Loud squeals and sticky hugs have all become common occurrences in junior Lilly Worrell’s house. Last spring, Worrell and her family added a new brother and sister to their family through adoption.

Since April 16, 2013, Ariana and Mikey have been a part of the Worrell family.

“We found out about the kids in early November and on the 27th we were told we were chosen as their adoptive family. Then, five months later, they came to live with us,” said Worrell. Worrell’s new siblings are just like any other toddlers, each with lovable qualities. The children are blood related brother and sister from Nevada.

“Ariana is three. She’s really outgoing and friendly and is always singing and asking questions. She loves girly things, but is also really good at sports and likes being outside,” said Worrell. Her little brother is just as outgoing

“Mikey is two and he is very cuddly and likes meeting new people. He loves animals and, like Ariana, he enjoys the outdoors.” The journey of adopting her new siblings was not simple, but Worrell and her family knew that this was something they wanted to do.

“My mom always wanted to adopt but wanted to wait until my brother and I were old enough to understand the process,” said Worrell. When Worrell was in eighth grade, her family began the adoption process.

“We fostered kids first, but the children we were fostering we could not adopt. No kids were coming through the system in Loudoun County so we looked online for other agencies,” said Worrell. Paperwork is a large part of the adoption process.

“We filled out applications for an agency in Nevada and a social worker contacted us about a sibling set that was eligible for adoption. Throughout the entire process there was a lot of paperwork and applications. Once we were considered for Ariana and Mikey, we had to have phone interviews and a home visit,” said Worrell.

With two toddlers now a part of the family, changes had to be made to the everyday dynamics of the household.

“There is definitely no more cursing in the house and we watch a lot of little kid’s shows,” said Worrell. Little kids have a lot of energy and it is a family effort to keep Ariana and Mikey busy.

“We go out and do stuff a lot more than we used to,” said Worrell, “My parents want them to do as much as possible. We go to the park a lot.” The Worrell family loves and cares for their new siblings, but further adoptions are not in the family’s future plans.

“We are happy with Ariana and Mikey,” said Worrell, “but two little kids are a handful and I do not think that we would adopt anymore kids.