Our Own Kind of "Class"

Jake, Claire, Madison, Kailey, Emery and Shelby

Summer is officially over. The kids started back to school yesterday. They looked great in their Sutton Park uniforms and enjoyed a good first day back. It was only a half day- so they are easing into the routine. We are thankful that our children are going to a great school. Sutton Park School is a private school that is accredited in Europe as well as the Northeastern U.S. We are thankful also to live in a great neighborhood.

We live in a subdivision called Drumnigh Wood. The homes are lovely, the people are great and there are loads of friends for the kids to play with. Most of the cars that our neighbors drive are very nice and expensive. Our neighbors on one side have a Mercedes and a Volvo. Our neighbors on the other side have a Porsche. This is typical. We are NOT. Danny drives a 2000 Renault, Laguna. It's a small, gas efficient car and the price was right. My car is a 1997 Nissan Homy Elgrand. You may not recognize the name- no one else here does either.

This is what our Homy looks like (it just isn't as sparkling clean)...

We got the Homy at "Jap Imports" (political correctness isn't such a big thing in Ireland). The Homy was one of the few 8 seaters that we could find- and again- the price was right. Well, our children have been driven around in the Homy for almost 2 years and they don't cringe or try to hide nearly as much as they used to. They do enjoy some of the Homy's perks- how many people do you know who let their children get in and out of the car via the boot (trunk)? Jake, Shelby and Claire love it.

However, we had this quality vehicle in the garage last week and they haven't been able to get parts for it quite yet. Thankfully, it will start (this is an improvement- the kids and I had to get a taxi to go to church- hence a trip to the garage) but it needs a lot of encouragement. Picture if you will, this lovely area we live in and then try to see what we add to the neighborhood. I hop in the car and start pumping the pedal, then turn on the ignition. After a few seconds- it roars to life along with a huge cloud of smelly black smoke. Classy...

Now add to this, a bit more personality. I watched my sweet husband pull out of our driveway with most of our kids and a couple of their friends as they went to see a movie last weekend. I enjoyed hearing the car start and saw the smoke. Then I noticed that the passenger sliding door was still open. After he turned into the street, he hit the brakes suddenly- and the door magically closed! (The kids thought it was great.) I just had to shake my head. To quote Danny's Aunt Lisa, "Who says we ain't got no class?"