My most favoritist pair of shoes....

I'm going to tell you all about my favorite pair of shoes, now when you see the picture of them you'll wonder what the heck is wrong with me! 

They're over a year old, they're faded and dirty, my toes are almost busting through the fabric but I love them. They really aren't even comfortable but they're still my faves. 

There's a special reason they are my favorite though and after you hear why you'll maybe understand a little more about how sentimental I am and how determined I am to reach our fundraising goal of 15,000 pairs of shoes. 

I bought these shoes at Payless for like $9.99 in August of 2012 so they weren't expensive or so stylish that I must hold on to them forever. I was shopping that day with someone else and for someone else. You see Masha was with me, we were shopping for her. I bought her a pair of the exact shoes as these that day. She wore hers everyday she was here for the rest of the short time she was with us. So you see when I look at those shoes and wear them it takes me back to those few weeks she spent in our home. The memories come in even clearer when I see them. I remember snagging them on the door at one of the hotels we were staying in on that dreaded trip to North Carolina to take her to the airport. All those feelings come rushing back. I don't need the shoes of course to remember but they're just a tangible something to touch and actually see. It's hard for me to  speak about her now without crying, even to Jared I just can't without tearing up. She is why we are still fundraising and saving. She is why I look like a hoarder right now (my house is full of bags of clothes and shoes) She is why I'm trying so hard to get the rest of the money needed to adopt a second child ($15,000) yes the possibility is still small but I have to try, we love her as our own.

I'm sending my favorite shoes with the rest of the donated shoes, I think it's only appropriate.....I'll probably cry when I slip them off and put them in at the last minute for the trucks......and I'll pray that they help me to be reunited with my shopping partner so we can buy new shoes again together.