Smartest Decision Ever

Sorry no pictures. I just wanted to write down something I've been thinking about lately so I don't forget it. When Jacob and I were car shopping for our mini van, one of the big questions we had to ask ourselves was "Do we want a DVD player in the car or not?"

Jacob convinced me the answer was absolutely not because cars without it were obviously cheaper and our kids get enough movies at home but then we started to find some that had a DVD system that looked awfully nice and tempting. I started to really think how nice and fun it would be to have one and eventually our answer turned from absolutely not to whatever it doesn't matter as long as we get a good deal. We then narrowed it down to two cars.

One was just a basic car with nothing special and the other had a DVD system, leather seats, sun roof, automatic power sliding doors and you get the idea. The problem was they were the same price. The latter just had more miles on it. Then my husband did something horrible to me and said "I don't care. You choose. Just let me know when you make a decision."

I battled that decision in my head all day. I called my parents and tried to get them to make the decision for me but they just encouraged me to be smart about it. So I took off my worldly prideful thinking cap and put on my wiser intelligent one. I decided (with the help of my mom/Jacob) that with the economy headed the way it is it might be better to get a car with less miles in case we can't afford another one for many many years. I also realized that a DVD player would be a bad idea because no matter how much I told myself it would only be used on longer drives that eventually I would get used to it being an easy solution to a stressful situation and my kids don't need TV at home and on the go. I remembered family road trips as a kid and how we talked to each other and sang songs and laughed and played; and I wanted it to be that way with my own kids. So I chose the boring car (and I think Jacob was hoping I would pick that car because he was against a DVD player from the start).

A few days after we got the car I was driving to the store when Lily started to sing Families Can Be Together Forever in the back seat. After she said "Mom I want to be a family forever. Do you want to be a family forever?" I told her yes and she said, "Do you think Dad wants to be a family forever?" I said that I knew he did and she decided that Jake probably did, too. It then hit me that so many of the precious conversations that I have with my kids happens in the car and that if they were too busy watching a movie that those precious moments would come to an end. I know this is already so long but I wanted to record another quick conversation I had with Lily tonight as we were driving to pick up Jacob.

Lily: Mom what is Christmas really all about?

Me: (shocked at her question and trying to think of a simple way of explaining it) It's about Jesus and remembering all the wonderful gifts he has given us.

Lily: Oh because Jesus died for me and then he came awake, and that's why we have the bread and water at church.

Me: That's right because he loves you.

Lily: Yep, he is my brother and I gave my tithing to him at church.

Me: Yes you did and why did you choose to do that?

Lily: So that he can build Temples and churches and help people. Can I talk to him?

Me: Yes. When we say our prayers we talk to Heavenly father and Jesus and we can feel them talk to us through the Holy Ghost. Do you remember the Holy Ghost from your nursery class lesson?

Lily: Yes.

Me: That was a great question you asked Lily.

Lily: Thanks mom.

Now back to the car story. I'm not trying to say that people who have DVD systems in their car are dumb and ruined for life I'm just saying that for me and my family not having one was the smartest decision ever.