I was. While I was there we started looking on the Internet specifically for used Suburbans and after awhile we hit the jackpot. Another family friend is the head of sales for a dealership in a town about 40 miles away. I had put off calling John due to the distance and travel involved, but once we saw the most perfect Suburban on his website, I immediately called him to say we were interested and I was headed his way. This Suburban was even better looking in person and super clean and fully loaded. After the test drive and talking to John I was sold. I asked to keep the Suburban until Monday night so that I could let Casey see it and drive it a bit more. I think this one is going to be a keeper. Casey was very impressed and so were all the guys at the station - I'm thinking I could be a professional car shopper! Casey will be bringing home the truck tonight and I'll return it to the dealership Monday night after work. At this point, I think I may be saying good bye to my beloved Accord (Black Betty) and returning home with our new family ride....the Mothership!