Bluebonnet Babes

Tonight was our annual bluebonnet picture night. The day was just gorgeous and perfect weather for an outing to the park. We went over to Whitehall park about 7:00 and got it done.
It's always an adventure getting four kids dressed in something clean and happy to take pictures. This year went better than most. I guess the older the kids get, the happier they are. I wish the same went for Daddy. He's not always a good sport about going out... even just to help. I think he hates it as much as they do, but since Kate was born, I have a picture every year in the Texas Bluebonnets, and this year will be no different.

Lucky Jeans...lucky me!

Nothing like St. Patty's Day to bring luck and fortune :) ! Here's my lucky story for today..

This morning I was loading my car with armloads of clothes to take the the Care Center at Highland. As I was filling the back end of my car with both mine and my kids clothes, I was contemplating taking all of them to the resale shop instead of giving them to the needy. I was going over in my head what I could probably get for them, and what I would do with the money. They were for the most part, name brand clothes. But, then I was thinking about how they would be a blessing to someone who couldnt afford to shop even at the resale stores. I was remembering stories Chad has told me about the folks that frequent the Care Center, and I didn't give the resale shop another thought. The clothes were given and I was going on with my day happily.

An hour or so later I had just about 45 minutes to spend doing something I wanted until I had to pick up Clayton from Mother's Day Out, so as usual, the mall seemed the perfect place to spend my extra time. I wandered through JC Penney with my coupon in hand not needing a thing, but looking just because I could.

I wandered to a sale rack of jeans. 19.99. I remembered that my friend had told me about a favorite brand of jeans she liked from Penney's, so I ran across some and picked them up to try on. Right next to them was a pair of LUCKY BRAND jeans. They just happened to be my size, so I took them in the dressing room with the others... honestly, just because they looked comfy. I'm completely unfamiliar with LUCKY brand.

The JC Penney jeans were great.. but the zipper was broken.. DARN. The LUCKY jeans were a perfect fit and so comfy, but I noticed they did not have a price on them anywhere. HUMMM... They were hanging on the 19.99 rack, but we know how that goes. The only thing on them was a Brand hangtag, but no price. I look around for more, but there are none in the store.

So, I walk up to the register and ask the young little sales lady how much cost. She said they don't look familiar and called for the manager. The manager walked over and said, "Maam, we don't sell this brand. They are in here by mistake. I'm not sure what the story is, but my best guess is someone traded these jeans for a new pair and just left us theirs. I'm so sorry."

Well, I still want the jeans.. You know, I am NOT against shopping at a retail shop, and I've even been known to shop at Goodwill, so a pair of jeans that were worn before don't scare me. That's what the washing machine is for.

The manager instructs the salesclerk to just throw them in the trash because
"We can't sell them". Well, I just stood there and said, "Now ladies, let's not trash a perfectly good pair of jeans. Couldn't I just have them if they're going in the trash anyway? She looked at me and said "Doesn't bother me.. Take them!"

Well, there I go walking out of Penneys with my money, my coupon, AND a new pair of jeans. So, I immediately call my sister and tell her what just went down. She informed me that last week she was shopping with her teenage daughter and saw LUCKY jeans for $115. So, looks like I got a bargain!.

They've gone through my washer and dryer, they're all clean, AND they still fit! This leads me to think two things...1- The Lord blesses those who give.. and 2- While I'm not Irish.. I will claim the Luck of the Irish today for my new jeans.