Jo Jo's Flip Flop Miracle

It's a big ordeal to keep all 6 kids in clothes that fit them for each season!!

My boys grow like weeds, and my girls...

...well, when it comes to the girls, I have a problem:  I keep thinking they are my little baby dolls, so I am tempted to buy every cute tutu and hair bow I see.  I have to swallow my pride and remember to budget properly.  We are not wealthy enough for me to buy everything that I fall in love with, so I spend a lot of time comparing prices and telling myself, "No, Rachel.  It's not necessary."

I just returned from the cutest 2nd hand store today and was able to outfit all my children in nice summer clothes and get all the gifts for Juliana's upcoming birthday for a great price.

Last week, I spent about 40 minutes trying on different flip flops on the boys in one store.  I took so long because I wanted them to have the cooler looking flip flops that seemed to last longer, but I was debating whether the price was worth the extra money multiplied by 3 boys.  While we shopped for new flip flops, Jordan's old flip flops actually broke!  As we walked out of the store, he had to scoot his foot on top of his shoe to keep it in one piece.

After leaving the 1st store, I decided to check the 2nd-hand store.  Surprisingly, they were just as expensive as the brand new ones.

Finally, with a prayer in my heart, I decided that I only really needed a pair of flip flops for Jordan (Jo Jo) because his didn't even function!  Buying for the other boys was actually me just being a little bit prideful again.  They would be just fine in what they had, and the extra money really needed to go to other more important things.

On the way home, I noticed a garage sale sign.

I stopped by, and I found 1 pair of brand new flip flops that were just perfect for my Jo Jo.  They only cost 50 CENTS!!

If I had bought the other "cooler" flip flops for my boys, I'm sure we would have found a way to pay for the rest of our bills... but I'm even more positive that because I made a sacrifice on the "coolness factor" God blessed me to find the best deal ever.

I believe God blessed us with a miracle by showing me where the cheaper, more practical flip flops were being sold.  Not only did I save a lot of money, but I also learned how sweet and tender our Heavenly Father is to watch over us and guide us even when we're about to make silly mistakes.

Besides, who needs the "cooler" flip flops when you look this good?  :-)