My wife and I have adopted her niece 3 uears ago. Poor girl never even met her father. I was skeptical but, I couldn't see a child being thrown into foster care from her own family. Anyway, it's been three years now, she has just graduated high school and plans on college this fall. We have bonded closer than I would have ever thought possible. All I can say is, they still melt your heart when they are older.