Forever 31...ahem, I mean 21!

Yes, I'm in my last days of my 31st year, and still shop at Forever 21. Do not judge me because you know you do it too. However, there are PLENTY of clothes in there that I KNOW are too young for me, and I pass them over.

I was so excited when we got our 10,000 sq ft Forever 21 here a few months ago, and a friend of mine rushed right over there to get t-shirts for $3. It was full of stuff and we literally plan out how we were going to go through the whole store, it is so huge. Their Winter stuff was adorable, and we had fun browsing. I got some basics like camis and long sleeve knit tops to layer, and she got these jeans for $9.50 (yes, she's like a size 2 and looks darling in these...cue gag)!

We vowed to come back for more serious shopping a few weeks later when it was payday, and we did (and brought along another friend). Boy was I disappointed with their Spring line!

For starters, we had just come from Philanthropy and got to see all of the beautifully, feminine spring clothing that is out. The colors are peaches, and pinks and light greens and blues, with tiny floral prints....very vintage looking, and I LOVE IT! And the one shoulder look is back...yippee! Forever 21 has a line of this type stuff, and I think it is hideous. It looks cheap, and I don't like it.

And can anyone tell me what this is about?

Secondly, the whole center section is nautical themed. Yuck. Now we may be seeing this stuff in the spring, but you will NOT see it on me! The ONLY way I would wear that stuff is if someone invited me out on their yacht for the day. And I would imagine if I had friends rich enough to have a yacht, I would be rich too and wouldn't be shopping at Forever 21! Ok, maybe I would ;).

Anyway, I was hoping for a few inexpensive, cute pieces for the spring from Forever 21, but so far, not impressed. I'll definitely continue to get my basics from there, but other than that, I'll have to keep you posted.

Fast and Furious February

February is our craziest month of the year...3 birthdays and an anniversary...oh yeah, and Valentine's Day...AND if I was still in Mobile, it would be Mardi Gras time! Not to mention the regular stuff....school, Bible study, jobs, kids, and keeping up with the house. Crazy times here!

I've been thinking about the last year over the past couple of days. Mainly because on Monday (yes, Valentine's Day), Tadd and I celebrated our 7 year anniversary. It was a sweet day, and my sweet hubby cooked me a gourmet meal that we enjoyed in quiet after we put the kids to bed. Anyway, I was thinking about how hard this year has been for us in more ways than one...really hard. I remembered a meditation I had read a few weeks ago about suffering and how one cannot know true joy without suffering first. Even though, we are still struggling, things are much better, and I have so much to be grateful for. Our health, our home, God's provision, an extended family that I can talk to and who all love and respect one another, a job, Godly friends, and a wonderful Church home. Yesterday I got an email with the testimony of a lady whose husband walked out on her after 7 years of wedded bliss, and after she had just given birth to their first child. He had been unfaithful the whole time. That husband of hers was an ex-boyfriend of mine, and I couldn't help but think how that could've been me. Also, I spoke with a candidate whom I haven't been able to get in touch with, and he said the reason why is is 34 yr old wife was put in the hospital on Friday for heart failure due to the chemo she was going through for her breast cancer...34 years old!

So I think the lesson in all of this is that God is giving me little glimpses of how good I have it. I really have so many reasons to be joyful. My sweet Eli turned 2 last week, and he is just the joy of our lives. We all just sit and watch him and laugh at him daily! Hadley insists on dressing herself, and comes down in the craziest outfits you've ever seen, and we just have to laugh. And my sweet Alex, he's a little man. The best sense of humor, and such a kind heart. I couldn't have custom ordered better kids. And my husband, well, I could write for days. Let's just say God knew what he was doing.

I'm so grateful to be celebrating life right now, and love this season I'm in. Sorry for the deep post...this is for me to look back on later!

On a side not, I'm so disorganized. My brain capacity is full with activities. There is too much in my head, and I forget things all of the time. I'm terrible at using a calendar. Any advice on how to stop forgetting things?