This local family decided to double the size of their brood through adoption. They went from two kids to four and say life is now a lot more fun and fulfilling. This is Anthony and Joshua's success story.
"They have been in our home a year and a half, and the adoption's been final about six months," said Nina.
Before brothers Anthony and Joshua became part of the family, their mom Nina says, her home and her heart just didn't feel complete.
"We were happy before but I always felt like something was missing, like I really almost felt like some people were missing," Nina continued.
Nina and Stephen already had two biological daughters and decided to adopt two sons.
Eight-year-old Evy's take on it -the more, the merrier:
"Well it's really different than just having a sister and there's just more people to play with and have fun with."
Ten-year-old Zoe says she's barely noticed the difference now that her parents love and attention must be split among 4 kids instead of two..
But although the girls have transitioned well to having two new brothers in their lives, their parents did their best to prepare the girls for the initial transition period, which can get a bit bumpy.
"They always really looked forward to it before it happened, and we told them it's not always going to be roses," explained Nina. "There's going to be some negatives too and in the early times when we were in the adjustment phase they were like oh boy, but now you know they really are enjoying it."
"You need to go into it with your eyes open. It's not like Annie. This isn't like some musical," said Stephen. "But you know, it is an opportunity to affect the community in a very positive way."
"And these guys are so social and fun loving that they really fit right in," Nina added.
Anthony is just as happy, saying how much he loves his mom and dad. Seven-year-old Anthony and six-year-old Joshua are getting to do things now that they could have only dreamed of before, such as going to Disneyland and going camping.
The opportunities that lie ahead for these boys are now boundless. And their dad can't help but get choked up when he thinks about the impact the adoption of his sons will have on his family's legacy.
"One of my friends from church said it's not just going to affect their lives but their kids lives," Stephen noted.
Making a difference for generations to come.
If you are interested in adopting from foster care, or becoming a foster family, call 1-877-I-ADOPT-U to learn more about getting started or go to their website to take that first step and fill out an adoption form.