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Their wait is over: See the smiles on the faces of these recently adopted kids.

For many families, deciding to add one child to the family is exciting and challenging. But choosing to adopt two, three, or four kids at once can be a bit daunting.

Not so for families like the Haddaways, though. They've adopted seven kids from the foster care system, and they're still considering adopting more.

The Haddaways after their court date. Image via Together We Rise/Facebook.


There are about 415,000 kids in the foster care system. While many of them will eventually be reunited with their families or relatives, around 102,000 are waiting to be adopted.

Because of safeguards, legal proceedings, and lots of red tape, these very patient kids spend an average of 32 months in the system before finding permanent placements. For certain kids, especially older kids or groups of siblings, that wait can be even longer. 

After being in foster care his entire life, teenager Davion Navar Henry Only cried happy tears when he was adopted by his former caseworker, Connie Going. Photo by Tim Boyles/Getty Images.

There are many families like the Haddaways, though, that are working to adopt foster kids and give them forever homes.

Keeping sibling groups together can be especially beneficial for children and parents alike. 

When siblings have the opportunity to stay together through foster care and adoption, it can ease the sometimes scary and difficult process of transitioning from placement to placement. Even if they fight or argue, brothers and sisters often support each other and provide much needed consistency. 

Together We Rise is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the lives of kids in foster care, including sibling groups. 

The staff (many of whom were foster youth) work with community partners and volunteers to raise awareness about the foster care system. One way they do this is by celebrating "Gotcha Days," the special day that kids in foster care are legally adopted into their new families. 

For these 11 sibling groups and their new parents, these photos are celebrations of Iove, patience, and triumph over overwhelming odds:

1. All aboard! These young sailors are charting a course for lots of family fun.

2. These little ladies are celebrating their Gotcha Day in style.

3. A day like this calls for hugs all around.

4. These sisters get a boost from their new brother and join six other siblings at home.

5. These sweet girls came to this family as newborns. 908 days later, they're officially home.

Their parent told Together We Rise, "They came to me at nine days old. I was given a giant blue bag with 6 diapers, blankets, premie clothes, and a yellow duck. Today, I get to be a part of their lives FOREVER."

6. Just one more stop for these suitcases: home.

7. You can feel the joy radiating from this brother and sister.

8. After 1,008 days of waiting, these brothers and their sister were adopted together.

9. No one said the process would be easy, but for these families, it's so worth it.

"The experience has been looooooong but so worth every single second to know my girls are part of our forever family," the Pauleys told Together We Rise. "Our girls are our sunshine and they deserve every happiness they can ever imagine!" 

10. A new last name and a new big sister? Best. Day. Ever.

Here's to these delighted sibs and their new families!

To the thousands of kids still waiting, we haven't forgotten about you. 

You are loved and wanted. And until each one of you has the safe, happy home you deserve, we won't stop fighting for you. 

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Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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This Map Reveals The True Value Of $100 In Each State

Your purchasing power can swing by 30% from state to state.

Image by Tax Foundation.

Map represents the value of 100 dollars.

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The Tax Foundation addressed many of these shortcomings using the most recent (2015) Bureau of Economic Analysis data to provide a familiar map of the United States overlaid with the relative value of what $100 is "worth" in each state. Granted, going state-by-state still introduces a fair amount of "smoothing" into the process — $100 will go farther in Los Angeles than in Fresno, for instance — but it does provide insight into where the value lies.

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Woman bakes cheeky curse word pies for her grandma and it becomes a quirky holiday tradition

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Tried-and-true holiday traditions certainly have their merit, but there’s something quite special, magical even, about discovering personal rituals that commemorate one’s unique life. In my household, for instance, nothing quite rings in the Christmas spirit like sipping my partner’s delicious coquito and putting up a cardboard gingerbread house for my cats.

The beauty of creating customized holiday traditions is that they can be as festive, sentimental, or as silly as you want them to be. And you never know how one small moment can become the catalyst for a tradition that sparks joy year after year.

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via UNSW

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Family posts a very chill note to neighbors explaining why their dog is on the roof

“We appreciate your concern but please do not knock on our door.."

via Reddit

Meet Huckleberry the dog.

If you were taking a stroll through a quiet neighborhood and happened to catch a glance of this majestic sight, you might bat an eye. You might do a double take. If you were (somewhat understandably) concerned about this surprising roof-dog's welfare, you might even approach the homeowners to tell them, "Uh, I'm not sure if you know...but there's a...dog...on your ROOF."

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12 hilariously relatable comics about life as a new mom.

Embarrassing stains on your T-shirt, sniffing someone's bum to check if they have pooped, the first time having sex post-giving birth — as a new mom, your life turns upside-down.

All illustrations by Ingebritt ter Veld. Reprinted here with permission.

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Embarrassing stains on your T-shirt, sniffing someone's bum to check if they have pooped, the first time having sex post-giving birth — as a new mom, your life turns upside-down.

Illustrator Ingebritt ter Veld and Corinne de Vries, who works for Hippe-Birth Cards, a webshop for birth announcements, had babies shortly after one another.

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