SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - Two brothers have known no other family, but haven't forgotten their roots.
Though 14-year-old Eric doesn't remember life before being adopted -- he was just a toddler -- he does have deep gratitude for the social worker who helped connect him with his parents and his older brother Tyler. In a recent class essay, Eric explained why he finds social workers so inspiring.
"One (social worker) helped me get out of a foster care system and into a home 11 years ago. Social workers have helped countless other children trapped in broken homes. We need to appreciate all of the social workers in our community," Eric said.
They're heartfelt words that make his family proud.
"It's just nice to know that he, you know, he's in a good place and we're in a good place, we're a happy family," mother Kim said.
And they wouldn't have done anything different.
"Nothing different. I couldn't imagine loving them any more than if I gave birth to them. You can't explain that to somebody who's looking to adopt that you are going to love these people with every ounce of your being," Kim said.
After struggling with infertility so many years ago, Kim and Mark turned to San Diego County Adoptions, first adopting Tyler when he was 20 months old, then a couple of years later, adding Eric to the family when he was 20 months old.
"We really wanted to be parents, and it was a good way to be parents. So we decided we wanted to go through the public system, because we knew there were a lot of kids out there in San Diego county who needed parents," father Mark said.
This is the only life these boys have ever known. Tyler, who's now 16, says he doesn't even think about the fact he's adopted. He says these are his parents, and teases there's nothing he can do about it now.
"They're different, but they're my parents so I don't get a choice," he joked.
They say it's been a fun-filled journey, with much more laughter and memorable moments ahead.
"I just love them so much, and I rarely even think about it anymore, the idea that they're adopted. They're just ours and we belong to them and they belong to us," Mark said.