An Ode to my Birks

About eleven(ish?) years ago, my mother-in-law got a new pair of sandals. They were Birkenstocks she'd bought on sale from QVC (when that was still a thing. It might still be a thing. It's hard to say.) I said, "Oh, I like those. They look really comfortable. I wouldn't mind having a pair."

A few months later, she gave me a pair for my birthday.

And they were comfortable. They instantly became my go-to summer shoe. I could (and did) wear them with just about anything - shorts, jeans, dresses. They have been on countless trips to St. Louis with me. I have permanent weird tan lines on my feet from them. When I was pregnant with Allyson, they were the only shoes that would fit my poor, swollen, preeclampsia-stricken feet. They say that Birks mold to your individual foot shape over time, and these did.

Last night at church we had a cookout for our Caravans program. Caravans is a faith-based scouting program. My sweet friend Stacy and I lead the Benson's Buddies group, which is for kids who are four, five, and six and not in first grade yet. After dinner we took them to different activity stations - the playground, drawing with sidewalk chalk, and up the giant hill at the back of our church to play with a big parachute and do a fun relay.

Our last station was the relay. I was demonstrating to the kids what to do - run down to the bucket, grab a stuffed animal, put it between your knees and waddle back to your teammates.  Mid-waddle, this happened:

I was aghast. But I played it cool - "And somehow, Miss Kris's shoe broke. That's a doozy. Oh well." Most of the children laughed at me. It was good times.

I sent the above picture to Ben in a text. His response: "Noooooooooo" 

Still trying to decide whether or not he was mocking me.

I did some research, and found that the cost to repair them will be just about as much (if not more, depending on the store) as it would to just get a new pair. So... looks like I'm getting a new pair.

Goodbye, Birks. We had a great run.

(And not that this has anything to do with anything, but the toenail polish I'm wearing is the Trust Fund Beauty No Filter I got in my last Ipsy bag. It looks beige in the photo but it's got a very light lilac tint to it. It's pretty and it doesn't smell weird like most polishes do. I'll buy more for sure.)