Ode to a Dog

I regret to inform the rest of the world that our 15-passenger van, Clifford, will be with us no longer.  He died and we are choosing to not seek outside medical help to bring him back to life.  I'm not sure if he signed a DNR before he left us but my parents are just going to assume he did.

Clifford was a great van for us.  We got him back in 2001 (?) when our family expanded to five children.  My parents had the choice between a gray or red one and we obviously chose red.  We were the only large, red van in Green Bay so everyone that saw our van somewhere knew our business.

First picture I could find of him.

Clifford has caused us some problems in his life but I guess that's what happens when you become a member of a family.  On our way back from our big family vacation to Idaho and Utah, his transmission died in Idaho Falls, ID and we were towed to Blackfoot, ID.  Very long story short, we were stranded in Blackfoot for an entire week waiting for him to get fixed.

Getting Towed

Our family stranded in Blackfoot.  At least there's a park there....

 He's hauled us to Utah, Idaho, Wisconsin, Ohio, North Carolina, Niagara Falls, Georgia, and numerous other places.  He's been on high adventure, to girls camp, on a 50 mile bike ride (as the medic, of course), and to Seminary and back a hundred times.  Kings, Queens, Presidents and Prophets have ridden on his noble seats (well maybe future ones...).  When gas was enormously expensive a few years back, the pump wouldn't let us fill the whole tank because it cost over $100.

In Green Bay, about to move to Ohio.

Our family with a couple who's name was Clifford.  They wanted a picture with our license plate...duh.

I loved driving him because he made me feel powerful!  I was five heads above everyone else on the highway except the semi-truck drivers.  When the bigger car got the right-of-way it was always me.  We would turn heads, he and I, because we're just that cool.  Once I backed into a parking spot in Wal*Mart and the guy whose truck was next to me came back and inspected his truck because he thought I hit it.  Idiot.