One doesn’t typically say “I think we’re going to have seven boys.” I’ve heard many say “I want a big family” or “I think we should have a few more.” But sometimes it just works out that way and you realize that’s the way it was meant to be all along.
We met the Proctor family last year at a formal event. There were many families there, so we didn’t know who was who. But we got plenty of pics and one of them cracked me up so much. The parents hid behind a hat. It was full of personality and I knew right then that I liked these people. I had no idea at that point that they had seven boys.
But a few weeks ago we received a message asking us if we could photograph an adoption in Bowling Green. Absolutely! We were told that this adoption would officially give them seven boys! We have photographed a couple adoptions so far, so we were really excited for another opportunity. I had prepared myself to cry. I always do. When you can see how much a parent cares about a child, whether they gave birth to them or not, it’s very heartwarming.
Before the adoption hearing started, the little guy was free to roam about the courtroom. He was a bundle of energy and full of smiles for anyone who looked his direction.
Once the oldest son and daughter-in-law got there, there was a round of applause and so many happy faces in the courtroom because now all seven boys were there. The family was complete! And it was about to be official. It started with the mom’s testimony. She affirmed that this child would be treated as if she had given birth to him and she announced what his name would be. A few of the details of the marriage were stated incorrectly at first, which provided for quite a few laughs.
Then it was time for the father to give his testimony and reaffirm everything his wife stated. This child would be loved and cared for as their own. He would have all the rights of a natural born child and would take on the name given to him on this date. When asked if he loved this little boy, he got choked up and gave his answer through tears. It wasn’t hard to see the love in this family.
The judge ruled that the adoption was now complete. This was their boy. Nothing could change that now. The audience broke out in applause. Even the little man himself started clapping. Every single person in the courtroom had a smile. This is why adoptions are the best days!
Then the judge called the family up to the bench. She had a toy to give to the little guy. As she handed him the teddy bear, he reached out for it right away. It was very sweet. Next, as she did with each adoption, the judge let him pick up the gavel. It took him a minute to figure it out, but he finally raised it and gave it a good whack. He looked very proud of himself.
But then his mom tried to take the gavel away. That was a different story. He had found himself a new toy. And he wasn’t ready to give it up just yet. It was time to take family pictures, but he started crying. The case worker decided to give him his toy then. So we watched as he unwrapped a truck that lights up. It didn’t take much to get rid of his tears. Replace one toy with another and he was happy once again.
Now we could get a few more photos. So we took some with the judge, some with grandparents and one a few of everyone present. For the privacy of foster children, I won’t be sharing most of those photos. But I love seeing how much support there is surrounding these families.
And we can’t forget the case worker! She worked so closely with this family. What a pleasure to see this case be closed! The mom was ready to pass the baton (or throw the gavel like tossing a bouquet) to another foster mom. These moms support one another and their friendships are very deep.
This was an amazing “Gotcha Day!” This family will forever celebrate February 9th. It’s the day the family became officially whole. He opened another gift. It was a framed photo of him with his brothers. He kept pointing to it and naming everyone. It was so adorable!
His two older brother were enjoying a little ride, each holding on to the oldest brother’s leg. That’s the beautiful thing about siblings. Especially with such an age gap. They can watch over you and protect you but still have the energy to play!
After this, we left the courtroom. We took a few pics of the little guy being adorable. And a few more family photos. We found out there is an echo in the lobby that you can hear even a whisper like you were talking normal. And everyone was having so much fun!
Thank you, Proctor family for letting us be a part of this special day! Your seven boys are amazing and we had an incredible time!
❤️❤️❤️❤️