Life By The Hay: Ragsy

My family has a tradition of naming our cars. Growing up we road around in Bubba, our suburban. My first car, Kirby, provided lots of fun memories. Sara and I were able to take Kirby to college to "share". I was able to borrow my Grandpa's car occasionally in college, and Cheerio got Jayme and I into, and out of, all sorts of fiascos. When Dave and I were first hanging out back in 2000, we drove from Provo to California for a road trip with Arianne, Mindy and Craig. We took Kirby. We stayed at my parents house. We were outside washing Kirby (my Mom has a thing for clean cars. Many memories of washing cars growing up). Anyhow, she said, "Will someone go get some rags inside?" Dave paused and said, "Rags. That is what I am going to name my car. And someday I will go from Rags to riches." Little did Dave know that he would end up marrying me, or that he would get his MBA, only to go on and do 7.5 more years of school, and it would be 12 years later until that dream was realized. We retired good old "Ragsy" as the kids called him (gender: boy, Francy-our swagger wagon: girl), in April. I love this car.

It was car Dave picked me up in for our first date. We brought all three babies home from the hospital in this car.

This car fixed itself. When there was something wrong with it, it would seriously just fix itself. Except for our two year wedding anniversary. Rags decided he wanted some TLC and needed a new transmission. So our gift to each other was a $2,000 new transmission. But other than that, and a little tune up now and again, Rags was awesome.

I have so many memories of driving around Provo in our dating days. Of Dave taking me back to my apartment late and night in the freezing cold, and Rags was so good at heating up quickly and blasting the hot air. Our newlywed days, of driving to hang out with Ryan & Heidi, or over for Sunday dinner at Anika's with Chris and Megan. Our San Francisco days, and how Rags needed 2.5 squares of sidewalk to fit into a parallel parking space. Driving to Addi's, the Marina Safeway, and all over the city for Audrey's modeling jobs.

Once we had Joshua, we got Francy, so when I think of Rags, I remember being a mom to only one sweet little girl, and my little sidekick and I went everywhere together. In Texas, Dave took Rags to school everyday. He was such a good commuter car. Until the air conditioner went out in the middle of the summer. Money was verrrry tight, so we tried to not fix it, but after Dave would come home dripping in sweat, I put my foot down and we fixed the AC. But it wasn't as bad as we thought. Good old Ragsy just needed a little charge and he was good to go.

Audrey full on shed some tears when Dave drove away with Ragsy for the last time. When we would sing the "Happy Family" song ("I love _____, and he loves me...), Joshua would make us include Rags and Francy into our song. We take these cars and they become pseudo family members. We love you Rags!

Worst picture of me in the entire universe, but this is up loading up baby Audrey in Rags and coming home from the hospital in San Francisco. 2005.

Coming home from swimming from someone's aunt's cousin's best friend's home. Finding a swimming pool was hard to do in San Francisco.

On the way to a modeling job.

Playing in the courtyard at our apartment complex. AKA, the backyard.

Baker Beach.

Coming home from Pleasanton where we bought these sunglasses at the Nordstrom half yearly for probably $7. Aunt Mimi watched Audrey for us in hopes that it would put her into labor with baby Savy. It totally worked. 2007.

On our way to Monterey to visit SuEllen and her kids. I was 9 months pregnant and had major contractions and was convinced I was going to have to deliver Joshua all by myself of the long, windy drive home. No cell service. That wasn't very smart of me.

Then we got Francy and Rags officially became Dave's car again, which explains why there are no pictures of him until the last day we had him.

Our last day with Ragsy. April 7, 2012

The summer that Dave and I met (2000), I was asked to go back to Girls Camp to be an adult leader from my home stake. I went, and they did a really cool "Tree of Life" lesson. This was my little piece of fruit from the tree at camp. I hung it on Rags that summer, and it has stayed there ever since.