We committed to the girls after that first visit, and although we were supposed to have four to six more weeks of visit to make a gradual transition, the birth mother decided she was "done" right after our first visit, and told us to come and get them or she would put them into foster care. So three days after our first visit, Josh drove to pick them up for good.

It was very overwhelming. We had very little time to prepare. There was no waiting of any kind! We went from, "Would you consider these girls?", to meeting them, to having them with us for good in under three weeks.

The early days were wonderful and difficult all at the same time. The girls were grieving and homesick. Their entire lives had been turned upside down. And at the same time, they were learning how to be kids for the first time. They were learning that adults could be trusted to care for them. They were learning how to live on a schedule, with predictable meals and bedtimes. They were learning how to have siblings, and how to have father. They were starting a new school year in a new school. They were meeting countless new people.

Through it all, they amazed us with their resiliency and their love. They embraced us and bonded with us quickly, and while they both went through different challenges in adjustment and true attachment, even when things were hard, the good always outweighed the bad.

For me, there were a lot of emotional highs and lows. Going from five kids to eight kids in three months was a wee bit stressful. Having two older daughters for the first time was intimidating at times. Having two heads of black hair to figure out how to care for was scary. Having children who were grieving and going through so much was tough, and at times I questioned if I was doing things "right". And yet, they were willing to talk with us and communicate their emotions, which was great. We had lots of fun watching them experience countless firsts. They had never jumped on a trampoline. They had never carved a pumpkin for Halloween. They had never gone Trick-or-Treating. They had never written a letter to Santa Claus. They had never lived as part of a real, functioning family. We got to watch them try new things and discover what they liked and what they were good at, and the joys of watching them settle in and blossom were countless.

While the girls had the shortest adoption process, they also had the longest adjustment period. Challenging issues with their birth mother were (and continue to be) hard for me, however three years after placement, the girls are happy, settled, attached and thriving in every way. People are always amazed at what great and happy kids they are.