Happy Jeep Anniversary, Haylie!

Many of you who have followed me for some time now know that my enthusiasm for the Mopar brand is passionately rooted in family. The very first magazine article ever written about me was titled "A Family Affair," an accurate summation of how my Miss Mopar page came to be. The day I parked my pre-restored Dodge in between my dads Chrysler 300 and Dodge Challenger far out signifies the day I finished the resto or the day I won my first trophy. Why? Because it's about family. It's about sitting around a cooler behind your car on sweaty summer afternoons at car shows...with your family. It's about late nights in the garage trying to meet a deadline, cursing misplaced tools or bolts...with your family. It's about winning that trophy, collecting it from the car show chairmen, and turning to see the proud faces and applauding hands...of your family. 

My youngest sister is eight years younger than me. When our mom passed away, she was thirteen years old, and though I would never compare myself to the role our wonderful mother played in our lives...I felt obliged to try to be the best role model possible for her. I packed her school lunches, went to back to school nights, and ever took her for her drivers exam. I stood behind the shades in the DMV and held back tears at the sight of her disappointment when she failed the first time. I jumped up and down on the snowy sidewalk when she passed. Moral of the story- I'm far more invested in my baby sister than most others would be. That's what makes this blog post so important. 

One year ago today, after my dad got off work, my baby sister headed to a town not far where we picked up the Power Wagon to look at a 2000 Jeep Cherokee for sale. She had wanted one for a while and after a few failed excursions to find the perfect Jeep, I was hopeful that this attempt would be the last. Shortly after I got home from work, my sister, in all her glory, drove up the drive way in a junky old Jeep Cherokee. The window was being held up by a block of wood, the visor was missing, and a bad wrist pin seemed to tap in unison to oil splashing on the snowy driveway. Some probably wondered why she picked this Jeep but why she picked it didn't matter. What mattered was that it was hers. 

In the last year, Haylie worked hard to begin the process of transforming her Cherokee into the Jeep she had always dreamed off. She painted the bumpers and the wheels, added a bit of a lift, and customized the rear glass with decals representing her favorite bands and hobbies. Of course, my dad and uncle worked hard to get it mechanically sound. What was once a junky Craigslist find is now a Jeep that I am proud to park beside in our driveway. 

Watching Haylie's dedication and passion for her Jeep evolve has been heart warming. I assure you all that there is not a cleaner Cherokee this side of the Atlantic. I'm faithful that her automotive love will some day yield one hell of a restoration...maybe even on a Dodge Demon, her Mopar of choice. Just this fall, Haylie's growing enthusiasm for the car culture was recognized at a car show when she received the award for "Most Potential," an award that I had won just three years earlier with The Little Black Dress. The pride that I felt watching her collect her trophy just proved all over again that this hobby really is a family affair. I feel blessed to have a baby sister that I can share my passion with. 

That said- Haylie, I wish you and "Charley" The Cherokee a very happy first anniversary. May you travel many more miles together! I love you both!!