She Started Noticing Odd Similarities Between Her Foster Children But What Did It Mean?

A New Chapter

She knew that it was time for her to start a new chapter in life. This was the reason she had when she moved to another place and leave her friends and opportunities in Alabama. In 2015, she went on a soul-searching journey and returned with the determination to make serious life changes. She wanted to move and begin again. It was a good thing that she found a job in Denver, Colorado that suited the things she had in mind. She changed zip codes to become an integrated service manager for GE Johnson.

A New Chapter

Her New Home

Katie had a good feeling about this decision of hers. It was now the time for her to work hard and achieve her goals. She bought a 4-bed ‘fixer-upper’ house that she wanted to renovate by herself. She said, “The house I bought would require extensive work to transform into my vision and most of which I would have to do myself in order to afford it.” She even told a friend that it was meant for ‘more,’ but she did not know what at the time.

Her New Home

Keeping Herself Busy

She knew that this project would require a lot of money, but she saw this positively. It meant that she could curb unnecessary spending and work on the repairs on her own. It was going to help her stay focused and busy while she worked on other parts of her life. She lived in a huge place by herself, so we can see why she felt like there was something missing. Her marriage ended, but she knew that this was not the end. It was why she started to look into the other options she had.

Keeping Herself Busy

Searching For Satisfaction

There a couple of possibilities for her. Even though she had her hesitations, she at least knew that it meant that she could still improve her situation if she wanted to do so. Her renovation project kept her both busy and motivated, although she still felt unsatisfied.

Searching For Satisfaction

Infertitlity Issues Of Her Own

Katie assumed that things would be better when she changed jobs, got a new house, and started a project. Despite everything, she still felt like something was missing. After going through fertility issues, she began to seriously consider adoption.

Infertitlity Issues Of Her Own

She Loves Kids

She wanted to go into a new direction, which was the reason she started to consider taking children into her home. She liked kids and believed that this might give her what she had been looking for. It was her dream to become a mother, but she had been incapable of carrying children.

She Loves Kids

Another Prospect

She thought that it was a sign when her new church sent her a letter about the upcoming seminar that would talk about a certain foster parent program. She was attracted by this idea right away.

Another Surprise

The Right Path

The meeting only moved her some more and convinced her that it was what she needed in life. Even though she could not help but feel nervous about this, she was also thrilled by the very idea of it.

The Right Path

Her Maternal Desire

We cannot think of anything more appropriate than beginning this journey on Mother’s Day of 2015. She filled out an application form and changed her life. It was time for her dreams to become a reality.

Her Maternal Desire

A Single Mom

It was not like she did this on impulse. She had to think it through before taking on such a responsibility. It was going to be hard to deal with motherhood all by herself. Still, she knew it was the right choice.

A Single Mom

Making It Official

Cases began to come in after she filed the application. The kids were not only looking for a parental figure but had also undergone trauma at such a young age. It made her want to do this even more.

Making It Official

Wanting One Of Her Own

In the year that came after that, she fostered four children. She started to get interested in adopting a kid. She was happy to be a foster mom, but she wanted something more permanent in her life as well.

Wanting One Of Her Own

Excellent Timing

Luckily for her, the right challenge cropped up in no time at all. Only two weeks after she told her worker about it, she received a phone call. It was about a baby who got abandoned at the hospital!

Excellent Timing

Destiny At Work

The baby was only four days old. She knew that this was fate. She told the caseworker, “I want him!” Katie even asked the worker not to speak to others about the baby. Were her dreams coming true?

Destiny At Work

A Short 24 Hours Later

A day after the call came in, the caseworker got in touch again. Katie picked it up, praying that she could look after this child. On the same day, she went to the hospital and brought the boy home with her!

A Short 24 Hours Later

A Difficult Start

In the past, she had taken care of a 14-month-old baby. It was the first time she had to look after a baby this young, however. The poor baby needed help right away. Sadly, it was even more complicated.

A Difficult Start

Illegal Substance Abuse

Doctors learned that he had been exposed to drugs when he was in utero. Even if this was the case, the good news was that he did not have withdrawal issues. There would be no long-term effects either.

Illegal Substance Abuse

Moving Forward

He got a hard start in life, but this was all behind him by then. It was a good thing that he went to such a loving foster home in the meantime. She was ready to give this poor child a new shot at a better life.

Moving Forward

Picking A Name

He had been abandoned when he was just four days old and had no name yet. Katie combed through baby names to figure out what the name him. It was not like she could just keep calling him baby boy!

Picking A Name

Baby Boy Grayson

When she brought him home, she only called him baby boy. It took her several days before she could finally arrive at a decision. She decided to just go with her favorite boy name. It’s Grayson.

Baby Boy Grayson

At First Sight

She fell in love with this child from the moment she saw him. There was an instant connection there, but it was hard to explain. Maybe it all boils down to the fact that Katie was a natural at motherhood!

At First Sight

Her True Calling

She began to realize that it was her true calling in life. Katie also knew that she wanted to raise this child as her own. In the past, she fostered kids for a certain amount of time but none of them stayed for long.

Her True Calling

The Next Step

In the end, this propelled her to go through the tiring process of adoption. It was going to be different from fostering in a number of ways, but Katie was prepared to go through all of these things.

The Next Step

Looking For Answers

They had been together ever since he was four days old, so he had a special place in her heart. He stayed with her for almost a year. Meanwhile, the caseworkers tried looking for his mom everywhere.

Looking For Answers

Searching For His Parents

They searched far and wide for his parents, but they failed to find anyone. While they placed ads in the newspaper and on Facebook. The hospital did not get anyone who was looking for a baby boy either.

Searching For His Parents

Officially A Mom

In May 2017, Grayson could finally have a loving home to call his own! He became Katie’s legal son when he was 11 months old. They still had no clue that their life together was going to be very exciting.

Officially A Mom

Struggling

He needed her attention thanks to his physical and developmental issues. These things were effects of the drugs. Katie wanted more kids but knew she had to wait a little bit until he was 18 months old.

Struggling

Holding Her Horses

In the next few weeks, she got a lot of emails and calls about new placements. However, the majority of them were just short-term placements. She wanted something long-term, but it was not yet the time.

Holding Her Horses

He Deserved Her Undivided Attention

Even though she wanted to keep expanding the family, she was hoping to focus on her son for now. He deserved only her undivided attention, after all. Take a look at him enjoying the cake on his birthday!

He Deserved Her Undivided Attention

Something Unexpected

There were rooms in her home that could be filled. She would have to wait before she could start a big family, however. If she wanted to adopt, she knew that it would be better to do it until he was older.

Something Unexpected

A Life-Altering Phone Call

Just a month after Katie managed to adopt him, she got an unexpected phone call. Who was it? She had no idea that it was going to change their lives forever. Keep reading to find out what happened next.

A Life-Altering Phone Call

Hannah Is In Need

The caller told her that they had a newborn baby at the hospital again. Like Grayson, her mother also abandoned her. She was looking for a loving home. Katie found out that the baby was called Hannah.

Hannah Is In Need

Despite Her Reservations

Like Grayson, this child also got exposed to drugs when her mother was pregnant. It was interesting to note that she was at the same hospital he was found. What was Katie going to do about this baby?

Despite Her Reservations

Yes Or No?

She got déjà vu while talking on the phone. “During all of the phone calls I made that afternoon, the phrase ‘I know I am crazy, but God is telling me to say YES’ kept coming out of my mouth,” she later said.

Yes Or No?

First Meetings

Katie could not avoid feeling both overwhelmed and scared, but her gut told her she should open up her heart and foster this newborn baby girl. In only a few hours, Katie and Grayson would meet Hannah.

First Meetings

Not A Coincidence

Katie took this baby into her house and saw the name of the mom on the bracelet. It was the same name she found on Grayson’s! She checked Hannah’s discharge papers and noticed something else.

Not A Coincidence

What Her Gut Said

As you can see, she and Grayson had a lot of similarities. Katie said, “[The caseworkers] told me her story, which was really similar to Grayson’s.” They did not look alike, but she had a creeping suspicion.

What Her Gut Said

Something Seems Fishy

“Grayson is half African American with beautiful darker skin and dark curly hair,” she wrote on her blog, “Baby Girl has a pale white skin tone with straight red-blonde hair.” Still, her gut told her she was right.

Something Seems Fishy

She Was Determined

However, it would be hard to learn the truth since Grayson’s birth mom had a different surname. Her birth date was one day away from that of Hannah’s. Still, Katie wanted to get to the bottom of this.

She Was Determined

What Are The Odds?

Katie approached the caseworker and shared what she had in mind. However, the worker only told her that it did not seem likely that Hannah and Grayson had the same mother. Who was right in this case?

What Are The Odds?

Getting Answers

She did not give up and got in touch with the caseworker who handled her son’s case. Katie also asked this person to take over Hannah’s. Months later, they managed to track down Hannah’s biological mom!

Getting Answers

Anxiety And Nerves

Katie felt anxious about meeting the birth mom of her foster daughter. As soon as they saw each other, she knew that she had been on the right track the whole time. How did a thing like this even happen?!

Anxiety And Nerves

Figuring It Out

When she laid eyes on the birth mother of Hannah, Katie explained that she “knew instantly” that she also gave birth to her lovely son. Still, it was important for her to remain calm and levelheaded.

Figuring It Out

A Striking Resemblance

This birth mom would eventually reveal some stuff that Katie already suspected right from the start. The woman said that she had a boy as well, although she gave him up. She looked a lot like Grayson as well.

A Striking Resemblance

The Confirmation

Katie found out that she already had a few kids. There was a boy that she did not report too. After this, she told the case worker all of it. She then confirmed that her last name matched a relative of Hannah.

The Confirmation

Putting The Pieces Together

The mystery was finally on its way to being solved. Katie, however, wanted to wait for the test in order to confirm her theory. In the end, the DNA test only confirmed that Grayson and Hannah were siblings!

Putting The Pieces Together

Grayson And Hannah

Katie was shocked that she had two kids who were brother and sister purely by coincident. The case worker looked into the matter and confirmed it all. Can you imagine just how thrilled she was by all this?

Grayson And Hannah

A Miracle

“What if the baby girl had gone to another family?” she said in the blog post. “We would have never found her or Grayson’s mother. The connection would have never been made! I could not believe the miracle that had just happened.”

A Miracle

She Acted Quickly

After confirming that her two kids were related by blood, there was no way she could separate them ever again. It was only right for them to remain together, so it was time for her to make a move.

She Acted Quickly

The Adoption Process

Aside from this, she was head over heels with Hannah already. She was glad to see that this little girl made Grayson very happy. It was time to make things official, so she started the adoption process.

The Adoption Process

Officially Her Mother

Together with Hannah and Grayson, she went to a hearing on December 29, 2018. At long last, this was it. Hannah was now officially her daughter on paper. She and her brother would grow up together too.

Officially Her Mother

A Beautiful Family

They made a lovely family together, and Katie was just so thrilled that Grayson and Hannah had been reunited. When she began to foster, she did not ha a clue that something like this was even possible.

A Beautiful Family

Like A Glove

Hannah spent almost two years in the foster care system before she was finally adopted. She slipped into the family perfectly. If you ask us, we are sure that destiny had been at work here the whole time.

Like A Glove

The Ideal Addition

“I was happy to just give Grayson a life, and I thought that that was big, but I didn’t feel like that was enough,” Katie said, “So to give him a sister, I couldn’t imagine anything better.”

The Ideal Addition

A Family By Fate

She told People Magazine, “They were meant to find each other, that’s pretty clear. I think God intended that from the beginning. If they weren’t related, Hannah would not have stayed with our family. She would have been placed with other relatives.”

A Family By Fate

A Born Natural

When she started this part of her life, she did not know that she would get two kids so soon. Even so, she is still one amazing mom! This really was her calling in life. She was a natural mom and loved kids.

A Born Natural

Another Surprise

You might think that this was the end of the story, but this is not the case. “What do you mean?” you probably wonder. Well, she got yet another important call 13 months after adopting her daughter.

Another Surprise

Their Birth Mother

It came from the agency once more! They had some news to give Katie and her small family. They had something to tell her about the birth mother of her two children. What could possibly be going on?

Their Birth Mother

A Million Thoughts

Katie started to think of various possibilities. Could the birth mom be sick? Did she want to take Grayson and Hannah back? There were many things going through her head. She had no choice but to listen.

A Million Thoughts

Their Baby Brother

When the adoption agency rang her up, she learned that the birth mom gave birth to yet another boy. While she was fine with her family as it was, she did not like the idea of leaving a newborn on his own.

Their Baby Brother

Some Deep Thinking

This revelation meant that the kids could have another sibling in their home with them. Katie was surprised when she got the call, of course. Could she really handle raising three children all on her own?

Some Deep Thinking

A New Edition

After doing some thinking, she believed that it was just right for her to take in this newborn boy. Katie decided to take in the baby. Not only that, but she also began the adoption process for this newest member.

A New Edition

Welcome To The Family

For Katie, this was a leap of faith. Luckily, Jackson managed to fit in without any problems at all. Months later, he managed to capture the hearts of Katie, Hannah, and Grayson! It was time to make it official.

Welcome To The Family

The Adoption Process Was Under Way

Katie made an Instagram post on June 9, 2019. She went to Instagram to say that the court date for his adoption process was ready. In the meantime, she was just happy to be with him and look after him.

The Adoption Process Was Under Way

Protecting His Privacy

She had to be careful about the safety and privacy of the kids when she went online. The story broke out and got the attention of the media. This could possibly make the process more difficult, so she made sure to cover the face of Jackson in her posts.

Protecting His Privacy

A Happy Family

They lived together in harmony while they waited for its approval. Hannah was 2 years old by then. She is now an energetic girl who likes clothes, shoes, and dolls! She is good at taking care of her brothers.

A Happy Family

A Social Butterfly

On the other hand, Grayson was three years old already and due to attend preschool. He is a sociable little boy who liked meeting new people. He wears glasses to address his lazy as well. Cute, right?

A Social Butterfly

No Longer A Single Mom

Katie took to Instagram to speak about a change in her life. She said, “While I can’t share his face as I vowed never to post him on social media so I could get him to take a photo with me, I can share how grateful I am for him.” The truth was that she and this man had been going out for a year already. He supported her through the “craziness of foster care” and the surprises that came her way.

No Longer A Single Mom

Responsibility After Responsibility

Aside from him, she has been getting lots of help and support from other people. Her roommate, sister, and mother were all there to help her raise the kids. After all, she continues to work a full-time job.

Responsibility After Responsibility

Multiple Jobs

Without a doubt, it is hard to raise kids and work full-time. There is also her house renovation project to think about. It is impressive that she also started a small business on top of these things. She has a website called woodandgrace.net and works as an independent consultant for Rodan and Fields.

Multiple Jobs

A Flexible Arrangement

Rodan and Fields is a beauty company that sells skincare and makeup. It lets Katie work from anywhere, so she gets extra income for the bills. However, does she have enough time to spend with all her kids?

A Flexible Arrangement

Future Changes

“I am hopeful that one day this opportunity will give me the chance at the freedom to spend more time with my children and one day expand our family even more. My current traditional career path doesn’t make my dreams seem possible…so I began to consider ways to supplement that complimented my lifestyle and was flexible,” she explained.

Future Changes

Sharing Her Life

She has started to use social media to promote the businesses that she runs. Apart from her Instagram and Facebook pages, this busy mom also talks about her personal journey, project, and interior design skills on woodandgrace.net.

Sharing Her Life

They’ve Changed My Life

“The last 35 years has been far from easy or the ‘perfect’ life, but it has been mine and has always been driven by my ‘CRAZY’ dreams,” she said in a post about her journey with adoption and foster care. “If people only knew how my children have changed mine far more than I could ever have imagined.”

They’ve Changed My Life

Some Extra Help

Thanks to her business decisions, she has enough funds to get extra help for her household. She wants to hire a live-in nanny to give the kids extra TLC. That said, it is important for this foster mom to accept that some situations simply cannot be helped. It’s a good thing her faith has helped her through it all.

Some Extra Help

Staying Determined

Katie has been outspoken about foster care. On social media, she makes a lot of posts to discuss how much it has changed her life. “I don’t know if I believed in miracles for sure. I have no doubt now,” this mother said when she made an appearance on Good Morning America.

Staying Determined

Still In Process

Jackson’s adoption is still ongoing. She said, “It takes patience beyond what I feel I have sometimes. It makes me and those who support me angry some days. But encounters/relationships with the children make it worth the hard times.

Still In Process

A Life-Changing Experience

Can you believe that something like this happened? It all began when she took in a young boy called Grayson. If she did not find him, there was no way he would have been reunited with his siblings. Katie said, “It is my greatest adventure and I can’t imagine my life without this experience.”

A Life-Changing Experience

Good Housekeeping

At once, everything appeared to be coming together well for Katie. Since formally adopting Grayson and Hannah, Good Housekeeping Magazine asked her to see if she wished to be included. She couldn’t have said no to this! She wanted to share her story in every way she could: “I never imagined we’d be in @goodhousekeeping magazine, but life brings you amazing curves. I couldn’t be happier to see my children’s story touching so many people all over the world, and we hope it helps a lot more kids like them find caring homes forever!! Come and grab their August edition to find us. Thanks to @laurenwolters

Good Housekeeping

Proud Mama

Parenting appeared to come easily to Katie. Each time she was able to spend time with her young children, she was so proud and grateful that she wished she could cry. It was honestly amazing how much her life had improved and how much she’d been able to develop in the last few years, and she wanted everyone to know her story. She wanted to enjoy every moment she could get! “I am SO proud of this girl for going by herself to a Sunday school class (versus with her bro)! She went in without hesitation and had a blast.”

Proud Mama

Sibling Bond

Thank goodness, Grayson and Hannah are connected to the hip and love every second of it! Siblings sometimes don’t get along with each other, particularly when they’re so young and still growing up. Katie feels so fortunate that her children have such a solid and unbreakable bond. “I hope they always make each other giggle and smile as they do now,” she said to Instagram.

Sibling Bond

Little Helpers

Katie said that this holiday season was the first time Grayson actually knew what was going on and could talk about it, and you know what that means! Katie’s latest mom’s duty was coming up behind her. She said, “It’s definitely the first year that Grayson is actually starting to realize it’s Christmas and be able to talk about it. I realized I need to explain Santa which I have never done before… any suggestions on how?!”

Little Helpers

Tickle Giggles

Like any mother who enjoys the joy of her kids, the laughter of Katie’s children is a pure bliss to her ears. She likes to tickle them, and they really can’t get enough of it! Her children love to sit in her lap, and she likes to tickle them before they giggle uncontrollably!

Tickle Giggles

Growing Each Day

Seems like every time Katie shares a new picture online, her children get so much bigger! Grayson is growing up to be a happy and peaceful little boy, and he looks like he’s as content as he can be in any photo that Katie puts of him. Their passion for each other is apparent.

Growing Each Day

The Little Things

Katie likes to enjoy everything, including the smallest stuff. She shared this photo of her children in a hardware store with the caption, “These two… two peas in a pod! Hours into shopping to get all our errands run and an hour past nap time they are still smiling and laughing with each other. They chased each other and played hide n seek when we returned home. I don’t think they would be who they are today without each other.” How nice!

The Little Things

Sports Fanatic

Grayson’s obsession with various sports is seen every day, and Katie feels it’s totally unbelievable! She’s not much of a sports enthusiast, but her boyfriend is, and it was something that always tied him to Grayson. Katie wrote, “So grateful for a Grayson to have such a loving guy to look up to… and to watch sports with him because he clearly didn’t learn that from me!”

Sports Fanatic

How Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie treat their children is unbelievable. Brad and Angelina, the most favorite Hollywood couple, were still known as Hollywood’s modern-day power couple, yeah, until they split in September 2016. They have been together for more than 10 years, and in all those years, the paparazzi have watched what was happening in their family. In total, 6 adorable children have been adopted by the couple. In 2006, they had Shiloh Jolie-Pitt, their first biological daughter.

Brangelina

In March 2002, while dealing with her divorce, Angelina Jolie was a single mother and had her first child. In order to reach her siblings, Sonya adopted Maddox Chivan, a Cambodian orphan, and her six-month-old infant. Thankfully, three years ago she adopted another boy and gave it the name Zahara Marley.

Brangelina

Building The Family

And when Angelina adopted Maddox Chivan prior to her engagement with Brad Pitt, Maddox Chivan was still considered Jolie and Pitt’s first child. The only thing the fans then figured out was the couple’s adoption of Zahara Marley. The country welcomed the pair; then in 2005, they were given the wonderful news—they were expecting a boy.

Building The Family

Escaping the Media

As we all know, many celebrities also face backlash from the media. The same dilemma confronted the couple. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt pursued a private life, but that life was incompatible with the desires of the paparazzi. Yeah, that’s one of the very few negative elements of being a well-known human being, with cameras monitoring every action a celebrity might take.

Escaping The Media

To Africa

They traveled to a South African Republic, Namibia, for the birth of their child so they could feel more secure about their child’s privacy. Even though Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were worried about how their son would be influenced, the paparazzi had trouble tracking the pair. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and their daughter Shiloh had their first biological child, Shiloh, born in May of 2006.

To Africa

Expanding

The couple was satisfied with all the things they had and their marital satisfaction was at its height. They already had three kids that were incredibly smart, so they decided to add four. So their third child was kidnapped. Originally, he was born in Vietnam. The couple officially adopted Pax Thien in April 2007.

Expanding

Adoption Difficulties

The child’s parents, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt placed a similar focus on showering their children with caring and affection. They just didn’t have any favorites. The pair demonstrated their consummate parenting skills in their response to the situation. The procedures they’ve undergone, they have gotten through them and been closer as a family.

Adoption Difficulties

Adopting In Ethiopia

Brad Pitt, who adopted three children of Angelina Jolie prior to Shiloh’s life, fostered the adopted children prior to Shiloh’s adoption. The pair show problems in the integration process in the interview. The adoption policy and practices were very rigorous and needed a popular forum in order to adopt.

Adopting In Ethiopia

From Jolie To Jolie-Pitt

The two adopted children had already changed their names to Maddox and Zahara before Brad Pitt made a big decision in 2005 to take care of Maddox and Zahara as their father. The followers were too excited to see the next level being struck by their idols.

From Jolie To Jolie Pitt

Exciting News

After hearing that Brad Pitt is taking legal custody of Angelina Jolie’s children, the crowd was incredibly happy for the couple. The good news of Jolie and Pitt’s pregnancy made them happy. The entire world was pleased by the couple’s genetic talents and their good looks. But the pair kept Jolie’s pregnancy under tight wraps, including moving to South Africa to minimize the chance of paparazzi being in the region.

Exciting News

Where It All Began

The film’s taping, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, was the first time Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt met. What the audiences saw is the heartwarming chemistry between Jolie and Pitt on television. However, Pitt was also related to Pitt, as he was married to Pitt’s sister.

Where It All Began

Affair Rumors

Brad Pitt filed for divorce soon after his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston was taped. It was very clear that he was already deeply committed to Angelina Jolie at the time, but that various social media networks were flocking around accusations from third parties. Jolie refuted reports suggesting she was having an affair with a married man by asserting that she did not know how to exploit her mother’s boyfriend.

Affair Rumors

Much Anticipated Birth

After a controversial beginning, the case turned when the world heard that Angelina was pregnant. The bond seemed to be more solidified, and the father accompanied the mother to Namibia where she gave birth to a baby girl.

Much Anticipated Birth