Our family, the girls at least, has a thing about shoes. For example, check http://franzenframe.blogspot.com/2008/04/shoe-fest.html on Emily's blog, or http://janscoresgoals.blogspot.com/2008/06/what.html on Janet's. One of the most fun parts of getting Joanna and Sarah ready for their missions was shoe shopping. Fortunately for us, missionary shoes are easy to find right now. I can't find it now, but in one of Joanna's letters, she said that she has more shoes with her on her mission (when she should be traveling light!) than the elders in her zone had all together. Rene even admits that he has more shoes than he ever thought he'd have. Even baby Afton, who doesn't even stand up yet, has a whole bunch of shoes. Of course, most of hers were gifts from people, including Grandma Allred, who sent her several pair.

Our upcoming trip to Alaska has precipitated a shoe crisis. How many pairs of shoes does one need for a trip to Alaska? We'll be there over a Sunday, so obviously, we need dress shoes. Plus, we'll need tennis shoes because there will be a lot of outdoor activities. But we'll also be doing some sightseeing, which in my mind, requires something a little dressier than my tennis shoes. And what about when we're kicking around at home? Flipflops, obviously. And Janet added another wrinkle today by asking if she would need footwear to swim in the lake. Good thing we have lots of shoes to choose from around here!