One Year Ago Today

This photo was one of our referral photos, taken 02/08 just 3 months b/f we received her referral.

This photo was taken after Shayle's bath. She got a new pair of summer silk p.j.'s with panda's on them. Daddy and Mommy picked them out last summer before traveling to get her.

This is Shayle cheering for her sister, Myranda at her soccer game this evening.

Today marks one year since we received that wonderful phone call for Shayle's referral. I remember the day quiet well. I was busy cleaning my house when the phone rang. I thought to myself I would just let the machine get it so that I could get finished. Then as I heard our family coordinator from our agency speaking into the machine, I quickly ran over to pick up the phone. I was in a state of shock and excitement to hear her say, "We have a little girl on the shared list that I think your family may be a match for. She is five years old with a repaired heart condition. Would you like additional information and pictures to be e-mailed to you?" Of course I said yes, and then well that was the end of house cleaning for the rest of the day. I immediately turned on my computer and then called Darrel. We both fell in love with this sweet little face. However, we had always imagined adopting a little girl who would be three or younger. Her referral came just three days after Mother's Day, in which I had been praying and telling God that a referral would be the best Mother's Day gift ever.

In her referral info, we read that she liked animals, loved playing outside and lived in a foster family with several siblings. Well, we just happen to live on 40 acres with animals and 4 siblings! She even liked some of the same foods that were favorites of our other kids. God is so good. He not only created Shayle for us, He created her to like the things that our family likes. He does have a great plan for adoption, so if you are still waiting just know that God will bring your family together and it will be perfect!

Once we researched her heart condition a little further, we decided to lock her file on the shared list. This then meant we had 24 hours to get our letter of intent to adopt written along with some other paperwork completed and overnighted to our agency. Once you lock a file on the shared list, our agency then has to send our paperwork to China electronically within 48 hrs or the file will be released back to the shared list. This meant we had to act fast or we could possibly lose her file to another agency.

That night we continued to pray about taking an older child. My husband went to his men's bible study at church where they all prayed for our decision. All of the men in the group kept telling Darrel to take her. On the way home from church as Darrel was driving, he was listening to a Christian radio station. He wasn't really paying attention to what song was playing, he had his mind on this little 5 yr. old. When the song ended, a little girl's voice came on the radio and said, "Daddy, come over here and get me." Needless to say, this caught his attention. He still does not know what song had been playing and hasn't heard it since. I truly believe God will speak to us in whatever way will get our attention. After that moment he was convinced she was our daughter. Once he was home and shared this with me, God also confirmed in my heart that she was meant to be ours. We sent the paperwork in and six months later, we brought Miss Shayle Elizabeth Qiao Pierce home to Texas to be with her forever family. Thank You God for this sweet, precious daughter you sent to us!