We believe you are looking at our profile and reading these words for a reason. We want you to know that you are truly valuable and cherished by God.

We want you to know that we admire you. We can only imagine the pain that comes along with this gut-wrenching decision of choosing what you feel is truly best for you and your little one. We think the true definition of love means sacrifice and while we cannot imagine what you are going through, just know we are here for you and we love you, no matter what you choose. We will never question the love tht you have for your sweet baby because it is so evident in your strength that has brought you this far. If we are honest with you, we cannot imagine how uncomfortable it might feel to flip through a family profile to choose the right one for your precious angel, but we promise to navigate through this journey together. We promise to never rejoice in your brokenness that has led you to this decision, but humbly take the baton and finish out the journey you began by loving this sweet little one for the rest of their days. You, sweet mama, can never be replaced. Please know that and please believe that.

When we think back to when we first met, we can't help but laugh. We were both visiting our parents one weekend and they decided to get together and have a cookout. I (Shayla) had met Brett's family on several occasions but he was never around. He also had met my family a time or two but I was never there.

Finally one night he pulled up in his truck and we were able to meet for the first time. We both felt like we had already known each other... it was an instant connection. Plus, it probably helped that we had already known each others family. We ate dinner together and finished the night off with a fire outside. We had the best time talking about how much we hated college, how we didn't want to get married, and of course, sports.

I guess you can say it was love at first sight! From that point on, we spent every single weekend together and we talked every day. We were inseparable. Brett proposed after several months of dating and we were married a year and a half later. Both of us have been blessed that our parents are so close and live in the same town. It makes coming home to visit very special!

Why adoption? We feel like we could write a book about the many reasons on why we want to adopt. Adoption is something that lays heavy on our hearts. We have felt led to step into this space, even with the good, bad and hard parts. Although fertility issues is not something that we struggle with and can have biological children, we are choosing adoption because we believe that it's something that God has led us to pursue to grow our family. It's so hard to sit here and explain "why" other than the ache we feel in our hearts put there by God.

We would be lying if we said we weren't nervous about this process or nervous to become new parents, but we feel that God's timing is perfect in all things. When it's meant to be, we trust that He will place this book in your hands and His path will be what lead us to each other.

"Shayla is the most dedicated and determined person I have ever met. When she wants to accomplish something, there is absolutely nothing that can stand in her way. She has a strength like none other! Shayla has a unique and bubbly personality that I was instantly drawn to when we first met and in all honesty, I can't think of a single person that doesn't like her. Kindness is a special quality that she possesses and I often watch her put other people's needs above before herself.

I can't think of a better person to start this journey of parenthood with. I have watched her with her students (she's a natural) and have seen first hand how much love she has for her little cousins. I know that she will be an incredible mom!" - Love Brett

One of my greatest achievements in life in becoming an educator. My favorite part is the little sweet faces that surround me in my classroom. I might be the teacher, but I learn something new everyday from them. My favorite lesson to teach is about kindness. You never know when someone is having a bad day, so be kind, be thoughtful, be a good listener, and maybe you can be the one to turn their day around.

I love decorating and making sure my home feels cozy. Everyone who knows me says that I have a gift for gathering decor and turning it into something magical. But I think the true magic is the warm hearts that fill a home. During the holidays I am known as "The Christmas Queen" because I go ALL out. I guess you can say I am letting my inner Cindy Lou Who shine through. Christmas is my favorite time of the year because I love the Joy is brings out in people. I also enjoy is going to the farm and sitting on the porch watching Brett in the field. There is something peaceful about watching the tractor roll by in the field and the soft hum of the engine. I guess you can say that I live a pretty simple life, but to be honest, that is all I need.

"I feel like I could write a book about Brett. He's one of the most caring humans with the biggest heart! Brett has taught me it's not about what you have in life, but who you have in it. He was raised on a farm, which means hard work and dedication flows through his blood. Brett likes to tell jokes, but to tell you the truth, his jokes are horrible. Even still, they make you laugh because he thinks they're hilarious. My favorite thing about Brett is how loyal he is. I never have to worry because it's evident how much he loves and cares about me through his actions. I truly believe that our marriage is strong and stable because we see each other as equal partners. When I am feeling sad or upset, he is the first person to encourage me and get me going again. I can't wait to start this new journey in life with him and watch him transition into the role of fatherhood." - Love Shayla

I love to be outside gardening or working in the yard. I'm also pretty good when it comes to mechanics. Living on a farm my whole life, I have learned to take things apart, fix them, then put them back together.

Another thing I love is coaching basketball. I jump at the opportunity. The game of basketball has taken me places I have never imagined and created memories that I will last a lifetime. My greatest achievement in life has been to not only watch my players be successful on the court, but watch them turn into young respectful men off the court.

I guess at the end of the day, you could say I'm a pretty simple man. As long as I have good family and friends around me, then I am happy!

We have the best of both worlds! We have two houses we call home. Currently, we live in a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in-town at the end of a cul-de-sac. Our neighborhood is mainly made up of younger couples with kids, young and older. We live in a neighborhood where diversity and culture are celebrated! One of our most favorite things about where we live is that you will often see kids playing outside together in the evenings or on the weekends. We both grew up in a time where phones and social media were not important, since those things were new. We rode bikes, played ball, and just loved being outside. It's fun to walk around our neighborhood and seeing kids doing the same things we did.

We love having the opportunity to live in town because there are so many fun things to do just a short walk or drive away. We enjoy going to the movies, going to dinner, and grabbing coffee. We also feel blessed to have the opportunity to go back to the farm on the weekends and get away from the hustle and bustle to enjoy country life. We have a farmhouse that has been passed down generation after generation that we get to call home on the farm. It sits on family land that has been passed down to us. Brett grows cotton and wheat on our farm. One of our favorite things is to wake up in the mornings to freshly brewed coffee and sitting out on the swing on our front porch. Listening to the birds and watching the sunrise is something special that we never take for granted. Our future children will get to experience city life, as well as country life.

We have three dogs named Paisley, Presley, and Ellie. Paisley and Presley are mini Aussies that we raised since they were babies and Ellie came into the picture last year. She is a Cocker Spaniel who is very spoiled and loves Brett more than anyone else. They are all super sweet and loving pups who enjoy being cuddled! Although our indoor pets are dogs, our family farm has many animals. We have chickens, cows, cats, and fingers crossed we will be adding a mini pig soon!

For Thanksgiving and Christmas, we always go to both of our grandparents houses. Family is very important to us both and we both have big families who have fun and laugh together. There is nothing better than having everyone under the same roof!

The holidays can get a little crazy trying to make it to everyones gatherings, but we love the time we spend together in the car and make the most of it. We always stop to look at Christmas lights down by the river where we live each year and love to drive around neighborhoods to look at all of the lights while jamming to Christmas music.

Brett has started a birthday tradition by buying me a dozen white roses with a hand written card each year. I never asked for this, but it is something that look forward to since he has initiated such a sweet gesture. He is the most thoughtful husband!

Another tradition we have is going to the State Boys Basketball Tournament every year. We started this tradition separately with our own families growing up, and now go all together as one big group. We have a blast (and might get a little loud)!

If you choose our family, we want to leave you with a few promises we vow to keep. We promise to love your baby unconditionally. We promise to raise them knowing that they are loved by you and never forgotten. We promise to raise them understanding their identity is in Jesus. We promise to read them bedtime stories and make sure they know how wonderful you are. We promise Santa and the tooth fairy will visit them often. We promise to kiss their boo-boos when they fall down and to always encourage them to stand back up and try again. We promise to teach them to dream big and to take risks. We promise to teach them that failure is simply the opportunity to try again.

We promise to raise your child understanding the value of family and to know they will always be loved, no matter what. We promise to raise them in an outstanding school district so they will have a good education. We promise to make every game, awards ceremony, band concert, recital, or whatever your child grows up to love. We promise to tear down any lies from the enemy telling them that they were not wanted by you. We promise to raise them in community that will love them just as much as we already do. Know that your child will be loved by so many of our friends and family and they will have a support system that will not only protect them but believe in them, always. We promise your baby will grow up in a stable home and will always be given opportunities. We promise to educate ourselves on the cultural background of your child so we can incorporate that into our everyday life. We promise to raise them in a diverse atmosphere where all culture is accepted and acknowledged. We promise to raise them to respect and honor you, as you will ALWAYS be their first mama. We will love them, protect them, and cherish them. We promise to allow them to grow and become their own person with their own beliefs. We vow to be patient with you in this process and to love you FIRST. We promise to respect you and your wishes on how open or closed you wish to be with your baby. We promise to leave that wish up to you. The most important thing that we vow to you is that we will NEVER attempt to replace you as the woman who carried them, but rather to love them as the Mama and Dada God called us to be.

with love,

Shayla Brett

Find out how the adoption process can work for you.