January 25th was a special day! We got to go to court and, with the help of our lawyer, complete the finalization of Araceli's adoption. It was an easy process, and just took about 15 minutes. The only complication was that we forgot to give Ari her bottle before the hearing! It was a very relaxed environment, though, so it was no problem.

We decided that it felt more like a wedding than a court case, with the room cleared of everyone except for our family and friends. Here, we're taking vows to be good parents to Ari. The best part was when the judge declared that she was as much a daughter to us as if she had been born to us. Of course, she's been our daughter since she was placed in our arms by her birthparents--but it was nice to hear him say it for all to hear and respect.

Ari looks like she knows something special just happened!

All the grandparents got to sit up front with us as the judge read through the paperwork and gently asked us questions about ourselves. There was lots of laughter from everyone but a clueless Ari, who quietly enjoyed sitting in her daddy's lap.

The judge's role is make sure all the legal paperwork is in order and, as he is doing here, sign off on all of it. He told us that he really enjoys this part of his job. Unfortunately, later in the day he was going to preside over foster cases where children are removed from families.

A few days after the finalization ceremony, we attended Grandpa's birthday party. It was celebrated at a fabulous gospel dinner concert. It was a meaningful experience as we sang along with the choir, thankful all God had done for us by bringing us together as a family.