Volks Folks: Volks Folks?!?

So I changed my blog name. I wanted to start blogging about our family happenings and really just our life in general but at the same time didn't want to completely start over. Luckily, blogger allows you to change your blog name and address. Woohoo!

My children are the funniest kids ever, my husband is a blessing to me (most of the time) and I wanted to have a place to be able to come back to. A place to read fond memories when Derrick & I are old and gray. I so wish that I had done this when Alex was born. I’m not even sure if there were blogs in 2003 or not? Gosh, that was only 9 years ago but it makes me feel SO old. I should have taken it up a lot sooner than now but it’s kind of like that tree you hate to plant because it’s so tiny and it would take YEARS to grow.

Now coming up with a family blog name is a tough business. Thank God I don’t make my living that way. I’ll be sticking with Finance. I bet I have spent (wastefully) a good solid week trying to think of a name fitting for our family. I got me a piece of paper and started writing down things that I thought related well to our crew. Some of the choices that I considered were: LaughLines (I LOVE to laugh and hope that I am instilling that in my children, MixedNuts (hahaha but we really are crazy. It runs in the family on BOTH sides), WeareTHATfamily (you know the one), Making Lemonade (Life is tough. Like super tough. But you have to chose how you handle it. We chose to make lemonade with the lemons we are dealt) and MischiefManaged (if you read my Facebook statuses, they’re mostly about my children and their quirky sayings and mischievous ways.

Volks Folks? It rhymes and all but WHAT. IN. THE. WORLD? Let me introduce you to my charmingly handsome husband: Derrick.

Cute isn’t he?! Quit lustin’ over my man. Focus. Back to the story….

Shortly after we got married, Derrick was introduced to the Volkswagen world. And he has been all things VW ever since. The vintage VWs are our favorites. If you’ve never had a chance to see a variety of them in person, I urge you to do so. The newer VWs are ok but there is just something about vintage VWs. Volkswagen has THE coolest ads, a HUGE fan base and unique vehicles. Derrick had a friend who sold him his 1985 VW Vanagon. Now, this van was not a looker by any means. I think the back windshield was actually busted out. But he was proud to own his first older VW. And I LOVED driving this van. I had to drive it several days to work while Derrick drove my car when he was working out of town. Shortly afterwards, we bought a 2002 VW Beetle. It was a straight shift (first one I had ever owned) and you wanna talk about fun? I so miss my Beetle! We have not bought any other brand car in the past 10 years. His prize possession came in November of 2007. He bought a 1987 VW Vanagon Camper. This van, which he named “Happy” is the center of his world. I’m his 2^nd wife. She is his first (yes he refers to her as a “her”). He takes good care of her and even talks to her. Yes, I’m a bit jealous. And he knows it.

We do a lot of camping in Happy so the name of “Happy Campers” fit well. We all love Happy. Marlie loves to play in Happy and looks forward to rides with her daddy. Alex is in 3^rd grade and by now should be embarrassed to have to ride in such an old “clunker” and completely freak out if he had to get out of “that thing” in front of his classmates. I know it embarrassed me when I was dropped off at school in one of my Mom’s old boats or that dreadful brown rust-colored Nova. Rant over. Alex’s chest pokes out when he sees his Dad pull up to get him at school. Makes me proud!

Hope you enjoy these pictures of our times with Happy!