More Disney Photos

It has taken me awhile to download pictures from our vacation. We have been busy since being home with VBS, speech, and just enjoying summer. I will post when I can over the next few weeks, as time allows with five kids at home right now. Next week, I will have two away at church camp and Shayle will start swimming lessons. Payton and Jacob are going to take a diving class to try to cool off in this Texas heat!

Disney Photos

Inside Minnie's House

In Front of Mickey's House

Magic Kingdom

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

Shayle had a special day yesterday at Disney's Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. First, she went shopping with mom, Myranda, & Payton to pick out which princess she would like to be. Well, after narrowing it down, she didn't want to be a princess instead she wanted to be Minnie Mouse! She has always favored the color red, but she also loves Minnie and Mickey. She then went to the Boutique to have her royal treatment in Cinderella's Castle. She changed into her dress and then picked out her hair style, which she chose the Disney Diva style. This includes a hair piece to pin into her hair. She had several choices and she chose Pink! So pink it was. She then had the choice of nail polish, eye shadow, and lip gloss. She chose pink and blue polish and pink lip gloss. The Fairy Godmother's finished her hair, nails and makeup and then finished off her treatment with a princess tiara, sash and of course pixie dust. She had so much fun and I must say, she was the cutest Minnie Mouse around!

We then went to Chef Mickey's for dinner where the kids had a chance to take pictures with some of the Disney characters. We all had a great time!

Vacation

Tomorrow we are leaving for DISNEY WORLD!!!!!! Shayle is so excited about going and seeing Mickey Mouse. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she gets to see it all in person. The Fairy Godmothers at Bibbity Bobbity Boutique in Cinderella's Castle will have a special guest this weekend, Shayle will get a complete makeover in their salon. She is going to be so surprised to see all of the princess outfits and then get to pick one out just for her. We did this with Myranda and Payton a couple of years ago and they really enjoyed it. I will post pictures of this special event. Please keep us in your prayers that we will all stay well, Payton complained of a sore throat tonight. She had a shot just a week ago for strep. Also, for safe travels.

Our First Mother's Day

We had a great day today, despite me being sick with strep throat. We went to church, I wanted to be sure the kids got to go to Sunday School today. Then we went to lunch to eat mexican food and home to have the kids shower me with all kinds of gifts, some made at school and some they had bought. Myranda helped Shayle to paint her handprint for me on an extra tile she found in our attic. So sweet and thoughtful! Shayle thought I needed some Mickey p.j.'s to wear when we leave for Disney. However, when I opened them she wanted them for herself. She was confused when she picked them out, she thought they were for her. Actually, every gift she sees she thinks is for her. That's all she knew since we came home just before Christmas and have celebrated all of the kids' birthdays since being home.

Our first Mother's Day was a special day since it was just before Mother's Day last year that I saw the first pictures of Shayle. It brought back many memories. I am one blessed mom and completely honored to have these children in my life. They make me so proud as they are so full of life. I love each of you very much!!!!!

Our Busy Days

After Shayle's Graduation

Jacob having fun camping out

Shayle enjoying a rare treat, caffeine and a smore!

Pay Pay inside the tent

Everyone was still asleep as I went to get into my own bed at 6:30 am

Payton just after her dance recital

Of course every ballerina deserves flowers!

It has been a busy few weeks here in the Pierce household, not leaving much time for blogging haven't even had time to post about my first Mother's Day with Shayle and as a mom of five.

Darrel put up our large 10 man tent last Sunday evening and we all camped out in it on our land. We had smores, popcorn & a movie. The stars were out everywhere and it was nice to gaze upon more of God's creation. The kids really enjoyed it and Shayle thought it was lot's of fun.

This week four of us have had strep, including myself again! I am now taking my 3rd round of antibiotics and Shayle is taking her 2nd round. I have figured out this time, Shayle was the one who had it first, we just didn't know it. She then passed it on to Arron, Payton and myself. What I have realized is that this poor baby has hurt for so many years in her mouth, from her decayed teeth, ear aches, palate surgery and now strep that she didn't know any different. No wonder she had no appetite. She didn't complain of a sore throat and had no fever, I would have never guessed she was sick with strep. We just went ahead and tested her after three of us tested positive. After just one day on the antibiotic, she began eating so much better. More than she has eaten in a very long time. Anyway, hopefully we will all get well as we are flying to Disney World soon for a week with Mickey and the princesses. Shayle is so excited!

Throughout all the sickness over the past week, I managed to stay on task for all that the kids were involved in. We had three playing spring soccer which half of the games were cancelled due to rain earlier this month. Well, this last week we made them all up. We had a total of 11 games in one week with all of them being on the past two Saturdays except for one. That was enough to keep us busy, but Darrel is the coach to two of the teams. Also, Arron has been taking drivers ed and had class six times this past week for 2-3 hours/night. Thank goodness for car pools! Then Payton's dance recital was today, in which she had practice for the past three days. She also is one of the soccer players. Soccer was supposed to end last weekend and we thought we would have only the dance recital this weekend. Well, all I can say is that kids keep us very busy and God has a sense of Humor when we think we have everything planned out.

Shayle also graduated from Pre-K on Friday 5/22. She is excited to be home with mom for the summer!

Wordless Wednesday

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!