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One year update....

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Shayna, Essie, and Ben have all settled in quite nicely. It took several months before any of them were comfortable opening up to people. When they first moved in, they all saw a therapist thrice weekly. Over time, as the children opened up, meetings became sparse and few between. They still see the therapist bi-weekly.

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Ben felt right at home with our, now five y/o, boy twins, August and Avery. They play together all the time - at all times of the day (or night!). Since Ben is too scared to sleep in a room of his own, he and the twins share the largest room. He knows that his sisters are right across his room if he ever needs them. He is also very excited to be starting kindergarten this year. Phineas and I like the fact that all three little boys will start school at the same time.

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Essie didn't adjust as quickly as Ben did. Essie refuses to talk to anyone, except the therapist and Shayna, about her past. She and her sister share a room. A family friend introduced photography to Essie, and she has come to love it. One can rarely find her without her camera! She befriended a lovely bunch of little girls at her school, all of whom dance at a local studio. Essie slowly eased back into the world of dance, and good thing, because she has natural talent. It's so great to see that pretty smile of hers while she does something she loves.

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Shayna has, of course, had the roughest time adjusting. She didn't unpack her things until seven months after she had moved in. Her reasoning was that she would be forced to leave soon anyway. She hated having to see a therapist, because she would have rather solved things her own way. After a few sessions, however, we could tell that she was doing better and starting to enjoy life again. After Shayna settled in, she suggested family time - every Saturday the children would alternate choosing what to do and where to go for the day. She has her own garden where she grows all sorts of amazing things. She is such a great gardener and Shayna and I often use the ingredients from her garden to cook together.

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Five months after moving in with us, Shayna gave birth to beautiful boy/girl twins. She decided to keep them, so that they would never have to go through what she and her siblings went through. With the help of Ben and Essie, Shayna named her babies Thomas Owen and Marina Grace. Both are healthy infants.

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Thank you for placing these wonderful children with our family. In a way, each has brought us closer together.

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..::The Sullivans::..
Katy and Phineas
Shayna, Essie, Ben, August, Avery, Zinnia, Helena, Thomas, and Marina