Bagwoman and Robin

I mentioned last week that John's parents sent me a new Vera Bradley bag to replace the one that was stolen a few weeks ago.


Told you it was cute! It's so summery and I love it!

I can't really explain my fascination with Vera Bradley bags. I think I just like how fresh and feminine they feel.

I have a great story to share so let me back up to last week...

My kids had the day off from school last Friday. We enjoyed a leisurely morning followed by a hair appointment for me (yay!) and a happy hour trip to Sonic. Ask my kids, Sonic makes me giddy. We were singing and being all crazy in the van and having a really, really great afternoon.

As we pulled into our neighborhood, I stopped to check the mail. I was delighted to find a package from my sweet friend, Robin. Robin and I met my freshman year at Ouachita. She lived across the hall from me and we had loads of fun together making signs for the guys who would serenade our dorm, "studying" (ahem), making Walmart and Sonic runs, and trips to Hot Springs. Robin even came home with me one holiday weekend. We've reconnected this year through Facebook (seriously, people--Facebook is amazing). She has the sweetest spirit, and I think she is an amazing pastor's wife and mother to four boys!

She emailed me not long ago and asked for my address. Said she wanted to send me a little something. I had no idea what she wanted to send me, but I never dreamed I'd find this inside:

Couldn't even keep the tears from spilling out of my eyes. This is the pattern of my purse that was taken. The style is adorable, and I was seriously overwhelmed. She said it had been in her closet for "awhile" and she hoped I could enjoy it. 

Overwhelmed. Seriously overwhelmed.

While opening Robin's package, I asked one of the kids to go retrieve the note that I noticed had been taped to the door while we were gone.

Will brought it to me, along with a huge box.

The box had this inside of it...


And inside that box was this...




Verklempt. Could not even see through my tears.

I was a bit puzzled by seeing the note signed by Robin because the return address was the Vera Bradley store. I have a couple of friends that share that name, but wondered who knew my birthday was coming and who had my address. My powers of deduction were a bit hindered by the all the emotion and the tears spilling out of my eyes, but I decided it had to be my childhood friend, Robin. Robin and I met when my family moved onto Stroud Street right before my sixth grade year. We hit it off immediately and spent lots of time together...laying out on her trampoline coated in baby oil, perusing the mall and Seventeen magazine, walking to the Jr. Food store for slush puppies and PacMan, and whizzing through the neighborhood on my moped. By the way, mopeds and ice are a bad, bad combination. 

Robin and I had lots of fun together (and got in lots of trouble together) but the one thing that stands out in my mind is going to church with her. She got me involved in her church's youth group and it was during a Centrifuge camp she invited me to that I first gave my heart to the Lord.

And here she was blessing me (again) with a purse!

Two bags from two Robins in one day. (Hopefully the title of this post is clear now).

I feel very unworthy of these gifts, and I lamented that for the rest of Friday afternoon and evening.

John told me to just accept them with grace and thanks and be happy.

And I'm trying.

So, thank you, Robin and Robin for your gift of steadfast friendship (and fun, girly bags!) I love you both, and you guys blessed my socks off last week. 

And by the way, they're ALL my favorites!