Summer of Discovery-Weeks Seven & Eight

I spent most of weeks seven and eight discovering how much work it is to prepare for a vacation with five "nestlings" for the first time.

Since we're driving to Mexico and our battery had been acting up in our minivan we had to replace it. In the process of getting the battery changed I discovered our tires had little to no tread and thought it might not be a good idea to drive thirty hours or more on bald tires so I discovered how many different brands of tires there are (a lot) and how hard it is to decide which ones were the best to buy.
Then to top it all off I was on a search for used cross bars and car top carrier so we'd have enough room for all our luggage.
Before we even left we had spent our whole vacation budget getting ready to go...yeah...I know...not the best way to start a vacation.
Since I'm feeling poor, do you think my neighbors would mind
a jar of Mexican seashells for Christmas this year?
They'd be from a beautiful beach in Mexico....that's gotta count for something, right?
Amidst all the packing and car issues I did manage to sneak away to Home Goods the day it opened. I found this great little bell to hang in my kitchen,
which will hopefully help call everyone to dinner.
It's really loud.

Next up...pictures from the beach...if we survive the drive.