Last week, my youngest brother and his wife adopted their son. 

Cy is a little boy full of life and energy. Cy has deep brown eyes and a smile that will melt you in 1 second. He loves to play the keyboard like Johnny from Hotel Transylvania 3, and--99% of the time--you’ll find him carrying around a plastic spoon. It’s just his thing! 

Kyle and Brittany’s story starts in high school. Kyle was a Junior and Brittany was a Sophomore. I can remember Kyle doing her homework, leaving flowers on her car while she was working at Schoops, and the loud laughter that followed them throughout the house. I can remember, the moment I met Brittany, I just knew she was going to be my sister one day.

They always wanted kids. Knowing my brother, I knew he would be a fantastic father. But after a long road, becoming parents seemed to be a harder goal than expected. Kyle and Brittany turned to In Vitro Fertilization. They knew IVF could be very expensive and high risk, but they were willing to take the chance if it meant possibly starting the family they always dreamed of. 

Because of the high costs of IVF, they decided they needed to sell their duplex to help fund the 3 rounds they underwent. I helped them sell that duplex and temporarily move into my parents’ home. After a long road with IVF, the doctor told my loving brother and his beautiful wife that they would not be able to have children. It was devastating. The questions rolled in. 

Why them? Aren’t they ready? Why would they be deprived of this gift of parenthood?

It can be so hard to keep a positive mindset when people you love are going through something so difficult and heartbreaking. 

Just have faith. God has a plan. 

Kyle and Brittany were directed to adoption. After considering this option, they decided that fostering to adopt was a journey they wanted to pursue. That is when I stepped back in the picture, threw on my Realtor cap, and we began our home search. Thankfully, we located the perfect property just bursting at the seams with potential and located only minutes from their family.

They were homeowners, excited and ready to finally fill their home with babies who leave fingerprints on the walls and toys in the living room. 

There were plenty of rooms in the house, far too many for what their current size had been, but just right for their dreams. 

It wasn’t long before Finley came into their life. She was the 8-month-old bundle of baby noises they were praying for. She filled their home with the fingerprints, toys, and laughter they always wanted. Within that same week, Kyle and Brittany were told about a 14-day-old baby boy named Messiah. Even though they were asked to foster this baby boy for just a few weeks, they welcomed him into their home the same way they welcomed Finley. 

As Cy’s stay grew longer and longer (we decided to make a slight name change), the desire for adoption became more of a reality. They were able to successfully adopt Finley and officially make her a Kapitan, so their hearts naturally yearned to do the same for Cy. Right in the middle of these big decisions, they were delivered an even bigger surprise, the news they never expected: they were pregnant! It was truly a miracle; a blessing only God could give. 

Last week, I saw all the pieces of their story fall right into place while celebrating in their home. 

We were celebrating Cy’s “Gotcha Day.” Just like Finley, Cy was finally a Kapitan. Looking around their home, I thought about their life when they purchased this house. At that point, there were no kids in the picture. Now, there are three. At that point, there were no little hands to leave marks on the back sliding glass door or food stains on their beautiful dark floors. Now, there are six little hands to hold. Three years ago, this house felt too big for the two of them. Now, every room is filled with a dream they never stopped praying for. Finley, Cy, and Lennix are all different manifestations of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Hearing “Auntie” from the mouths of those children may always bring tears to my eyes.

Watching my brother and sister-in-law navigate the difficult road set in front of them was a struggle on its own; it’s never easy watching loved ones go through hard times. On the hard days, I didn’t feel equipped to be the strong shoulder to cry on. I didn’t feel strong enough to be the person on the other side of that gut-wrenching phone call. But they asked me to show up for them in those times, so I did. By the grace of God, I did what I could to support them on their hardest days. 

Watching my brother and sister-in-law walk that long road was beyond difficult, but seeing these two individuals put their needs aside for those kids has been the richest blessing. And, watching them in that courtroom last week will forever make me their VERY PROUD big sister.

Now, their house is louder and messier than we ever imagined it would be. It is the place Finley, Cy, and Lennix call HOME.