a farewell, a road trip, and a punch recipe

1. We are mourning the departure of one of the members of our family. My 2001 Volkswagen Jetta that my parents gave me in August of 2000, a couple of months after I finished high school, went to live with another sweet family. I asked TC to take pictures of my precious friend before it left. I was trying to find pictures of me with the car from the day I got it, but I couldn’t find them.

I got my Jetta after months of dreaming about it. I was so proud of that car! It drove me to my first day of college at Louisiana Tech all the way from Indiana. It drove me to South Carolina for graduate school. It drove me to my wedding in 2008 and then to the hospital to have Hudson is 2009. And we had it until Hayes was 5 weeks old.

I’m proud to say that I kept that dear car for 11 years and it only has about 105,000 miles on it. After Hudson was born, TC started driving the Jetta to work every day and I kept the SUV at home because it was easier to drive with a car seat in the SUV.

I’ll miss that car so much, but I’m happy to have moved on. Adios, Jetta aka “Muppet.”

I nicknamed the Jetta “the Muppet” the night I got it after my friend and I drove it for a couple of hours and decided that “the Muppet” was a proper nickname for it.

2. Hudson, Hayes, and I drove up to my parents’ house (with their help) on Sunday after the birthday party on Saturday. TC couldn’t come with us, but I’m so excited to get a quiet week with my folks and am so thankful they rode with us for the 12 hour trip.

The trip should have taken about 9.5-10 hours, but because we had to stop every three hours to feed Hayes, it took a bit longer. And I I am pretty sure I have carpel tunnel syndrome from holding a pacifier in Hayes’s mouth from the third row of the vehicle.

Here we are before we left the driveway!

3. Kelly hosted a Sip and See for Hillary last weekend and used a delicious punch recipe that I passed along to her from my mom. I’ve gotten a few requests to share the recipe, so here it is. It’s a pretty yellow punch and I’ve “borrowed” the picture of the punch from Kelly’s blog.

This punch is perfect for a brunch or a shower. It’s like dessert. I just can’t get enough of it if it’s available.

picture from Kelly’s Korner Blog

Ingredients

  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice
  • 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans frozen orange juice concentrate
  • 1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 liters ginger ale

Directions

  1. In a blender, combine bananas, sugar and 3 cups water. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and stir in pineapple juice. Blend in orange juice concentrate, lemonade concentrate and 3 cups water. Divide into 3 plastic containers and freeze until solid.
  2. Remove from freezer 3 to 4 hours before serving. Using one portion at a time, place slush in a punch bowl and pour in 1 liter of ginger ale for each.
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Comments

  1. says

    Hayes little Pacifier (or ‘dummy’ as we call them in Aus) is attached to a little monkey toy.. I like it, does it lessen the chance of it falling out of his mouth? Talk to me… 🙂 Also, where did you get it?

  2. angie says

    I had a 2001 Honda Civic that was my first “new” car. I kept it until 2009 and actually my dad bought it from me so he could have a gas friendly car for his hour commute to Baltimore everyday. So, she may be gone, but is still around. I will admit, if my parents stop by my house and have the Civic…and for whatever reason, if I have to move or drive it, It feels so different (as if I have never driven it before).

  3. says

    Your boys are just so cute! I’m glad the long drive went well. I’m so impressed that you kept your car for so long. I have had several cars in my (relatively) short life as a driver, and my goal now is to keep my 6 year old car (I’ve only had it for 4 years) until it dies on the side of the road. Life without a car payment sound like fun to me 🙂 And, I’m officially old after this comment!

  4. says

    First off the punch sounds yummy. I’ll have to try it out. Secondly, I’d be sad to see my car go too. I had the car my parents bought me at the end of highschool for 5 years, but it was a 2-door Grand Am and became less and less practical after we got married. Still it was hard to let go. It drove me to both my high school and college graduations, it drove me back and forth on many trips to see my boyfriend (now husband), it drove me to my wedding, and my first day as a teacher. I completely get it being hard to let go.

  5. says

    oh, sweet car memories!!!! Brent still drives the car I got the day I turned 16. A Honda Accord coupe! That won’t last much longer.

    Glad the trip went well! I’m not sure if I know where your parents moved?!

    I need to try that punch! YUM!

  6. says

    I have similar feelings for the Corolla that I bought after I graduated from grad school! I’m already dreading the day when I have to part with it (which will hopefully be far in the future!).

    Have a wonderful, restful week with your parents and your two sweet boys 🙂

  7. says

    This is such a timely post because my husband and I are just about to sell his 2000 VW Passat. His is silver and looks a lot like your Jetta! And what a yummy sounding punch recipe. I’m hosting a bridal shower in a few months, so I might have to give this a try!

  8. says

    I had a 2001 Jetta too and the day I had to give it up broke my heart. Despite the NONSTOP trips to get it fixed I loved her dearly. Her name Victoria and on days when she was acting up or out of gas I called her Vikki. Ha!

  9. says

    How cute and cozy do y’all look in the new ride?!

    I didn’t realize the Jetta was silver. So is the Bug. Guess it’s about time I say goodbye to my VW huh?!? Though it’s real fun to make the mister drive around in that thing 😉

  10. says

    I also used to drive a 2001 Jetta! I loooved that car.

    Also, funny: Bill got a new car last night and he was so sad to say goodbye to his old car. It was the first “nice” thing he bought himself when he got his job. Last night before we went to bed he whispered, “I took a picture of my car before we left the dealership.” SO CUTE.

  11. says

    You look awfully cute for a long road trip! You should see me when I go on a road trip. HOT MESS. The boys look precious as usual!!! And you know I cried when I said goodbye to my Honda. Lots of fun memories in that little car. We are normal! 🙂

  12. says

    Look at you & your boys! So cute. 🙂 That punch sounds super refreshing, I’m definitely printing that out. And my first car was a white volvo sedan named “Chico” that had a built in carseat that folded out of the back. Perfect for a 16 year old babysitter.

  13. says

    I am still driving my 2001 Jetta that I just adore. Her name is Vera. She’s slowly on her way out, but still puttering along! We’re going to keep her until her wheels LITERALLY fall off.

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