Why this was a miracle.

Our log-in date was 9-10-05 and the cut-off date for this batch of referrals was 9-8-05, so there is no reason why we should have gotten a referral this month. We should have gotten ours at the end of December, which would be really bad because we would have to start all over again with our US immigration approval and we would not be traveling until after the Chinese New Year which is in February!!

So the only way this could have happened is by Divine intervention. For those of you who don't know, our family has a serious devotion to St. Therese. Therese was my Confirmation name, our home school is named after her...heck our license plate says LITLFLWR! So when we thought we were in danger of missing this referral batch, we started a novena to St. Therese. When Thursday morning came and the CCAA website told us that we had missed the cut-off date, the kids and I were kind of sad, mad, disappointed, and we decided that we didn't need to continue our novena. I thought that we had been denied.

However, when our social worker told me our daughter's Chinese name, I realized just how wrong I had been to doubt the Little Flower and her influence in Heaven. Our baby's name is Qing Ju which Michele told me translates to "some kind of little flower, like a chrysanthemum."

Now I have often complained that I've never gotten roses from St. Therese after a novena. Other people I know smell roses or get bouquets of roses. Sometimes even in the color they ask for! But she did one better for me... she sent me a little girl.

So even though we have planned for over a year to call her Kiera, there is only one name we can give her...Rose.