Unexpected

Our family just returned from an amazing 12 day road trip across Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Arizona. We spent a week in Vail, Co with my parents and then drove the long way around to get home. Our tourist stops were the Garden of the gods, Mesa Verde, the Grand Canyon and Zion. Along the way we drove along highway 550 and, if you ever get the chance, you must go! It was such a beautiful drive.
The day after we left we received a phone call from our counties placement social worker about three siblings that needed a home. We had not planned on taking three but because they were a little older we said yes and waited to hear if the placement would go through. There was some back and forth trying to find a home in another county that was closer to the parents work but, after a week of trying, no other home was found that would take all three. The whirlwind began with tons of phone calls and information passed back and forth and yesterday, we drove home with three new members of our family for the next few months.
We had the perfect reintroduction into the system too. The time we were given to meet at the office was 2 but we were told to get there early to interact with the kids in between interviews. We arrived at 1:07 and found that none of the workers or the children were even in the office! So, we left to run some errands and then sat in a restaurant waiting for a phone call. It was actually a nice little date.
At about 3 we were told the kids had arrived and we could come any time so we headed out. When we got to the office the placement worker was waiting in the waiting area for us with Peanut anxiously looking for a very tall man, hahaha! She bounded up to me, gave me a high five and turned and rushed back to the visit room to announce us to her sister, Princess. Princess was not as excited and actually wouldn't even look at us but continued to make her "soup". I got down on the floor and tried to engage her but she wasn't having any of it. Soon after, Little Man came in from his interview and was all smiles, high fives and talking. He and Jonah hit it off right away and started playing games. The girls were taken back for their interviews and we played and laughed with Little Man. This was supposed to be more difficult, right?
Two social workers sat with us and we signed paper after paper after paper after paper. Then, just as the whirlwind started, it was over, the kids were strapped into the car and we were driving away. No tears, no crying, no questions. Just happy faces and sweet demeanor's. This went SO different than when we had placements 14 years ago. Jonah commented that after all the craziness, what were we supposed to do now? It all seemed so anticlimactic. So, we danced to "Happy" and listened to "Let it Go" over and over and over again until we got home.
At home we walked the kids around the house, introduced them to our other kids and showed them where things were. Princess hid behind my back and held my hand the whole time but, by dinner time, she was talking and interacting a little more. She and Peanut played dollies with Alana on the floor in the kitchen. None of the kids ate very much dinner at all but gobbled down their salad. After my voracious eaters, its shocking how little some kids eat. I'm sure there's some trauma stuff going on with that too, though.
Bed time was the hardest part of the whole afternoon and, really, it wasn't even bad. No tears or upset. The kids stayed in their beds, they just wouldn't stop playing. Little Man and Canaan wouldn't stop talking until well after 9:30!
Jonah and I know that this honeymoon period won't last forever but, for now, we are in awe of how easy things are going and how well the kids have melded into the house. We will see what the future brings.